Merry Christmas and happy New Year everyone.
On a different note...ordered DVD from vidshop.com but it has been a month now and still have not received my order. I should have read your remarks first but hey..
Do you think my credit card company can help refund me/track it down as it has internet fraud protection (Barclaycard).Are there any legal issues i need to worry about if I inform Barclays...after all it is just 1 DVD for personal use in the UK.
Would greatly appreciate your advise. Thanx.
Legality
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Shaun
Re: Legality
check the small print, bit of a grey area trying to get legal help in what is effectively smuggling.
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joey
Re: Legality
> bit of a grey area trying to get legal help in what is
> effectively smuggling.
Not necessarily. Since the recent changes in R18, I think it's perfectly legal to import films from overseas that are "R18 compatible", so this would just be like any other purchase from a website. What is not legal is for a *British* company to supply "R18 Compatible" videos by mail order from the mainland. (If you think this sounds crazy, inconsistent and ultimately unenforceable, then I think you're right!) On the other hand, I'm no lawyer!
If enough people with credit cards pursued this approach, maybe vidshop would get a rocket from their cc handlers and we would stop seeing this endless stream of posts from people who have been ripped off by them.
However, practically, the best bet might be to use the email address given on their entry in the links page, which seems to be part of Vidshop's damage limitation plan to avoid total demonisation in this forum. It seems they are concerned enough with their image here to actually deal with complaints aired through that one email address.
The usual scenario (as you'll see if you search for "vidshop" in the forum search at the top of the page) is for someone to turn up here going "vidshop have ripped me off", then they are advised to use the email in the links section, then a bit later they come back saying "visdshop finally sent my videos after 8 months" or something. But what was happening for the seven months when they didn't know the special email address, and were trying to complain through the normal channels? Vidshop were just ignoring them (apart from banking their cash.)
You have to wonder what is happening with the poor sods who don't know that special email address.
Season's greetings to all, and thanks for all the interesting and entertaining posts, BTW. Particular thanks to Alec for all the hard work he does researching the info that makes this site into such a comprehensive and valuable resource, and for his unstinting generosity in making it all available to us for bnothing!!!
> effectively smuggling.
Not necessarily. Since the recent changes in R18, I think it's perfectly legal to import films from overseas that are "R18 compatible", so this would just be like any other purchase from a website. What is not legal is for a *British* company to supply "R18 Compatible" videos by mail order from the mainland. (If you think this sounds crazy, inconsistent and ultimately unenforceable, then I think you're right!) On the other hand, I'm no lawyer!
If enough people with credit cards pursued this approach, maybe vidshop would get a rocket from their cc handlers and we would stop seeing this endless stream of posts from people who have been ripped off by them.
However, practically, the best bet might be to use the email address given on their entry in the links page, which seems to be part of Vidshop's damage limitation plan to avoid total demonisation in this forum. It seems they are concerned enough with their image here to actually deal with complaints aired through that one email address.
The usual scenario (as you'll see if you search for "vidshop" in the forum search at the top of the page) is for someone to turn up here going "vidshop have ripped me off", then they are advised to use the email in the links section, then a bit later they come back saying "visdshop finally sent my videos after 8 months" or something. But what was happening for the seven months when they didn't know the special email address, and were trying to complain through the normal channels? Vidshop were just ignoring them (apart from banking their cash.)
You have to wonder what is happening with the poor sods who don't know that special email address.
Season's greetings to all, and thanks for all the interesting and entertaining posts, BTW. Particular thanks to Alec for all the hard work he does researching the info that makes this site into such a comprehensive and valuable resource, and for his unstinting generosity in making it all available to us for bnothing!!!
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frank
Re: Legality
My advice is to phone your credit card company, tell them that you never placed the order and that this company have taken payment without permission, then sit back and see if vidshop.com has the balls to defend itself!! I doubt very much it has, I've had these problems in the past and every time the card issuer refunded my cash, not only that but I never heard anymore about the issue. Basically it's bad press all round, credit card companies must be seen to be looking after its borrowers.
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Dr No
Re: Legality
Hold on Frank. The dude DID place a fuckin' order with Vidshop! And by placing an order he was giving them permision to debit his card by the proscribed amount. That is how commerce works if people were to adopt your sugestion on a large scale to credit card system would collapse and we would all get into a right old tangle.
I note that some very big American internet card processing firms have recently taken legal action against Visa and the like who are allowing the iniquitous situation where an idiot can order goods using his credit card, then simply say that he "never did, so could he please have his money back!"
Of course the retailer is equally responsible for fullfiling his side of the transaction - and if he does not, then the consumer has a valid complaint. Which he can then take up with his credit card company. So if 'Vidshop' have not honoured their part of the transaction the guy should complain - but tell the credit card company the facts of the case (though not nessesarily the title of any video ordered) If the credit card companies get a lot of complaints about a certain company they will withdraw merchant status. Which would be an extremly uncomfotable state of affairs for an internet shop!
So to round up. Don't let Vidshop get away with anything - complain and bismirch their name to anyone and everyone. But do it the right way and follow due process. Or you will be just bad/daft as they are.
Dr No.
P.S. 'scuse the spelling!
I note that some very big American internet card processing firms have recently taken legal action against Visa and the like who are allowing the iniquitous situation where an idiot can order goods using his credit card, then simply say that he "never did, so could he please have his money back!"
Of course the retailer is equally responsible for fullfiling his side of the transaction - and if he does not, then the consumer has a valid complaint. Which he can then take up with his credit card company. So if 'Vidshop' have not honoured their part of the transaction the guy should complain - but tell the credit card company the facts of the case (though not nessesarily the title of any video ordered) If the credit card companies get a lot of complaints about a certain company they will withdraw merchant status. Which would be an extremly uncomfotable state of affairs for an internet shop!
So to round up. Don't let Vidshop get away with anything - complain and bismirch their name to anyone and everyone. But do it the right way and follow due process. Or you will be just bad/daft as they are.
Dr No.
P.S. 'scuse the spelling!
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Ein
Re: Legality
Thanx to everyone's views,
May e-commerce live forever but down with the likes of vidshop. I think we should all follow Dr. No's suggestion in the 'name and shame' game.
I'm off to call my c.c company to inform them. The thing that got me also was that..I never did receive a confirmation of the transaction from vidshop and now cant even remember the title I ordered so I cant tell my c.c company the video title even if i wanted to!
HAPPY NEW YEAR and have a good one.
May e-commerce live forever but down with the likes of vidshop. I think we should all follow Dr. No's suggestion in the 'name and shame' game.
I'm off to call my c.c company to inform them. The thing that got me also was that..I never did receive a confirmation of the transaction from vidshop and now cant even remember the title I ordered so I cant tell my c.c company the video title even if i wanted to!
HAPPY NEW YEAR and have a good one.
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frank
Re: Legality
I get you're point Dr.No, but if vidshop played the game it would be no problem, I disagree that e commerce would suffer, most customers are normally happy with the service they get, it only becomes a problem when a retailer/supplier is either crap or trading fraudulently if a little lie gets rid of arse holes like this sooner rather than later, then that's a good thing as:- A. Customers will be better served, B. Customers will be more confident to buy on-line as there is less chance of getting ripped off, bad customers are a pain in the ass but just one or two bad retailers can fuck the whole system up for everyone. I suggested lying because of the delicate situation, it can be a bit embarrassing telling the girl at Barclay card that the fisting porno you ordered hasn't arrived and you where dead set on having a good bash off this weekend!!
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Shaun
Re: Legality
In my trade, those who sell mail order/ internet will only charge a customers card when goods are ready to post/despatch. If vidshop had done likewise we would not be having this topic.