What rights do I have and how to exercise them?

[Oh How Original]

So this might be a bit long winded, but I bought a bed from an eBay shop on the 9th March, paid via my Natwest debit card.

5 weeks later, all four corners are broken and keep coming loose.

Asked the seller for a refund or replacement, to which they said their warranty is only 31 days (for a bed?!)

Anyway, got in contact with Natwest, who originally said if the seller doesn't respond to them within 21 days, I'd receive a refund, that's fine I thought, I also asked what happens if they don't respond and I have no returns address (which the seller is ignoring when I request it) they said I'd keep it and get a refund.

32 days into the claim, I slightly lost track of how long it had been, I contact Natwest, get past back and forward across 6 departments over a 3 hour phone conversation, in the end they said I had to wait a total of 45 days for a refund.

Right, fine, another couple of weeks won't hurt.

Day 50 comes around, try contactring them, they no longer answer my calls.

Tried E-Mail and no response.

Live chat just tells me to try the app secure messaging and the secure messaging always just passes me back and forward between departments.

Literally have got messages in the secure message thingy from about 20 different departments.

Present day, they still won't do anything, still aren't answering calls or E-Mails and secure message centre is just saying they can't help, you need XYZ department, to which XYZ department says I need 123 department, and so on.

Nobody will admit liability, nobody will give me a returns address, nobody will sort my refund.

So, since this is my first claim with my bank and theirs no local branches open to go into, what do I do?

I am left scratching my head over what seems to be a completely illegal move on the part of Natwest.

I've even tried spamming on social media about it in hopes of a response, all I get is contact the secure message centre on the app.

If I had any hair, I'd be pulling the remains of grey strands out at this point.

Can anyone help?

[Stormbringer]

you could try giving the ombudsman a call 

[Kpowell911]

Not teaching you to suck eggs here, and this isn’t gonna help you now,  but this is why I use a credit card or paypal for everything online. Even a Domino’s Pizza.

 

Maybe try local Citizens Advice Beurea? Or find the financial ombudsman? How much was the bed? Does the eBay listing state anywhere theres a 31 day warranty?

 

seems the issue would be with the seller though not the bank?

Edited July 16, 2020 by Guns

[Oh How Original]

33 minutes ago, Stormbringer said:

you could try giving the ombudsman a call 

 

I may very well do, is their a particular department I would speak to? I assume it'd be like standards of fair trading since they are now witholding a refund I have in black and white I was told I'd get.

 

30 minutes ago, Guns said:

Not teaching you to suck eggs here, and this isn’t gonna help you now,  but this is why I use a credit card or paypal for everything online. Even a Domino’s Pizza.

 

Maybe try local Citizens Advice Beurea? Or find the financial ombudsman? How much was the bed? Does the eBay listing state anywhere theres a 31 day warranty?

 

seems the issue would be with the seller though not the bank?

 

I avoid PayPal like the plague, CC and Debits cards have roughly the same sort of cover, so either way it's at their discretion.

Nowhere does it state 31 days, but even then, you still have rights for longer, under the fair distance selling act.

Not got a local citizens advice unfortunately, joys of living rural, combined with this covid nonsense.

Since you both mentioned it though, I will have a crack finding an ombudsman.

And yes originally the problem was with the seller, but they have since stopped replying, now my bank is essentially witholding my money, which I believe is an illegal move, when I have it in black and white saying I'd have my money back by now.

[locky]

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/visa-mastercard-chargeback/

[locky]

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/somethings-gone-wrong-with-a-purchase/getting-your-money-back-if-you-paid-by-card-or-paypal/

[Fly In My Soup]

Should of rung the bank and instructed them to do a chargeback for unfit goods... Chargebacks are not only for unauthorised purchases. 

 

And don't ask... Instruct them... Stay on the phone until they have confirmed they have started the process. 

 

Record the call

[Tony]

1 hour ago, Guns said:

this is why I use a credit card or paypal for everything online. Even a Domino’s Pizza.

 

Credit Card only offer you protection for purchases over £100. They won't cover your pizza.  (Unless you spend over £100!!!)

[Oh How Original]

42 minutes ago, Fly In My Soup said:

Should of rung the bank and instructed them to do a chargeback for unfit goods... Chargebacks are not only for unauthorised purchases. 

 

And don't ask... Instruct them... Stay on the phone until they have confirmed they have started the process. 

 

Record the call

 

As per my post, I did start something on the phone but it took hours, now they simply won't answer or they answer, look into my case, then leave me on hold.

I am assuming/guessing I am not the only person making a claim against this shop, so they may know they won't get their money back once they finally refund me.

[Shudson]

I suspect that you may not be able to involve the Ombudsman until you have gone through the bank's formal complaints procedure, and I doubt that will be straight forward!

[wolfie1]

I had something like this before, wasnt getting anywhere like yourself until i put up a btutally honest review on trustpilot and the company got back in contact with me and gave me my refund

[Alex97]

You might just have to put this one to bed 😂

 

 

 

On a serious note you could always order another one to a different address and swap them around, little bit dishonest however a bed should last longer than 4 week. 

[Fly In My Soup]

9 hours ago, Oh How Original said:

 

As per my post, I did start something on the phone but it took hours, now they simply won't answer or they answer, look into my case, then leave me on hold.

I am assuming/guessing I am not the only person making a claim against this shop, so they may know they won't get their money back once they finally refund me.

 

Ahhh I see.. 

 

Well that's what happens when you bank with natwest I guess... 👍

[chrisl]

Apart from the bank issue, I’d have bought a decent bed from a reputable shop, not some fly by night on the inter web that sells cheap crap cheap ....
lesson learned I guess.
Good luck with the bank!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Oh How Original]

On 06/08/2020 at 12:26, chrisl said:

Apart from the bank issue, I’d have bought a decent bed from a reputable shop, not some fly by night on the inter web that sells cheap crap cheap ....
lesson learned I guess.
Good luck with the bank!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I wasn't willing to pay £1,000+ I'm afraid, just not worth it for bits of wood and essentially cloth.

Especially when in my old job I actually went into some of these bed manufacturers depots and they are made from stuff you wouldn't believe.

Went in a Chesterfield factory delivering goods and their furniture was filled with the same crap as a sofa/chair costing 20% of the price.

Don't always believe what you see in the high street.

[chrisl]

The trouble is that when things go wrong, these cheapie firms don’t care about your legal rights, I reckon your only chance is with the NatWest who incidentally I’ve been with for 40yrs lol
Good luck!


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[Oh How Original]

On 08/08/2020 at 13:23, chrisl said:

The trouble is that when things go wrong, these cheapie firms don’t care about your legal rights, I reckon your only chance is with the NatWest who incidentally I’ve been with for 40yrs lol
Good luck!


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Nah, Natwest have washed their hands of it, the case is still open, but they keep passing me to different teams, who want me to start from the start, which I do, they then say they need more information via E-Mail, which I have sent at the very least a dozen times.

I will be changing to Barclays as soon as this current card expires.

I think you can switch your direct debits over automatically online these days so that shouldn't be a problem, I planned to get a mortgage with Natwest, they can whistle.

[CarlC]

On 11/08/2020 at 15:11, Oh How Original said:

 

I think you can switch your direct debits over automatically online these days so that shouldn't be a problem, I planned to get a mortgage with Natwest, they can whistle.

 

The last time I changed banks, the bank I changed to (it happens to be Barclays) did all of the direct debits and standing orders automatically with my old bank (Lloyds). They just sent me a sheet that listed the monthly direct debits etc and asked it it was right.