Online Purchases

[Blue84]

Hey All,

I ordered some items online from a clothing website on the 28th August, I got an email the next day confirming the items & they'd been dispatched on the 29th. So that was all fine, delivery expected in around 5 days. Time passed, no parcel arrived so I contacted them via email on 7th Sept to say so. Since then have been several emails passed to and fro, I agreed for them to pass to their investigation team on the 12th Sept as they had definately dispatched it and that the investigation process would take 28 days. On the 19th, I got an email back from said claims department again confirming it had gone to the courier - that annoyed me as they'd told me that before and surely it needs to be taken up with the courier? So last night, as I was at work all day I emailed them again saying because I have now been charged the £50 for the items, not received them and am no further to getting it sorted really. I said I expect a refund in my email, but what did I get back today:

Dear Miss C*******

Thank you for contacting us.

Your claim has been passed to our claims department as advised on a previous email to you.

You will be contacted back within 28days.

Please accept my apologies.

Yours sincerely..

But they've done that on the 12th and I had a response from them on the 19th!

So I feel like I am banging my head against a brick wall, I know telephone is a good way of communication but I'm on the phone all day anyway at work so on lunchbreaks I try to avoid any telephone talk so email has been the best way of communication so far. The claims investigation want me to wait until the 12th of October as apparently I should've received it by now (can they not read?)...they did say the process would take 28 days, but I've had a response already from that team!

I've called tradingstandards to get some advice, they say it's very odd and I should back up my points with a recorded delivery letter and they will email me a template to help with some of the wording....so shall I just wait until the 12th, be £50 out of pocket all this time and see what happens or any other idea's?

Advice appreciated!

T

[Flat Pack]

Sounds very odd, what kind of courier takes 5 days to deliver something in the first place? Bet they just stuck it in the post and hoped for the best (and probably charged a good whack for p&p too).

I think you'll have to ring them, its far too easy to just fob someone off by email, which is what it sounds like is happening... 28 days to even look into something? They're having a laugh. Explain that you don't care whether they sent the goods and need to investigate the 'courier', that's their problem. If they haven't got signed proof of delivery to your address then you want either a full refund or the goods sent out today (your choice ;) ). If you paid by credit card you're in a strong position, tell them that you'll contacting the credit card company to get the money refunded if they won't do it (and then do so).

[Johndcfc]

Do a chargeback (assuming you bought it on credit card) that will get there attention....

[Blue84]

Sounds very odd, what kind of courier takes 5 days to deliver something in the first place? Bet they just stuck it in the post and hoped for the best (and probably charged a good whack for p&p too).

I think you'll have to ring them, its far too easy to just fob someone off by email, which is what it sounds like is happening... 28 days to even look into something? They're having a laugh. Explain that you don't care whether they sent the goods and need to investigate the 'courier', that's their problem. If they haven't got signed proof of delivery to your address then you want either a full refund or the goods sent out today (your choice ;) ). If you paid by credit card you're in a strong position, tell them that you'll contacting the credit card company to get the money refunded if they won't do it (and then do so).

Yeah that's what I am thinking happened too, they've never said "we passed it to *insert actual name of courier*, just called them the courier . Sadly I don't own a credit card, I just used my Visa Debit Card as I usually do so...I'm not gonna let this lie, no way. My Parents get back from their travels this weekend and I can use their help too! I don't understand the 28 day thing either, why would it take that long? Someone gets given a problem/complaint case at my work and we have to sort it out immediately - not tell the Policyholder "well it'll take us 28 days"... :ffs: :ffs:

[Robie]

Most couriers will not class an item as lost until 28 days.

[Demonic Angel]

I had a similar experience recently ordering stuff from an online vet (for the cats obviously!)

I had not recieved anything so contacted the company I bought it from who basically said it has been couriered and I should take it up with them, so contacted the couriers direct (ParcelForce). They said it had been signed for by someone with the surname Baines, someone who didnt work in our building.... I said that person doesnt work here and can they find out where it is.

Soon after I got a call from them saying it had actually been delivered to the local post office where the postmaster (Mr Baines!) had signed for it - but no card was left informing me of this and the post office never thought to let me know it was there.

I would highly recommend calling over emailing if you can and getting the details of the courier, a phone number and tracking number and contacting the courier directly to ascertain where the parcel is and once you know, write a snotty letter to the company concerned saying "No thanks to their help, you found the parcel yourself and you wont be using their services again"

Good luck T!

[Blue84]

I would highly recommend calling over emailing if you can and getting the details of the courier, a phone number and tracking number and contacting the courier directly to ascertain where the parcel is and once you know, write a snotty letter to the company concerned saying "No thanks to their help, you found the parcel yourself and you wont be using their services again"

Good luck T!

Thanks Em, that's my next course of action I thought they might've thought to have done that but obviously not, I really do think they are lacking a certain thing called "common sense" :ffs:

[Flat Pack]

Most couriers will not class an item as lost until 28 days.

Again, why is that your problem? The courier is the seller's agent, the seller will get proof of delivery from the courier. Its up to the seller to deal with them in a timely manner and ensure you get the goods you've paid for. How do you know they even dispatched the item in the first place?

I also had something similar recently, ordered a steering wheel for the Striker, got an email telling me it had been dispatched, but it didn't show up after a few days. Rang the company, asked them if they could look into it for me and the guy said he'd find out and ring me back. 10 minutes later I get a phone call, he's been onto the courier (parcelfarce in this case) and can confirm they haven't tried to deliver it, he says that probably means they've lost it so he asked them to return it to him if it turns up and sent me out another one that afternoon.

Not hard, he doesn't end up out of pocket (he'll either get the original wheel back or claim off the courier's insurance once they've really decided they lost it) and he ends up with a customer that thinks he's good to deal with, helpful and efficient even when things don't quite work out right. If he'd told me to wait 28 days I'd have told him where to stick the steering wheel and issued a chargeback on my card straight away instead.

[Blue84]

Thanks for the advice, this is some text from the email:

> So that we can investigate this, please read the statement below. Then

> > simply reply to this e-mail, confirming you have read the statement and are

> > happy for us to begin the investigation.

> >

> > "You may treat this e-mail as my written declaration of loss. I hereby

> > confirm and declare that the contents of this e-mail are true and

> accurate in all respects. I confirm that if called upon to do so I will forthwith

> > sign such documentation and do all such acts as may be reasonably

> required of me to enable you or your representatives to investigate and resolve

> this loss claim with any of your carriers or their representatives."

> >

> > When you reply please ensure that this e-mail is attached for our

> > reference.

> >

> > Once we receive your reply, our Claims Department will proceed with the

> > investigation. Please allow up to 28 days for this to be completed.

> >

> > Once again, please accept our apologies. If you require any further

> help

> > please contact us.

> >

So they did tell me from the start of the investigation it will take 28 days...I think what I will do is ensure they get onto the Carrier/Courier and see what happened, but why should I have to tell them this if they are meant to be "investigating it" - the whole thing is making me mad now :ffs: