Getting a refund after purchase from a fake website
Discussion
In the hunt for an air fryer my partner stumbled across what we now know to be a fake website.
She placed an order using her debit card and sat back and began planning the delights she would be able to cook. Alarm bells started to ring when the transaction appeared on her bank account as CNY, the Chinese currency. A few days later she received confirmation that her order has shipped, complete with a tracking number that originated in China.
By this stage we doubted she would ever see the air fryer as ordered but we waited to see what did turn up. A week or so later a parcel weighing 80gms arrived containing a metal ring. Obviously this had been sent as it was the cheapest thing they could send to get a tracking number that showed delivery of something.
Without any hope of a reply she contacted “customer services” and complained. They did actually reply, blamed covid for all sorts of problems in their warehouse and offered a 50% refund as “compensation”.
She’d paid £65 for the order, the ring has no value at all, so she was looking at a £30-odd loss. Time to claim from the bank. You’d think it would be fairly open and shut as the website were obviously not sending out the goods ordered (probably don’t even have them) and are just sending out valueless tat. The bank wouldn’t have this though and would only agree to raise the case if my partner returned the item using tracked postage. Even with that they wouldn’t guarantee that they would find in her favour and I could well imagine the Chinese return address, if it was valid, refusing to accept anything anyway.
During this time she had kept on at the Chinese company and with each reply they increased their refund offer. It finally topped out at 90%, which although it stuck in her craw to leave them with any part of the payment, it would have cost her at least £6.50 to send the ring back to China with tracking. So she reluctantly accepted the refund offer. They said it would take 7-14 days to process, but in the end, and to my surprise, they did it in 3.
Due to some reason, probably exchange rates, she’s only ended up about £4 down, so nothing like as bad as it could have been.
Our take aways here - firstly of course, it is seems too good to be true it probably is and secondly, don’t rely on your bank to have your back even when it’s a clear scam.
She placed an order using her debit card and sat back and began planning the delights she would be able to cook. Alarm bells started to ring when the transaction appeared on her bank account as CNY, the Chinese currency. A few days later she received confirmation that her order has shipped, complete with a tracking number that originated in China.
By this stage we doubted she would ever see the air fryer as ordered but we waited to see what did turn up. A week or so later a parcel weighing 80gms arrived containing a metal ring. Obviously this had been sent as it was the cheapest thing they could send to get a tracking number that showed delivery of something.
Without any hope of a reply she contacted “customer services” and complained. They did actually reply, blamed covid for all sorts of problems in their warehouse and offered a 50% refund as “compensation”.
She’d paid £65 for the order, the ring has no value at all, so she was looking at a £30-odd loss. Time to claim from the bank. You’d think it would be fairly open and shut as the website were obviously not sending out the goods ordered (probably don’t even have them) and are just sending out valueless tat. The bank wouldn’t have this though and would only agree to raise the case if my partner returned the item using tracked postage. Even with that they wouldn’t guarantee that they would find in her favour and I could well imagine the Chinese return address, if it was valid, refusing to accept anything anyway.
During this time she had kept on at the Chinese company and with each reply they increased their refund offer. It finally topped out at 90%, which although it stuck in her craw to leave them with any part of the payment, it would have cost her at least £6.50 to send the ring back to China with tracking. So she reluctantly accepted the refund offer. They said it would take 7-14 days to process, but in the end, and to my surprise, they did it in 3.
Due to some reason, probably exchange rates, she’s only ended up about £4 down, so nothing like as bad as it could have been.
Our take aways here - firstly of course, it is seems too good to be true it probably is and secondly, don’t rely on your bank to have your back even when it’s a clear scam.
This is a very common Chinese scam.
A few months ago, adverts for an oscilloscope were frequently appearing in an electronics group I'm a member of.
This was a £300 device being offered for £100 - and most of us guessed it was a scam, and one person bought one (using Paypal) and also received a cheap piece of jewellery (earrings I seem to recall).
In any case, a complaint to Paypal resulted in a prompt refund.
A few months ago, adverts for an oscilloscope were frequently appearing in an electronics group I'm a member of.
This was a £300 device being offered for £100 - and most of us guessed it was a scam, and one person bought one (using Paypal) and also received a cheap piece of jewellery (earrings I seem to recall).
In any case, a complaint to Paypal resulted in a prompt refund.
I bought shoes, and received cheap Rayban knock-offs. Had the same to and fro with the company, who offered increasing refund values but only if I returned the specs. I just called the bank, gave them the email history, and they refunded me.
Hopefully the bank can do a chargeback on the scammer but even if they do, I suspect it works in the favour of the scammer just based on the number of people who let it go.
Hopefully the bank can do a chargeback on the scammer but even if they do, I suspect it works in the favour of the scammer just based on the number of people who let it go.
Mars said:
I bought shoes, and received cheap Rayban knock-offs. Had the same to and fro with the company, who offered increasing refund values but only if I returned the specs. I just called the bank, gave them the email history, and they refunded me.
Hopefully the bank can do a chargeback on the scammer but even if they do, I suspect it works in the favour of the scammer just based on the number of people who let it go.
Similar here, ordered handbags and received a pair of Wayfarers, good UV protection according to O/H's optician so she happily wears them. However, before they arrived I smelt a rat as the handbag order acknowledgment had Chinese characters on it though the retailer's address was in London. I cancelled the order with the company but had no reply so notified my bank who refunded to my credit card almost straight away.Hopefully the bank can do a chargeback on the scammer but even if they do, I suspect it works in the favour of the scammer just based on the number of people who let it go.
Oddly enough I've never had any problems with stuff coming from China. Lead times are quite long, which is no surprise given where it is.
I have twice tried to buy watches off Vinted. The first got lost in the post and I reported it as such, receiving a full refund from the UK-based seller.
The second resulted in the arrival - amid much hilarity - of a single, illuminated knitted glove. After a few riotous Michael Jackson impressions I photographed it and reported it to Vinted. They were very slow to respond, until I threatened to seek legal advice, whereupon they refunded me in full overnight.
Lesson learned: don't buy anything expensive on Vinted.
I have twice tried to buy watches off Vinted. The first got lost in the post and I reported it as such, receiving a full refund from the UK-based seller.
The second resulted in the arrival - amid much hilarity - of a single, illuminated knitted glove. After a few riotous Michael Jackson impressions I photographed it and reported it to Vinted. They were very slow to respond, until I threatened to seek legal advice, whereupon they refunded me in full overnight.
Lesson learned: don't buy anything expensive on Vinted.
Oceanrower said:
Al Gorithum said:
As you paid by debit card you have no protection.
Not heard of Chargeback then?It’s not quite as protected as S75. admittedly but it does provide some comeback.
GasEngineer said:
spikeyhead said:
People buy things online from unfamiliar websites without checking thoroughly who they're buying from? In 2022?
Correct.Riley Blue said:
GasEngineer said:
spikeyhead said:
People buy things online from unfamiliar websites without checking thoroughly who they're buying from? In 2022?
Correct.
hstewie said:spikeyhead said:
Riley Blue said:
GasEngineer said:
spikeyhead said:
People buy things online from unfamiliar websites without checking thoroughly who they're buying from? In 2022?
Correct.Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff