Goods bought with Catalogue Credit - Ownership?

staffsuk

Hi all

I have a quick question I hope someone could help me with.

I am looking to buy a computer - but it was bought by the present owner from a catalogue using their shopping account.

Does the catalogue retain ownership of the computer until they have paid the outstanding account (there are other purchases on their account having seen the receipt)? i.e. If I go ahead and buy the computer but they default on paying - could the catalogue / debt recovery come chasing after me?!

Thanks!

Lioness_Twinkletoes

No.

Min characters.

McKneff

If the account is in their name and they don't pay for the computer then it is the account holder who will be chased.

g6jns_2

staffsuk wrote: »

Hi all

I have a quick question I hope someone could help me with.

I am looking to buy a computer - but it was bought by the present owner from a catalogue using their shopping account.

Does the catalogue retain ownership of the computer until they have paid the outstanding account (there are other purchases on their account having seen the receipt)? i.e. If I go ahead and buy the computer but they default on paying - could the catalogue / debt recovery come chasing after me?!

Thanks!

It depends purely on the terms of the buyers contract with the catalogue company.

staffsuk

g6jns wrote: »

It depends purely on the terms of the buyers contract with the catalogue company.

Hmmmm - so that means people could go out and buy a plethora of goods from a catalogue company with such T&C's - sell the goods on - pocket the money - then tell the catalogue company to go chase the new owners? :huh:

just.me_3

staffsuk wrote: »

Hmmmm - so that means people could go out and buy a plethora of goods from a catalogue company with such T&C's - sell the goods on - pocket the money - then tell the catalogue company to go chase the new owners? :huh:

No - that won't happen.

If someone orders from a catalogue and they don't pay, they don't turn up at the door asking for the goods back. They would chase the original purchaser with letters and possibly use a debt collection agency to get the money they owe for the goods, not the goods themselves.

pvt

In some rare cases higher value items may have been bought on hire purchase rather than credit. But I would think most, if not all, items bought from a catalogue like Littlewoods or Very would be outright sales with title, so the buyer is free to resell them, and the original company has no claim on them.

bris

Unless it was fraud and you were complicit in the fraud, i.e you bought the items knowing they weren't going to be paid for.


Anything else and your an innocent purchaser.

g6jns_2

staffsuk wrote: »

Hmmmm - so that means people could go out and buy a plethora of goods from a catalogue company with such T&C's - sell the goods on - pocket the money - then tell the catalogue company to go chase the new owners? :huh:

You are drawing the wrong conclusions. If the goods were sold on HP then the finance company can recover the goods from a subsequent purchaser depending on certain criteria. The point is there is no general rule!

MCGONIS

You're a catalogue agent

When you act as an agent for a catalogue company, you should set up a separate account for each of your customers to pay their money in.

If you don't do this, you can be held responsible for any money your customers don't pay.

Your can find information about how to set up your customer accounts in the agreement with the catalogue company or on their website.

If you haven't set up accounts and a customer doesn't pay you, give the catalogue company the customer's name and address so that they can chase the customer instead of you.

I found that on Citizens Advice website. Not sure if that helps.

staffsuk

Thanks for the replies

It was bought on a catalogue shopping account on a 'buy it now - pay later' agreement. Would this be classed as HP where the goods would be chased to whoever the new owner might be should the original purchaser default on payment?