Laithwaites, can anyone help?

laladrew

Hi, am new to the site, and in a hole.

Today I received a call from Laithwaites wine asking if I was enjoying my wine. What wine I asked. Apparantly when I ordered a case of wine in Dec 08 to go to my father in law in Surrey, this started a wine plan of a delivery every three months. This could be cancelled at any time. So, nine deliveries in total were charged from my credit card and I didn't know. I know, I should check my statements but when I set up an online statement it kept crashing. I was shocked, this was over £800 taken from my account, for goods I was not aware of ordering. I explained that I had never received the wine and they said that it was sent to my fatherin law's address in England!

I told them I doubt it, he lives abroad most of the year and anyway, he would have told me if more wine kept arriving. I called and asked him, he confirmed no wine. I also asked why they didn't send me requests or letters and why the wine went there, when i sent one, singular case of wine as a gift, they said thats just the way it works.

This is not good, I cannot afford to lose all this money, and especially for wine that I never recieved, nor did my father in law. I asked who signed for it and they said it was left in the porch.

I was told they may refund up to three deliveries, about £240, the rest not possible as it's over a long period of time. What I want to know is, do I have any rights? This kind of small print marketing drives me mad. I thought I was fairly astute and am sure the online screen didn't mention this, and certainly didn't point out further deliveries would go to a gift address. Had it come to me, the bill payer, I would have happily sent it back.

Sorry for the length.

dzug1

My experience is that it's fairly (well blatantly actually) obvious when you are signing up to one of their plans - and that they send you details about a month in advance of despatch so that you can decide if you want to cancel either that particular case or permanently.

So something has gone wrong somewhere for you - not sure where, or what your rights are. Sorry can't be of much help

lucylucky

Sounds as if you signed up for a wine plan

Here is the (not so small) print

Wine Plan introductory offers are open to new wine plan customers only. By taking up an introductory offer you are agreeing to be sent information about future cases either every two or three months, as specified by yourself, which you will automatically receive unless you notify us otherwise.

laladrew

Thanks, I can't find the email confirming what I signed up for. Even so, assuming that's what I signed up for, they told me today there is no obligation to keep the wines. I had no wine, none ever came to me, or to the original gift recipient. If it had, I would have sent it back.

How can they charge me for wine not received?

laladrew

It was over two years ago I placed the order, not so sure the print was just as clear then. Anyway, surely to god the offers would be sent to me to peruse, the person placing the order?

They are not denying all responsibility, they are saying I must write to their customer service in Slough. I just don't see how they can bill for goods not received/signed for.

lucylucky

Perhaps they were sent to the original delivery address?

If you don't have the paperwork difficult to confirm or deny.

Maybe the goods were received by "someone" who has been enjoying the wines at your expense.

aheaton46

I would think the first thing to do is ask for tracking information on all the deliveries. Where were they sent, who signed for them etc. They may have the more recent ones at least.

redpete

laladrew wrote: »

How can they charge me for wine not received?

Why should they refund you for wine that was delivered to the correct address for 2 years.

anotherbaldrick

Laithwaites ! mental note to self, AVOID!!!

lucylucky

anotherbaldrick wrote: »

Laithwaites ! mental note to self, AVOID!!!

Friend has been using them for over 5 years and found them to be very good.

laladrew

Redpete, it wasn't delivered to the correct address for two years, there was no wine, no signatures, no letters to me advising of the selections, father in law received no correspondance either.

No nothing, just a sales call today, otherwise I would never have known they were charging it.

Oddly, they rang me Christmas 09 to sell and i bought a case for my father. No one mentioned I had a wine plan, it seems just odd to me.