Getting ripped off
Discussion
I’ve been ripped off (in my opinion) twice in the last week and am struggling with how to react.
Firstly I bought an expensive shower fitting online from a plumbing retailer which upon opening wasn’t quite right.
When I sought to send it back I discovered I would lose one third of what I’d laid out due to a restocking fee (I didn’t read the tiny print) and huge collection cost.
Unfortunately Amazon return has mistakenly raised my expectations.
Second incident I bought a ‘new - other’ rowing machine from a seller on eBay. I went to collect it, was in a hurry and a bit hungry with the family in the car, and didn’t check it over fully. It wasn’t the brand of machine I thought I’d bought and it was also fairly mouldy and rusty in parts as it had been in the sellers garage (or so he claimed). I think he’d picked it up from a car boot but whatever.
I’m normally very careful with my research but I’ve obviously let myself down here.
Really annoyed with myself. I’m trying to ignore and forget about it, lesson learned. Rowing machine to the tip and I’ll try and resell the shower fitting online somewhere.
Neither item was particularly cheap but fortunately I can just about afford to take this on the chin and move on.
Question is, what would you do?
Firstly I bought an expensive shower fitting online from a plumbing retailer which upon opening wasn’t quite right.
When I sought to send it back I discovered I would lose one third of what I’d laid out due to a restocking fee (I didn’t read the tiny print) and huge collection cost.
Unfortunately Amazon return has mistakenly raised my expectations.
Second incident I bought a ‘new - other’ rowing machine from a seller on eBay. I went to collect it, was in a hurry and a bit hungry with the family in the car, and didn’t check it over fully. It wasn’t the brand of machine I thought I’d bought and it was also fairly mouldy and rusty in parts as it had been in the sellers garage (or so he claimed). I think he’d picked it up from a car boot but whatever.
I’m normally very careful with my research but I’ve obviously let myself down here.
Really annoyed with myself. I’m trying to ignore and forget about it, lesson learned. Rowing machine to the tip and I’ll try and resell the shower fitting online somewhere.
Neither item was particularly cheap but fortunately I can just about afford to take this on the chin and move on.
Question is, what would you do?
yep what he said.
They cannot overrule your statutory rights
https://www.wigan.gov.uk/Business/Trading-Standard...
They cannot overrule your statutory rights
https://www.wigan.gov.uk/Business/Trading-Standard...
rlg43p said:
With the latter submit a not as described dispute with eBay and request a return. Send them the details that you put in your post. See if that works.
He collected it, and I presume used eBay’s QR code mechanism to accept it. EBay won’t (and shouldn’t) accept a “not as described” complaint when he had the ability to inspect it himself. As an eBay seller I’d fight that. I wouldn’t mind someone saying they don’t accept it when stood there, but not after they’ve gone away and had second thoughts. Jordie Barretts sock said:
thebraketester said:
Take more care when buying things?
This.What do you mean, 'what would you do?' Are you looking to blane someone else for your own failings?
OP, FWIW, I would contest the re-stocking fee and as already mentioned, I would put in a ‘not as described’ claim with EBay.
Nigel_O said:
Jordie Barretts sock said:
thebraketester said:
Take more care when buying things?
This.What do you mean, 'what would you do?' Are you looking to blane someone else for your own failings?
OP, FWIW, I would contest the re-stocking fee and as already mentioned, I would put in a ‘not as described’ claim with EBay.
The blunt answer is man the f up.
Don’t need to tell me to man up thanks, I take full responsibility for not suspecting everything I buy and everyone I buy from.
wasn’t asking for get out clauses, I was asking to see what others would do who had f’kd up making a purchase.
Would you fight the lot, tooth and nail, get yourself all wound up and angry, for what would be maybe a slim chance of a positive outcome or would you just take it on the chin and move on.
FWIW the rower looks very similar to the one I thought I was buying. To be honest, I’d wrongly assumed I was buying a perhaps 2020 version rather than the iteration that’s available now, hence the difference. I also thought it needed a light wipe down rather than full decontamination and light sanding of rust. Not what I expected from buying something described by the seller as ‘new - other’ on eBay. When he told me it had been in the garage for a few months, it was plausible as that’s what happens to many a piece of home gym equipment when no longer used. In hindsight I should have got the magnifying glass out and given it a bit of a wipe on site.
Re the shower part, my online buying experience has thus far been a case of buy it and if it’s not right or not needed then send it back, happily at my own expense. With this one they seem to act on behalf of a manufacturer which possibly justifys to them that they can charge a not insignificant restocking fee and then also charge me £25 for postage (I think they collect although I could comfortably send it back at my own expense for significantly cheaper).
The supplier is called plumit. I think they can be named because I am only stating facts that they cannot and presumably won’t deny. It’s down to the consumer to decide if they want to buy from them or not, which in this case I mistakenly did. I’m sure it’s there in the tiny print that they reserve the right to charge a restocking fee and charge enormous postage fees so again, probably my fault for not spotting this.
wasn’t asking for get out clauses, I was asking to see what others would do who had f’kd up making a purchase.
Would you fight the lot, tooth and nail, get yourself all wound up and angry, for what would be maybe a slim chance of a positive outcome or would you just take it on the chin and move on.
FWIW the rower looks very similar to the one I thought I was buying. To be honest, I’d wrongly assumed I was buying a perhaps 2020 version rather than the iteration that’s available now, hence the difference. I also thought it needed a light wipe down rather than full decontamination and light sanding of rust. Not what I expected from buying something described by the seller as ‘new - other’ on eBay. When he told me it had been in the garage for a few months, it was plausible as that’s what happens to many a piece of home gym equipment when no longer used. In hindsight I should have got the magnifying glass out and given it a bit of a wipe on site.
Re the shower part, my online buying experience has thus far been a case of buy it and if it’s not right or not needed then send it back, happily at my own expense. With this one they seem to act on behalf of a manufacturer which possibly justifys to them that they can charge a not insignificant restocking fee and then also charge me £25 for postage (I think they collect although I could comfortably send it back at my own expense for significantly cheaper).
The supplier is called plumit. I think they can be named because I am only stating facts that they cannot and presumably won’t deny. It’s down to the consumer to decide if they want to buy from them or not, which in this case I mistakenly did. I’m sure it’s there in the tiny print that they reserve the right to charge a restocking fee and charge enormous postage fees so again, probably my fault for not spotting this.
Takemeaway said:
Don’t need to tell me to man up thanks, I take full responsibility for not suspecting everything I buy and everyone I buy from.
wasn’t asking for get out clauses, I was asking to see what others would do who had f’kd up making a purchase.
Would you fight the lot, tooth and nail, get yourself all wound up and angry, for what would be maybe a slim chance of a positive outcome or would you just take it on the chin and move on.
FWIW the rower looks very similar to the one I thought I was buying. To be honest, I’d wrongly assumed I was buying a perhaps 2020 version rather than the iteration that’s available now, hence the difference. I also thought it needed a light wipe down rather than full decontamination and light sanding of rust. Not what I expected from buying something described by the seller as ‘new - other’ on eBay. When he told me it had been in the garage for a few months, it was plausible as that’s what happens to many a piece of home gym equipment when no longer used. In hindsight I should have got the magnifying glass out and given it a bit of a wipe on site.
Re the shower part, my online buying experience has thus far been a case of buy it and if it’s not right or not needed then send it back, happily at my own expense. With this one they seem to act on behalf of a manufacturer which possibly justifys to them that they can charge a not insignificant restocking fee and then also charge me £25 for postage (I think they collect although I could comfortably send it back at my own expense for significantly cheaper).
The supplier is called plumit. I think they can be named because I am only stating facts that they cannot and presumably won’t deny. It’s down to the consumer to decide if they want to buy from them or not, which in this case I mistakenly did. I’m sure it’s there in the tiny print that they reserve the right to charge a restocking fee and charge enormous postage fees so again, probably my fault for not spotting this.
I would contact them again and say you expect a full refund under distance selling regulations, and will be sending it yourself registered post. wasn’t asking for get out clauses, I was asking to see what others would do who had f’kd up making a purchase.
Would you fight the lot, tooth and nail, get yourself all wound up and angry, for what would be maybe a slim chance of a positive outcome or would you just take it on the chin and move on.
FWIW the rower looks very similar to the one I thought I was buying. To be honest, I’d wrongly assumed I was buying a perhaps 2020 version rather than the iteration that’s available now, hence the difference. I also thought it needed a light wipe down rather than full decontamination and light sanding of rust. Not what I expected from buying something described by the seller as ‘new - other’ on eBay. When he told me it had been in the garage for a few months, it was plausible as that’s what happens to many a piece of home gym equipment when no longer used. In hindsight I should have got the magnifying glass out and given it a bit of a wipe on site.
Re the shower part, my online buying experience has thus far been a case of buy it and if it’s not right or not needed then send it back, happily at my own expense. With this one they seem to act on behalf of a manufacturer which possibly justifys to them that they can charge a not insignificant restocking fee and then also charge me £25 for postage (I think they collect although I could comfortably send it back at my own expense for significantly cheaper).
The supplier is called plumit. I think they can be named because I am only stating facts that they cannot and presumably won’t deny. It’s down to the consumer to decide if they want to buy from them or not, which in this case I mistakenly did. I’m sure it’s there in the tiny print that they reserve the right to charge a restocking fee and charge enormous postage fees so again, probably my fault for not spotting this.
For the rowing machine, buy in haste, repent at leisure unfortunately. You had the opportunity to inspect it, didn't and later realised it is not as described. That one is on you. Either fix it up, stick it on FB marketplace/back on eBay, take it to the dump or leave it outside with a sign on it saying "free to good home".
Edited by TriumphStag3.0V8 on Sunday 11th February 14:34
CheesecakeRunner said:
He collected it, and I presume used eBay’s QR code mechanism to accept it. EBay won’t (and shouldn’t) accept a “not as described” complaint when he had the ability to inspect it himself. As an eBay seller I’d fight that. I wouldn’t mind someone saying they don’t accept it when stood there, but not after they’ve gone away and had second thoughts.
You are probably right, but nevertheless I would still try, saying that it was only after getting it home that I realised it was not as described. Gassing Station | The Lounge | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff