Another scam?

[Spectric]

what I mean is I don’t possess the relevant skills to determine if a site is dodgy until I’ve pressed buy

It is not all about skills, gut feeling and is it to good to be true also come into it. Rather than just take a gamble on a purchase from a lesser known site just throw a post out and look at the feedback. Maybe we could have a forum just for raising these issues and a list of the ones to avoid but at the end of the day it will always be down to the individual so if in doubt just run.

 

[Spectric]

worded in a way that doesn’t directly accuse any individual or company

Yes you cannot openly accuse a company of dodgy dealings so work from the opposite direction, only mention the good ones and there are plenty of good ones out there that people round here have used so maybe we could just have a list of those that people have used. If you want to go off piste then what is the reason apart from maybe being drawn in by the to good to be true price. What we need to reconise is the bait, these scammers are dangling the bait and just waiting for a bite and playing on the fact people like a bargain.

 

[Bingy man]

It is not all about skills, gut feeling and is it to good to be true also come into it. Rather than just take a gamble on a purchase from a lesser known site just throw a post out and look at the feedback. Maybe we could have a forum just for raising these issues and a list of the ones to avoid but at the end of the day it will always be down to the individual so if in doubt just run.

Yes I get that , and as per a previous post by @okeydokey there is the possibility of legal ramifications by naming said company or person but I’m sure it could be done legally then it would help others including myself who are not so savvy with online purchases. In general I used trusted sites but I’m sure we have all searched for a particular tool, machine or part to no avail when would you Adam and Eve it some unknown site has what you are desperately searching for!!! Most at this point will read any available reviews and if nothing looks out of place will then complete the purchase. I always read the reviews as a guide to my purchases but even these can be fake ..

 

[Noel]

I was recently caught out by Workinger and, too late, searched here to find that other members had warned about them. Unfortunately I may have come across another supplier to avoid -------------. I ordered some drill bits from them on 3rd September. The order status on their web site is showing as despatched, but they have not arrived. Their (mobile) telephone number goes straight through to Tesco voicemail. Emails have not been acknowledged or replied to. Has anybody else had dealings with this supplier? Good, bad or indifferent.

What bits did you order and to what value? How did you pay?

 

[Paul Newton]

The address is in ------- which is not far from me - I'm pretty certain the address is a set of smallish industrial units on part of a farm (or maybe where a farm used to be) I think surrounded by fields. From the website it looks to be genuine to me (but it would)
Have you tried filling in the contact form and see what response.
If you don't have any success let me know as I can easily go looksee for you.
Have you left a message on the phone with your phone number and details of your purchase?

Thanks for the offer to go looksee, but I have an update. A company called ------------ show up on Google maps as being at or near the same address, so I decided to give them a call. I spoke with an extremely friendly and helpful chap called ------ and he actually knows the person behind this outfit (-----------). He is a close neighbour and sees them fairly frequently. He has taken my details and has promised to have a word with them. I await to hear back ...

 

[Paul Newton]

What bits did you order and to what value? How did you pay?

I ordered eight items and delivery for a total of £15.50 with delivery. I paid using my debit card. In future I will try to pay using PayPal or my credit card.

 

[Noel]

I ordered eight items and delivery for a total of £15.50 with delivery. I paid using my debit card. In future I will try to pay using PayPal or my credit card.

Thanks.
And please update soonest. Sounds like poor CS than anything else.

 

[akirk]

Would it? When site after site (some very reputable) lists something as likely to be fraudulent?

There are a number of sites out there that have been sued - some have even closed as a result... many forums have a no name and shame policy as a result.
The forum is an easy target for the business, they have an incentive to not be taken through court where some random member (who might even be hard to trace) is more of a challenge...

Ultimately up to the forum owners - if it were my forum (and I do own some) I would be very cautious...

