Fireplacesupermarket : Refund - but what to do with goods ?

polyfiller

Hi, first post here ... looking for some feedback on my case.

I purchased an electric fire from Fireplacesupermarket.com via their website. The fire delivered was NOT the make & model diplayed on their website or specified on my email invoice. They disputed my claim for a refund stating that the goods supplied were "as specified". Clearly they were not (not even same manufacturer) and my credit card company advised me to mail them stating that the goods were not as advertised and that I reject them and that they shoudl refund me and collect the fire at their cost and convenience.

Fireplacesupermarket did not respond so I pakaced all correspondence up and sent it to credit card claims department. I have now had the money refunded to my credit card but am worried about two things;

1) Can fireplacesupermarket attempt to collect payment again via different route and maybe pass debt to a debt collector ?

2) I want this fire gone so I can proceed with ordering and installing the one I wanted from a better supplier. Can I charge fireplace supermarket for storage costs in lieu of collection ?

On the basis of my experience I urge extreme caution for anyone looking to buy from these folks. Their after sales support is via email ONLY and if they don't like the way the mail trail is going the stop replying. They also specify a mail address in the mails they send you which can NOT be replied to ... you have to be very careful in specifying the mail address as listed on their website. During the intial corerspondance I got some mail delivery failures (when I used wrong address) and then mails from them confirming receipt and that they normally deal with mails within 10 days. These responses stopped as soon as I started to dispute and claim refund ... but interestingly I did not get any mail delivery failure messages.

I traced the holding company for this website and will shortly be following up by providing details to their local trading standards folks.

polyfiller

Anyone have any comments / advice ?

PZH

polyfiller wrote: »

1) Can fireplacesupermarket attempt to collect payment again via different route and maybe pass debt to a debt collector ?

No - the Credit Card company had joint liability and they have refunded on the basis as "Not as described". Therefore the contract has been terminated.

polyfiller wrote: »

2) I want this fire gone so I can proceed with ordering and installing the one I wanted from a better supplier. Can I charge fireplace supermarket for storage costs in lieu of collection ?

Has the fire been installed ? - If so - you will have to remove (carefully) and make it available for collection by the original company.

Write a letter and send it recorded delivery (So they HAVE to sign for it and hence proving delivery) advising them that the fire is available for collection and give them a reasonable window of opportunity to collect it ( 2 weeks ? ).

You should not be inconvenienced for the collection - but you should make every effort to co-operate with any attempted collection. (YOU are responsible for its safe keeping until it has been collected - so don't just put it outside your front door for example)

At the end of the period - if no collection has been done/attempted - write another letter (again sent recorded) advising that the fire will be disposed of after a further x amount of days (7 ?) if no collection is forthcoming.

I would advise against asking for storage fees as this is just asking for further grief from them.

DaftyDuck

Agree with the above. Go out of your way to be accommodating, not difficult. (i.e., not "can be collected between 6 and 6:30am on Wednesday", but "can be collected at any time during normal working hours within the next two weeks"). Look after it. Photograph it before collection to prove the dent/scratch/missing bit was not so when it was collected. Get a receipt if it is collected. Send a copy of the letters (marked "For Information") to the Credit Card company... if they haven't got their money back from the retailer, they might want it... unlikely in the extreme, but cover yourself.

Then, look on Ebay, and work out how much you can sell it on for...

You will not be chased for further payment. If you are, contact your Credit Card company, and let Trading Standards know...

PZH

DaftyDuck wrote: »

Photograph it before collection to prove the dent/scratch/missing bit was not so when it was collected.
Get a receipt if it is collected.
Send a copy of the letters (marked "For Information") to the Credit Card company... if they haven't got their money back from the retailer, they might want it... unlikely in the extreme, but cover yourself.

Good advice :T

polyfiller

Excellent advise .... many thanks folks :T

polyfiller

Quick follow up question - their website does not list their address - I only got their address details via my credit card company. The website actually has a rediculopus part on their returns polciy page where it says to email them or mail them by post to .... a box where they have clearly removed or failed to upload the address to the site.

Given the above and their obvious intent to communicate via email (if at all) .... would email be acceptable in place of recorded mail ? I'm worried that they may claim that the postal address provided by my CC company is nothing to do with their website ?

Also forgto to add fireplace has not been installed ... box was only opened to confirm it was not what I ordered.

polyfiller

When I've sorted this lot out I'm going to have a serious word with my poxy kwyboard :rotfl:

PZH

polyfiller wrote: »

Quick follow up question - their website does not list their address - I only got their address details via my credit card company.

Not a good website is it! Let this be a warning to NEVER do trading with a company on the internet that does not list a Head Office address.

polyfiller wrote: »

The website actually has a rediculopus part on their returns polciy page where it says to email them or mail them by post to .... a box where they have clearly removed or failed to upload the address to the site.

They also mention restock fees - which they cannot do under DSR

polyfiller wrote: »

Given the above and their obvious intent to communicate via email (if at all) .... would email be acceptable in place of recorded mail ? I'm worried that they may claim that the postal address provided by my CC company is nothing to do with their website ?

Not ideal - but if it is they only way that they allow you to contact them, then that is their misfortune.

I have sent them a sales enquiry asking for their address - let's see if they respond :rotfl:

polyfiller wrote: »

Also forgto to add fireplace has not been installed ... box was only opened to confirm it was not what I ordered.

Good - so at least it can be stored safely in the meantime

polyfiller wrote: »

When I've sorted this lot out I'm going to have a serious word with my poxy kwyboard :rotfl:

^^^
:rotfl::rotfl: