Ripped off by internet retailer? What should I do?

Tingkai · September 14, 2003, 01:06

I need advice about how to deal with an internet retailer that may have ripped me off.

I order goalie pads from an Internet retailer. The pads arrived yesterday and there were three problems:
1) I was charged US$100 for shipping, but the shipping bill on the box said it cost US$64 to ship it.
2) The pads did not have a thigh protector, a small peice of padding that is tied onto the pads.
3) The pads have cloth straps with plastic click-in buckles instead of leather straps with metal buckles.

I called the company and they said
a) they'll look into the shipping costs
b) Thigh protectors are optional
c) leather straps are optional

The company's website did not list a full description of the pads and the web page for the pads is no longer on the site. They were a discontinued model so maybe the pads are sold out. Other websites list the pads as having thigh protectors and photos show the pads appear to have leather straps.

I did get a good price on the pads: US$299 compared to other websites that sell them for $550 - $600. Buying the thigh protectors and leather straps will cost about $175.

So what should I do? How does a consumer fight back against internet retailers?

mrmitchell · September 14, 2003, 01:08

If they took down the page, see if you can get a Google cache of it. Dunno what it will do other than enhance or deny your suspicions, though.

Urban Ranger · September 14, 2003, 01:09

Do they have a brick-and-mortar outlet?

mrmitchell · September 14, 2003, 01:11

If they never specifically said what they sold, you're probably screwed. Unless (and I don't know about goalie pads) ALL pads come with a thigh protector (like all cars come with a seat) etc. then I don't know how you can recoup any of your money.

notyoueither · September 14, 2003, 01:17

Buyer beware. If the price is too good, maybe you are not getting the thigh protectors and leather straps that the others are including for $250 more.

Frozzy · September 14, 2003, 01:37

Caveat Emptor - Let the buyer beware.

If it's too good to be true, it probably is

Tingkai · September 14, 2003, 01:39

Quote:

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
Do they have a brick-and-mortar outlet?

Yes, but they're in the States.

Tingkai · September 14, 2003, 01:43

When I was ordering them, I was worried about the whole: if it is too good to be true then it isn't.

But, these are a discontinued model so I figured that they were selling off old stock at cost. They only had one size and in one colour.

notyoueither · September 14, 2003, 02:00

Well, would it be too hard to pay for the thigh protectors and leather straps? It seems you still would have got a bargain.

Imran Siddiqui · September 14, 2003, 02:25

Yeah, but that ain't the point, nye.

Tingkai, you'd need some confirmation you were getting the other stuff. Sucks, I know, but without that there is no proof

. But if they **** you on this, get on the phone and yell at them. You know what they say about the squeaky wheel

.

:) Smiley · September 14, 2003, 02:47

While were at this, what's the name of this retailer so the rest of us can avoid it?

notyoueither · September 14, 2003, 03:36

But that is the point, Imran. Too good to be true. If the price was sooo low, something had to be missing, unless he had some assurance that those things were not missing.

If they represented the pads as including the options, but shipped him the wrong stuff, then he has a reason to howl. What he has now is $300 worth of goalie pads that can be brought up to his standards for $175, which is still less than the $550 that the other companies offered them for.

caveat emptor.

Imran Siddiqui · September 14, 2003, 03:44

Quote:

caveat emptor

Unless the company promised something else than our friend Tingkai found desirable

. The point is NOT that he got a bargain on his pads, the point is that he thought he'd also recieve other goods for his purchase and he did not recieve that.

If he believed he was buying something else than he got (and pads usually come with those things that are 'optional'), then 'caveat emptor' doesn't apply, and this is pure fraud.

notyoueither · September 14, 2003, 03:46

Boo hoo. Yes it does. If they are 'options', and the retailer did not expiciltly offer them, then they are not at fault.

Kind of like not enquiring what options that steal of a deal car has when the local dealer offers it for a great price.

Imran Siddiqui · September 14, 2003, 03:52

Quote:

If they are 'options', and the retailer did not expiciltly offer them, then they are not at fault.

But Tingkai is saying that they did offer them and then changed it in the end. The website isn't there, but it seems that the pictures showed both the thigh protectors and the leather straps. If the picture showed one thing and he got another, that's fraudulent.

