Concord digital camera £19.99 [CLOSED]

KittyKate

IMPORTANT NOTICE FROM EMPIRE STORES RE: YOUR DIGITAL CAMERA ORDER

You recently placed an order with us for a digital camera, on offer at just
£19.99. Unfortunately we made a mistake when loading this product on to our
website and showed another product in its place.

You may have, or shortly will, receive your order. The product we have
despatched to you is a 2 mega pixel digital camera – the original offer - and
not the 3 mega pixel digital camera we mistakenly displayed on our website.
Please accept our sincere apologies for this error.

While the product still offers excellent value for money we totally understand
you may not want to keep it. Please be assured that you can return the camera
to us, free of charge, for a full refund.

If you have any questions about returning your goods or getting a refund please
contact our customer services advisers who will be pleased to answer your
questions. You can call between 9am and 3.30pm, Monday to Friday on 0800 0966
777.

Once again we offer our sincerest apologies for our mistake and any
inconvenience we may have caused you.

Kind regards

Jean Gibson
Customer Services Manager


Same as everyone else

What can I do now? I haven't recieved any camera and I work 9-6 so can't even arrange to get rid of the blasted thing. This is so unfair.

GSC_2

I suspect like many who ordered the Concord camera from Empire, I received this e-mail, but unlike most I have at least received a camera - see below.

IMPORTANT NOTICE FROM EMPIRE STORES RE: YOUR DIGITAL CAMERA ORDER

You recently placed an order with us for a digital camera, on offer at just £19.99. Unfortunately we made a mistake when loading this product on to our website and showed another product in its place.

You may have, or shortly will, receive your order. The product we have despatched to you is a 2 mega pixel digital camera – the original offer - and not the 3 mega pixel digital camera we mistakenly displayed on our website. Please accept our sincere apologies for this error.

While the product still offers excellent value for money we totally understand you may not want to keep it. Please be assured that you can return the camera to us, free of charge, for a full refund.

If you have any questions about returning your goods or getting a refund please contact our customer services advisers who will be pleased to answer your questions. You can call between 9am and 3.30pm, Monday to Friday on 0800 0966 777.

Once again we offer our sincerest apologies for our mistake and any inconvenience we may have caused you.

The camera sent is a 2 megapixel version with a 4x digital zoom and nowhere near the standard of the one they (Empire) advertised.

I understand this matter is under discussion with Trading Standards, does anyone have any update as to whether they can legally do this?

KittyKate

My partner is livid. We've checked my internet banking and my email records - they sent confirmation of a 3MP camera - now, the confirmation emails are automated, so if the product code did indeed represent a 2MP camera and they'd accidentally put a pic/description on the site of the 3MP, the order confirmation would still say 2MP.

Regardless, after I'd recieved the order confirmation for a 3MP camera I then a week or so later got an email saying I have a customer number and funds were clearing from my bank and my order was ready to be dispatched. The email this time said 'digital camera' and by tracking the order number it now showed the 2MP. It is the same order number as the 3MP and I had not been informed otherwise - this is very decietful in my opinion.

Now 5 days after I get the 'payment clearing' email I get the 'notice about your camera' one which informs me that they are sending me or I should have already recieved a 2MP.

My OH is absolutely certain this is not legal and is more than happy to take this up with Trading Standards. Yes it's only a cheap camera but it's the principle. What do I have to show so far? Well, no camera or other goods, loads of spam (despite what I ticked when I joined) and £14 down. I work long hours and don't see myself being able to return the piece of junk should it ever arrive. Great.

Wish I'd never bothered with Empire (certainly never will again). This just isn't legal!!!

whitelabel

i have received a letter saying due to high demand the item i out of stock ;( however i think i was one of the first to order after the post going up ;(

codetown

Kittykate, regarding sending back staff to Empire, I believe they allow you to send it free via Royal mail, so you can do it on Saturdays or possibly lunch breaks. Or they can send their courier to your home (but not sure about timings).

I have not received that letter, but clearly they need to be reported to Trading Standards as it is unadmissable that a company publishes an item, confimrs this, takes payiment for this. And THEN realises it was a 'mistake' after having sent another one of much lower value!!! Empire is still happily trading 3 MP cameras, so it has a legal obligation to fulfill its original contract to supply a 3MP camera (or equivalet if this goes out of stock).

That letter of apology they sent has NO legal value whatsoever. I will be contacting the Trading Standards as well.
Besides the contractual obligations of Empire, there is also the problem of false advertising. One of Empire competitors could well be alerted and file an official complaint for these illegal methods of attracting customers with false advertising. This I am sure could lead to heavy fines and I don't understand why Empire does not just take the point and honours the contract.
The 3 MP camera was out on offer only for 6-7 days. Even in the best case I doubt they have exceeded 1-2000 orders for that, so should not be something difficult to honour.

KittyKate

Unfortunately I work Saturdays and no-where near a post office - if they want the camera back they'll have to come at 6.30pm or later, or on a Sunday. The very reason I shop online is because I don't have time to go into town and search for a cheap camera - Empire need to understand not all their customers sit at home all day!!

I am going to proceed with this also, I have all the correct 'evidence' apart from a screen shot of the offer when it was clearly a 3MP camera pic & description - has anyone got one please?

As for the pathetic 'out of stock' message some people got - rubbish. I rang Empire and asked if their 3.1MP camera was in stock (from another section of the site). It IS in stock. They cannot send out a 2MP camera instead, 'mistake' or no.

I studied trading law at University - I'm very clear on this. It is not legal to charge someone's account and send out an inferior item/inform of the fact after the charge. None of us even got a choice.

£14 or not, I want my 3.1MP camera on principle. I don't want the Redcats group screwing any more people over. Like I've mentioned, I used to work there, and they did this all the damn time. It's no mistake. Now they have your details they WILL phone you and ask if you'd like to take insurance on your goods whether you have recieved them or not ('it's worldwide cover, only 29% apr of your current balance, and loads of 'great' perks!) -I used to do this job!!

They regularly take orders on stock they cannot supply just for customer's details and so they can offer them an alternative, or insurance. It's a total scam. This was about three years ago and I thought they'd changed - I should have known better.

looby75

KittyKate wrote:

I studied trading law at University - I'm very clear on this. It is not legal to charge someone's account and send out an inferior item/inform of the fact after the charge. None of us even got a choice.

All I ever got from them when I contacted them was "it was a mistake and you can return the camera to us for a full refund" Because they are offering a refund, surely that means they have covered themselves.

andyfoz_2

I received a letter from them today stating that the order has been cancelled as they are out of stock... never mind eh?!!

blue_mum

I've had the same prob as most :mad: . recived the 2mp camera then recievd the email telling me they had made a mistake. just filed a complaint on the consumerdirect web page. a lot eaiser if you haven't the time to call. link below

http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/

hopefully might get some where.

yorki_2

Hi - anyone had any positive response from the Trading Standards - would be grateful for any news. Also feel on principle that they must not be allowed to 'get away with it'