Bought counterfeit goods. What to do now?

Not_Me_Officer

Sorry i don't know which forum this was best suited to - credit card, vent or here, or even elsewhere. Can a mod please move it if it's best elsewhere.

Story short i bought an item from a website which unbeknown to me at the time turned out to be a Chinese website. It didn't turn up but it now has (boring story) - i've informed the seller.

It was a games controller i bought & it's counterfeit. I didn't know this as it was advertised as "official", although when i found out they were Chinese based i had bad feelings.

Speaking of bad feelings, i have a bad one that i'll get no more protection paying with a (Sainsbury's) credit card than i would've if i'd paid with a debit card??



But what can i do from here?



I've contacted the seller asking for a refund as the item is counterfeit though based on other peoples google feedback i've just read i'm not holding my breath. They'll probably want the controller returned but i read sending counterfeit items through the post, even if returning, is illegal? I don't want to shoot myself in my other foot. One hole is bad enough.

I've emailed Sainsbury's Bank tonight, providing photos of where the controller doesn't stack up as well as pictures of an official one where i highlight how it should look.

I'd also like to report this company for selling counterfeit goods but i don't know how to or to who.


My main thing is getting my money back. Do i have any rights or protection having paid with a credit card?

wealdroam

Not_Me_Officer wrote: »

Do i have any rights or protection having paid with a credit card?

Maybe. Depends on the price of the thing.

Read MSE's Section 75 article for details.

Read also MSE's Chargebck document if the purchase price was under £100.

agrinnall

Not_Me_Officer wrote: »

I'd also like to report this company for selling counterfeit goods but i don't know how to or to who.

You can tell the real manufacturer of the controller, although the chances are they won't be able to do anything about it.

DCFC79

I wouldn't wait for a reply to the email, I would get on the phone to the credit co and mention it's a fake controller and where you go from here.

As for who to report it too, we'll definitely not the police as it's out of their jurisdiction, the manufacturers of the original controller might be interested but as already mentioned they might not even be able to do anything about it but no harm in informing them.

RoonilWazlib_2

Report it to Consumer Helpline on 03454040506. They will pass it to Trading Standards. Its outwith jurisdiction for TS if trader outwith UK but it could still be useful intelligence for them for any investigations.


Realistically your only way to pursue would be through chargeback/S75 as already mentioned

bris

It's a Chinese seller, they do not have copyright laws as we know them so selling counterfeit goods is perfectly legal to them.


No one here can do anything so no point complaining to anyone.


Getting your money back may also prove difficult as the banks chargeback scheme is voluntary so they will not want to get involved in a is it or is it not counterfeit argument.


It would have been half the price of a genuine controller, hence the reason you bought it in the first place. So a little digging when you buy goods to good to be true should stop this from happening to you again.

Not_Me_Officer

Well the seller responded. They offered me £12 refund to keep the controller due to high cost of returning.

I said - well since you have "warehouses in the UK" then it shouldn't cost that much, unless of course you actually have no warehouses in the UK at all, but no, they want it returned to China if it's to be returned.

I turned them down on their £12 offer but said i was willing to accept a full refund.

Yeah right.

My credit card company have told me to wait. It was a little worrying when i mentioned chargeback to them & they said "what do you mean chargeback". I don't really get the whole chargeback thing & i can't say - that thing i read on MSE that apparently i'm entitled to but since you don't know what it is you're going to be none the wiser, so i just said about me getting my refund.

I told the seller that since it appears they're not going to give me my full refund i'm going to be in touch with the real manufacturer and report them for selling counterfeit goods (which i've done). I've had no response since.

Oh & actually, the moment i told them the goods were counterfeit, they played all dumb as though they have to get in touch with their supplier and look in to it. I told them i may be a fool, a fairly big one, but i'm not that much of a fool - it only takes a quick google search to find other people complaining about them selling counterfeit goods.

So let's see if my credit card company can deliver. Hope so but not holding my breath yet.

Not_Me_Officer

I've actually just looked at my emails & seen that earlier today they responded again, this time offering me half a refund (so about £14some), i'm to then post the controller back and they will then refund the cost of that postage plus the other half of my original payment.

So i'm to trust someone who tried to con me that they'll give me a refund when they have the controller back??!

wealdroam

Not_Me_Officer wrote: »

My credit card company have told me to wait. It was a little worrying when i mentioned chargeback to them & they said "what do you mean chargeback". I don't really get the whole chargeback thing & i can't say - that thing i read on MSE that apparently i'm entitled to but since you don't know what it is you're going to be none the wiser, so i just said about me getting my refund.

What does that paragraph mean?

Why don't you 'get that chargeback thing'?

Did you read that article I linked to earlier?

daytona0

Not_Me_Officer wrote: »

it only takes a quick google search to find other people complaining about them selling counterfeit goods.

Does it really only take a quick google search?! :doh:


I would be intruiged to view this website though, as there are usually red flags lurking on chinese-based website which give the whole game up. May be helpful in avoiding such sites in the future.

Though quite why you didn't just walk down to CEX or Game and pay a few quid extra is a bit beyond me. Oh well, I suppose you are MSE...

(ps, why don't you just keep it? If it works fine and doesn't have much of a risk of blowing up then what's the problem?)

JReacher1

Not_Me_Officer wrote: »

I've actually just looked at my emails & seen that earlier today they responded again, this time offering me half a refund (so about £14some), i'm to then post the controller back and they will then refund the cost of that postage plus the other half of my original payment.

So i'm to trust someone who tried to con me that they'll give me a refund when they have the controller back??!

You're going to have to. If you want a full refund then it makes sense that you'll have to return it.