Short Shipped US purchase nightmare

Short Shipped US purchase nightmare

Author
Discussion

HairbearTE

Original Poster:

702 posts

154 months

Saturday 24th July 2021
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I recently placed an order with a US sportswear website, and had it shipped to an intermediary shipping company in CA, in order for the package to be forwarded to me. The reason being that the website didn't offer shipping to the UK.

I ordered two pairs of shoes. a US 11.5 and a US 10. After about 3 weeks my order arrived here. Just the size 11.5 arrived, the size 10 pair was nowhere to be seen.

The vendor denies responsibility, maintains that they shipped both pairs. The forwarding agent denies responsibility, says they wrapped the package they received in clear plastic and simply forwarded it.

I have tracking numbers for both shipments ( Vendor > forwarding agent within US, and Fedex from forwarding company to me in UK). The dimensions included on the paperwork shipped to me match those of the package I received. The forwarding company has photos of the package as they claim they received it and it does appear to be the same as I received.

I have also paid duty and tax on two pairs of shoes, because Fedex don't release packages until import charges are paid and the invoice on the packaging was for my order of two pairs of shoes.

Neither party accepts responsibility, neither party is responding to my requests for further information or searches etc. I'm just getting generic "customer service" responses.

My question is this: Who can I go to in order to recover my funds/recieve my goods here? I don't wish to let this go and take the $200 on the chin. Money and time is not a problem, I just want this persued in the most effective way possible.

Any genuine advice is most welcome, ( i'm sure they'll be a few "it's only $200, it's not worth it" type responses tpp! )

pills

1,722 posts

237 months

Saturday 24th July 2021
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Did you purchase them with a credit card? Have you spoken to credit card company?

HairbearTE

Original Poster:

702 posts

154 months

Saturday 24th July 2021
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It was a Visa debit card, not credit.

pills

1,722 posts

237 months

Saturday 24th July 2021
quotequote all
I assume it's with a linked bank account? Have you checked with the bank, some offer similar protection to credit card purchases.

Gavin0478

473 posts

141 months

Saturday 24th July 2021
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Most banks will allow a charge back. I had to do one through natwest for a visa debit card purchase and it took about a week after the delivery date had passed.

HairbearTE

Original Poster:

702 posts

154 months

Saturday 24th July 2021
quotequote all
It's a HOLD crypto debit card, not directly funded from a current account.

voram

4,030 posts

34 months

Saturday 24th July 2021
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No insurance cover with the shipment costs?

HairbearTE

Original Poster:

702 posts

154 months

Saturday 24th July 2021
quotequote all
No. It doesn't appear to be lost in transit from the forwarding company to myself. The shipping from the vendor to the forwarding comany was by USPS.

Does anyone have any advice re any possible legal route here? It seems ridiculous that I have proof of my order, and I have proof that only half the order was shipped to me by the forwarding company, and yet both of them can just deny responsibility.

Durzel

12,267 posts

168 months

Saturday 24th July 2021
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Judging by the T&Cs for the card it’s associated with the Bank of Lithuania, so not regulated by the FSA, and skim reading then it seems like it’s pretty much discretionary whether they will do anything to help etc.

It doesn’t sound like there is much you’re going to be able to do, really. If you want legal redress maybe use a boring old fiat debit or credit card in future?

CharlesElliott

2,008 posts

282 months

Saturday 24th July 2021
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It was quite a complex transaction from payment method to shipping! Sorry for your loss.

Sheepshanks

32,757 posts

119 months

Saturday 24th July 2021
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HairbearTE said:
It's a HOLD crypto debit card, not directly funded from a current account.
No idea what that means but if it’s a Visa card as you said earlier then I think the chargeback scheme is their’s.

What brand / shop where the shoes? I’ve used Borderfree.com a few times - they cover a whole bunch of stores and its worked fine.

HairbearTE

Original Poster:

702 posts

154 months

Sunday 25th July 2021
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Was hoping for some advice on what consumer protection bodies might exist in the USA, or how to go about initiating legal assistance over there from within the UK?

Tony1963

4,765 posts

162 months

Sunday 25th July 2021
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I really wouldn’t bother with the time, aggravation and stress. If we were talking £1k, of course, but not for this. You’ve been burnt, move on. You’re thousands of miles away from any potential rights, I’m guessing.

essayer

9,066 posts

194 months

Sunday 25th July 2021
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HairbearTE said:
Was hoping for some advice on what consumer protection bodies might exist in the USA, or how to go about initiating legal assistance over there from within the UK?
Better business bureau might get involved for you
bbb.org

JustGREENI

498 posts

180 months

Sunday 25th July 2021
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Tony1963 said:
I really wouldn’t bother with the time, aggravation and stress. If we were talking £1k, of course, but not for this. You’ve been burnt, move on. You’re thousands of miles away from any potential rights, I’m guessing.
This, put it down as a cost for a lesson.


BertBert

19,039 posts

211 months

Sunday 25th July 2021
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You could Google for a US lawyer and give them a call? Eg https://www.bestlawyers.com/united-states/consumer...

DSLiverpool

14,743 posts

202 months

Sunday 25th July 2021
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Write it off, next time pay with a proper protected money source. You’ve totally over complicated it and I suspect broken the golden rule of NOT asking the FF to confirm goods befits shipping.

TonyF1

156 posts

52 months

Sunday 25th July 2021
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So either the website didn’t ship both pairs or someone at the forwarding company has pinched a pair. Former seems more likely.

Does any of document mention the weight of the package from the website to the forwarder? That’s the only way I think you might stand a chance of getting a resolution by showing package couldn’t contain 2 pairs of shoes.


BertBert

19,039 posts

211 months

Sunday 25th July 2021
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The OP has the tracking to the shipper which should shed light on what was dispatched to them.

Chozza

808 posts

152 months

Tuesday 27th July 2021
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https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-do-if-y...

I'd start with reading the stuff on FTC.

Stick with the original supplier and that you believe that didn't ship as this seem to be the most likely issue.
And it puts the onus on them to prove that they shipped.

And use a credit card next time !