Unsolicited Parcel - Unit 4F Eurolink Industrial Centre

[tech_guy]

I haven't been able to establish conclusively what it's all about and letters and emails have gone unanswered but there are a number of businesses operating from that address / location and one of them sends out the 'free' gifts you sometimes get when taking out magazine subscriptions, mainly for the Dennis publishing titles.

I haven't subscribed to anything so I still don't know why I received the headphones. They're nice to use though with my iPad....

[mossj88]

Thats one hell of a business model.... "Here's some free stuff you didn't ask for... feel free to keep it we won't bother responding if you try to get in touch anyway"

[CAM]

I'm reading this thread with great interest. My grandmother passed away in February this year and we discovered, amongst her possessions, hundreds of those horrible tacky 'decorative plates' from the 'Bradford exchange'. Turns out she bought some votive ones once, but once she'd collected the set they continued to send her random plates. If she failed to send them back (really expensively and inconveniently I might add - since she was an old lady who was unable to go out) they'd demand payment from her in big red letters saying 'Final demand'. When my Aunt tried to get them to stop sending them they refused. 9 times out of 10 Nan just paid for them to stop them hassling her. I believe she was scammed by an unscrupulous company. These plates cost her updates of £20 a plate with an additional £9.99 P&P. They are worth £3 each at a car boot now.

I believe this company were in breach of the distance selling regs and since the plates were unsolicited I wonder if we'd have a snowball's chance in hell of getting any of her money back? We're so angry that they took advantage of a vulnerable and impressionable elderly lady suffering with Dementia, but I imagine now it's too late?

There is a seperate type of scam where you buy an item but the smallprint commits you to more items. It was quite popular with ringtone websites where you weren't buying one ringtone but subscribing to a very expensive subscription service for more!

[TechMonkey]

There is a seperate type of scam where you buy an item but the smallprint commits you to more items. It was quite popular with ringtone websites where you weren't buying one ringtone but subscribing to a very expensive subscription service for more!

Also popular on Facebook at the moment with free samples that sign you up to a "service" to receive them every month at £60+ a pop. Tiny small print on the invoice but added fun of customs often adding a charge on so you ahve to pay to find this out & the only way to cancel is hunt the US phone number down and complain loudly to them. Unfortunately my Mum got stung by this and the bank would do nothing and the only slight saving grace was most of them didn't make it through to her as she wasn't willing to pay the customs charge. One swift and loud conversation to a poor service rep via Skype and got most of them refunded. Added bonus is they seem to sign you up to a second service as well so you have double expenditure.

[hermand]

Also popular on Facebook at the moment with free samples that sign you up to a "service" to receive them every month at £60+ a pop. Tiny small print on the invoice but added fun of customs often adding a charge on so you ahve to pay to find this out & the only way to cancel is hunt the US phone number down and complain loudly to them. Unfortunately my Mum got stung by this and the bank would do nothing and the only slight saving grace was most of them didn't make it through to her as she wasn't willing to pay the customs charge. One swift and loud conversation to a poor service rep via Skype and got most of them refunded. Added bonus is they seem to sign you up to a second service as well so you have double expenditure.

Saw this on Watchdog where they were charging the debit card each month and the bank claimed they couldn't stop it. I don't get why they couldn't just cancel the card?

[TechMonkey]

This is something I learned from the whole fiasco, though I don't fully understand it and it could be American rules not ours. Even though a card is cancelled it can still be used on transactions that were put through previously if the cancellation is deemed to be to stop a valid transaction.
The bank started off being very helpful and even mentioned they were setting up a 'fraud team' but then didn't return calls and eventually said it was a matter between the cold holder and the company. The issue then was that my mum hadn't got any cancellation details for the company and all phone numbers were routed to American companies. From appearing to be very helpful the bank ended up being no help at all. It did reinforce the issue that, 1) if a deal seems to good to be true, it is (no such thing as a free lunch) & 2) do not deal with company online that you can't contact easily IRL.

EDIT: Ohh and do you know when the Watchdog episode was on? Would be interesting to see.

[SgtBilko]

Just received a package of 'joke' greetings cards from this address. Thank you very much for the gift. Under Distance Selling Regs, they're mine unless you come round for them, whoever you are.

[plexer]

Just received a package of 'joke' greetings cards from this address. Thank you very much for the gift. Under Distance Selling Regs, they're mine unless you come round for them, whoever you are.

I believe you have to wait 28 days? or 14 if you tell them you want them to collect them and they don't?

Ben

[plexer]

Unsolicited items | Policies | BIS

Ben