I've been had...advice

[masharry]

I can't believe I did this but I placed an order with this company:

http://www.myboatshop.co.uk/

I decided to check as no order received and noticed at the top of their website it says:

This is a demo store. Any orders placed through this store will not be honored or fulfilled.

So having paid by paypal I'm assuming I've been had, does anyone else know anything about this? No reply to emails sent.

I'm feeling such a fool and very annoyed too.

 

[The engineer]

my guess is this is in use

https://cms.paypal.com/uk/cgi-bin/?cmd=_render-content&content_ID=developer/howto_testing_sandbox

 

[sarabande]

contact paypal Disputes

https://www.paypal.com/uk/cgi-bin/w...ustomerservice/EducationModuleIndex&nav=0.4.1

 

[Searush]

Open a paypal dispute immediately, the chances are you will get your money refunded.

 

[VicS]

Tried phoning them? 00 44(1)534711012.

They appear to be something to do with SouthPier Marine http://www.southpiermarine.com/ Tel: +44 (0)1534 711000

 

[The engineer]

has the cash definitely gone from your paypal account i.e. is it shown in your paypal account as a transaction?

 

[Tintin282]

Details of the owner

Have a look at http://who.is/whois/myboatshop.co.uk/ which gives details of the domain owner. Good luck.

 

[SvenglishTommy]

Shame it was PayPal and not just a credit card transaction, that way you'd probably be fine. You'll get your money back in the end from PayPal.... in a year or two knowing them.

 

[Pye_End]

If they have a banner telling you that they are a demo site I find it hard to believe that they are out to deliberately 'get' you.

 

[TonyBuckley]

I think all the key messages have been given:

a) has any money been debited - if they know what they are doing, then it will be a sandpit environment
b) South Pier Marine seem reputable as an established business - in fact I think I know it
c) They do say it is basically a demo site
d) A quick phone call could easily sort it rather than going through payhell. Go direct to source.

The most important thing is to give the resolution here after a phone call to the guys.

Tony

 

[jwilson]

I can't believe I did this but I placed an order with this company:

http://www.myboatshop.co.uk/

I decided to check as no order received and noticed at the top of their website it says:

This is a demo store. Any orders placed through this store will not be honored or fulfilled.

So having paid by paypal I'm assuming I've been had, does anyone else know anything about this? No reply to emails sent.

I'm feeling such a fool and very annoyed too.

You should be able to log on to your Paypal account and find out if anything has been debited. It is clearly a new setup being tested, so they should not have actually taken any money. If they did I'm sure their local trading standards office will be very interested, probably also local police.

 

[SvenglishTommy]

I think Pye_End is right, that site is not trying to con you, they are just in a test phase. The problem is that there is no question about whether or not it has been debited. It's PayPal, so they will debit the money instantly, and they will keep your money until any issue is resolved - which is at any point they deem it so, and they may ask you for things you cannot prove.

I had an issue with them once when I was trying to buy something on eBay, in the end I called them up and said "Ok I confess, I was trying to scam someones PayPal account, so I guess you'll refund their money now?" They said no, we need to 'resolve' the issue before we release the money - I have no idea how that company is legally allowed to operate the way they do.

 

[TonyBuckley]

You should be able to log on to your Paypal account and find out if anything has been debited. It is clearly a new setup being tested, so they should not have actually taken any money. If they did I'm sure their local trading standards office will be very interested, probably also local police.

Jersey trading standards are 'interesting'. Not quite like the UK. Same with police.

Though I can't believe that it would come to either of those options.

 

[The engineer]

IF it is a sandbox no money will have been taken but it will go through all the motions as that is what it a sandbox is meant to do. It is a testing environment and should not be used in a public environment on a live site for the reasons we are seeing.

 

[stav]

I regularly pop in to south pier and buy my bits and bobs. I believe the current owners bought the business a while back, a year or two? The people who sold it to them, I believe, then started an internet chandlers of which I do not know if it was successful or not. Could that old trial website still be kicking around? If so and there are links with the current South pier I am sure they would be interested to know.

I am sure you are not being ripped off by anybody currently at south pier but give them a call the 01534 711000 is the right number and I guess will take you to the shop. I am sure the previous owners are not out to rip people off either but could imagine loose ends being left undone as they seem pretty busy people.

I hope I am ok to say all that, it is just hear say. If you are really still stuck at the end of the week PM me and I will pop in for you.

 

[masharry]

Sorry

I think I have jumped to conclusions and I am sorry for that. We are trying to leave for the Med at the end of the month and stress levels are rising, trying to get things sorted out.
The money is stated as pending at paypal, so I will contact the owners and try to sort it out. I think as some have said it is a test site but I will confirm what i find out.

Thank you for the advice.

 

[masharry]

All sorted

Feel embarrassed now for jumping to conclusions.
It is a demo site, and it was supposed to have been down so no-one could do what i did and go ahead and order etc. The guy was very apologetic will cancel my pending paypal thing and it should all be sorted.

Thanks to all who responded, I've learned a few lessons and understand my paypal account better to. Need to look more carefully and stop jumping to conclusions so quickly.

 

[SvenglishTommy]

I dont think anyone could blame you for getting worried, they shouldn't have had the site open to the public and actually taking transactions before they were ready to start doing business online, even with the warning at the top.

Easy mistake for them (or their web design agency) to make too though, so no harm done as they are obviously not out to scam anyone.

I hope PayPal are also quick to cancel the transaction for you.

 

[maxi77]

Having had a few paypal refunds over the years they can be very fast if the other person acts quickly themselves.

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

some advice on expensive purchases here too
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=272481