Card company's liability - have I understood?

gbmud

Thanks all. I called Virgin back (before YorkshireBoy posted his helpful link) and asked someone else and they told me the same. In the light of what the ombudsman website says, I feel a letter of complaint to Virgin coming on. :mad: What is the point of asking a 'grown-up' if they cannot get it right?

Either way, gladly (as it transpires), the price went up to the point where I could no longer justify the expense so someone else bought it. I hope for their sake that it was genuine as it was still an absolute corker of a deal.

Thanks again

Chris

PBA

lisyloo wrote: »

Personally I think you are crazy considering going against all the advice you are being given on the say-so of chantelle at the call center.

Is it just me or does it seem really kinda wrong that a bunch of people on an internet forum should know more about a product than employees of the company involved!

Having said that it does seem unlikely that Virgin would extend section 75 cover to purchases by credit card cheque, and it doesn't help that they don't publish their terms & conditions on their website (at least, not where I can see them). The standard MBNA T&Cs on their site don't seem to make any reference to the CCA at all. If Virgin do extend the cover to CC cheques it should be in their T&Cs somewhere.

Ok, point may be moot if the offer is now gone, but if you get this in writing then you could jump next time something similar came along!

lisyloo

Is it just me or does it seem really kinda wrong that a bunch of people on an internet forum should know more about a product than employees of the company involved!

Yes it is wrong, but companies (in general) do not tend to pay high salaries for highly qualified people in call centers. Quite the opposite in fact.
On these forums you can never be totally sure but many of the contributors are highly qulified e.g. solicitors or insurance under-writers etc.

It's certainly possible to be given false information by a call center, but unless you have something in writing then you are at their mercy. Even if they have the call recorded then they might not be honest about admitting thy were wrong.

Purple_Peril

I've just checked the T&Cs on my Virgin CC.

"16 Definitions
cheque transaction - any transaction in which you use a cheque to make payments using the account (the terms and conditions in the chequebook will apply)."

My CC cheques didn't come in a chequebook, but were attached to a letter. In the letter it says:
"Your Virgin Credit Card Cheques*
...You'll find further information about them in the small pring below, so please take the time to read this carefully. ..."

At the bottom of the page (and it is small print):
"*... If you use credit card cheques to make purchases, you will not have the same degree of protection under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 as when using your credit card. ..."

So the way I read it - and what I had already understood - is that you don't get the extra protection. It's just like paying with a personal cheque - and as far as borrowing is concerned, it's like taking your current account into overdraft.

PBA

lisyloo wrote: »

Yes it is wrong, but companies (in general) do not tend to pay high salaries for highly qualified people in call centers. Quite the opposite in fact.
On these forums you can never be totally sure but many of the contributors are highly qulified e.g. solicitors or insurance under-writers etc.

But you shouldn't need to be highly qualified to be able to answer simple factual questions, but just the important thing about customer service is you shouldn't BS when you don't know the answer. Are these call centre agents really under so much pressure from management to get their call times down that they can't put someone on hold for a few minutes to find out the answer to something they don't know? (Actually, the answer's obvious, no need to answer that )

YorkshireBoy

Purple_Peril wrote: »

(and it is small print)

Like I said in post #5.

Thanks for providing the exact wording Purple Peril.

lisyloo

Are these call centre agents really under so much pressure from management to get their call times down that they can't put someone on hold for a few minutes to find out the answer to something they don't know?

I can only speak from experience.
I have been given wrong answers even when someone has gone to consult a manager.
The only way you can protect yourself is to get it in writing.
Second best is keeping records of name, date and time as at least this give some credibility when making a complaint. They can usually check to find out whether you are telling the truth and when your story adds up it can lead to a succesfuly complaint. Obviously making complaints and getting recompense is hassle and very much second best to getting the right answer in the first place.

gbmud

I have no idea how I missed it first time round as I read and re-read the Ts and Cs on the back but, as Purple Peril says, there it is in black grey and white. Best I find out where is doing free eye tests this week...

Thanks again all.

Chris

BenL

If the laptop is getting towards £300 you may as well get a new one.

I have ordered a Dell Vostro 1000 this morning after seeing a post on hotukdeals for under £300 all in.

Some people like Dells, some people don't. We'll leave that at that.