Help - Cardiff Cash and Carry

Marcc

I need some help please. I think I may have been scammed online. Has anyone ever had any dealings with Cardiff Cash and Carry or does anyone know if they are still trading? I bought a children's bookcase online from them last Sunday and paid via debit card. I had an automated e-mail with an invoice the same day so thought everything was fine. It also stated on their website that the goods would be delivered within 2 days. By Wednesday nothing had turned up so I tried to contact them. The phone just keeps ringing and they are not replying to any e-mails. I am now worried that I have lost my money. I reported them yesterday and now have a crime reference number so I will see what comes of that but any info anyone has on this company in the meantime would be appreciated. Please let me know if there is a more suitable forum to post this in. Many thanks.

SnowTiger

You can do a chargeback if the goods don't turn up: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/visa-mastercard-chargeback.

Their website looks a bit unprofessional and Google Street View can't find them. But their VAT number is genuine and their domain name was registered fifteen years ago.

It may be a one-man-band using drop shipping, operating from a small office above a shop.

shaun_from_Africa

Marcc wrote: »

It also stated on their website that the goods would be delivered within 2 days. By Wednesday nothing had turned up so I tried to contact them.

What the website actually states is:

Delivery Schedule

Where possible we will deliver your order within 2 business days.

http://www.cardiffcashandcarry.com/index.php?page=5

So two day delivery isn't guaranteed.

Marcc

Thanks Shaun, I appreciate this but I'm still very suspicious that there has been no contact from them. How long would you give it before you decide the goods are never coming?

shaun_from_Africa

Marcc wrote: »

How long would you give it before you decide the goods are never coming?

I certainly wouldn't report any company to the police or actionfraud after only 4 full working days from ordering.


You have to bear in mind that unless a definitive delivery time has been agreed beforehand, companies are allowed up to 30 days to deliver goods and as the 2 days stated on the website was far from being a fixed timescale, I think that you have been far too hasty over this.

Marcc

Ok thank you. I'm just made more worried that when I logged into their website and did a bit more digging the news section and stock updates look like they haven't been updated for 2-3 years.

shaun_from_Africa

It might well be the case that you are going to be ripped off (and if this happens, you should be able to reclaim your money by way of a debit card chargeback), but I just feel that if the company concerned is genuine, reporting them for fraud so soon after making a purchase isn't right.

arcon5

Wow - what an over reaction !! I ordered a new air ratchet half an hour ago and it's not been marked as paid yet, better send in the baliffs.

Forwandert

They appear to be a strictly trade only website, on registration what details did you fill in? did you register as a business?

unholyangel

The address listed on their website (34 city road) appears to be a closed "cookies & kreme" premises (although google street view may quite out of date)

They don't appear to be a limited company (although there was a company called cardiff cash & carry ltd, they were registered in london in 2004 and dissolved in 2009 so don't seem to have any link to this one other than the name).

Their VAT number lists their address as 34-38 city road - which would mean they also have the "easy buyer" store you can see on google street view.

Easy buyer also sometimes list their address as 34 city road and other times list their address as 34-38 city road (which is rather funny as cookies & kreme is most definitely 34 city road).

So easy buyer is perhaps their retail premises and they have possibly bought the cookies & kreme shop and expanded into there as well.

unholyangel

Cookies & Kreme are still listed as active on companies house - although their accounts are overdue (their last accounts were may 2014) so it looks like their closure has been recent......

I do wonder how long cardiff cash and carry have been claiming 34 city road as their own address.

There are a few registered companies at that address. The one it appears to be most relevant (they seemingly have different directors! strange indeed) is:
https://www.companiesintheuk.co.uk/ltd/babyshop-warehouse

Looks like father, mother and son are the 3 directors.


One other anomaly, that company claim not to be trading. That is why their accounts for the past several years has continually had £100 at the bank.


They may not be scamming customers but I'd bet money they're fiddling someone.