Buying Online
New Regulations have introduced greater consumer protection measures for the increasing number of people buying online and by mail order. Although the practice is still not without its problems due to the anonymity of the web and the regularity of card fraud.
The purchase of goods and services over the internet, by phone or by mail order generally is subject to the same consumer rights as if you had bought the item on the high street. However because you have not been physically face to face with the supplier, these types of purchases are also subject to the Distance Selling Regulations. If you have met the seller at any point (such as to test drive or agree the sale of a car), or if it is with a shop which doesn’t make a habit of selling in this way, you won’t be covered and should look to Sale of Goods legislation instead.
The supplier’s obligations
If you’ve ever ordered a product or commissioned a service over the internet, via email or by phone, then you are doing so under a Distance Selling contract. The supplier must provide you with specific information related to your rights and their obligations under a distance selling contract. This ‘pre-contractual’ information should include: identity of the supplier, description of the main characteristics of the product or service, price, delivery costs, arrangements for delivery, performance and payment, cancellation rights, cost of communication (for e.g. premium rate telephone line), period of validity of offer, information regarding substitute products. This information must be communicated clearly, but not necessarily in writing, before your order is confirmed so that you can be in possession of all the facts should you wish to change your mind. Remember also that the price you see when you ‘add to cart’ is often not the price you end up paying. Any additional costs such as VAT, shipping, handling or administrative fees, customs duties etc that you are responsible for should be clearly set out before you confirm payment.
if you have not received any pre-contractual information (outlining, among other things, your cooling off rights) before you buy, then you should do so before the goods have been delivered. if you haven’t been presented with this information at any time, then this will have important implications for your cooling off period. See our Distance Selling Regulations and your right to cancel section for more on this.
Your right to cancel
One of the most important implications of the distance selling regulations is a cooling off period of 7 working days during which you have the right to cancel and get a full refund. The supplier must provide you with details of your cancellation rights, any duty to return the goods should you cancel, and whether you will have to pay for this. In return, you must provide notice of cancellation in writing, which this must be posted, left at, faxed or emailed to the business address of the supplier no later than 7 working days after receipt of goods.
The supplier must then reimburse you within 30 days without charge (unless you have been expressly informed that you will be liable for a charge) and if you have any related credit agreements, these will also be cancelled.
The work started before the 7 day cancellation period was up!
Unless you have agreed otherwise, goods must be delivered, or services performed within 30 days from the date you submitted your order. If you have commissioned a service under a distance selling contract and the supplier offers to start the work before the end of the 7 day cooling off period, then you can give up your right to cancel, but you must be notified of this and your express permission sought. If the work started with your permission and the supplier has not provided you with the compulsory pre-contractual information prior to their starting, you may still have your right to cancel and get a full refund even though the work has been completed!
Does the right to cancel apply for all goods bought by mail order?
There are obvious exceptions and you will not have the right to cancel with the purchase of the following goods:
- Goods made to a personalised specification
- Perishable goods, such as foodstuffs and flowers
- Audio/video recordings or software where the seal has been broken
- Newspapers, magazines or other reading material (not books)
- Gaming, betting, lotteries
Getting your money back
Under the distance selling regulations, you are quite within your rights to change your mind at any time, return the goods and get a full refund. This means without financial penalty of any kind – such as a cancellation charge or a ‘restocking’ fee. The supplier must also refund any delivery charges paid by you, and any other costs related to the contract. Refunds must be made within 30 days from cancellation, whether or not the goods have been sent back. Any related credit agreements will also cease to exist.
You may be required to pay to return the goods, but you must have been informed of this as part of the pre-contractual information. if the goods are faulty, then under Sale of Goods, the supplier will always bear the cost of returning them.
Returning the goods
Unless you are required to return the goods, and you were informed of this, your only obligations are to make the goods available for collection and to take reasonable care of them while they are in your possession. This is called a duty of care. Where the supplier has made provision to collect the goods, this duty of care expires after 21 days, but where you have agreed to return the goods, your duty of care continues until you do this and could be for as long as 6 months.
Packaging
Under a distance selling contract, a supplier cannot make refunds subject to the goods being returned unopened in their original packaging. One of the principles of the distance selling regulations is to give you a chance to examine the goods at home, not having had a chance to do so in the shop. It would be impossible for you to do this without opening the packaging and trying the product out. Having said this, you will still be under a duty to take reasonable care of the goods while in your possession, and may be subject to certain instructions such as not to wear shoes outdoors, or remove hygiene seals. But you can never be penalised simply because you did not return the goods in their original packaging.
Card protection
For amounts of money over £100 it is always advisable to pay by credit card. This is because if you run into problems and you can’t get recompense from the supplier, the credit card company has equal liability. However for goods and services paid for specifically in a distance selling context, you are automatically protected against fraudulent use of your payment card – whether this is a credit or debit card. If you ever find an entry on your bank statement for a sum of money that you did not authorise, in relation to something you bought online, over the phone or by mail order generally, you are entitled to 100% of the fraudulent amount to be recredited to you by the card issuer.
Do take care however with advance or pre-payments as these are not protected against fraudulent use, and in any case, the supplier may become insolvent before your goods or services are delivered, leaving you with nothing, and little recourse.
Also see:
- Buying from auction sites and online ‘market places’
- the Distance Selling Regulations
- the Doorstep Selling Regulations
- Problems with deliveries and collections
Related posts:
can you tell me if i have a right to return a purchased/recieved item due to a mistake on my part of choosing the incorrect item?
This is what the company stated on their website;
‘You may return it if it is not as described, or if it simply does not work but you cannot return it if you just don’t like it, so please be sure you want one of these before you order it.’
regards
MEl
If you have bought the item online you have a 7 day right to cancel and get a refund, so what they are saying on their website is misleading. If however you have physically bought the item in a shop, you have entered into a legally binding contract and the shop does not have to refund your money if you simply change you mind – see the latter section of the ‘buying clothing and footwear’ consumer buyer guide. You can only have your money back if it is faulty or was misdescribed in some way – as they have mentioned. Having said this nearly all shops will allow you to exchange the item or give you a credit note, although the shop in this case says you cannot return the item at all, which seems to be very poor customer practice. You should clarify whether ‘return’ means refund or both refund and exchange.
I have recently fallen foul of a free trial period offer which ended up becoming a 6 month subscription to a service i did not want or did I use. The site did not make it clear on the initial page that this trial period would lead to an automatic conversion to acceptance if the trial period was not cancelled. I have also discovered through research that I am not the only one that has been ensnared by this offer by this company.
Could anyone advise of my options in this situation? My view is although I clicked accept (the usual “by clicking you accept these terms and conditions”) that there was no explicit warning or indication of what I was getting into.
Any help appreciated!
kind regards
Kirstie
Unfortunately this is how firms ‘hook you in’ through free trials. Typically you have to provide card payment details so they have it all on file and then if you don’t cancel manually, you are automatically charged. You are right when you say that companies should make it clear, but often cover themselves by putting it in their Ts and Cs and getting you to click in the box to indicate you have read them. This has happened to me and countless people I know, so you are not the only one. It is the same principle as automatic renewal on car or home insurance. If there is no get out clause, I would simply appeal to them, they may give you a full refund or at least some of your money back to cover the remaining term. Good luck.
I have just bought a sideboard online which was badly cracked when I received it. The supplier wants me to pay for the return of the item, I am obliged to do this?
It was also difficult to open the packaging without ripping it and there website says it must be returned in the original packaging and only then will they refund me, are they within their rights to refuse to refund me?
You must be given proper opportunity to examine the items before you accept them (section 35 Sale of Goods Act). If you cannot remove the original packaging how can you do this? What they have stated is therefore in direct contravention of your statutory rights. If you bought it online, don’t forget about your 7 day cooling off period. If this has expired you still have the right to return it if it is scratched as this is in breach of S 14 (provided the seller was a commercial entity and not a personal sale).
I have reently bought a t-shirt through this website, also made sure that I’ve paid the extra for it to arrive within 1-2 working days. It has now been a week and I’ve still not received the goods, not sure if it’s the supplier’s fault or just the delivery company they use which I’ve read somewhere, that is not very reliable. What if I don’t get the goods, is there a case here to get my money back? I was never given a tracking no., just my product order no.
Vivi, it could well be a problem with the courier. request a tracking number so you can see what’s happened to it. if it can be shown that the supplier shipped the goods within 1-2 days then they have fulfilled their obligations, although they should be chasing this up not you. You have made ‘time of the essence’ as a fundamental part of the contract and if the supplier are in breach of this then you have the right to cancel the contract and get your money back. But don’t forget your 7 day cooling off either.
Thanks for your response Catriona,just one more question, if I demand for a refund will I get the full amount inc. P&P or just the amount I paid for the T-shirt?
Vivi, no you will get back the full amount including P & P. See: http://whatconsumer.co.uk/returns-and-refunds/
I placed an order with the ELC on 14th December. I have been advised that the item only left its warehouse today 22nd December and delivery in time for Christmas cannot be guaranteed.
The following information about delivery is on their website.
“Question: If I place an order, how long does delivery take and how much does it cost?
Answer: Our standard delivery service is within 4 working days, excluding weekends and bank holidays to UK mainland addresses.
Delivery to Northern Ireland, the Scottish Highlands and Isle of Man may take slightly longer to reach you (10 – 14 working days). This service costs £4.95.
** We’re currently offering FREE standard delivery on all orders over £100. **
Dependant on the size and weight of your order, we may be able to offer you our Express Delivery service, which will be with you within 2 working days, excluding weekends and bank holidays to UK mainland addresses. Regrettably this service is unavailable for delivery to Northern Ireland, the Scottish Highlands or the Isle of Man. This service costs £7.95″.
They have not complied with their own timescale and I have contacted them to say I expect a full refund and to keep the item if it is delivered after Christmas. Am i within my rights?
Norma, if ELC cannot stick to the timescale and perform the contract within the stated time, they must inform you and allow you to withdraw from the contract. However, this aside, you can simply change your mind under the distance selling regs and get a full refund up to 7 days after the item has been delivered.
3 months ago i purchased a “sparkle” rug via ebay from a home furnishings website. (It was not an auction style listing but a buy it now). From the first day the rug has shed a number of “threads” each day. Initially i put this down to “newness” but the threads continue to come loose (i kept them and now have well over 500!) and the rug is looking very shabby and almost bald around the edges. I contacted the company and they accept that some loss of threads can occur but so far they have only offered me a partial refund of £40. Am i entitled to a replacement rug?
Many thanks,
Elaine
Elaine, your purchase does fall under Sale of Goods legislation, so you have the same rights as you would having bought this in a shop. As it is obvious that a repair will not make any difference, you are within your rights to request a replacement. If they cannot, they should refund you.
Hi, Back in September I ordered a large pushchair package from Two Left Feet, I have received all items apart from a foot muff, which was promised to me by the end of November, since then I have sent numerous e-mails to them with no response at all. I have even requested that they just refund me the money, but no contact has been made by them. I am now at my wits end as I have no idea what to do next. What can I do to try and get either, the foot muff or my money back. Any help would be greatly appreciated. THANKS
Hi, I bought a guitar workstation for £287 on the 10th Jan from the dv247l.com website, paying by credit card the money was debited straight away. I went away for two weeks the following day and when I returned on Monday I found they hadn’t delivered the item so I emailed them regarding the status of my order. I finally got a response on wednesday saying the product was out of stock and they would ship as soon as they received it. I then received another email from them today (Thursday) saying that their suppliers had increased the cost of the item so I would now have to pay another 250 pounds if I wanted it or I could choose another product from their website if I didn’t want to pay extra.
I was wondering if the can do this, it seems strange that they can take my money and then 19 days later tell me that actually they made a mistake and I have to pay nearly double if I want it. The T&Cs on their website says that when they take the money this is just a pre-payment and that the contract only starts when they decide, is this legal?
Any help would really be appreciated as they are trying to push me to accept their terms
Thanks
Hi, I purchased quite a large number of electronic items online, and paid nearly 20 pounds for an express “next day” delivery. The products turned out to be unsuitable and although the company has agreed to refund for the goods under the DSRs they claim that this was a separate service under a separate contractand therefore the DSRs do not apply and it is non refundable. Here is the quote from T&Cs on website:
“The cost of the delivery charge shall not be refunded as it is provided under a separate contract. Items made or cut to customer specification may not be returned in accordance with the Distance Selling Regulations 2000″
Is this right? what do you think?
Jason, Your cooling off period begins with the day on which contract are concluded and ends 7 days after delivery. The conclusion of a contract is when your order was accepted, which on many websites means when the item is actually despatched. Therefore technically you are not within your cooling off period. However, as contracts have not been concluded, no contract exists, and the website have no reason to hold on to your money. Ask them for a refund in full within 7 days or you will start small claims proceedings.
John, Under the DSRs the initial delivery cost must be refunded along with the cost of the items. However, if you ‘upgraded’ your delivery from the standard, this represents an additional service, and does not come under the DSRs if it was made under a separate contract. However, the supplier must have provided you with the written notice of this before the item was sent. If they did not, they cannot make this legally enforce this claim.
I purchased a set of wheels second hand on Ebay. On examination one of them was cracked and dangerous, unsafe to use.
The seller (an ebay shop) told me I would have to return them for a refund, which I did at a cost of £85. The seller refunded the original amount, but is refusing to refund return shipping. Where do I stand?
Mike, if the goods are faulty, you have the right to a repair, replacement or refund at no additional cost to yourself. Therefore the supplier must refund your shipping costs also.
Hi,
I recently bought a pair of boots which arrived after I went away on holiday. On my return I found they didn’t fit. I was outside of the company’s stated timescale for stating a return was required. However the boots are unworn and in their original packaging. I have sent a perfectly reasonable email asking if they could refund my money and have sent the boots back to them and all they sent in reply was a copy of their returns policy with no other communication.
Where do I stand?
Gemma, if you bought the boots online, you have 7 days to send them back for a full refund. if you miss this window, you must rely on the retailer’s returns policy, and they are under no legal obligation to let you return the boots at all unless they are faulty. See:
http://whatconsumer.co.uk/do-shops-have-to-give-me-my-money-back/
I recently bought some items from an online retailer for which I selected 1st class postage. After a week I have not received the items and on further reading of the retailers website I discovered this information :
“Royal Mail First Class – This is normally the lowest cost form of postage. Orders received by 3pm will, where possible, be dispatched same day. Delivery typically takes 1-2 days but is not guaranteed. With this postage method you have no insurance or guarantee and if the goods should go missing in the post Fast Lad Performance is not liable for the loss.”
