Avoid Ziinga!

soolin

RHemmings wrote: »

I did read about the T&Cs, but I also read of some people who didn't actually receive the item that they were told that they had won. Or is it more complicated than I'm thinking and the T&Cs mean that users pay even if they don't receive the item.

I also read of some claims that people were being charged even though they were careful and no such T&Cs were shown to them.

The goods not being received is another issue and from a quick read receiving the goods is dependent on your monthly account being paid up properly.

The terms and conditions though have always been there, this and every thread has pointed out to people the bit next to the sign up box that links to the T and Cs, it is not possible to sign up without confirming you have read them.

If I was clever, which I am not I would link the sign up box- I'll have a bash- but it is really beyond my capabilities techie wise:EDIT; well that's a sort of half upload, the bit missing is the box that must be ticked before you can log in.

Username



Password



Email Address





I accept Ziinga's Terms and Conditions and allow Ziinga to send me email.

soolin

This is a direct link from home page under the 'Please read the FAQs' link:

http://www.ziinga.com/uk/faqs

What happens after I win an auction?
Congratulations on winning. Once you win an auction, you will receive an e-mail. The e-mail will contain a link to My Account, where you can pay for the product and confirm your home address. We will ship you the product once your payment of the purchase price and all fees are confirmed. We do so within 2 weeks of receiving the confirmed payment.Products won before 27/10/2010 can take up to 5 weeks for delivery.

soolin

I don't know much about registrations, addresses and the law but under the contact details it shows the following:

http://www.ziinga.com/uk/about

This website is owned by Flamingo Intervest Ltd., OMC Chambers, P.O. Box 3152, Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands and partly managed by Auction Management Ltd., Suite 238, Vincenti Buildings, 14/19 Strait Street, Valletta VLT 08, Malta.

Pants38

RHemmings wrote: »

I did read about the T&Cs, but I also read of some people who didn't actually receive the item that they were told that they had won. Or is it more complicated than I'm thinking and the T&Cs mean that users pay even if they don't receive the item.

I also read of some claims that people were being charged even though they were careful and no such T&Cs were shown to them.

There is no chance I will recieve the goods as they won't send them to me without me sending them copies of my visa and passport. However, they do seem ok to start charging the membership without that verification.

I may have been very stupid but I have bought many things online in the past and always thought I was really careful. It is either quite clever or I was having a very off day. The link to Ziinga came from a friends facebook, was worded well and even mentioned an item the friend and I have discussed many a time.

Am waiting for the latest response from Zinga (they seem to have stopped speaking to me) and to get further advice from my bank. It couldn't have come at a worse time but I guess that's part of how they get people.

soolin

Pants38 wrote: »

There is no chance I will recieve the goods as they won't send them to me without me sending them copies of my visa and passport. However, they do seem ok to start charging the membership without that verification.

I may have been very stupid but I have bought many things online in the past and always thought I was really careful. It is either quite clever or I was having a very off day. The link to Ziinga came from a friends facebook, was worded well and even mentioned an item the friend and I have discussed many a time.

Am waiting for the latest response from Zinga (they seem to have stopped speaking to me) and to get further advice from my bank. It couldn't have come at a worse time but I guess that's part of how they get people.

Might I suggest you try over on the debt board- near the top of the home page for this forum.

I wonder if the overseas address gives you any mileage to get out of this- but the regulars on there are experts at this sort of thing.

Pants38

I just wanted to thank people for all the help and advice and shared experience. I sent Ziinga many emails quoting all the useful information I had read up on. I also had a long chat with consumer direct today who agreed that cancelling my card and refusing to pay them was the best thing.

I turned off the auto bid as well so that they couldn't say I had used my account.

They actually stopped returning my emails but this might be because I copied in the CEO of their company. I got it from an article about Ziinga (as a new user I can not post a link but it's called why the law does not apply to zinga).

I have since tried to log in and it says my membership has been cancelled. I still feel I am crossing my fingers a bit but hopefully I can breathe a sigh of relief.

I also reported it to action fraud.

Pants38

Pants38 wrote: »

I just wanted to thank people for all the help and advice and shared experience. I sent Ziinga many emails quoting all the useful information I had read up on. I also had a long chat with consumer direct today who agreed that cancelling my card and refusing to pay them was the best thing.

I turned off the auto bid as well so that they couldn't say I had used my account.

They actually stopped returning my emails but this might be because I copied in the CEO of their company. I got it from an article about Ziinga (as a new user I can not post a link but it's called why the law does not apply to zinga).

I have since tried to log in and it says my membership has been cancelled. I still feel I am crossing my fingers a bit but hopefully I can breathe a sigh of relief.

I also reported it to action fraud.

Spoke too soon. Apparently they will still try and charge me until 19 November! :mad:

soolin

Pants38 wrote: »

Spoke too soon. Apparently they will still try and charge me until 19 November! :mad:

Have you posted yet on the debt boards to see if this is legal- I think that overseas address might give you some defence but they are the experts. They can also advise how to properly ignore a debt and whether it is a good idea to do so.

antrobus

soolin wrote: »

They are one of the many supposedly cheap auctions sites that expect buyers to pay for the privilege of using them- often some very large amounts. Yes it is a sort of scam but on the other hand all users formally confirm before they are allowed to sign up that they understand the T and cs, one of which is that there is an associated monthly fee....

Ziinga are simply operating a variation on the Free Trial Scam. And it is a scam, no ifs or buts. Over in the USA the infamous Jesse Willms was doing this for years, but the Federal Trade Commission still shut him down and took all his money, notwithstanding what it said in his 'terms and conditions'.

The advice I'd give to anyone who has been taken in by the scam would be;

- if you have been charged any money by Ziinga, contact your card provider and do a chargeback,
- otherwise ignore, ignore, and ignore again, any demands for money.

Pants38

soolin wrote: »

Have you posted yet on the debt boards to see if this is legal- I think that overseas address might give you some defence but they are the experts. They can also advise how to properly ignore a debt and whether it is a good idea to do so.

They said that they were probably trying to scare me and I should follow the advice from Consumer Direct which is to not contact Ziinga in any way and to ring them back if they try and get in touch with me. Fingers crossed!