Advice about an online order

Parent Cafe
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<p>I rarely start threads on CC, but am inspired by the recent thread on “Who Do I Complain To?” and have a frustrating situation where I am not sure what to do next (not quite as important as the other thread’s OP’s prescriptions!).</p>

<p>I do most of my shopping online and so am quite experienced with it. Typically, I deal with the same companies over time, and occasionally new ones. I have not had problems in the past, generally speaking. The companies have been reliable. </p>

<p>About three weeks ago, I bought a clothing item from a site I had never used before or hadn’t heard of before either. It is not a major company. I came across it in searching for a particular clothing item. I don’t receive any catalogue from them. I prefer not to mention the company here. </p>

<p>I placed the order on June 24 and received it promptly. The order slip was a bit different than usual in that it did not have the company’s name on it,but rather “oscommerce.” It didn’t have a return form with it either, as most online companies tend to have. The item did not fit me and so I need to return it. Again, I have made countless online returns in the past with other companies, all successfully. </p>

<p>Since there was no return slip with the shipment (just a receipt), I went to the site to find out how to process a return. Returns are permitted within 30 days from the date the order is shipped. The method for return is to email them through a link/form on the site and they will send you a “Return Authorization Number” via reply by email within 24 hours. Returns are not accepted without a valid RA#. Then, there is a Return Authorization Forum that can be downloaded via a link.</p>

<p>So, on July 2, I sent an email through the site with my contact information and request for the Return Authorization Number and my order number. As well, I explained that the Return Authorization Form link did not load and so asked if they could also attach that to the email they would be sending with my RA#. Further, there was a phone number and so I ALSO left the same message on an answering machine. This company seems to be owned by a woman (her name is given) and may be a small operation. I never received a reply. I looked up this woman’s name and address in a directory, and her personal address and phone are the same as what is listed on the website for the clothing company. Same with on LinkedIn.</p>

<p>So, on July 8, I did three things…I sent a new note through their system with the same request and mentioned my previous request and the message left on the answering machine. I also sent the same letter via email (NOT through their site, just using their email address). I tried the phone again and got a message that the answering machine was full and so was unable to leave any sort of message. I never received any reply.</p>

<p>Today, July 15, I have tried her phone again for the company and the answering machine is full. </p>

<p>Not sure what to do next. I could mail the item back without the required form and required RA#. I can’t seem to get any response via email, through the site, or by phone. I can’t download the form either. I have the receipt and copies of all my email attempts and a copy of the receipt that came with the shipment. </p>

<p>Suggestions?</p>

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<p>How did you pay?</p>

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<p>Hmm, not sure what happened to the Edit button? It seems to be missing. </p>

<p>The typo is that it should say Return Authorization FORM, not FORUM. :> </p>

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<p>Contact your credit card company and dispute the charge. Explain the situation. You’ll run out of time at 60 days.</p>

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<p>I paid with a Master Card.</p>

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<p>Jym, you say to dispute the charge. OK, but that only seems to make sense if I truly do ship it back (even without a form or a so called Return Authorization number), right? How can I dispute a charge for an item I have in my hands?</p>

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<p>Some sellers, when paid with a credit card, would play the cat and mouse games until the 60 day cc charge dispute window closes. Call MasterCard customer service and ask for their advice. What a pita! </p>

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<p>As an aside, and not to divert my own thread, LOL…but I was thinking of calling my credit card anyway, because for several months I keep getting a charge from Score Sense and I NEVER ordered their service. I used the site ONCE for a $1 fee to check the credit report. I haven’t yet contacted Score Sense and maybe should try that first before contacting Master Card. </p>

<p>Back to my online clothing purchase on my very own thread!</p>

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<p>OK, I could ask my Master Card for advice on the clothing order since I am not sure how to return it, other than shipping it back without following the return instructions on the clothing site, since their form is not downloadable, they are not answering the required emails for returns or the phone messages and the phone machine is no longer taking messages. Pretty shady way to do business. </p>

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<p>Amex is very good abut handling that kind of problem, IME. I hope your Mastercard is as easy to work with.</p>

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<p>Dispute the charge with MasterCard. Send another message to the seller telling them that you have done so, and that you will return the item once they send you instructions on how to do that. If they never respond, keep the item for a couple of months and then give it to Goodwill.</p>

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<p>OK, I will try calling Master Card (Citi Card) to ask for advice and to dispute the charge for this clothing item and depending on what they advise, report this back to the clothing company via email. </p>

<p>Now, I have to look into the charges I keep getting charged for Score Sense when I did not sign up for the service beyond the $1 one time credit check. This is adding up. </p>