They claim (via email) the order was dispatched on a Monday but had still not arrived by the Saturday. I’m still waiting on a reply from the company in question with regard to the missing items but what are my options ? do they have to prove they sent it ? am I now out of pocket due to the royal mail ?
Si
Hi
I purchased a travel cot online and it arrived within a week of purchse. Upon opening the packaging I noticed small tears in the fabric and that one of the sides looks broken (without seeing the insides of the tubing I cannot be sure of this). I informed the seller within the 7 working days notice of the faults. The seller is asking for proof from me of the fault and is insisting I E-mail photos. They are advising that they will ‘act on my behalf with the manufacturer’ once this proof is received.
Can I insist that they collect the item and provide full refund? Their requirements seem extremely unreasonable.
Thanks!
Regards
Carol
Hi
I was wondering if you could help with some advice. I recently bought something online from a legitimate online shop. The item I bought was, I have to say, under-priced (I suspect they put the wrong price on). Anyway I thought I’d buy the product and see what happened expecting that they would refuse the payment. However, they didn’t, they accepted the payment, gave me an order ID and a confirmation email including a recepit and delivery address. A few hours later I got another email from the shop saying that, “due to techincal difficulties your order has not been processed and a full refund made to the card which was used for the purchase. Please accept our appologies for any inconvenience.” I was just wondering where I stand with this? I would have expected that once they had accepted payment and given me an order ID that they would have formed a legal contract with me for the item? Is this true. I guess they probably cover themselves in the T&C’s but it seems odd that they say the order has not been processed due to technical difficulties after accepting payment and giving me an order ID which would clearly state to me that the order had been processed… Any thoughts/advice would be much appreciated.
Best regards,
Antony
bought a laptop used from ebay, business seller but an auction and not a buy it now.
it has a hard drive fault which i had not discovered for about 10 weeks due to only using for light browsing. tested the hard drive with software and it found 56 errors which cause blue screen crash when reached by a prog. Seller has told me ‘good luck’ trying to fix after initially seeming interested in emails.
he more or less called me an idiot who should not be trying to fix the problem.
can i do anything?
Hi,
I purchased a Polo shirt from a Website called Ammo clothing back in April and paid for next day delivery, it is now the 2/06 and the item still has not arrived. I have been in contact with the seller (by email only, they will not give me a telephone number!) and they keep giving me different dates and excuses each time. I have been offered a free additional polo shirt for the delay which I have agreed to but that was over 4 weeks ago! I dont particularly want a refund as I like the Polo shirt and the free aditional polo is obviously an appealing gesture, what rights do I have?
thanks
Dear consumer forum
In April I ordered and paid for 3 products from an online perfume store. In May (11) after checking on the site and emailing them I was emailed back eventually to say it had been dispatched – it is now June (15) and after continually emailing them still no delivery, What are my options – can I cancel the order and get my money back??
We recently booked a hotel room online for 2 nights.
The site only ever showed one price which, as we had put into the search “2 nights”, we assumed this was the total cost.
At no point during the transaction did the site show a total/final cost and full disclosure of what was included Inc Taxes Supplements etc.
This meant we thought we were paying one price but in fact this was the price per night and we had to pay double.
If they had provided us with a final price we would have realised it was too high and not confirmed payment.
We have contacted the company involved and we can not receive a refund as it was a prepay room. They said that their site is clear however obviously we don’t think so.
I have purchased many things on line and book countless hotels rooms and they all show a total/final cost before confirmation of payment.
Is there anything we can do?
hi, just wondered if you could help me, i was looking at a website for the symptoms for the stomache bug when this website came up for true white saying a mom in middlesbrough got white teeth using true white system costing $3.87 postage for a 10 day trial. so i thought i would have a try paying $3.87 postage from my debit card, i placed my order saturday and i tried to phone them monday to cancel the order but the phone number did not exist and the is no E-mail adress for them.i started to panic and look on the internet to find that this is a scam. people thought they were paying $3.87 when the company was taking out more money than what was agreed.i recieved an email of true white letting me no my order was placed but there was no reply address. would i be able to close my account before the money is taken out. many thanks
Looks like you have fallen into the same trap as me and many others.
i sent to dazzlinsmile for trial teeth whitener $3:87
I wrote to them as i could get no answer by phone to cancel,even before the item arrived.
Since then they have taken £59:17p from my account,plus the initial trail payment,some people have just noticed they have lost several large payments to this company.
I have changed my bank account details, and have written to them for a refund,to no avail.
Go to dazzlinsmile web and read the issues.
Hi
I ordered a pair of trainers from a company called Rubbersole. I ordered them on Sept 16th and paid for next day delivery. I was given a tracking number and the delivery company claim that they delivered the parcel on Sept 18th at 6.30pm. I was at home on that specific day at the time indicated. However, no one knocked on the door and I still have not received the trainers. I contacted the delivery company (myhndl) and they told me they would conduct a driver’s interview and be in touch with me 24-48hrs. After 3 days not hearing anything I phoned and they said they hadn’t managed to conduct the interview but I must contact Rubbersole. I have now written (email) to Rubbersole 3 times and not had a reply. I cannot find a phone number to talk to them in person. So I am at a loss of what I can do as no one seems to want to accept responsibility or answer my questions and I really want my new trainers (they were a birthday present).
