Paying for goods that have to be ordered, is it Safe?

[falcemob]

I need a new bed and the only one I have found that is comfortable has to be paid for and ordered from Harveys (I think). With MFI, Woolworths, JJB and others going down the pan or looking dodgy I'm concerned about having to pay for it up front and then they go bust in the meantime. Is paying with a credit card the safest way and am I guaranteed my money back from the credit card co if the supplier goes under before it is delivered?

[junder]

better on credit card than anything else but not sure if you'd be covered for that :S

[pokethepope]

Do they give you the option for ordering it in, and then paying once it is in stock? John Lewis for example do this, they take your details, but won't charge it until its in stock at their warehouse and delivery is set up.

[s3fella]

Harveys use to be depos with order, then a balance prior to delivery, (like day before). If it is all up front, be careful, it may be indicative of cashflow issues with them and if you chose to do so, a credit card is your friend!
If you have problems at all, report it as a dispute asap, the problem with this is you really need to leave the balance on the card until you get sofa delivered, otherwise if you pay it off, the card provider may not be as helpful!

[rsv gone!]

falcemob said:

Is paying with a credit card the safest way and am I guaranteed my money back from the credit card co if the supplier goes under before it is delivered?

The credit card company are jointly and severably liable for the delivery of your goods. And not just for things you buy entirely on the card. If you put a deposit of at least £100 on your card, for a high value object up to £30K IIRC (might be £25K) then the CC Co are jointly liable for the whole value of that item.

[Piglet]

I think you're right to be wary at the moment. I'd try to pay as little as possible in the way of a deposit (but over £100) and then negotiate to pay the balance as close to delivery as possible. I'd pay both the deposit and the balance by credit card, even if that meant paying a transaction fee. My rule at the moment is that if I'm not taking something away with me immediately or getting the benefit of it immediately then I'll use a credit card.

It is of course worth checking with your card company whether there is anything specific that you need to do under their terms/conditions - do you have to pay £101.50 whilst hopping on one leg or something daft designed to avoid you being able to claim!

I read somewhere that the £100 payment must be for one item and not for various items so someone who's lost money on Speedferries (for instance) might be stuck because their £150 was a multiple of 10 journeys. Not sure if it's true, I haven't researched it but might be worth someone who's bored looking at it.