Error with online purchase - seller refusing refund

fortunefortune

Hi, I made a purchase with a seller (turns out based overseas) chose free delivery all along the checkout then when clicked confirm screen changed to £15.99 express postage. Could not stop it and it processed order. Immediately emailed seller advising and to cancel order as chose free delivery. No contact number was available. No reply so emailed again and then 6 hours later got email confirming order shipped! They then responed saying sorry, too late your order has shipped nothing we can do. Tried contacting them a few times since but they are saying tough luck. 'Express' delivery turns out to be 5-7 days. Today is 7 days and not received. Question is - do I have any rights? Unwillingly paid for express delivery and it has not been received, so is this my get out clause? If an order is placed online, does the buyer have any rights to cancel and get shipping refunded? Thanks.

wealdroam

Where is 'overseas'?

Channel Islands, Europe or further afield?

fortunefortune

Just wanted to add, am planning to reject the 'express' parcel - is this the best idea?

Hintza

fortunefortune wrote: »

Just wanted to add, am planning to reject the 'express' parcel - is this the best idea?

Might not get anything back then.

The package is probably being slowed by customs.


Surely the total price was displayed before you entered your card details?

fortunefortune

Overseas is China. If I accept the parcel then I have to go through the process of contacting them to get return authorization, post it, lose my return postage... The whole checkout I chose free delivery, then had to log into paypal as that was how I was paying, then on final page only when I had clicked confirm I noticed it had changed to express delivery. They are not responding to any emails.

mattyprice4004

You should really have checked on the confirmation screen - if it was PayPal then it wouldn't have changed after you clicked confirm as your first post says it did.

PayPal are given the details by the website you're purchasing from, so it must have had the delivery cost for the whole time you were on the confirmation screen.

As they're in China you essentially have zero rights, UK law doesn't apply.

agrinnall

Presumably you want whatever it is that you bought? If so you may as well just accept the delivery charge and keep it, if you send it back it will cost you a return fee up front and I very much doubt if you'll ever get any of the money back.

arcon5

fortunefortune wrote: »

Overseas is China. If I accept the parcel then I have to go through the process of contacting them to get return authorization, post it, lose my return postage... The whole checkout I chose free delivery, then had to log into paypal as that was how I was paying, then on final page only when I had clicked confirm I noticed it had changed to express delivery. They are not responding to any emails.

They will likely deduct to cost of the courier returning the goods to them anyway

Ms_Speculatrix

agrinnall wrote: »

Presumably you want whatever it is that you bought? If so you may as well just accept the delivery charge and keep it, if you send it back it will cost you a return fee up front and I very much doubt if you'll ever get any of the money back.

If you clicked the screen to process payment there is little you can do except rely on the goodwill of the company.

I do sell online and in those circumstances I personally would refund the postage. However, most small online sellers will insist that postage fees, including those for returns are paid by the customer, so it may be more cost effective in the long run to accept delivery and keep the goods. Especially if there is likely to be a refund issue if you refuse the delivery.

With regards to delivery time from overseas they are often held up in customs. I ship to the USA and it can take up to 8 weeks for stuff to go through the US customs.

fortunefortune

Thanks everyone who responded. Will put it down to a learning experience. Agree with the lovely Ms Speculatrix that since I contacted them immediately they might have cancelled the order as goodwill gesture. Guess not all sellers are as kind as you!

happyinflorida

Try complaining through Paypal as seller is being unhelpful. I bought something through Ebay which makes you wait ages now to receive something, so I went through Paypal instead and got a refund. If the actual postage costs didn't come up before you clicked confirm then something's fishy there for a start as it should bring any postage costs up immediately? I'd complain about this factor to Paypal, they might just refund your postage for you! I found Paypal very good - takes a while but good at sorting out problem sellers!