Purchase/Refund in Europe - Rights ?

recursive

Hello all,

Hope this is the right section, I'm after some advice regarding a supply of goods problem and I've searched around here a bit for a situation similar to mine but can't find anything as such, so here it is. Picture the scene....

I have been looking to buy an item for a while and googled as you do to get the best price for said item, which was just shy of £500 in the UK. When googling, I also happened across the same product on the German website of a large international online company. No problem I thought, and since the product is a German product, I ordered online via their German site, and with a 'new customer' discount ended up at a total saving of over £160! Warranty should not be an issue either as I had researched that and it was Europe wide.

The order was placed, and payment was sent in Euros (international bank transfer, I know I know, but they wouldn't allow credit card payment for this order for some reason maybe as the shipping address was in the UK). Anyway, a few days later, I got an email from them telling me that the order couldn't be fulfilled because their supplier doesn't/wouldn't ship to the UK (stitched up market I reckon but that's another story..) and asked from my BIC/Switch code etc for a refund.

Drat! No problem I thought, sent them the details etc.
It was nearly two weeks after placing the order before the refund money eventually cleared to my account. Problem is, I'm now £25 ish worse off through the transaction, and that is not including any of the transfer charges which will eventually hit my account.

I have emailed them explaining the situation and expressing that I'm not particularly happy about the whole thing and emphasizing that, through no fault of my own, I am now worse off because they failed to fulfil the order. I've basically asked them what are they going to do about it (in a nicer way..) and they've come back and apologised but offered no compensation or even any attempt to rectify my out-of-pocket-ness.

So, the question isn't about getting a refund - I've got that - it's about whether I should be entitled to not be worse off through the whole deal when none of this was my fault.

Any ideas please ? What are my consumer rights here ?

Thanks!

bris

Exchange rates and fees, this is what happens when you buy in Euros. If the retailer gave you a full refund then the banks are to blame but they have done nothing wrong either as thats their business. What consumer rights are you looking for? Doesn't seem to be anyones fault.

recursive

bris wrote: »

Exchange rates and fees, this is what happens when you buy in Euros. If the retailer gave you a full refund then the banks are to blame but they have done nothing wrong either as thats their business.

No fees and charges have been levied yet - the £25 loss is purely down to exchange rate then I guess...

bris wrote: »

What consumer rights are you looking for? Doesn't seem to be anyones fault.

I don't know, it's why I came here to find out if there are any that cover this kind of thing. In a nutshell, I'm out of pocket because they accepted an order, and payment for that order, and then later they told me they couldn't fulfil it. I lost money in the deal, so it certainly isn't my fault, I see it as theirs - they shouldn't allow orders to be placed (and contracts formed ?) to countries which they then say they can't deliver to.

So, anyone actually know ?

Thanks!

wealdroam

If you buy a product in Euros (let's say €500 for example) you stand the cost of converting pounds to euros.

Of course you also cover the cost of transmitting the money, so that the seller gets their €500.

When getting a refund, the seller refunds €500 and his bank deducts the cost of returning the money to your bank.
Your bank the deducts the cost of converting it back to pounds before placing what's left in your bank account.

There certainly is nothing that I know of that forces the seller to refund more than they have received such that you get you original stake back.

One of the costs of doing international business I'm afraid.

Of course you could try looking to the German legal system for a remedy, but sorry I don't know where to start with that.
Perhaps look around for a german version of moneysavingexpert.com?

recursive

Thanks for that - I will continue the dialog with them and see if they come up with anything.

I know it's only £25 (nearer £50 I should think by the time fees hit my account) but since when has the amount mattered - it's the principle!

Hintza

recursive wrote: »

it's the principle!

There is no principal here you should have spoken to them before hand. You will not have created a contract.

recursive

Hintza wrote: »

There is no principal here you should have spoken to them before hand. You will not have created a contract.

So if I place an order online and pay - there's no contract ?

Hintza

The contract in all likelihood will be activated when the send the goods. (Having said that it might be different in Germany).

If you paid 500 euros and they refunded 500 euros then I doubt you have an argument.

Your bank charges are your responsibility. If you got really silly you could try and charge for electric, time, broadband, cost of computer etc and they wouldn't be covered.

All I am saying is they have gone all that can reasonably be expected.

vuvuzela

recursive wrote: »

So if I place an order online and pay - there's no contract ?

Presumably any contract was concluded in Euros. You have therefore to pay in Euros, and as you don't have a Euro account, the interest rates charged have left you worse off. Nowt much you can do, unfortunately.

recursive

Well thanks for all the replies chaps, I'll put this one down to experience.