MSE News: Hotel Chocolat customers charged a year late for purchases

jenniewb

Tiddlywinks wrote: »

All those months ago, how many customers contacted the retailer or bank to say that the expected debit hadn't appeared on their statement? Um? None, I'll bet.

You had the choccies, is it really sooo bad to be made to pay for them?

I don't understand why MSE Helen feels this merits a thread of its own.

I can understand it.

What if a year ago you were in a different set of circumstances, a busy life, hectic job and big family celebrations. What if you were then made unemployed earlier this year-as apparently a large number of people were, and had no busy job and subequently had huge financial stresses and familiy difficulties.

It may then seem understandable that you took your eye off the ball, stopped waiting for that £30 box of chocolates to go through your account.

So we arrive in August, very low in cash and just found a new job which is on minimum wage. End of the week, nothing left but you had budgeted for the lower income and had just about managed (many don't!) or so you had thought....

Thursday you look online at your account to find....overdrawn- past your overdraft and so you have incurred debts.

Already struggling with money the additional banking charges is really going to hurt.

So OK its a one off- not every company acts like this but the thing is- its only rare because its not usual, not because its illegal or there are any rules about it- its seen as not a good thing because people take issue with it and as long as people do continue to take issue with it, companies will then get to hear that its not a helpful thing to be doing and just maybe they wont all start acting like this.

Doc_N

Tiddlywinks wrote: »

All those months ago, how many customers contacted the retailer or bank to say that the expected debit hadn't appeared on their statement? Um? None, I'll bet.

You had the choccies, is it really sooo bad to be made to pay for them?

I don't understand why MSE Helen feels this merits a thread of its own.

I doubt many people would have even noticed a single missing debit - why would they?

And it's well worth a thread of its own if it alerts people to the way Hotel Chocolat have dealt with this. It should have the effect of warning people what sort of company they're dealing with - I won't be using them again, for one.

Legal it may be, but most companies would have just taken the relatively small hit in the interests of customer goodwill. The fact that they value their customers so little is enough for me to ditch them. If it's a cashflow problem, that's another good reason to ditch them if you're paying up front online for £100 or less.

Stephen_Leak

If Hotel Chocolat is this desperate for cash, I wonder what financial state the firm is really in.

littlejaffa

Stephen_Leak wrote: »

If Hotel Chocolat is this desperate for cash, I wonder what financial state the firm is really in.

it sounds like they are actually refunding anyone who is inconvenienced (previous post re being on holiday) as well as bank fee's. Add to that the cost of extra phone/customer service staff, the marketing/negative publicity work etc...and i can only think there must be an awful lot of money they didn't claim to make it work their while - it's putting a price on bad publicity really..

ps agree with previous posters re you bought it you paid for it but there should be a date (like with cheques) where they can no longer take the payment, even if i noticed and thought to leave the money in the account just incase they took it late - i'm not sure i'd remember to do that 8 months later - it seems unreasonable.

pidge80_2

I cant believe people are saying bad things about them, i will repeat it AGAIN,,,,, you took the chocs you owe the money end off.

If it was my business i would do exactly the same and its unrealistic to think ANY business should not do as they have done.

They have bent over backwards to sort it out and not once have they treated anyone badly, there customer service is by far the best on the high street!!!.

AGAIN grow up and take responsibility for your finances and you should of checked your statements and if you hadnt seen it then you should of raised it with them, END OF!

pidge80_2

Gordon_the_Moron wrote: »

You are missing the point, they have every legal right to collect the money and I don't think anyone has disputed that but to me they have made an error, I would have just written it off as a !!!! up and taken the hit. Not because they are not legally entitled to the money but because it will damage their reputation and make people uneasy about using them in future. Refunding people's bank charges will also eat a fairly large chunk of what money they collect anyway!

They didnt make the mistake if you READ there statements it was the external card company NOT Hotel Chocolat's.

People took the chocs yet when they saw that they had not been charged for it did they say anything NO they didnt they just thought they got it free, its ridiculous, manage your money better and the irony of it is people are commenting on mse website ha ha its laughable.

Things in life are not free and they have every right to take the money and people who are realistic and understand that its not their fault will continue to keep confident in shopping with them.

Doc_N

pidge80 wrote: »

It was actually 8 months.

Im sorry but if you OWE someone money you pay them the money you owe them unless you are a thief.
Kicking off about it makes you sooo wrong as at the end of the day they are a business so regardless of how big or small you owed them that money you pay them that money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :exclamati:exclamati:wave:

pidge80 wrote: »

I cant believe people are saying bad things about them, i will repeat it AGAIN,,,,, you took the chocs you owe the money end off.

If it was my business i would do exactly the same and its unrealistic to think ANY business should not do as they have done.

They have bent over backwards to sort it out and not once have they treated anyone badly, there customer service is by far the best on the high street!!!.

AGAIN grow up and take responsibility for your finances and you should of checked your statements and if you hadnt seen it then you should of raised it with them, END OF!

pidge80 wrote: »

They didnt make the mistake if you READ there statements it was the external card company NOT Hotel Chocolat's.

People took the chocs yet when they saw that they had not been charged for it did they say anything NO they didnt they just thought they got it free, its ridiculous, manage your money better and the irony of it is people are commenting on mse website ha ha its laughable.

Things in life are not free and they have every right to take the money and people who are realistic and understand that its not their fault will continue to keep confident in shopping with them.

You took the trouble to register an account with MSE two days ago, to make just 3 posts, all on this one thread to support Hotel Chocolate?

Isn't that just a little bit odd? You're not by any chance a shareholder or an employee, are you?

Join Date17-08-2012 Total Posts3

And as for people being responsible, and checking their finances, don't you think Hotel Chocolat should have done that? And rather sooner than they did do? They do have accountants, you know............:rotfl:

grey_gym_sock

i think the more interesting question is why there's no limit on how long before a card transaction can be put through. surely there should be some definite limit. 6 months sounds reasonable to me.

banjobob_2

This happened to me a couple of years back, after a holiday in Greece I had paid for a hotel bill, I had not realised they hadn't taken it and it appeared about 12 months later.

Bottom line is that I'd had the items, I had to pay for them.....

mona1609

I've never even visited their online store and I have noticed a payment withdrawn from my account. Has anyone else experienced the same problem? I'm going to get my bank to dispute the transaction for me.