Should monies only be taken when goods are dispatched?

Jungli
Jungli Posts: 201
edited November 2010 in Road buying advice
Hi all

Just curious about this. Am I wrong in thinking that with online purchases money should only be debited when the goods are dispatched... ?

Thanks


J

Comments

  • dawebbo
    dawebbo Posts: 456
    not sure what the legal position is, but it's very common for websites to collect payment as soon as the order is made. I'm sure they t&cs will explain this - though I can't say I ever read them!
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    Depends on the arrangements with the seller and whether the goods are special order are not - generally your card is debited at the point of placing the order but the seller should inform you with an estimate of delivery. Might be worth checking your local trading standards website. I generally expect to pay at the point of placing the order not dispatch.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • APIII
    APIII Posts: 2,010
    Most reputable companies will charge you on despatch, unless it's a special order, in which case you should expect to pay on ordering. I don't think ti's the law though, just good practice.
  • Pokerface
    Pokerface Posts: 7,960
    If it's a 3-week wait for stock, then they shouldn't charge you. But if just a day or two - most places will debit your card.
  • rhnb
    rhnb Posts: 324
    I think if you pay by PayPal then your cards debited immediately.
    ~~~
    http://www.bikeit.eclipse.co.uk
    Cycle tour reports and the home of \'Cycling Before Lycra\'
  • Pokerface
    Pokerface Posts: 7,960
    rhnb wrote:
    I think if you pay by PayPal then your cards debited immediately.


    Actually - it takes a few days for Paypal transactions to be debited from your card or account. Only your paypal balance is debited immediately.
  • TuckerUK
    TuckerUK Posts: 369
    I seem to remember that when I was in the process for applying for Merchant status to accept credit card orders many years ago, one of the terms was that monies could only be taken for goods that were in stock and to be despatched within 24 (or was it 48) hrs. Of course that could have just been the one bank, times may have changed, and in any case you may not have paid by credit card.

    If they have not despatched the item ask for a refund, your money should be earning YOU interest, not them.
    "Coming through..."
  • moonshine
    moonshine Posts: 1,021
    rhnb wrote:
    I think if you pay by PayPal then your cards debited immediately.
    +1
    Thats what CRC do when you order & pay with Paypal. I has something on back order for a while & noticed that payment had been taken though paypal.
    CRC said it was the way the paypal system worked.
    They refunded the payment and cancelled my order without a fuss when i wanted to reorder from another supplier with stock.
  • rhnb
    rhnb Posts: 324
    That was my point - Paypal will arrange for the money to be deducted straight away (ok it may take it a day or two to filter down). The point is it has nothing to do with whether the goods have been despatched or not.
    ~~~
    http://www.bikeit.eclipse.co.uk
    Cycle tour reports and the home of \'Cycling Before Lycra\'
  • AndyF16
    AndyF16 Posts: 506
    I ordered a Gore jacket from TGStore a few weeks ago, they emailed a few hours later to say they no longer stocked it (take it off the website then :idea: ) so I replied immediately to say cancel the order - they emailed back to say they would refund the money :?

    Fair enough the refund was made as promised, but why debit it in the first place?!
    2011 Bianchi D2 Cavaria in celeste (of course!)
    2011 Enigma Echo 57cm in naked Ti
    2009 Orange G2 19" in, erm orange
  • andy_wrx
    andy_wrx Posts: 3,396
    Lots of reasons why they do it
    - it's easy and cheap to do automated card processing at point of entry on the website, whereas downstream processing in the backoffice system is far more difficult, and perhaps some of these online shops have a jazzy (& inexpensive) website but actually very crude back office system behind it...
    - if there's any issue like you entering the card details wrong it gets sorted-out thereandthen while you're still online, without having to pay the salary of a Credit Control person to ring you up and sort it out, and maybe not being able to get hold of you so your order can't ship and you get annoyed because it's delayed
    - and no rrisk of the card bouncing after they've shipped the goods - if the payment's not good they don't take the order.

    However, they shouldn't be debuting your card for goods they do not have and can't ship to you very quickly, unless it's a business-to-business txn and it says that's what they'll do in their t's&c's

Categories