Purchase from UK based Company - Unexpected Customs Charge

unholyangel

pappa_golf wrote: »

I asked the Canadian sales woman for there vat number as I needed it urgently for my accountant , I said the sale was late nov/early December but I was in my car and paperwork was at work , she stated that they were a Canadian company , goods were dispatched from India and they did not have a vat number , I asked if I should send a friend of mine who lives in london to get a new copy receipt with vat number , she said it was not a showroom , just a mail drop off office


a well run con if ever I saw one ,

I thought the streetview looked familiar tbh so I wouldn't be surprised if there were other companies using that address.

These kind of practices should be banned though. Along with that "virtual office" crap. What possible genuine reason would a company have for tricking consumers into thinking they're UK based?

DaisyDaisyDaisy

Oh my gosh! Thank you all so much for your detective work! I really wasn't expecting so many responses! Its so lovely so many people are so helpful for a complete stranger! Its really appreciated.

Anyway, wow! I can't believe what a con its turned out to be! I paid by debit card. I wonder what the quality will be when my parcel does arrive?!

Thanks again everyone!

pappa_golf

heck , Wednesday afternoon , it was raining


quick check at companys house w/bsite , "whois" and google street view , there site looks convincing , but to American , no English mods to wording , in the UK signs are in metric , (I am always getting shouted at for asking for 1ft 8in x 2ft 4in!)




hope the stuff works out ok , if not give me a shout (pm) as I am in that business and might be able to help or recommend

unholyangel

DaisyDaisyDaisy wrote: »

Oh my gosh! Thank you all so much for your detective work! I really wasn't expecting so many responses! Its so lovely so many people are so helpful for a complete stranger! Its really appreciated.

Anyway, wow! I can't believe what a con its turned out to be! I paid by debit card. I wonder what the quality will be when my parcel does arrive?!

Thanks again everyone!

Did you pay the clearance fee's then?

If not, it may be better to contact your bank and see if they can action a chargeback. Chargebacks largely depend on a breach of contract/misrepresentation so are only useful in certain circumstances. But you still have more protection than if you had paid via paypal, bacs etc.

For items costing over £100, try and always pay by credit card (gives you even more rights as the card company are jointly liable with the retailer under section 75 of the consumer credit act).

If your bank rejects your chargeback claim, you could also refer it to the financial ombudsman.

PragmaticMoneySaver

Certainly not the cheapest either!

I can easily beat most of their prices....

pappa_golf

snap , however we are not allowed to advertise on here


they are quoting US prices but substituting a £ sign


that was an old "tandy/radio !!!!!! trick (you remember them? , same catalogue in the us and UK , but just said things like "19.99" , no dollar or £ sign

d123

unholyangel wrote: »

Did you pay the clearance fee's then?

If not, it may be better to contact your bank and see if they can action a chargeback. Chargebacks largely depend on a breach of contract/misrepresentation so are only useful in certain circumstances. But you still have more protection than if you had paid via paypal, bacs etc.

For items costing over £100, try and always pay by credit card (gives you even more rights as the card company are jointly liable with the retailer under section 75 of the consumer credit act).

If your bank rejects your chargeback claim, you could also refer it to the financial ombudsman.

They might struggle, the site does say the goods can come from abroad.

Production:
DPB LLC uses production facilities inside and outside of the UK.

It can not guarantee where production will be done for each product and order.

Your order can be manufactured in the UK or outside.

unholyangel

d123 wrote: »

They might struggle, the site does say the goods can come from abroad.

Yes but thats not what I was claiming a breach/misrepresentation on.

You can't charge VAT if you're not VAT registered. They obviously aren't or OP would not have received a request to pay customs charges. Therefore, there has been a breach of contract.

If they have an office/premises in the UK then they should be complying with UK law. The only way possible around that is if the uk premises/office instead belongs to a third party - who you pay to provide services for you. But it would be misleading for a company to imply they have a UK presence when they don't.

Of course while theres risk involved with taking such an argument to court (even excluding the jurisdiction/governance arguments), theres no such risk for the OP in trying a chargeback or even referring it to the financial ombudsman if the bank reject their claim. It will cost them nothing but a little time.

visidigi

d123 wrote: »

They might struggle, the site does say the goods can come from abroad.

But Europe is 'abroad' and the fact they make no mention at all of duties and taxes and then revealed in conversation that all the stuff is made in India - which means they are knowingly doing this to every buyer whilst not being VAT registered.

All round completely shady.

d123

visidigi wrote: »

But Europe is 'abroad' and the fact they make no mention at all of duties and taxes and then revealed in conversation that all the stuff is made in India - which means they are knowingly doing this to every buyer whilst not being VAT registered.

All round completely shady.

Definitely shady, but South Carolina isn't in Europe.

Miscellaneous:
These TOS will be binding upon each party hereto and its successors and permitted assigns, and governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of South Carolina