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<p>If is is a 1-person operation, there is some possibility that she is on vacation. (Of course, she ought to be monitoring her email anyway, at least every few days, but clearly handling this sort of ting is not her priority.) I think you should dispute the charge right away. Your credit card company might have some advice. If it gets within 3 or 4 days of the required return date, and you haven’t heard anything, I would mail back the item with a letter detailing all of your attempts to contact her, informing her that you are disputing the charge. Be sure that the mailing method includes tracking and provides a record of delivery. I would consider requiring a signature, also, except that it might prevent delivery in the event that she is away. Make copies of everything.</p>

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<p>Document all your attempts to obtain a return authorization, and take screenshots of the website with the return policy (in case she changes it). </p>

<p>Deal with the scoresense situation right away. You have 60 days from receipt of the statement on which the charge appears to dispute it (I believe).</p>

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<p>Thanks for the helpful advice everyone. </p>

<p>Consolation, yes, I thought she could be on vacation or have had a death in the family, etc. I got the order right away though, but maybe something happened after I received it. I have kept copies of all my correspondence. I will call the credit card company for advice. And yes, I could mail back the item detailing all attempts to get the form and authorization number and enclose all copies of everything so far. </p>

<p>For Score Sense, I am going to contact them. I just looked on their site and it says that it was a free trial but it automatically signed me up for $29.95/month unless I called to cancel. Oy. I don’t recall ever seeing that. I had used free credit reports before for free or a $1 charge on my credit card. I have been charged the last couple of months $29.95. Should I dispute that with my Master Card or just call Score Sense to cancel what I never signed up for in the first place?</p>

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<p>

I’d do both.</p>

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<p>OK, that’s my plan. I will report back. </p>

<p>I am looking through old emails and see that in late February, Score Sense sent me an email that my credit had changed and with a link to click. I had done a free or $1 check in the past and so my email was in their system. So, I had click on it to read the new credit report which said it was “free.” I did not realize that this automatically signed me up for the service unless I called to cancel within the 7 day free trial period! So, I have been charged $30/month since March. Oy. I hate this stuff. I have a super credit rating, and now I have this monthly charge I never wanted or knew I would get. </p>

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<p>This sounds similar to an experience I had on Etsy. Since I paid with Paypal, I was able to dispute it and get my money back, but the seller was not going to do so without provocation. Upon further research, I learned that sellers on Etsy are being told they are responsible for shipping an item, but do not need to insure that it arrive safely to the buyer. They can also refuse returns. I ended up communicating with one of the managers of Etsy, and he backed up the seller refusing to refund. </p>

<p>The item was damaged due to improper packaging. Etsy’s stance is that the seller held up her end of the transaction by shipping it. The buyer takes all risks in receiving it intact. Even if it had been insured, USPS would not have paid because the seller did not pack it properly.</p>

<p>I wish you luck in resolving your issue. </p>

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<p>I’m reporting back as promised since so many people took the time to give me good advice. It’s a positive report. </p>

<p>First, I called Score Sense to cancel the service that I had never intended to sign up for in March and explained in a respectful fashion how I felt bait and switched by getting an email telling me that my credit report had changed and to click on a link to check it and that I was paying $1 by credit card to check it (I’ve checked it in the past a long while ago by paying $1) and how I had no idea that this signed me up for a monthly membership for $29.95 and I have been billed for it on my credit card ever since and have never had any desire to join. They canceled the membership. The person said it is written on the site that the $1 trial period is for seven days and that you have to call to cancel the membership. I said that it is not how most things operate. The person was understanding, however, and even related a personal story about getting something and being charged for it that she did not knowingly sign up for either! So, she was putting in a request to corporate with the full story about how the email they sent me drove me to a link that I clicked and that I had no desire or intention to get Score Sense beyond their “alert.” She said a decision would be rendered in one to two business days and I’d be sent an email about the result. I told her that I was also planning to report this to my Master Card. </p>

<p>I called my Citi Card Master Card and was hooked up with the dispute department and it went great. With Score Sense, she said that this company (and some others) have now switched to making people have to call up to cancel and automatically signing people up with fees, and it used to be that I paid $1 to get a credit report and had an option to sign up. Anyway, she took away the charge for Score Sense on my next bill (it’s on my bill but not yet due) and for the past two months that I had already paid (will refund) and that just leaves the March charge which she said she could not refund right away due to how long ago it was, but they will mail me paperwork to fill out and then I will get that month refunded as well. Yay!</p>

<p>With regard to the clothing purchase, I explained the whole story as related in my original post here. She said to not yet mail back the clothing item to the company since I don’t have the required authorization codes and forms from them, but I will be credited the charge immediately and do not need to pay it on my current bill. Citi Card will contact the clothing company for instructions on returning it and the company’s bank and Citi Card will get back to me about how to return it. Pretty cool that I am already refunded the charges by Citi Card even though the item is in my possession. </p>

<p>So, it all turned out well and I’m getting refunded for everything for both issues and you guys helped me by suggesting going through my credit card company. </p>

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<p>Good news! Thanks for updating us.</p>