Should the credit card company help

nhoneymonster

Sorry for the long post, want to give the whole story!

I'm setting up an online business and registered with a supplier a few weeks ago that I found on a wholesale site. I hadn't ordered anything from them yet but had an email recently saying the business was closing and they were having a clearance sale. I ordered some items last week and thought I'd phone for an update as the order was still showing as processing.

I phoned the number from the site and someone answered, I asked if it was the company and he said yes but the website was being reconstructed so they were not taking any more orders (the original email said they would not be selling anything after 27.11.09, the website is still online with items for sale), I said that I wanted to check if an order already placed had been sent and he said the person I needed to speak to wasn't in and to call back in 3 hours. I did this but there was no reply. I got another number from the wholesale site I found them on but I just get hold music with recorded messages saying the call will be answered shortly.

After this I have no confidence that the order will be sent, I phoned the credit card company to see if they would be able to assist if the items aren't received, at first they just kept telling me I needed to contact the company (they obviously didn't understand my query). Eventually they said if it was a fraudulent company they would investigate. I've looked into the company and people seem to have had satisfactory service from them last year so they seem to be a genuine company, but will the credit card company still investigate if I don't receive the goods if the company is genuine?

I didn't get a very clear answer from the credit card company when I phoned so just wanted to check where I stand. The credit card payment was sent through paypal, would they help?

Thanks for taking the time to read this!

Optimist

I would suggest that you might be worrying too much at this point but to answer your question the fact you used Paypal gives the credit card company an out and its highly doubtful they will help.

If you don't get your goods then you will need to raise a complaint with Paypal but if the company don't have any money in their account for Paypal to do a chargeback against, then they will just say sorry but they cant/wont help.

nhoneymonster

Still no confirmation that goods shipped, no reply to emails, no one answering the phone. Website still online with items for sale though!

nomoneytoday

If it was a business to business transaction, then I believe Section 75 doesn't come into place

nhoneymonster

I think I'll have to try claiming through paypal anyway as the credit card payment was sent through them. It's not a huge amount of money compared to what some people posting on the forums are trying to get back, but it's still a decent amount and frustrating that I have paid for items that I'm probably not going to receive.

I've checked into the company since and forum posts I've found from last year say they deliver really quickly etc., so even if I had made further checks before buying I still would have gone ahead with the purchase. Makes it difficult to know where you can buy from with confidence!

nhoneymonster

I actually received the goods this week - I got confirmation of shipping and someone replied to my email later that day apologising for the delay, I had the goods a few days later.