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Next online ordering

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I do not know whether Next are in breach of consumer and distance selling regulations, but they are certainly working in a different way to what I am used to!
I placed an order and created an online account with “Next” today without meaning too! “Next” did not want to know anything about me other than my post code, date of birth, address (which rather weirdly came up with the wrong town against my post code) and contact details. I had placed an order and opened a credit account with them without them making it clear to me that I was entering into a credit agreement!! I checked their terms and conditions and the fact that I was making this commitment was not made clear.

There is no way to cancel an order online with Next. In order to cancel the order – which I was intending to place but with the code advertised on MSE for free delivery (which is why I kept clicking through the website as I was looking for the opportunity to enter the code) - I had to spend 10 minutes on the phone at a cost of 5p per minute before I could cancel the order. The two members of staff that I talked to were very helpful and they offered to contact their couriers to cancel my order and return the goods to their warehouse. Apparently no-one at Next sees the order until it has been processed by the courier! So who knows how they check your credit rating!?

I asked them to cancel both my account and my order and so hopefully this will be the end of the matter - if it turns up on Thursday then I am going to have a problem.

I asked to cancel my account as their way of business is not transparent enough for me. I also have fears of fraud abuse – anyone could pretend to be me and to place an order – which indeed has happened in the past!!

Please let me know your views on the way that Next are operating.

Comments

  • go_cat
    go_cat Posts: 2,509 Forumite
    I've been Money Tipped!
    This is how Next operate their on line ordering.

    Without realising you are automatically signed up for a credit account, there has been lots of posts over the last year on here about it

    I personally do not agree with it, i do not want a credit account, just want to pay for my bits at time of order, they don't work this way so i have a choice either put up with it or don't shop on line with Next.
  • Thank you for your reply - I tried searching the forum and did not find any other references. On the one hand I am relieved that others share my views. On the other hand - how do we raise the profile of this issue so that the behaviour of Next can be challenged? Surely their behaviour threatens consumer rights? Additionally their way of operating does not prevent fraud and it is the consumer who pays for this fraud in the end.
  • unholyangel
    unholyangel Posts: 16,866 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    leshoopers wrote: »
    Thank you for your reply - I tried searching the forum and did not find any other references. On the one hand I am relieved that others share my views. On the other hand - how do we raise the profile of this issue so that the behaviour of Next can be challenged? Surely their behaviour threatens consumer rights? Additionally their way of operating does not prevent fraud and it is the consumer who pays for this fraud in the end.


    I'm sure this has been raised before although for some reason i think it may possibly have been littlewoods or very.co.uk! Same thing though, even if paying by credit card, they sign you up for a credit account.
    You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means - Inigo Montoya, The Princess Bride
  • purplejac
    purplejac Posts: 122 Forumite
    yep agrees with unholyangel it was next i remember seeing it this is the way next work im afraid.
  • Seems completely daft to me. I wanted to buy a load of stuff in their sale online last year, but I didn't once it dawned on me that I would be forced to open a credit account with them! It isn't clear at all what is happening, I can see how a lot of people can end up doing it without realising.
  • peachyprice
    peachyprice Posts: 22,346 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    leshoopers wrote: »
    I do not know whether Next are in breach of consumer and distance selling regulations, but they are certainly working in a different way to what I am used to!
    I placed an order and created an online account with “Next” today without meaning too! “Next” did not want to know anything about me other than my post code, date of birth, address (which rather weirdly came up with the wrong town against my post code) and contact details. I had placed an order and opened a credit account with them without them making it clear to me that I was entering into a credit agreement!! I checked their terms and conditions and the fact that I was making this commitment was not made clear.

    .

    You didn't see this bit before clicking 'contunue' then
    Buy Now, Pay Later! Open a Next account today and receive free delivery if you request a copy of the Next Directory.

    *Please select one of the following options: Give me FREE delivery with this order and send me a copy of the latest Next Directory for just £3.75.ad-reg-dir.pngMore Info
    Charge me £3.99 for delivery with my first order and do not send me a copy of the Next Directory.

    *I have read and agree to the Next Terms and Conditions

    Please tick this box if you do not wish to receive sale listings and other information relating to Next.

    If selected, a £3.75 charge for the Next Autumn Winter 2010 Directory, to be sent by 1st of August, will be invoiced at a later date.
    I understand that a credit account will be opened for me, subject to status. For information on the Directory Account, including how we use your information, please view the Next Terms and Conditions
    By clicking on the complete button below you are agreeing to a credit search being carried out.
    Accept your past without regret, handle your present with confidence and face your future without fear
  • You are right - I did see the screen that you cut and paste above. I suppose because I had not shopped in this way before, I still expected to be prompted for my credit card details before the transaction could be finalised. I did not expect any business to trust me by dispatching goods to me, when it knew so little about me. I will know next time this happens of course. Ironically I work with fraud and always believed that a business would need to know something about its customer before it despatched the goods - for the obvious reason that the customer might not pay. Next ignores the normal commercial rules of due diligence!
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