Any advice would be very much appreciated.
Yours sincerely
Ruth Doughty
One aspect of the returns process that does not seem to be covered anywhere online, including this site, is the question of the returns process itself. I am currently trying to return an aquarium to an online retailer (the DS Regs apply) but, although the retailer is agreeing to collect the faulty item and provide a refund and has agreed to send a courier (a 12 hr window with no guarantee of when in that window they will collect), despite waiting in for 2 days no-one has come to collect. To what extent am I required to comply with their (i think unreasonable) requests to wait indoors for the entire day and to what extent can they be forced to make more concrete (in terms of time and date) arrangements to collect. I work and so have used up my opportunities to work at home for a while now and want to know what i can do to force them to be less flaky!
Hello there,
I am playing an online game, and I have bought some game money with real money. But after while I realized that the game isnt that they advertise, also the level of service they provide is really poor. I have asked my money back but they answered to me, that they cant refund because this is one of the game laws that u agree before making your account. Also, the company is found in Romania
Hi.
My boyfriend order a part for one of his games consoles online in July & the item never got delivered. Tried contacting the company & had no luck. The next time we contacted them was the end of August & their website was being moved/changed so any orders being processed would be dealt with once the move was complete. It is now November 25th & still nothing but tried contacting the company & all i have managed to get back is an email from someone saying that he bought the domain & so our order has nothing to do with him!
Trouble is my boyfriend paid for the item by debit card & the money was taken. Is there anything that we can do or not??
Thanks,
Caroline
Hi
Camet are advertising 10% discount for dishwashers over £200 stating that the discount will be applied in the shopping basket. However when I tried to place the order the discount was not applied. I used their online chat facility and was told that the offer has ended.
Are they allowed to do this?
Andy
Hello, I purchased a dress online at Asos yesterday. The money was taken from my card an I received an email saying my order is being processed and should arrive shortly. However I recieved an email this morning saying they were sorry but the dress is now out of stock and I will be refunded. Do I have any rights as a consumer, asI am disappointed that they said they had they dress, took the money, and are now saying they dont have the dress. Am I entitled to the goods they promised?
Many thanks and Kind Regards
Karen
Hi.
I signed up for a one month trial with Be2.co.uk costing £7.00
It was the usual thing where you needed to cancel otherwise you would automatically be debited for the next month. I cancelled 10 days before the expiry of the trial and the debit. I have had £149 taken because I did not cancel 14 days in advance, which is a figure hidden somewhere in their T and Cs. I consider 10 days to be a reasonable notice period and think they should refund the money.
Should they?
I bought (paid for and recieved confirmation email) 5 theatre tickets last weekend through lastminute.com. I receieved an email yesterday stating that they are no longer able to honour this booking and offering me a refund. Tickets are still being sold for the performance at a higher price. I requested therefore that my booking is honoured and my family is upgraded but they have refused. Do i have to accept the refund or legally do they have to honour my booking?
hi bought 2 dresses from phase8 did not fit they are saying,they only got the one back,what are my writes
I bought an airline ticket on line one evening and I’m sorry now that I did. Does the 7day cooling off period apply on airline tickets? thx to anyone in advance for a quick answer – my 7days is nearly up!!!
I bought, what was described as a new ipod through Amazon which I paid for online with my credit card. I got a package through the post yesterday with a beaten up, scratched second hand ipod wrapped up in a piece of paper. It did not come in a plastic box and there were no charger or earplug attactments. Nothing, just a loose old ipod.The paperwork attached described this as ‘new’. I immediately contacted Amazon and they told me to get in touch with the supplier via email, which I then did. He said that in his advert he never claimed to put any attachments with the ipod and he ignored the fact that I paid for a new ipod and got a used and scratched one. I have filed a claim through Amazon and they have said they will investigate the matter and give their decision by March 17. I fail to see what there is to ‘investigate’ and would like something to be done now. I am afraid that after March 17, should amazon find in the sellers favour, I will have lost legal rights under a cooling off period. I would appreciate your help on the matter.
Dear Sir / Madam,
I bought a Garage door from Garage door Co, Chichester, on the phone conversation I had with the gentleman before he went away on holiday was to have a door which was 10 x 7. Then his colleague sent me an email saying that the door was on order and placed some sizes on the email. I assumed that the size on the email referred to the conversation that I had with the gentleman however this was not the case and the size on the email was much smaller. Further more the door I wanted was Garador however the company could not supply that in time so I asked for an alternative solution. I was then informed the same door will be sent to me Via Cartek, (my understanding being that it would still be Garador but supplied by CARTEK and not Garage door company.. The issue now is that the company are charging an additional £100.00 for re stocking the garage door and also want me to pay an additional £200.00 towards the door I originally ordered for the 10 x 7. I emailed back and said I wanted to cancel the order however they have said to me that I need to pay them £680.00 or so to restock so I would only get back around £500.00. Can you please advice?
Hi there,
I purchased a spa day treatment for four friends as a thank you. I did notice at the time of buying, but the experience is only applicable Monday to Friday 9-5. The next available appointment is 2-3 months away, which makes it more difficult to schedule 4 person’s work obligations. As all 4 girls work in different parts of London this is impossible to fulfill.
I contacted the spa, outwith the cooling off period, and requested first clarification and subsequently a refund as I stated that the treatment was unfit for purpose. I have been informed that they will not issue a refund as they claim that the terms and conditions were obviously displayed.
My complaint is that regardless of whether or not they were obviously displayed, I did not see them. Also, as it is a voucher, there is no issue with opened, used or damaged goods being returned. I no longer want the service and would like my money back. Is that an unreasonable request? Is there a special allowance for services rendered rather than goods received?
Thanks for any help.
hi placed an order back in november for some purfume this still has not arrived they just keep saying that it maybe stuck in customs the momies did go out of my account this website did say delivery within 10 days i have emails saying this from the website in question
please advise of what to do
Hi,
My friend bought a gift for me online and arranged to have it posted directly to me. When it arrived, I discovered it was the same as an item I already had. I contacted the supplier to find out if I could return it. They said I could and they would refund the money to my friend. I would have to pay for the item to be returned though: recorded delivery. The cost of this will be 20% of the full value of the gift. Regarding returns, the supplier’s website states:’If you need us to arrange collection we may need to charge for this.’
This seems a little ambiguous as they are not clearly stating that the recipient must pay for the cost of returns. Any advice would be appreciated.
Hi
My sons paid money over the internet last November for a security guard course but one of them were unable to take the course that weekend so they said he could book the course on a different weekend of his choice so we contacted them recently and they had increased the price by £75.00.He now cant afford the increase so has asked for a refund and they have said in their terms and conditions they dont give refunds,however as they have increased the price arent they obliged to refunds as they have broken the original contract.
Hi, I recently bought a home security camera online. The website stated that any returns had to be logged (via an over complicated emessaging process on their website) within 28days. The bracket for the camera was broken and the fault was logged in their system within 28days but because the process is complicated I did not get the item returned within the 28days. They since sent a replacement bracket and have ignored or dismissed my satisfaction concerns. I have since changed my mind and want either a refund or an exchange for a different type of camera without a this bracket as I think it is poorly designed and will give me further problems in the future but they are refusing to do this saying the the replacement bracket theyt sent has rectified the problem. Am I still entitled to my refund if I can show emails to prove fault was logged within the 28days? Thanks
In January I paid £365.99 for a phone on ebay. It’s now 13th of June and I still dont have it although the supplier still regularly sells daily (I’m assuming everybody else gets their goods). Whenever i ask where the phone is they tell me a story about something else and never even mention it. I’ve phoned them, text them, emailed them and when they do bother to reply the phone is never mentioned. I feel stuck, frustrated and ignored.
How does this work with regards to Android Marketplace, Steam, and other digital distribution sales?
I purchased an electric toothbrush from an on line pharmacy. An incorrect item was sent, which i returned requesting a refund. Their online customer service is automated and you are given a number to track your complaint, however due to multiple flaws with their website i am unable to log on to follow it up. There is no phone number and i have no way of knowing if my request is being acknowledged or processed.
Hi
I’m a second hand furniture dealer, I sold a customer a ercol chair some 4months ago, she has now come back to me saying that the arm on the chair has broken off at the joint, I have seen photos to confirm this.
Where do I stand with this situation?
Thanks
Hi
I bought a bed on ebay using buy it now at the beginning of July. The bed arrived and was described as shabby chic. There were no instructions in the box and although described as being made of wood it did not state which one and as is very light I think it might be mdf. We put it together and it has fallen apart once and put back together again. On Thursday my husband sat on the side of it and it cracked all the way through on the side part of the bed. I emailed the seller to ask for a replacement part and I got no response. I then rang them on Friday and was told that they could not replace it as had none in stock and supplier could not send a replacement part. He refused a refund saying that for all he knew 18 people could have been bouncing on it and put the phone down.
I called ebay who said they can’t do anything as it is over 45 days since the purchase but did say that the seller is still selling them online.
We now have no bed which we paid £570 for and do not know if we should buy another so we aren’t on a matress on the floor or what rights we have for our money back.
Can anyone assist?
carol
I bought a child’s air mattress four months ago, online. We’ve used it twice. Both times it leaked and was flat by the morning. I’ve asked for a replacement, shipping at their expense.
However, they claim their warranty for this mattress only lasted for 28-days.
They also say it isn’t their policy to pay return shipping costs. They say I should have read their terms of conditions before purchase – however, I bought on Amazon and saw no such terms.
I’d be interested to know about my rights, and also how they could be enforced.
Any advice anyone?
