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Money Refunds.org.uk

FREE Practical Advice and Tips on how to get money back, replacements, credits, compensation and more for poor service and shoddy goods across the UK  

Buying via the Internet

Buying via the Internet increases in volume annually, it offers speed and convenience, but some risk. To many the risk is so great as to deter them from ever making a purchase by this media, however let's look at the reality of things today.

Overall there are firms who can be trusted as they are web versions of well established businesses who have a high street presence in the form of stores e.g. Argos, Iceland etc

Others who are mainly or solely web based, many small firms sell more off the internet than by other means - check if they have a physical business address and it does exist. Easy if UK based but harder if you order from abroad.

Avoid placing orders where NO ADDRESS is given, or sounds fishy - could not exist at all or be a guy trading from his rented bedroom in a high rise flat. Even grand sounding addresses may be little more than a rented office which is used just to pick up mail.

Avoid placing orders from web sites using free space and look for proper domains - if needed check to see who owns it, and when was it registered http://www.nic.uk/whois.html (UK) and/or http://betterwhois.com/ Longer established businesses are potentially safer bets than new start ups.

Look for telephone numbers and fax numbers - test them - many sites only trade by email and thus may be difficult to track down if things go wrong.

Check to see if the page you bought from is part of a group of pages such as http://www.ebay.com/ - here you can complain to the umbrella organisation who may well cancel the seller if there are many complaints but as such may have no liability for that advertisers business affairs.

Remember you need NOT pay online for purchases (although the credit card does afford protection) and can send money by post. Firms who do not offer or accept postal payments or ask for payments to a NAMED PERSON should be suspect - real with real firms.

So you have ordered and paid for goods via the Internet and either not had delivery or goods are faulty, what next?

• Collect what evidence you have and back track, print out the web pages used to order from and check descriptions. Print emails to and from the firm and copies of payments.

• Contact the supplier and ask for what you seek, refund, replacement, credit etc. Reputable firms will do that or tell you why they will not.

• Give the supplier a few days to do what they promise and follow up.

• If they fail to fulfil promises follow up again showing annoyance.

• Chances are you will have paid by credit or debit card if so tell the card company and mail or fax them evidence they may well refund your money immediate or review the claim, filling a form in, or replying to emails may well be needed.

• Contact the card processor acting for the seller. maybe if the seller has a bad reputation their facilities will be withdrawn, adding weight to your claim for a refund.

What about paying for online Membership or web access?

Much access to the Internet is not to buy goods but to access information, to download files or software, or to place listings for goods for sale or property to sell or let. Here you are paying for a service and many of the same rules apply.

If you pay you expect to get value, anything less and you can claim your money back - getting it is another matter as many service purchases are small value - in fact in a volume business 10,000 sales of a service for £5 is a lot of money and maybe £5 is not worth claiming back.

First option is to contact the supplier and demand a refund and explain why, most reputable firms will honour your request or tell you why they will not, due to volumes you may have to wait a few days for a reply but most will get back same day usually 7 days a week.

Check for contact telephone and fax numbers and call those, or sent back up messages, do not be afraid to duplicate the claim.

After that contact the card company or the hosting service although the latter has no liability to your for refunds it may however get their site taken down if a fraudulent operation.

Somebody used your credit card without your knowledge or consent?

First question is how did they get your card details, cancel the card at the first instance of this and contact your card company for a statement and check for all unknown charges - advise the card company in writing, normally they will refund but you may need to fill in a form and provide more evidence.

Top tips for internet buying

• Buy from sources with a physical presence and address such as stores.

• Pay by credit card.

• Keep printed copies of the web pages used to offer the deal and the subsequent order and payment. These are timed and dated.

• Keep copies of all emails to and from the supplier. Set up a folder in your email program to store and if needed download to a folder on your PC.

Top tips for getting money back

• Assemble and check the evidence

• Assess your claim, know what you want to achieve

• Contact the supplier and give 24-48hrs for a response

• If that fails contact credit card company

• If needed contact card company of seller

• If needed contact web host the seller may be unreliable, they can help put you in touch or take down the site

Check out the various consumer web sites in useful links for more tips and leads to scams and other internet offers to avoid.

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