 

[okeydokey]

Thanks for the offer to go looksee, but I have an update. A company called ————— show up on Google maps as being at or near the same address, so I decided to give them a call. I spoke with an extremely friendly and helpful chap called —— and he actually knows the person behind this outfit. He is a close neighbour and sees them fairly frequently. They have taken my details and has promised to have a word with them. I await to hear back ...

 

[Blackswanwood]

I ordered eight different Imperial sized drill bits totalling £11.18 + £3.50 delivery. I paid using my debit card. In future I will try to pay using PayPal or my credit card.

Paying by credit card wouldn't have given you any extra protection. Section 75 of the CCA covers purchases between £100 and £30k. It doesn't really matter though.

If the goods don't turn up though you have a straightforward dispute. Your bank will reimburse the funds to you and then reclaim them under the debit card scheme rules that the banks sign up to as part of their commercial agreement with the card provider (usually Mastercard or Visa).

If this turns out to be the case (hopefully it will not) it should be straightforward to sort with your bank. If you need any help PM me. I run the teams who do this stuff for a not insignificant financial services provider!

 

[Noel]

Name and details edited out until further notice, for obvious reasons.

 

[Sachakins]

There should be no issue if yourj ust naming the company and asking the community for advice. No need to slander them, just asking courteously for opinions is neither liable nor slanderous.
If done legitimately for advice then can't see why it should be moderatored out.

 

[okeydokey]

I hope the original poster lets us know the outcome

 

[XTiffy]

On the question of possible scams. My Son-in-Law's Sister agreed to purchase a 20' shipping container. The company would only accept payment from a "business account". Companies House details, also raised a red flag so she did not purchase. What could be the reason, for only accepting this payment method?

 

[Paul Newton]

Paying by credit card wouldn't have given you any extra protection. Section 75 of the CCA covers purchases between £100 and £30k. It doesn't really matter though.

If the goods don't turn up though you have a straightforward dispute. Your bank will reimburse the funds to you and then reclaim them under the debit card scheme rules that the banks sign up to as part of their commercial agreement with the card provider (usually Mastercard or Visa).

If this turns out to be the case (hopefully it will not) it should be straightforward to sort with your bank. If you need any help PM me. I run the teams who do this stuff for a not insignificant financial services provider!

Thanks for that information. I did consider contacting my bank (Barclays) but there seemed no obvious way to contact them via their online app. Getting to talk to somebody in person in branch is nigh impossible - I tried that on a deferent matter several weeks ago and when I turned up at the branch there were already three people ahead of me waiting to see somebody and the first in line had already been waiting over an hour. The only alternative I could think of was to try phoning and I did not relish that prospect. Do you have any advice as to how I should contact my bank under these or similar circumstances?

 

[Paul Newton]

I hope the original poster lets us know the outcome

I am more than happy to do that, but first a timeline of events:
Sun 3rd Sep - Order placed via the website
Mon 4th Sep - Email received stating that the order had been despatched
Sun 10th Sep - Message sent using online form - Received automated response simply quoting my message.
Tue 12th Sep - Phoned at 11:28 - Immediately put through to voicemail - no message left
Tue 12th Sep - Email sent requesting response to message sent on 10th. No response/reply
Tue 12th Sep - Phoned at 15:14 - Left message on voicemail - No response
Tue 12th Sep - Phoned at 19:56 - Immediately put through to voicemail - no message left
Wed 13th Sep - Phoned at 10:07 - Immediately put through to voicemail - no message left
Wed 13th Sep - Email sent requesting delivery or cancellation and refund. No reply/response.
Sat 16th Sep - Refund received in my account.
So to put it in a nutshell - this does not appear to be a scam just incredibly (unbelievably?) poor business practice.

My sincere thanks to all those who have contributed with advice or offers to help - much appreciated.

