The Perfume Emporium have stolen my money

Honestfriend

Have been searching around for another place to get perfume from. I'm very wary as I DID research TPE but I mistakenly read reviews for the .com site. Anyway, have come across cheapsmells.co.uk. When I went on the site there was just something familiar about the colours used, the layout and the available stock. I then found a link to a review on ciao - couldn't believe it, there was a very long, very detailed review by a contributor called "just.bcoz" - the same person and exactly the same review as the one she/he gives for TPE. BUYER BEWARE!

Biggirlsblouse

HonestFriend Had a look at the cheap smells site, doesn't seem the same guy as Chris to me as they are based in Guernsey (tax relief etc) and have a contact number, something that Chris didn't have. To be honest, I think they seem OK but after the TPE business, it's so hard to navigate what's genuine and what's not. Chris has such a professional looking website for TPE.
I have bought from fragrancedirect and they are fine, also UK Amazon sell a fine range of perfumes too and at a discounted price.
I now look at it this way: if the product is waay cheaper than anyone else on line, it's likely to be dodgy!

JOHNSTONE1

just to let you know I got my cheque...hopefully it wont bounce...wonder if I'll get my £5 compensation cheque lol!

Thanks honestfriend for all your help!

Honestfriend

Biggirlsblouse: With regard to cheapsmells.co.uk, it was just the exact same, very long, review on Ciao that spooked me. I looked at its hosting company and that too is different but I wondered if this is where TPE gets THEIR stuff from??

Johnstone1: Brill news about the cheque. Mmmm, let me see.... the £5 compensation..... will we get it? ...... absolutely NOT a chance!

Biggirlsblouse

Yes, has anybody received their £5.00 "compensation" cheque at all?? The refund itself would have been fine but to then make empty promises that you probably don't intend on keeping...the words "digging" "hole" and "deeper" spring to mind!
Hooray to Jonestone1 for getting your cheque too, and thanks again to HonestFriend. Let's hope this thread reaches a happy resolution for everyone.

Surfing17

I made a purchase via the perfume emporium in July, my item never arrived, a gift for my boyfriend, I notified the perfume emporium and sure enough, royal mail was the first excuse in the string of many.

This site is a fraud, I have no doubt about it and they are not just disorganised that is a ridiculous excuse.

I have over 20 emails from Chris, all form letters noting that it is royal mail's fault and his on going reference to the Distance Selling Act about the 30 day wait for a refund however, he clearly thinks he is working within the law and he is not!

I was told my refund would be processed again and again and then it was to be in my account on 4th September and funny enough it wasn't so I yet again contacted Chris and received another bogus email of how they have changed merchant providers and I'd now be issued a check plus a £5 check as compensation for this issue and now, it's 11th September and I have nothing.

I provided Chris with my pay pal information to even simply things and all I got back is "There are other people ahead of you so we will get to your refund eventually". Oh yes, that's a statement from an honest business person, someone who is not a fraud, I think not!

I continue to email the site daily and get the same lame excuses which are all part of a stall tactic for this guy to hold onto my money as long as possible.

I have also contacted the local constable to make a fraud claim plus additional organisations and I hope others do the same. Persist, don't give up as we are dealing with a scam artist here.

By the way, a tell tale sign there would be issues is the overstated fact about royal mail in Chris' terms and conditions on the web site and if I wouldn't have been in a hurry when I made this purchase I surely would have been more clued in.

Good luck to all. Also, don't forget to contact your credit card company straight away if you ordered from this site so the CC company doesn't pay him and you can try to request a charge back.

Surfing17

I have now been emailed stating the refund will take 107 days. I have contacted the police in Nottinghamshire who referred me to Trading Standards who I just spoke with and they noted and gave me guidance that this site is clearly in breach of the Consumer Protection Distance Selling Regulations 2000 although Chris tends to note he is within it. He is in breach of this Act as the refund was not processed in 30 days although I have an email initially from him that it would be processed in 48 hours and now it will be 107 days. The more people that call Trading Standards, the more complaints they receive the more action that can be taken so please, call Trading Standards on 08454 04 05 06. They are very helpful and my next step will be small claims courts. Good luck and don't let this guy win, don't give up!

CatherineEM

Still no sign of my refund. I keep chasing for my refund and asking for an update and I've know been advised by Chris my cheque will take around 57 days!!!!

Biggirlsblouse

Uh oh, 107 Days!! Around 57 Days!! Clearly this guy is now running completely ruffshod over honest people buying from his fraudulent website and since he has now switched internet hosts YET again, he has no one checking up on him. I would still recommend that SURFING and CATHERINE both contact the hosts via their abuse email (noted above, I think) with strong emails and keep on at the hosts until they do something. I seriously have no faith in the Trading Standards. I think that until someone has hard proof that he has no intention of ever sending the perfume out (or even stocks any of the perfumes he allegedly sells), he can still operate legally as he puts these the missing items down to "postal loss".
Whilst it seems harsh, I do think that the Small Claims Court will also scare him into refunding, however I doubt he will refund what you have to pay your court fees in order to get back whats rightfully yours anyway!
It seems to me that someone's comments, way back on this board, about Chris taking interest free unauthorised loans from his customers was bang on target! :mad:

rosie789

I agree that I have no faith in Trading Standards, but up til now Chris appears to have been working within the law (JUST!!). However, if he's now quoting 57 and 107 days for a refund (odd numbers, but nothing seems to be straightforward with TPE) then he is clearly in breach of the distance selling regulations, so surely Trading Standards can do something now!! Is it just me or does anyone else think that if this guy was taking money like this from so many people, in any other way, he would be in prison by now.