Jennie
Hi,
I have ordered new mobile contract from online, succesfully received email confirmation order number and details of the tarif,payment and delivery date. Next day received and email saying there was a mistake package online and the order is now cancelled.
What right do I have to get the offered from the company? I know that was really good deal.
thanks,
Hi,
I bought a motherboard and bluray drive from ebuyer in a £1 promotion, meaning i got the two items for £2. At the time of purchase the items were in stock, and my payment went through. I got an email after telling me that they bluray drive was out of stock, but if my payment had been received (which it had) the matter would be sorted and I could ignore the email. My order has now been cancelled in it entirety.
Bearing in mind I got an email saying if my payment had been received my order would be completed, are they or are they not obliged to provide me with the order?
Hi i recently sold a mobility scooter (it was advertised on ebay, however we did not complete the sale via ebay). It was a new item, buyer viewed and tested the item before purchasing and was more than happy, leaving a depsoit and returning the next day to collect the item. It was sold as seen. Buyer is now claiming the goods are not fit for purpose, as it has no parking brake (the model does not come with this) and will not pull her up a slope, she is demanding a refund via the sale of goods act, does she have any rights? Does the sale of goods act even apply to a private sale? and in a suitation where she viewed, and tried the goods herself. She fully admits the item was sold as seen and this is also stated on the reciept. Thankyou if you can be of any help. Emma
Hello,
I’m hoping for some advice as at a bit of a loss. I bought a piece of jewellery from a jewellery designer in the US in February 2011 as an engagement present. I paid in two payments using my credit card via Western Union a total of $315 which also covered registered/trackable shipping. Despite emails/phone calls I still haven’t received anything (December 2011) apart from a lot of excuses and finally at the beginning of October 2011 an assurance that it had just been posted. i have asked repeatedly for a tracking number or proof of postage but received none and now I’m not even getting any replies from the seller. I’m currently living in France and was wondering if there is anything at all I can do to get money back or a course of action I can follow? I filed a report online to the US Trading Standards (2 months ago) but haven’t received any acknowledgement. Even if I can’t get any money back I’d really like to make sure that this person is officially reported in some way as to prevent anyone else from losing their money to him in the future.
Is there anything I can do? Any advice gratefully received!
I would appreciate some advice as I appear to be going round in circles with a recent purchase.
My wife bough an almost new breadmaker through an on-line auction on Ebay. We were out when it arrived by ParcelForce and our son signed for it. When we first used the product we discovered a hairline crack on the side of the breadmaker and upon closer examination we discovered two small holes in the carton and inner packaging which coincided exactly with the cracks in the side of the breadmaker.
We reported this to Ebay who were not very helpful,then contacted the vendor who disclaimed any responsibilty as she said the product was perfect when she sent it. We then contacted ParcelForce who have investigated but will not respond to us as we are not their customer. We are left in a position outside this loop of three parties unable to get PF to own up to the damage. They may even have compensated the vendor but we are unable to find out if that is the case.
A very convoluted issue has anyone been through similar??
Hi,
I have ordered some products from http://www.24studio.co.uk. and the company say they have been delivered the items but we have not received them.
They state that the delivery company has left them on the doorstep.
No one has signed for them and no instructions were given to the company ref where to leave the goods should no one be in.
We have had items from this company before with no problems as someone has been in to accept the goods.
They are saying that we are liable for the goods.
Is this correct?
Hi I purchased a product from this website and it came damaged, I arranged to send it back with the company, they said they received it back on 21st November 2011. They said it would take 3-10 days to get refund but may take up to 30 days. I still havent receieved my refund, I email them every day they only sometimes reply to me. What can I do to get my refund?
I recently bought a new item from a ebay auction for £55.00 with £4.99 Recorded delivery postage.
I paid the seller very promptly VIA paypal. Next day the seller marked the item as “sent”. A week later I still have not received my item, so I politly email the seller asking if there was any problem? Seller reply’s saying, “Oh it must be lost in post, I’ll refund you”. To which I reply,”No need for that, you sent the item recorded delivery, just send me the tracking number”. The seller ponders a while before coming back with, “Oh I’ve lost the postal recept”!
I don’t believe any of this, and the item actually sold for maybe £20.00 less than other such items for sale, so I think he just expected to refund as to get out of a legal sale contract with myself. I also find out the seller has a Ltd Co and shop selling these new items, on a private ebay account.
Ebay seem to offer very little help!
Please can anyone tell me how I stand on this?, as I find it very dishonest and unfair. If the guy didn’t wish to sell for such a price, he should have placed a reserve price on the item.
Hello
I bought some ugg boots from a website before Christmas. I feel totally cheated I did a search for cheap ugh boots uk and I came across this website I though it was a uk company so I proceeded they took the money the same day as the order. 3 days later I got a tracking number that never worked. What can I do I have contacted them by email countless times but I get no reply. I assumed they were uk based but it turns out they are not how can I get my money back?
