Avoid Ziinga!

bga146

I too have fallen into the trap. I had a bid for some vouchers which I won, for £2.50? The final bill was for £4.41? As like many others I had already registered with the site, so I could look at what was up for auction? When I went to pay for my auction win, I entered my card details, and then was asked for copies of my Passport, driving licence, debit card back and front? Only then did I realize, what site asks for such things??? I contacted them on live chat and support, to find out that I was a Platinum member and to cancel there was a £28 cancellation fee,plus a 3 month binding membership contract of £58.99
I got confirmation of my cancellation, and started reading forums on the internet of similar situations with ziinga. The next morning I rang my bank and they said something about long distance selling act 2000. And would do a charge back when the first £58.99 was taken out, which they did.
Last night I received a very threatning email from [EMAIL="Fraud@ziinga.com"]Fraud@ziinga.com[/EMAIL], saying there appears to be a fraudulant action on my membership, and gave me 2 options. Option 1 was to contact the bank and reverse the chargeback, and pay them an extra £22 for doing this, and then send copies of the charge back using ziinga's download file, and then continue with the membership
Option 2, was to pay them a £28 cancellation fee? plus £22 charge back fee and no more membership fees will be taken?
Then it went on to say,
Accounts that do not settle overdue balances or unduly chargebacks within the allotted time, whereby allotted time is determined on a case-to-case basis, may be blacklisted and may also incur further fees. Any and all fees will be paid by the member. A fee of £ 448.66 will apply per unduly chargeback based on our Terms and Conditions.
If NO action is taken
As there is a valid contract between you and Ziinga.com we are ready to take legal actions and hand your case to our collection agency if the chargeback is not reverted within 5 business days from today. This will incur heavy charges to your balance and affect your financial credibility.
Has anyone got any conclusions to this Scam? I have read of people who have reached the same stage as myself, but nothing further, any help would be gratefully accecpted.
Update 20/07/2012
Ziiinga.com left a phone message and an email stating my unpaid account has been handed over to their collection department. And legal action is now been started against me?
Anyone else?

Joy124

I hope you've all saved me from being scammed. I found the ziinga site and registered (i had to tick the T&C box - which I did read but wasn't sure I understood it all!).
Then I made a free bid, and won a gift card and they asked me for creditcard details.
But then I noticed the bit that says I was agreeing to 3 months Platinum membership at £59.99 a month. So I phoned them and was told how to buy bids etc, but still thought it strange ("if it sounds too good to be true. it is" went through my mind.
So I came to this site and read all the above posts.

Do you think I'm safe? They have a one-off username and password, but my real e-mail address. I agreed the T&Cs, bid and "won" an auction, but have not provided card details and shut down the page.

Many thanks to you all for the warnings
Joy

Fred_Bassett

As long as you haven't given them your card details then you should be OK.

Regards.

Fred

melbell

danjourno wrote: »

[FONT=&quot] I am a computer consultant, been using the internet for over 14 years and would never have agreed to paying £56.[/FONT]

Id reply with well you did no charge back. clearly being a "computer consultant" has failed you.

We recommend you visit amazon for a book on computing!

antrobus

bga146 wrote: »

I too have fallen into the trap. I had a bid for some vouchers which I won, for £2.50? .... (the usual story ...a £28 cancellation fee, plus a 3 month binding membership contract of £58.99....).... The next morning I rang my bank and they said something about long distance selling act 2000. And would do a charge back when the first £58.99 was taken out, which they did....

It's actually the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000 (commonly known as DSRs) but I know what you mean, and your bank was right. You have the right (within certain time limits) to cancel the contract without paying them a penny.

bga146 wrote: »

....
Last night I received a very threatning email from [EMAIL="Fraud@ziinga.com"]Fraud@ziinga.com[/EMAIL], ..Has anyone got any conclusions to this Scam?

Yes, refer them to the reply given in Arkell v Pressdram. (Or just tell them to go forth and multiply.) Ziinga is in breach of the aforementioned DSRs. And before someone pipes up and points out that Ziinga is 'based in Malta', I'd like to point out that Malta is a member of the EU and has the exact same DSRs in force.

bga146 wrote: »

.. I have read of people who have reached the same stage as myself, but nothing further, any help would be gratefully accecpted.

Probably because one of two things happens in such cases. People either (a) pay up out of fear and so don't feel inclined to mention it, or (b) don't pay, and nothing at all happens.

danjourno wrote: »

... The market really needs to be regulated to protect consumers from this type of problem.

It is. Enforcing consumer protection, as in shutting down websites would however be something else. As I have been able to establish, Ziinga is run by a company called Auction Management Ltd (registered in Malta) which is a subsidiary of Flamingo Intervest Ltd (registered in the British Virgin Islands) which is now owned by Nio Inc, which despite being quoted on the Oslo Stock Exchange is based in Florida. Goodness known where the servers are located.

