Payment taken then order cancelled by retailer

[Harib0]

Ok so a while ago there was a student code offering 15% off at wilkinsonsplus.com

I wasn't quick enough to see this deal however, some people were lucky and got to use it on things like the wii and DSlite etc.. and their orders came through, others were not so lucky and their orders were cancelled and they were told the code wasn't valid on consoles. People had later said the code couldn't be used online with consoles any more.

On Wednesday evening i was looking for a wii having come to the conclusion i wasn't going to get a bargain, in fact the conclusion was if i left it any later i wasn't going to get one at all without paying through the nose.

So i went onto the wilkinsonplus.com website (having checked many other places only for it to be out of stock and wilko is £10 cheaper than anywhere else anyway) saw that it was showing in stock so popped it in my basket an headed to the checkout. I thought i'd try the code and low an behold there was my 15% discount. This shocked me a bit so i removed the wii from my cart and added a DSlite went off to pay for it and it said the code was not valid. I went back to the wii added to my cart and headed to checkout where i put the code in again and it worked so i purchased it. At this point i really didn't think i'd get the wii at the discounted price and was expecting my order to be cancelled as the other peoples before were and having to reorder. After I'd ordered the wii's status on the site changed to out of stock.

However, yesterday (4th Oct) i checked my account on Wilkinsonplus and it was showing the order as in progress, so i checked my bank account and it was showing they had debited the £147.44 for the wii inc delivery, great i thought they took payment as such they have formed a contract to supply the goods at the said price.

However today i have an email saying my order has been successfully cancelled, but no other explanation(I didn't request cancellation). On calling them i have been told that they are out of stock on the wii and have no idea when they will be back in stock and that any payment taken has been refunded. However, on checking my bank account just now they haven't refunded the money.


Is there anything i can do to get this wii at the price i paid, obviously if they don't have it in stock I'd have to wait for it to come back into stock.

Any advice on how i should go about dealing with this. Thank in Advance

[MD]

The probably didn't take the money but placed a reserve on it - they don't have the money, but your bank has to clear its hold on this, it can take a few days to happen.

Matt

[pauldarkside]

Agreed, I've had this happen on a number of occasions, sometimes with the money appearing to be debited twice. It's always resolved itself in a day or two. It's only really evident to those of us who manage our finances online - those transactions probably even won't appear on you bank statement.

[Harib0]

hmmm, i hope it shows back in my account tomorrow otherwise i'll be going over drawn - I have the funds put aside for the wii, but i don't really want to put it into my current account before i have the wii as it will be swallowed up by other stuff.

[herulach]

If they actually took payment (as i imagine they did, as theres a charge for a hold, and it would seem a bit pointless to preauth that kind of transaction) it will be 3 working days min before the funds are back in your account. So basically, drop some money in there, theres nothing to stop you moving it back again when its credited back. And besides, are you really that much of a shopaholic you have to sped everything in the bank?

[Harib0]

So basically, drop some money in there, theres nothing to stop you moving it back again when its credited back. And besides, are you really that much of a shopaholic you have to sped everything in the bank?

I wish it was as simple as being a shopaholic unfortunately were not that well off and run a very tight ship, we only have around £30 a month expendable income after bills and food has been sorted and there is 2 adults and a toddler in the house, and this month we have a TV licence to pay and a water bill.

The money for the Wii is a combination of my birthday money from back in July and proceeds from some stuff i sold recently so as you can imagine i don't really want to have to use birthday money to pay off bills.

[herulach]

I was only joking mate, however, putting it in there, then taking it back out again tommorow when the funds credit back shouldnt be an issue, and is certainly cheaper than whatever your bank charges for going into the red

[Harib0]

Still no sign of a refund it's a week today since i ordered and will be a week tomorrow since they took the money. I've called them up a couple of times and they say the refund was processed on the 4th the same day the money was taken. I've had no response from my emails to them.

Update still no refund - and to top it off i've managed to get a wii else where (Dixons) so so in the red i go

I hate it when companies do this, why do they take the money knowing they don't have stock!
I honestly believe that they did have stock hence it was processed, they just didn't want to sell it for the discounted price so cancelled and refunded. Making interest of my money no doubt

[Harib0]

So today i get and automated email:

Wilkinson Plus
Refund Confirmation - ******
Dear XXXX

Regarding your order number ****** with Wilkinson Plus. We have now processed your refund of £147.44. Please allow at least 3-5 working days for your refund to appear in your account.

Once again thank you for your custom. Again sorry for any inconvenience caused on this occasion.

Kind regards,

Wilkinson Plus

Customer Service Team

followed by:

Dear XXXX

Thank you for your email and I do apologise for the delay in our response.

I have checked your order and it seems it has been cancelled as the item is actually out of stock. It does also seem that you were not refunded at the time of cancellation but I have done that for you today.

We are receiving more of these in stock towards the end of October and should be available for you to re-order then.

Again I do apologise for any inconvenience that this has caused.

Kind Regards


Katy Sanderson

Wilkinson Plus Team
08456080807

a week to respond to my email - and the refund has only just been processed, So i'm going to have to wait another 3-5 to get my money back.

Is there anything i can do they have held onto my money for a whole week - i am now most definitely in the red, having found a Wii in stock else where and will be going further into the red with more money going out on bills/food tomorrow and Saturday, pay day isn't until the 15th and i have no buffer cash to tide me over.

[stormy]

Yeh, its pretty shoddy. Companies seem to be very keen to take cash these days but sometimes take an age on refunds. They always use the 3-5 working days when in actual fact BACS takes about 2 days.

There is probably not much you can do.

[herulach]

Yeh, its pretty shoddy. Companies seem to be very keen to take cash these days but sometimes take an age on refunds. They always use the 3-5 working days when in actual fact BACS takes about 2 days.

There is probably not much you can do.

Bacs takes exactly 3 working days,assuming the message is in the system before 4, it will be value on the morning of the third day. (i.e. arrives wednesday if sent monday morning). The reason they say 3-5 working days is a) to cover themselves in case theres a delay, and b) because of the way most merchant service systems pay out, the retailer has to wait for the funds to arrive at their end (usually either the following working day, or the day after) before crediting them back to their merchant service provider, who then sends it back to your bank/cc company.

Not trying to be flippant, but to me, the fact that the system works in 4 days (the majority of the time) is amazing, think about trying to do all that with cheques?!?

[iggy]

mehh, ive just had the same sort of thing happen to me when i went into gamestation, bought an xbox 360 and had my card declined. twice.

look at my ministatement and lo and behold, 2 xbox 360 shaped holes in my account.

4 days is too long. especially when i can write this, click the button and whoa, theres my post up.