Euro e-retailer fails to deliver goods - what to do now?

[Dunepilot]

Just after Christmas I put in an order for about £45 worth of records from e-vinyl.com.

Two weeks after failing to hear anything, I sent an email to check what had happened, and asked to verify the address it had been sent to. It turned out that the guy said he's sent the records to my billing address (although I'm pretty sure I'd actually input my postal address). No matter, I thought - called my mum to find out if anything had been delivered. No, nothing had arrived.

Contacted seller to tell him this and he said he'd have to wait to see if the records came back to him by return post. I told him that I'd give him until the end of Jan to see if they came back and then would expect him to do something to sort it out. He hasn't replied to my most recent emails.

Actually, I've since looked up the regulations on this sort of thing and read up the following pages:

http://www.euroconsumer.org.uk/index/your_rights/internet_shopping_index/mail_order_and_internet.htm
http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/general/shop_home/fs_y01.shtml
http://www.oft.gov.uk/Consumer/Your...line+shopping/If+things+go+wrong.htm#complain
http://www.dti.gov.uk/consumers/fact-sheets/page24635.html

The fourth link from the Department of Trade and Industry specifically says that:

"According to the Sale and Supply of Goods to Consumer Regulations 2002 the goods remain at the seller’s risk until they are delivered to the consumer. Thus the supplier is liable should the goods not arrive" and continues that most European countries will have similar provisions. However, I have no idea about France, where this guy is based.

Unfortunately I bought the goods by debit card rather than credit card, so claiming back from a third party isn't possible, as far as I'm aware.

If anyone has any suggestions of what to do now, I'd be keen to hear them.

 

[Abstract]

Tell them that you're going to report them to whichever department deals with this in your country. Tell them by mail, and tell them by email. If they don't say anything within 1 week, report them.

 

[liketom]

i hate to sound like a told you so but this is why i always pay for stuff with my credit card - it's just safer IMO

it's a shame you got a rough deal out of this, i hope you get your money back!

so tell me why debit cards can't offer charge backs ? cheques can be pulled back

 

[Dunepilot]

Tell them that you're going to report them to whichever department deals with this in your country. Tell them by mail, and tell them by email. If they don't say anything within 1 week, report them.

Yeah, I'll email him again when I get home tonight, and then if there's no reply in the 24 hours that follows, I'll probably threaten him with being reported (though I think it'd have more effect if I could report him to a French agency of some sort - if anyone has any ideas I'd be most grateful). I've run a Whois to see the postal address and full name of the guy already so posting a complaint shouldn't be a problem.

i hate to sound like a told you so but this is why i always pay for stuff with my credit card - it's just safer IMO

Yeah, I will have to start doing that - although I've also read that credit cards sometimes only offer domestic, not international, protection.

so tell me why debit cards can't offer charge backs ? cheques can be pulled back

A good question. I may pop into my bank and see if they can do anything.

 

[eluk]

i hate to sound like a told you so but this is why i always pay for stuff with my credit card - it's just safer IMO

Credit card protection starts at £100 so not applicable in this case.

 

[liketom]

Credit card protection starts at £100 so not applicable in this case.

you can do a chargeback on almost any amount i thought

 

[Dunepilot]

Credit card protection starts at £100 so not applicable in this case.

Yes, I think I also read that somewhere. Obviously in retrospect I sort of wish I'd used Paypal, which I think would have covered me for lack of delivery of the goods. My main interest now is what methods of enforcement I'm offered by a mixture of French / European law.