 

[Dabop]

Although there are plenty of dodgy sellers out there- there are some dodgy buyers too...
:-(
I (about five, six months ago) sold off my old drill press and a bench grinder on the 'bay' (both in quite good condition, simply too small for the work I am doing atm) and the buyer claimed they weren't packaged adequately (they were- in a wooden box, actually bolted to the box and padded with those 'expanding foam' cushions)- the seller lodged a complaint and the bay sided with them, basically I lost both machines and got nothing in return...
Double :-(
They sent in photos- but I know damn well that the bench grinder wasn't mine (mine had extra holes I drilled in the mount bracket/ tool support for a mini 'belt grinder' that were missing from it- but how do I prove it? they weren't visible in the listing...) and the drill press had a broken table- but no way of proving it wasn't 'mine'
Last time I'm selling online- this is the second time I have lost money on a sale online (the other was an old mid 80's CB base station- 'never arrived', despite it being 'signature required'...)
These days IF (big if) I am going to sell- its going to be local, pickup only from now on...
(I suspect they had the same brand (fairly common one here in Australia) with dead/broken machines, and simply used mine to replace them for free)
:-(
(NOT saying Paul was doing anything wrong, but just saying that some buyers aren't honest either...)
Kind of soured me on selling online in future, thats for sure

 

[Paul Newton]

Although there are plenty of dodgy sellers out there- there are some dodgy buyers too...
:-(
I (about five, six months ago) sold off my old drill press and a bench grinder on the 'bay' (both in quite good condition, simply too small for the work I am doing atm) and the buyer claimed they weren't packaged adequately (they were- in a wooden box, actually bolted to the box and padded with those 'expanding foam' cushions)- the seller lodged a complaint and the bay sided with them, basically I lost both machines and got nothing in return...
Double :-(
They sent in photos- but I know damn well that the bench grinder wasn't mine (mine had extra holes I drilled in the mount bracket/ tool support for a mini 'belt grinder' that were missing from it- but how do I prove it? they weren't visible in the listing...) and the drill press had a broken table- but no way of proving it wasn't 'mine'
Last time I'm selling online- this is the second time I have lost money on a sale online (the other was an old mid 80's CB base station- 'never arrived', despite it being 'signature required'...)
These days IF (big if) I am going to sell- its going to be local, pickup only from now on...
(I suspect they had the same brand (fairly common one here in Australia) with dead/broken machines, and simply used mine to replace them for free)
:-(
(NOT saying Paul was doing anything wrong, but just saying that some buyers aren't honest either...)
Kind of soured me on selling online in future, thats for sure

Honest Paul - that's me! I recently ordered a set of Bosch HSS-G drill bits. What arrived was a set of Bosch drill bits which were a step up from, and considerably more expensive, than the ones I ordered. I contacted the seller and returned the drill bits and soon after received the drill bits I originally ordered ...

 

[Sachakins]

Thanks for that information. I did consider contacting my bank (Barclays) but there seemed no obvious way to contact them via their online app. Getting to talk to somebody in person in branch is nigh impossible - I tried that on a deferent matter several weeks ago and when I turned up at the branch there were already three people ahead of me waiting to see somebody and the first in line had already been waiting over an hour. The only alternative I could think of was to try phoning and I did not relish that prospect. Do you have any advice as to how I should contact my bank under these or similar circumstances?

If you've got online banking, there should be a secure messaging service you can send details on.

I've used that method before and got fairly rapid responses.

 

[Blackswanwood]

Thanks for that information. I did consider contacting my bank (Barclays) but there seemed no obvious way to contact them via their online app. Getting to talk to somebody in person in branch is nigh impossible - I tried that on a deferent matter several weeks ago and when I turned up at the branch there were already three people ahead of me waiting to see somebody and the first in line had already been waiting over an hour. The only alternative I could think of was to try phoning and I did not relish that prospect. Do you have any advice as to how I should contact my bank under these or similar circumstances?

As Sachakins has mentioned - secure messaging online is probably easiest. They have click to call in their mobile app and it looks like you can fill in a form online to notify them here …

https://www.barclays.co.uk/fraud-and-scams/reporting-scams-and-reporting-fraud/