Bignorman.com

PNSR22

I have noticed today that bignorman.com has closed its website.:T
There were numerous reviews good and bad about this company and yet still even in these days it’s hard to decide which of the good reviews are indeed accurate. - I was cautious about this company, I even emailed them before (and after!) my “Canon” camera purchase and got back answers which I thought were legitimate.

When a fault appeared with the camera, my suspicions were confirmed...returning the camera to the manufacturers (as per instructions on bignormans site) and receiving a reply back from Canon stating it was not a genuine serial number and that the label itself carrying the serial number was counterfeit and that no repair at all could now take place under warranty – they instructed me to obtain a full refund from bignorman.com

I have contacted many organisations for help in a bid to get my refund - and every now and again I get a reply back from bignorman.com but never answers or confirmation that the money I spent (£514.99) will be refunded, just excuses or am given the run around..

Whilst I live in hope that I will receive a refund from bignorman.com – I contacted my credit card company anyway, under the Section 75 claim but because it was through Google Wallet – they say "as it was used by a third party they state “ debtor, creditor relationship” under this Act is not in place therefore any claim made against your credit provider would be invalid". :mad:

I will continue to contest this claim and bombard bignorman.com – however today my fear is, if they have now gone bust, -where to go from here?

vikingaero

I imagine your only recourse will be to repair the camera at your own expense if it is economically viable.

Daniel Piddington/Primary Holdings Ltd bought out the website of the defunct https://www.camerabox.co.uk which also dealt in grey imports and specialised in not supplying customers. They claimed to be a Gibraltar based company to service the euro market, but to all intents and purposes they seemed to be a phoenix of Camerabox and were UK based.

pmduk

Wasn't this the company that posted "customer reviews" before they'd even started trading?

Edit Later

It is, you'll have to check google cache as the relevant threads pointing out the co's failings were removed.

CARRENA

Hi there,

Just to advise I purchased a Canon 600d from them at the start of the year and it has now developed a fault. I found your post here and am concerned too that they have gone bust. I have today sent an email to them and have asked them if they have gone bust because I can't get in contact with them.

I hope you get further than I have done so far - although admittedly it is only my first day at hunting these twots down!

Let me know if you get anywhere please as I would greatly appreciate it. I too will do the same if I get anywhere.

CARRENA

The Met Police website states:

"Beware, if you pay with a credit card through an intermediary, such as PayPal or Google checkout, you do not then benefit from Section 75 protection . It applies only if you pay the seller with the credit card directly."

I honestly did not know this. I assumed it would be covered. Getting really wound up now about bignorman.com. I will be really really peed off if I can't get help as I am a new business that only launched this year and need this camera

pmduk

I use a rule of thumb which states that a company which can only take cards through an intermediary has some reason for this. If their own bank won't give them such facilities, then don't trust them with your custom.

I'm sure there will be some companies with good reasons not to take cards, but why do they expect customers to trust them.

CARRENA

Hi there PNSR22,

Just to let you know I did a bit of research in a bid to help you out and contacted Google Checkout as my camera has been playing up too. Bignorman.com have been unresponsive to my emails and I expressed the concern to Google Checkout and that the camera is faulty. I only sent the email yesterday and this morning I got an email with a full response advising that I am to be refunded in full.


"We no longer allow this seller to process orders using Google Wallet. As your account shows that you have already been charged for this order, we have issued you a refund to the credit card used to place this order.
...
If you'd like to place a new order with this seller outside of Google Wallet, please do so at your own risk. Alternatively, to view a selection of other stores using Google Wallet, please visit http://www.google.com/wallet/m.html"

So please contact Google Checkout and go down the route I have done.

I am going to wait the 4 weeks that they advise and then consider the money as final refund and I can stop stressing and go and purchase a proper camera from a genuine retailer.

Don't consider it a dead end at all because there are always options.


Hope that helps :j

pmduk

Keep an eye out for companies rising from the ashes. Some people know when they're onto an easy living.

PNSR22

I thought I would update my post! I too have been successful and have now had my refund via googlewallet (Despite contacting them many times previously where they told me they couldnt help and that I should go back to my credit card company! - who wouldnt refund me under the section 75.) I am not sure why Google Wallet changed their minds but am very pleased with the outcome. I will point out that Bignormans last email offered to repair my camera - but that I had to send it for repair and that they would then pay the invoice afterwards ..both the repair company and myself did not trust that they would pay! and anyway I was advised to continue to seek a full refund as this was a case of a misrepresentation of sale and we wanted a camera with a legitimate warranty - not some counterfeit model.

I notice Bignormans website is still under maintenance so hopefully no one else will be fooled by them and their dubious offers. We consider ourselves very lucky at this outcome and would like to thank the Consumer Affairs Bureau -Gibraltar, Martins MoneySavingExpert website (including Carrena) & GoogleWallet (evenutally)for their help! RESULT! :T

ILW

Just go to a proper retailer, pay a little bit more and get some service and back up. Also keep a few UK citizens in jobs.

brettcta

this clown threatened to take me to court a year or so ago because i had the audacity to post up some useful links on his facebook page informing potential customers that he was not to be trusted (all factual information mind)