Furthermore, I'm less inclined to trust the company seeing as they really overcharged him for shipping.

The Mad Monk · September 14, 2003, 03:52

Then it boils down to whether the pads are actually optional or not.

Imran Siddiqui · September 14, 2003, 03:55

Quote:

Then it boils down to whether the pads are actually optional or not.

Well if the straps and protectors are optional. From other sites, it really doesn't seem like it.

To use the car analogy, it'd be like buying a 2003 Toyota Camry for a great and finding out it has no radio or A/C. These things are standard, so someone selling a 'Camry' without those things is being fradulent if they don't tell you that it doesn't include them.

notyoueither · September 14, 2003, 03:58

Quote:

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui

Quote:

If they are 'options', and the retailer did not expiciltly offer them, then they are not at fault.

But Tingkai is saying that they did offer them and then changed it in the end. The website isn't there, but it seems that the pictures showed both the thigh protectors and the leather straps. If the picture showed one thing and he got another, that's fraudulent.

Furthermore, I'm less inclined to trust the company seeing as they really overcharged him for shipping.

That may be a point. If they pictured one thing and shipped him another, that is a case. But what did they picture, and did he save it?

As for shipping, was it shipping only or shipping and handeling that he was charged for? The actual shipping charge is not the entire story if packing and other things are considered.

The Mad Monk · September 14, 2003, 03:59

The fact that they arrived with cloth straps would indicate that leather is optional.

Urban Ranger · September 14, 2003, 04:01

Quote:

Originally posted by Tingkai
Yes, but they're in the States.

If they do, they have more to protect than just a website. So it would be easier if you complain about things.

Now, assume that they weren't intensionally ripping you off. Are these options usually included? That is, are these pads usually sold with the protectors and leather straps together?

Imran Siddiqui · September 14, 2003, 04:01

Quote:

That may be a point. If they pictured one thing and shipped him another, that is a case. But what did they picture, and did he save it?

He didn't save it, so he may not be able to do anything about it (something to REMEMBER for later, Tingkai). It seems that they showed the pads with all the 'options', but didn't inform him that they were options when he went to buy them. Also, if they were options, shouldn't have they been listed for him to buy?

Quote:

As for shipping, was it shipping only or shipping and handeling that he was charged for? The actual shipping charge is not the entire story if packing and other things are considered.

Well I've never seen a handling charge for $36

.

The Mad Monk · September 14, 2003, 04:02

You haven't spent enogh time on eBay.

Imran Siddiqui · September 14, 2003, 04:03

Quote:

The fact that they arrived with cloth straps would indicate that leather is optional.

Not entirely... they could have pulled the leather out, and just placed cloth ones in, so they could sell the leather straps seperately (because they could get more money doing it that way).

The Mad Monk · September 14, 2003, 04:04

Perhaps the manufacturer can settle that question?

Imran Siddiqui · September 14, 2003, 04:06

Quote:

Perhaps the manufacturer can settle that question?

Hopefully. From Tingkai's post it seems that every other picture he's seen of the pads on the web includes these 'options'. So it looks sort of fishy.

Urban Ranger · September 14, 2003, 04:06

Quote:

Originally posted by The Mad Monk
You haven't spent enogh time on eBay.

I say it would be reasonable to have $30 handling charges for items worth several thousand dollars, including such things as insurances or even escrow services.

Imran Siddiqui · September 14, 2003, 04:07

But not on a $300 item, right, UR?

The Mad Monk · September 14, 2003, 04:09

I've seen some hefty charges where the shipping and insurance were listed separately -- it's another way to bump up the cost to the unaware.

SpencerH · September 14, 2003, 08:13

I never buy from the creeps who deflate their online price but then inflate the shipping and 'handling' charges. If they're that manipulative to start with, its a risk doing business with them IMO.

If you paid by credit card you may be able to get the banks online fraud department involved (some of the bigger cards have such services) though I'm not sure what help they'll be without proof that you didnt receive what you thought you purchased.

MattH · September 14, 2003, 09:55

Quote:

Originally posted by Tingkai
Yes, but they're in the States.

Tell us where, and we'll beat your money out of their skinny hides.

If there's one thing I hate, it's cheating e-retailers.

But make very sure first, I don't want to go to F PMITA Prison for a confused Canuk