Wooden-one

antrobus wrote: »

It's actually the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000 (commonly known as DSRs) but I know what you mean, and your bank was right. You have the right (within certain time limits) to cancel the contract without paying them a penny.




Yes, refer them to the reply given in Arkell v Pressdram. (Or just tell them to go forth and multiply.) Ziinga is in breach of the aforementioned DSRs. And before someone pipes up and points out that Ziinga is 'based in Malta', I'd like to point out that Malta is a member of the EU and has the exact same DSRs in force.



Probably because one of two things happens in such cases. People either (a) pay up out of fear and so don't feel inclined to mention it, or (b) don't pay, and nothing at all happens.



It is. Enforcing consumer protection, as in shutting down websites would however be something else. As I have been able to establish, Ziinga is run by a company called Auction Management Ltd (registered in Malta) which is a subsidiary of Flamingo Intervest Ltd (registered in the British Virgin Islands) which is now owned by Nio Inc, which despite being quoted on the Oslo Stock Exchange is based in Florida. Goodness known where the servers are located.

I have been scammed by these people today. This information was very useful.

I paid for my item but have not given them my delivery details. They do not have my date of birth, address or any personal information other than:

- my first and last name
- card details for a card I have now cancelled.

I didnt send my card or ID details.

I wont be taking the items (as I do not want to give them any further information to send them to me) and I have no intention of paying the cancellation fee or membership fees.

I signed up today.

Can I get away with this? Can they actually take me through collections and debt collectors with so little information on me?

Thanks

(This scam is the reason I signed up to this site)

Fred_Bassett

Wooden-one wrote: »

I have been scammed by these people today. This information was very useful.

I paid for my item but have not given them my delivery details. They do not have my date of birth, address or any personal information other than:

- my first and last name
- card details for a card I have now cancelled.

I didnt send my card or ID details.

I wont be taking the items (as I do not want to give them any further information to send them to me) and I have no intention of paying the cancellation fee or membership fees.

I signed up today.

Can I get away with this? Can they actually take me through collections and debt collectors with so little information on me?

Thanks

(This scam is the reason I signed up to this site)

If they've got your card details they will have the money in a flash. If you've cancelled that card you might just be OK.

As for collections/debt collectors, I would be very surprised if they went through with this, given that they appear to be operating a huge scam. You never know though, this lot seem to have more brass neck than an ornamental buddha.

I'm going through the process of getting a chargeback on the money they took from my account, which in my opinion is theft. I would welcome the opportunity to defend myself in court against this bunch of thieves.

antrobus

Wooden-one wrote: »

...
Can I get away with this? Can they actually take me through collections and debt collectors with so little information on me?
..

I'm inclined to agree with Fred. I doubt very much whether Ziinga will ever follow through with any kind of actual court action to recover any of the sums they believe are due. They probably work on the same basis as the Private Parking Charge mob, who will bill people £50 for some transgression in a LIDL car park and issue a whole series of legalistic threatograms in an attempt to frighten people into parting with their money. They bank on a percentage of people being sufficiently intimidated to pay up without ever having any real intention of doing anything.

bga146

antrobus wrote: »

It's actually the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000 (commonly known as DSRs) but I know what you mean, and your bank was right. You have the right (within certain time limits) to cancel the contract without paying them a penny.




Yes, refer them to the reply given in Arkell v Pressdram. (Or just tell them to go forth and multiply.) Ziinga is in breach of the aforementioned DSRs. And before someone pipes up and points out that Ziinga is 'based in Malta', I'd like to point out that Malta is a member of the EU and has the exact same DSRs in force.



Probably because one of two things happens in such cases. People either (a) pay up out of fear and so don't feel inclined to mention it, or (b) don't pay, and nothing at all happens.



It is. Enforcing consumer protection, as in shutting down websites would however be something else. As I have been able to establish, Ziinga is run by a company called Auction Management Ltd (registered in Malta) which is a subsidiary of Flamingo Intervest Ltd (registered in the British Virgin Islands) which is now owned by Nio Inc, which despite being quoted on the Oslo Stock Exchange is based in Florida. Goodness known where the servers are located.

Read my update below original regarding Ziinga

antrobus

bga146 wrote: »

...
Update 20/07/2012
Ziiinga.com left a phone message and an email stating my unpaid account has been handed over to their collection department.

Who might well send you some more emails.

bga146 wrote: »

... And legal action is now been started against me?

Well you'll know that legal action has been started when the summons arrives through your door.:) But I've no idea where they would intend taking action, Malta, BVI? I can see across the interweb that there are lot of people complaining about Ziinga, and a lot of people hitting them with chargebacks, but no mention of anyone actually being sued by them.