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Foreign suppliers - is there any way to get a refund?

JAS137
Posts: 7 Forumite

Firstly, why are foreign companies allowed to have a ".co UK" website. It is misleading and it there is no reason for it other than to fool their customers into thinking they are a UK company.
Secondly, is there any way to get a refund? I purchased two tankinis but they didn't fit properly. I tried sending several emails but could only get the offer of another size to be sent. There was no offer of a refund.
I tried contacting the Citizens Advice but was advised that as it is a foreign company that Trading Standards would not be able to help.
I contacted PayPal as I paid via them. They put in a disputed payment but that failed. They can only dispute based on not being received or not as described but that was not my issue.
Can anyone advise me on this matter?
Secondly, is there any way to get a refund? I purchased two tankinis but they didn't fit properly. I tried sending several emails but could only get the offer of another size to be sent. There was no offer of a refund.
I tried contacting the Citizens Advice but was advised that as it is a foreign company that Trading Standards would not be able to help.
I contacted PayPal as I paid via them. They put in a disputed payment but that failed. They can only dispute based on not being received or not as described but that was not my issue.
Can anyone advise me on this matter?
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Comments
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Where in foreignland is the company?0
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JAS137 said:Firstly, why are foreign companies allowed to have a ".co UK" website. It is misleading and it there is no reason for it other than to fool their customers into thinking they are a UK company.
Secondly, is there any way to get a refund? I purchased two tankinis but they didn't fit properly. I tried sending several emails but could only get the offer of another size to be sent. There was no offer of a refund.
I tried contacting the Citizens Advice but was advised that as it is a foreign company that Trading Standards would not be able to help.
I contacted PayPal as I paid via them. They put in a disputed payment but that failed. They can only dispute based on not being received or not as described but that was not my issue.
Can anyone advise me on this matter?
Probably zero chance of a refund.0 -
I don't think it should be legal though. I didn't realise that any company can have one.
Contact details was only an email address.
What is the "who is" website checker?0 -
JAS137 said:I don't think it should be legal though. I didn't realise that any company can have one.
Contact details was only an email address.
What is the "who is" website checker?
As above, do your due diligence. And if you find that too tricky then stick to well known retailers.
Unfortunately searching for cheap bargains is going to take you in to the world of overseas sellers of cheap tat.2 -
JAS137 said:I don't think it should be legal though. I didn't realise that any company can have one.
Contact details was only an email address.
What is the "who is" website checker?
The fact there was only an email address is an immediate red flag.
who.is site will tell you the details of who has registered the domain name.0 -
Having only an email address wouldn't be much help even if it is a UK business - you can't serve a writ on an email address.0
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JAS137 said:Firstly, why are foreign companies allowed to have a ".co UK" website. It is misleading and it there is no reason for it other than to fool their customers into thinking they are a UK company.
Its members were more entrpenorial in nature than the old naming committee and over 96-02 implemented a lot of changes like dropping many of the rules and introducing fees.
.UK was intended to be for content targeted at the UK rather than necessarily a UK company. .LTD.UK and .PLC.UK do have to be UK registered companies to buy and again it has to be exactly the name of the company rather than a trading style.
UK is in the majority in allowing anyone to use their domains, there are a few that do restrict still like Andora (.ad) which requires you to be a resident or have a locally registered trademarkJAS137 said:Secondly, is there any way to get a refund? I purchased two tankinis but they didn't fit properly. I tried sending several emails but could only get the offer of another size to be sent. There was no offer of a refund.
I tried contacting the Citizens Advice but was advised that as it is a foreign company that Trading Standards would not be able to help.
I contacted PayPal as I paid via them. They put in a disputed payment but that failed. They can only dispute based on not being received or not as described but that was not my issue.
Can anyone advise me on this matter?3 -
As above. dot.com, dot.uk really have no meaning any more, although it's not surprising that people do assume dot.UK means it is a UK based company. It could certainly be considered as misleading for people who aren't tech savvy, which probably applies to the vast majority of the population.
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noitsnotme said:JAS137 said:I don't think it should be legal though. I didn't realise that any company can have one.
Contact details was only an email address.
What is the "who is" website checker?
As above, do your due diligence. And if you find that too tricky then stick to well known retailers.
Unfortunately searching for cheap bargains is going to take you in to the world of overseas sellers of cheap tat.1 -
TELLIT01 said:As above. dot.com, dot.uk really have no meaning any more, although it's not surprising that people do assume dot.UK means it is a UK based company. It could certainly be considered as misleading for people who aren't tech savvy, which probably applies to the vast majority of the population.
.com, .edu, .gov, .net, .org etc were originally intended to be non-geospecific but controlled by a US entity and ultimately went in the other direction and changed the rules that some of these became a US only (eg .gov)0
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