Chemist Direct???

TruthPromoter

I have been reluctant to post up until now, but recent events have forced my hand. ChemistDirect are scammers, but it's even more serious than most people realise! It's for the greater good that this type of thing is stopped.

For my part, amongst other means, I have been tackling them in the following ways:
1) Trading standards. The normal route is through one's own local trading standards team, who then contact the relevant office for ChemistDirect. Unfortunately, trading standards tend to be less powerful than people realise, so they are only part of the solution.
2) Many of the positive reviews on reviewcentre (reviewcentre.com/reviews166261.html) are obviously fake. They are all written in the same style, and claim to be "shocked" at the truthful negative reviews. One can simply click "report this review" for the suspicious 5-star reviews.
3) Clicking on the "Internet Shopping is Safe" logo and informing the relevant body as to what you think.
4) Inform wikipedia of their spamming (their PR agency is behind a lot of this). Note that it's easy to edit any article on wikipedia - give it a try!

I've been seriously scammed by ChemistDirect and am also pursuing them through other means. I do not like scams, and they kind of chose the wrong person to do this to.

Note that they are at it again with stationerydirect.co.uk. Same old spiel as before!

It gets worse, but that's enough for now....

The founders of Skype should hang their heads in shame for investing in all of this.

These people need to be exposed for who they are!

TruthPromoter

lynx10

The point has been made earlier in the thread, but this is so important that it warrants another mention. There are records on the web for www.chemistdirect.co.uk that date back to 2004 (7th August) and say:

"Chemist Direct is the UK’s largest online discounted pharmacy. Famous for supplying well known brands at consistently low prices. Chemist Direct stocks over 6000 products and is continually adding new products to the catalogue. Chemist Direct operates from fully licensed pharmacy premises in Central London...
Tel: 0845 130 2912 (calls charged at local rate).
Fax: 0870 132 951
Email: [EMAIL="CustomerServices@ChemistDirect.co.uk"]CustomerServices@ChemistDirect.co.uk[/EMAIL]"

Yet somehow the business was accepted for the 2008 HSBC Start-Up Stars Awards:

HSBC Start-Up Stars Awards finalists - Finalists archive 2008 (Chemist Direct www.chemistdirect.co.uk)
http://www.startupstars.hsbc.co.uk/finalists/archive?custom:filteryear=2008

Perhaps it was this: "Chemist Direct was launched in December 2007 by entrepreneur Mitesh Soma – by June 2008 it had become the UK’s largest online chemist shop and recorded a first year annual turnover of £5m."
http://www.consumerforum.org.uk/members/chemist-direct/

lynx10

“The company’s mission is to supply good quality, cut price chemist products to your door within 24 hours”, web site of the PR agency for Chemist Direct.

Business maxim: ‘You never get a second chance to make a good first impression’

I’ve now received a credit for the incorrectly-supplied goods, shown as held ‘in stock’ at the time of ordering, and also a reimbursement for the goods returned at my expense. Trading Standards upheld my complaint about ‘passing off’ goods that were no longer manufactured by the named company, and the product has since been removed from the Chemist Direct web site. This episode lasted almost 11 weeks from the date of placing order/payment to the receipt of final refund - but call that 9 weeks as I was away for a fortnight.

Their representative apologised for the problems and suggested that they would try and do better next time. But why they think that anyone, after this experience, would entertain the idea of a ‘next time’ is a mystery.

PS Companies House reports that the annual return is now two months overdue:

Direct Healthcare Limited
Company No. 06349417
Next Return Due: 18/09/2009 OVERDUE

gerryspn

SarahShattered wrote: »

Hi all,

I have a question, and wonder if anyone can help......

Does anyone use chemist direct? If so are they trustworthy??

I've done a search, and can't work out whether people use them and they're great, or, if all the posts about them are self promotion. :rolleyes:

Thanks.[/QUODTE]
Do not use these cowboys!!! I sent a Private Prescription and my debit card was debited on 31/10/2009. By 16/11/2009 I had received nothing and have since contacted them on 5 occasions and was assured I would be phoned back by a Pharmacist / answered by e-mail etc. Nothing!!! The result is that 21 days after my card was debited I am left with no prescription and £140 worse off. What can I do now??

volcano99

I just want to say thank you to all the people who posted on this thread to let me know their experience with Chemist Direct because I 'almost' put my order in for a few things (very competitive prices, too good to be true) the other day. Luckily I came across this thread just on time and decided not to do it.

Many Thanks for saving me from potential hassle in the future with this company.:T

The only hassle now is that unfortunately I have registered with them and they keep sending me 'sales now on' stuff even I have unsubsribed from them.

lynx10

And some interesting coincidences:

(1) I was particularly impressed by the lay out that removed all the confusion previously encountered in trying to decide which perfume I wanted, for the less technically minded the jargon free approach is much appreciated.
V Shannon, Dublin (Chemist Direct, http://www.chemistdirect.co.uk/delighted_customers.php)

… I was particularly impressed by the lay out that removed all the confusion previously encountered in trying to decide which bracket I needed, for the less technically minded the jargon free approach is much appreciated …
David Smith, Shurdington (TV Brackets Direct, http://www.tvbracketsdirect.co.uk/testimonials.html)

(2) In addition when the perfumes arrived I was particularly impressed by the packaging and speed of delivery. I ordered at 11am on Tuesday and by Wednesday they were at my door.
Gill Bennett, Farnborough (Chemist Direct)

In addition when the test kits arrived I was particularly impressed by the packaging and speed of delivery. I ordered at 11am on Tuesday and by Wednesday they were at my door.
(NEXUS Laboratories, http://www.hivtest.com.my/testimonials.php)

(3) What a fantastic service, that's wonderful. Thank you it's most appreciated. If you have a compliments section on your website, or a compliments form please let me know and I'll happily complete it.
Glenn Jones, Nottingham (Chemist Direct)

What a fantastic service, that's wonderful. Thank you it's most appreciated. If you have a compliments section on your website, or a compliments form please let me know and I'll happily complete it.
(NEXUS Laboratories)

lynx10

I have since discovered that a related business trading from the same address - Direct Chemist - also lists some 'delighted customers', with nice smiley photos by each, and accompanied by glowing testimonials, e.g.,

Having recently purchased a few perfumes via your web site I felt compelled to write to let you know how refreshing it was to find a site that was so easy to use and actually delivered.
I was particularly impressed by the lay out that removed all the confusion previously encountered in trying to decide which perfume I wanted, for the less technically minded the jargon free approach is much appreciated.
In addition when the perfumes arrived I was particularly impressed by the packaging and speed of delivery. I ordered at 11am on Tuesday and by Wednesday they were at my door.
Rest assured I shall recommend both your products and website to all my friends.
Sharon Smith, Shurdington (Direct Chemist, http://www.directchemist.com/delighted_customers.php)

However, Chemist Direct attribute the above comments to four separate customers:

Having recently purchased a few perfumes via your web site I felt compelled to write to let you know how refreshing it was to find a site that was so easy to use and actually delivered.
Marc Sams, Essex

I was particularly impressed by the lay out that removed all the confusion previously encountered in trying to decide which perfume I wanted, for the less technically minded the jargon free approach is much appreciated.
V Shannon, Dublin

In addition when the perfumes arrived I was particularly impressed by the packaging and speed of delivery. I ordered at 11am on Tuesday and by Wednesday they were at my door.
Gill Bennett, Farnborough

Rest assured I shall recommend both your products and website to all my friends.
Sharon Smith, Shurdington (http://www.chemistdirect.co.uk/delighted_customers.php)

And so to this, introduced last year: ... The Consumer Protection Regulations, which implement the EU directive on unfair commercial practices, mark the biggest shake-up in consumer law for 40 years ... the wide-ranging nature of the regulations mean that they will also cover issues such as fake testimonials by "customers" giving favourable reviews of products ..., New rules for consumer protection, BBC News, 26 May 2008, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7416809.stm

Namely: The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 No. 1277, http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2008/uksi_20081277_en_1

Kavanne

I have used Chemist Direct and very happy with order + price + delivery (quick and well packaged) Shame to hear of other's negative experiences.

elvina

DONT TOUCH THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I ordered some goods in August. 3 items, luckily only low value were out of stock. When the remaining items didnt arrive I rang and was told that they couldnt send them out now as they had been cancelled off their system by them but that a refund would be made. Its now December and despite many phone calls I have still not received my refund.

Then on 20th November I placed another small order. It included 2 bottles of childrens ibuprofen. I was asked by email 4 times the age of the children and each time I replied immediately. I was rung twice and age gave them the ages and I rang them a further 4 times and again gave them the ages.

3 times I was promised that the parcel would be sent out the same day, it never was. Eventually it arrived 3 weeks after I placed the order!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nothing had been out of stock they are just RUBBISH.

Each time I rang they apologised but that doesnt change the fact that they are terrible. My last order was slow too but I followed my purse rather than my head, next time I will follow my head and may pay a bit more but wont have the hassle, the wasted time or wasted phone calls. Oh yes and by the way they say their email system isnt working properly and they dont get incoming emails!!!! Why on earth in that case do they ask people to reply by email!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I will not be using them again and would highly recommend that no one else does either.

BEWARE.

jennyone1

Chemist Direct are useless. They sell things on their site they don't have. Rarely send out orders in the time they say they will - I'm waiting for my Dec 5th order. And any emails you send vanish into a black hole and never get a reply.

The D in Direct should stand for Disappointing or Dreadful.

People like me who have been let down by them only use them for convenience. For instance where I live on an island there is no proper chemist.