What to do with a supplier who is not responsive after being paid

kubcat · 15 August 2016, 11:06

Not sure what to do.

Ribnet is my goto place for anything web related and is a very valuable resource to anyone with a rib (or sib).

I am in Sydney Australia and we needed some parts for our rib. £900 worth of parts.

Found someone on this forum that had what o needed and they directed me to their website.

We paid around end of June after a few days of sorting out how to transfer funds internationally without using a credit card or Paypal. Brexit did slow us down for a couple of days as the online currency companies stopped trading pounds.

They were to be air freighted once payment was received. Having purchased many times from the UK, it should take about a week but can be less.

No tracking number, no further communication.

2 weeks later, mid July, after a few emails and attempted phone calls, I received an email saying they were sent. No details of who they were sent with or tracking number.

After a few more messages and no parts I received a message saying that the seller was on holidays and will get back to me a week later.

He did get back to me at this point and said:

"We have a problem with your delivery. A junior staff member was trusted to send your package but they can't produce the tracking details. We genuinely have no idea if it has been sent or not!
We are happy to send replacement by DHL, fast and tracked, if you can confirm they still have not arrived?
I do apologise for this cock up."

I immediately confirmed that I hadn't received them.

I have sent a number of emails since and the seller has stopped being responsive. I have tried emailing, calling, using the chat function on their website etc.

Looking at each response it makes sense, but looking at the fact that it has been 6 weeks without even a tracking number, I am starting to feel so if I have lost my money.

Any advice would be appreciated.

bedajim · 15 August 2016, 11:20

Name & shame ?

kubcat · 15 August 2016, 11:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by bedajim

Name & shame ?

Considering they are a member here and have been for years, I would like to give them the opportunity to fix it before a name and shame.

I don't want to believe a fellow ribnetter would just take my money.

jonp · 15 August 2016, 12:00

Hope you get sorted soon, if not it may be of use to name them so that others don't get ripped off by them. Is the person a regular poster.

Jon

SteveHall · 15 August 2016, 12:01

If you did name and same and it was somewhere local to someone on here they may be able to call in and have a chat on your behalf.

Pikey Dave · 15 August 2016, 16:31

Once you've named & shamed, the chances of resolution reduce, IMHO. I would give the supplier a fixed time period to resolve the issue & then name & shame if no satisfactory resolution.

Lions led by donkeys

whisper · 15 August 2016, 17:26

£900 sounds like a lot of parts, I'm not sure about the name and shame thing, it's a very small industry here. I don't mind giving them a call for you if I already deal with them.

Bigtalljv · 15 August 2016, 17:54

Sounds like you might want to contact the admins and maybe some of the locals, like Whisper, and see if they can give you a hand first.

Most people aren't crooks but if they've botched it up as much as it sounds they might not have any answers and are hoping things turn out ok. They don't want to be out another £900 and may truly not be able to tell you where the shipment wants. Sounds like a call people might avoid.

Jason

Dominic · 15 August 2016, 18:08

Transferring funds outside of PayPal/Credit Card would have had my alarm bells ringing. Why would a credit card or PayPal payment not have worked?

HDAV · 15 August 2016, 18:10

A common but altogether too common occurrence, if you paid for goods not received then just ask for a refund and order from elsewhere, if the seller cannot produce proof they shipped the items then I don't see what more there is to do?

Trusted junior member of staff? To do what? Take £900 of gear to local post office and pay how, petty cash? I would expect all online retailers to have accounts with couriers and be able to log a collection with all details online. We do this and we aren't a retailer or etailer .......

If they won't refund then it's a police matter..... More than enough time has elapsed (June order was placed? And paid for?)

jeffstevens763@g · 15 August 2016, 18:42

Pass it on to a bailiff after giving him 14 days to sort and tell him that's what your doing

paddlers · 15 August 2016, 18:55

I'd be a bit suspicious especially given the sums involved. Even small items I've sold on eBay sub £50 in value I send the purchaser a phone picture of the print out at the post office. Had a delay recently and the tracking showed straight away the problem was with them not me.
£900 stings a bit either way.

kubcat · 16 August 2016, 10:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonp

Hope you get sorted soon, if not it may be of use to name them so that others don't get ripped off by them. Is the person a regular poster.

Jon

Jonp, reasonably regular poster.

kubcat · 16 August 2016, 10:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

Once you've named & shamed, the chances of resolution reduce, IMHO. I would give the supplier a fixed time period to resolve the issue & then name & shame if no satisfactory resolution.

Lions led by donkeys

Makes sense Pikey Dave.

I can't believe that they are burying their head in the sand. No response by phone, email, Ribnet, chat function on their website, nothing.

I have done as you suggest and given them 7 days to supply or refund.

kubcat · 16 August 2016, 10:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dominic

Transferring funds outside of PayPal/Credit Card would have had my alarm bells ringing. Why would a credit card or PayPal payment not have worked?

Dominic, they didn't accept credit card although they did offer it after the first (half) payment as they said they just added it to their website.

I don't accept credit cards at work either, although my customers do see me face to face.

kubcat · 16 August 2016, 10:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by HDAV

A common but altogether too common occurrence, if you paid for goods not received then just ask for a refund and order from elsewhere, if the seller cannot produce proof they shipped the items then I don't see what more there is to do?

Trusted junior member of staff? To do what? Take £900 of gear to local post office and pay how, petty cash? I would expect all online retailers to have accounts with couriers and be able to log a collection with all details online. We do this and we aren't a retailer or etailer .......

If they won't refund then it's a police matter..... More than enough time has elapsed (June order was placed? And paid for?)

I hadn't thought of it that way but it makes sense. As you said it is unlikely that the junior would head to the post office with petty cash.

I have repeatedly asked for a tracking number or some proof they sent them.

The issue is I am in Australia, I can't walk into the local UK police station.

kubcat · 16 August 2016, 11:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by whisper

£900 sounds like a lot of parts, I'm not sure about the name and shame thing, it's a very small industry here. I don't mind giving them a call for you if I already deal with them.

PM sent

HDAV · 16 August 2016, 12:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by kubcat

I hadn't thought of it that way but it makes sense. As you said it is unlikely that the junior would head to the post office with petty cash.

I have repeatedly asked for a tracking number or some proof they sent them.

The issue is I am in Australia, I can't walk into the local UK police station.

Indeed in fact you will know from what you ordered how heavy/large the parcel will be...

Either they shipped it (receipt for services) or the junior nicked it either way simple refund to you and they claim off courier or police matter for junior.....

Might not be able to walk in, not that easy for us these days but you can easily phone or email, sometimes a call to the local station and a chat to someone is enough to get things moving...

kubcat · 16 August 2016, 13:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeffstevens763@g

Pass it on to a bailiff after giving him 14 days to sort and tell him that's what your doing

Not sure how to do that from Australia.

kubcat · 16 August 2016, 13:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by paddlers

I'd be a bit suspicious especially given the sums involved. Even small items I've sold on eBay sub £50 in value I send the purchaser a phone picture of the print out at the post office. Had a delay recently and the tracking showed straight away the problem was with them not me.
£900 stings a bit either way.

Another day with no contact. Getting more than suspicious by now.