scam website

linkin52

Afternoon all,

I bought an item from an online shop that was top of the google rankings. I used my visa debit card.

The money (£50) came off of my account pretty damn quick.

I got an email a couple of days later saying my item had gone out of stock (even though the site still had "In stock" and even "dispatched next day" all over the website) and asking if I would like to wait two weeks or an alternative item.

I said I would wait. Two weeks later, still out of stock - so I ask for a refund. The person said that my order had been cancelled and to allow 7 days.

7 days later, nothing. The phone numbers listed on the site constantly go to voicemail so at this point it's looking pretty fishy...

In the meantime, I did some research and found a forum where every post said to avoid this scam site. They take your money and fob you off. If you're lucky you'll get a cheap alternative, but in most cases they just run you in circles. There is a premises address on the site but it's a trading unit.

Is there anything I can do? It's got to the stage where I don't really care about the money, I just don't want to let them get away with this outright con.

I read somewhere about visa debit chargeback, would someone be kind enough to explain this to me? Can I contact trading standards?

Thanks for taking the time, I very much appreciate it.

wealdroam

linkin52 wrote: »

I read somewhere about visa debit chargeback, would someone be kind enough to explain this to me?

Have a read of this article.

linkin52 wrote: »

Can I contact trading standards?

Yes. Of course you can.

What website?

Is the company base in UK? If not Trading Standards will not be interested.

Optimist

linkin52 wrote: »

Afternoon all,

I bought an item from an online shop that was top of the google rankings. I used my visa debit card.

Don't take top of google rankings too seriously. There are companies that specialise in search engine optimisation to ensure high rankings

Zoe.ama

Can I ask.. Which company was this? As something very similar has happened to me!!

linkin52

Um how to put this... It was a site called bedroom pleasures.co.uk - they screwed me out of £50 for a "present" for my girlfriend

Well now that's out of the way, I can happily add that I contacted lloydds and it was a simple matter of filling out a form or two and they issued me with a refund. Aparently the onus is on the seller to prove that you received it- so I don't know if they got the money out of the fraudsters or what; but at least I got it back!

Maldives_lover

linkin52 wrote: »

Um how to put this... It was a site called bedroom pleasures.co.uk - they screwed me out of £50 for a "present" for my girlfriend
but at least I got it back!

Glad you got your money back, but what were you buying:D

omen666

linkin52 wrote: »

Um how to put this... It was a site called bedroom pleasures.co.uk - they screwed me out of £50 for a "present" for my girlfriend

Well now that's out of the way, I can happily add that I contacted lloydds and it was a simple matter of filling out a form or two and they issued me with a refund. Aparently the onus is on the seller to prove that you received it- so I don't know if they got the money out of the fraudsters or what; but at least I got it back!

A Lot of these sites do this because they think you might be embarrassed because of the company name appearing on receipts.


I do remember a story from 10-20 years ago whereby people bought vibrators for £9.99 but they never had them but they always sent you a refund check witht he companies name on the cheque stating a refund from Anal Butt Plugs Ltd and people were too embarrassed to hand over the check with a company name like that on the cheque and they were prepared to lose out on the tenner

barbiedoll

omen666 wrote: »

I do remember a story from 10-20 years ago whereby people bought vibrators for £9.99 but they never had them but they always sent you a refund check witht he companies name on the cheque stating a refund from Anal Butt Plugs Ltd and people were too embarrassed to hand over the check with a company name like that on the cheque and they were prepared to lose out on the tenner

That wouldn't bother me.....But losing a tenner would!

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

paddyrg

omen666 wrote: »

I do remember a story from 10-20 years ago whereby people bought vibrators for £9.99 but they never had them but they always sent you a refund check witht he companies name on the cheque stating a refund from Anal Butt Plugs Ltd and people were too embarrassed to hand over the check with a company name like that on the cheque and they were prepared to lose out on the tenner

That'll be "Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" you're thinking of ;-)

omen666

paddyrg wrote: »

That'll be "Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" you're thinking of ;-)

oh yeah forgot it was in that film, was a big scam pre that as I remember it before the film

linkin52

Yeah the embarrassment was definitely a factor. I had to describe what I was buying to the Lloyds fraud department. There was definitely a long pause after I told him...

But I was just so pi**ed off with these fraudsters that it was worth the awkwardness.