Help! I think i've been scammed!

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AWBbox

AWBbox

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A little over 3 months ago I bought some stuff from a site based in the USA. The money was fast enough to leave my account at the time, the checkout system was www.coolcart.net which is versign secured apparently. I paid for express shipping but after 3 weeks I emailed the site asking what was going on and they said there was a delay.

Up and till a couple of weeks ago we were batting emails to and fro regularly; me asking where my package was and them saying stuff like 'there's been a delay', and 'it'll be a couple more weeks'. They never gave explanations and the emails were always just a few words long like that. But now they have stopped responding all together I am thinking I might well have been scammed, this has never happened to me before and I really need help in finding who to turn to and what authorities have the power to at least get my money back.

Thanks for your input.
 
It its possible that your item has got stuck in customs. I've had this happen before. I take it there isn't any sort of parcel tracking system available.
 
If you have no received no product that you paid money for, was fobbed off with feeble excuses, and now they arent replying to your emails any longer... I don't think you need us to tell you that you've been scammed.

Any profesisonal outfit would have replied to your emails courteously and provided more information.
 
how did you pay? if you used a credit card phone your supplier up and request a charge back against the payment and explain you've been trying to get the item to no avail.
 
I would say you next step is to contact your credit card company and explain the situation to them.
If you have been scammed then they should be able to assist you in getting your money back.
 
Verisign don't vouch for authenticity, they merely provide certificates.

Hopefully you used a credit card. Speak to whoever provided you with it and claim it back.
 
If you used a credit card - phone the company and you are covered.

If you used a debit card then more fool you for using one on the internet - you can try your bank but chances are you can write the money off.
 
I paid by debit card. I have no credit cards. How can I go about contacting customs to let me know if there's anything waiting for me? They've not sent me any correspondence so far.
 
They want you to wait because there's probably a limit of x number of days that you can claim the money back.
 
Bar said:
If you used a debit card then more fool you for using one on the internet - you can try your bank but chances are you can write the money off.
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iirc visa debit cards come with virtually the same protection that their credit cards do
 
EVH said:
They want you to wait because there's probably a limit of x number of days that you can claim the money back.
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damn, I didn't even know I could claim the money back in this sort of scenario. Do I have to wait for them to contact me? Can't I chase it up myself?
 
The credit card guarantee scheme insists that you wait 30 days before commencing any procedure to get the money refunded.

Your best bet is to contact your bank and see what they say.

If you are lucky they will recharge the money from the supplier - but they may advise that you will just have to take it on the chin or proceed legal action against the supplier directly.

Have you done a google on the company that you are having the issues with? If so what did other people say about them?
 
I know this isn't going to make things seem any better (and make myself look even more foolish). But it's a home business, and home made site. I think it's just run by a couple of guys from their shed. But even so, there has been positive feedback from all customers I could find who had also bought from them. They had all apparently recieved their goods ok.
 
Send one more email asking for an explanation of why your items are late and when you will receive them. Also put if i do not get a reply within 2 days I will be forced to take legal action and contact verisign to have your trading certification removed.

Hope that helps & good luck :)
 
Demand a refund and if it doesn't go through after a couple of weeks contact your bank about possibly persuing the issue, as in that case it is an un-authorised transaction
 
Pulsar_GTI said:
Send one more email asking for an explanation of why your items are late and when you will receive them. Also put if i do not get a reply within 2 days I will be forced to take legal action and contact verisign to have your trading certification removed.

Hope that helps & good luck :)
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Would do this first then speak to your bank. :)

Good luck.
 
Thanks for the advice chaps, just to keep the situation up to date. I found the guys telephone number through whois! So I called him up on skype and asked what the deal was. Apparently he sent several orders to the UK "a few days ago", but he has no tracking number...

Well, though I might be a sucker for doing so; I will wait a little longer before kicking off etc. We'll see what happens next.
 
If you used a debit card then more fool you for using one on the internet - you can try your bank but chances are you can write the money off
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use my debit card on internet all the time. Only been rare instances where smt dodgy has happened. One where there was an unknown (unknown to me :D) transaction on my account so...
I go into my bank say its a fraudulent transaction and they get me to fill out 2 forms and i get the money back in about 4 hours.

no probs :)
 
I had a similar problem with a fairly unknown supplier, took me weeks of hassling by phone and e-mail but no luck getting a refund, despite their promises.

I contacted the payment processor and asked for a full and immediate refund. A payment processor has the power to shut down a business' income at the drop of the hat if they suspect foul play. Sure enough within 48 hours the money was back in my account.

Might be worth a shot.
 
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