Many thanks
HI
I made a purchase on line from a woo shoop received the purchase not quite the shade I thought it was returned it two days later but as of today stillnot received my refund. Seller fails to answer emails also fails to answer phone calls what can I do
Hi, I have bought a teeth withering kit from a website called http://crest-whitening-strips.com/. And paid via paypal( apparently that was the only way to pay) it has been a week and my goods have not yet arrived, I tried to look for a contact number on their website and there is none. Neither is there an email address. The only way of contacting them is to leave a message on the website, which I did and obtained no success.
Now I am really disappointed and feel stupid to have fallen on that trap. It’s so frustrating not to have my goods and unable to contact them or get my money back. I paid £40.
Is there any authority I could contact that may would be able to investigate and possibly close this bogus website down? And avoid more people from loosing their money…
Please help!!
Much appreciated,
Many thanks.
Tacy
Hi, I shared your information about Distance Selling Regulations with a company whose refund info on their website seems to contravene their regulations in a number of ways. I’ve just received a phone call basically telling me that I am wrong in an extremely confrontational way. Clearly customer service is not their forte. Obviously I’ll not be buying anything from them now but is there somewhere they can be reported to eg Trading Standards, so that other consumers are protected?
Thanks
Lee
I have placed an order from this website on the 9th of February and I still haven’t received it. I have tried to contact the seller by filling the online form on their website twice about the status of my order and I haven’t received a reply yet. Please note that the item I ordered was supposed to be in stock. I have also tried to contact the seller by phone dialling the number provided on the website and it goes straight to voicemail. I have left a voicemail too and they haven’t called me back. When logging in to “my account” section of the website I could see that my order status was “processing” up until yesterday. Since of today I am unable to log in at all. Should I assume this is a scam and what should I do now?
Thank you very much!
Hi, I purchased a deal from kgbdeals.com for a weekend away with a third party. The third party has now advised me that they are unable to accomodate me as they have overbooked for the year. kgbdeals.com are insisting that they will only refund me a credit to spend with them in the future and will not provide a monetary refund. It is written in their T&Cs that they will do this if a third party refuses to honour a deal however it appears to go against the distance selling regulations. Are they allowed to do this or can I insist that they refund the payment to my credit card?
Many thanks.
Hi,
We purchased an Engagement ring on an online Jewellery shop through ebay in Nov 11. The website advertised the ring as a diamond ring and charged the price you would expect to pay for a Diamond ring. I was given this in January and after wearing the ring for 2 weeks the ‘’diamond’’ stone came loose. We took the ring to a Jewellery shop to get an estimate on having the stone re fitted, and was advised that the ring was a fake. The stones were not diamonds and the actual ring was made from base metal, which would in time have sent my finger green.
We have e-mailed the seller to request a refund. What are our legal rights when the ring was purchased online, however was not as described?
Hi, I recently bought items from a website and had ordered a total of 80 but only received 20- they informed me 2 days later (after I contacted them) that they did not have the full amount in stock- despite them taking the full amount for the 80.
I am now expected to return the goods (by recorded delivery) and will not be issued with a refund for the initial postage costs or the subsequent postage costs for returning them.
I do not think this is fair, as I should have been prior informed that they did not have the 80 in stock- as I would not have continued with the transaction.
What are my rights?
Hi,
Right, I have purchased an item from sportsdirect.com online. They sent me the wrong item which was smaller and cheaper then the one I originally ordered. I contacted them about this and the admitted that they sent out this item instead of the original because it was out of stock. They didnt even notify me about it being the wrong item. I sent the item back to them and the said that they would give me a refund. They have confirmed that they have received the item. It has been 2 months since the item was returned and i still have not received a refund. They have also been ignoring my emails as i have had no replies from them. Is this a breach of my statutory rights as a customer? has anyone got any advice?
The thing that makes this worse for them is that i am a member of staff so complaints have been and still will be made!
Thanks
Gareth
Hi – I recently bought some trainers from a website and they sent the wrong ones. I’ve asked for a refund to which they’ve agreed but say I’ll have to pay the return shipping costs. Is this my responsibility given it is their error that I need to return them? As the return is overseas the shipping cost is a considerable proportion of the trainer costs.
Thanks
Chris
I ordered off Amazon but I realised my order would not come on time so I cancelled then I found out that they had taken money from my account so will I still receive my order.
Having bought 4 items over the phone, the parcel arrived today after a 3 week wait! Having opened the parcel one of the items is missing! Where do I stand with regards to this as the parcel was double sealed and did not appear to have been tampered with, I have contacted the company and they are adamant all 4 items where sent and are listed on the invoice enclosed. The item in question is £115 so I cant afford to just ignore it.
Regards
Andrea
Hi, I bought a second hand xbox 360 console of amazon.co.uk and I only used it a few times but after about a month it won’t work anymore. Do I have any rights for a refund or replacement or is it my problem now? :L
Yesterday I purchased a domain name from 123-Reg and then realised the name was not suitable for my business. (I only realised afterwards, when someone made a reference to another business that sounded similar but isn’t reputable.) Do I have the same seven day cancellation rights as with purchasing goods.
Thanks