Play.com hit by ordering glitch

**The News Bot** · 06-11-2009, 5:45 PM

Customers of online shop Play.com contact the BBC to report problems with its ordering system.
More...

CLH · 06-11-2009, 6:01 PM

This has happened before. And generally it happens when somebody has hacked and logged in as you, using your card and setting up a new account. It's happened to me and there is a long thread on moneysavingexpert. I've stopped using PLay as a result.

IAN P · 06-11-2009, 6:05 PM

Er, why are they telling the BBC? Contact Play, it's their problem not the bloody BBC'S.

Mark_a · 06-11-2009, 6:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CLH

This has happened before. And generally it happens when somebody has hacked and logged in as you, using your card and setting up a new account. It's happened to me and there is a long thread on moneysavingexpert. I've stopped using PLay as a result.

Me too, with exactly the same result. I got my money back from the bank, but I wouldn't use Play ever again, even if they paid me.

Regards

Mark

CLH · 06-11-2009, 7:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IAN P

Er, why are they telling the BBC? Contact Play, it's their problem not the bloody BBC'S.

Because it's widescale and smacks of a pretty bad setup?

Strocky · 06-11-2009, 9:15 PM

Stopped using them years ago after they wanted a faxed copy of a bank statement & my passport because I had the audacity to place a £120 Xmas order (even though I'd did the same previously the past 3 years)

Also lost count the number of deals they failed to honour due to "misprice"

sutton8 · 07-11-2009, 8:54 AM

I've had good experiences with them in the past however in the last year orders have seemed longer to come through. I remember ordering on Sunday evening and things turning up Wednesday or Thursday latest. They dont seem as quick now and seem to take longer to update the website with your order status. Seems to stay at "packing" for days now on occasion.

I still use them, since I order weekly, and Amazon is the only other choice of real size and value. But I am probably a bit more Amazon than Play these days and the service has measurably gone down.

Tal71 · 07-11-2009, 9:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sutton8

I've had good experiences with them in the past however in the last year orders have seemed longer to come through. I remember ordering on Sunday evening and things turning up Wednesday or Thursday latest.

I think its Royal Mail to blame for this. The service from Royal Mail now I find is terrible (and that was before the strike). I have on numerous occasions waited 3 days for a first class letter to be delivered and also sent Special Delivery items which are supposed to get there next day, and they have failed on this by taking 2 days instead.

I have used Play . com for around 5 years and I find that they dispatch has quick as always, but now I find the delivery is slower, so this can only be down to the Royal Mail.

sutton8 · 07-11-2009, 9:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tal71

I think its Royal Mail to blame for this.

Royal Mail cant be to blame for the order status not being updated for days.

sean5302 · 07-11-2009, 9:58 AM

I had problems with RAM memory which went faulty after 2 months. Because it was longer than 28 days they wanted me to liaise with the supplier in France for a refund.

You cannot easily sue them in the small claims court, as they are based in Jersey.

Absolute nightmare to get them to remove my account details and credit card info.

Terrible company. I suppose you get what you pay for.

Tal71 · 07-11-2009, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sutton8

Royal Mail cant be to blame for the order status not being updated for days.

I agree, but I was pointing out regarding your comment:

'orders have seemed longer to come through. I remember ordering on Sunday evening and things turning up Wednesday or Thursday latest.'

sutton8 · 07-11-2009, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tal71

I agree, but I was pointing out regarding your comment:

'orders have seemed longer to come through. I remember ordering on Sunday evening and things turning up Wednesday or Thursday latest.'

I think the reason for the delay is that Play now take longer to process their orders for whatever reason. I have not noted any similar deterioration in the Amazon service over the last year or so and I use both suppliers weekly, often by Royal Mail rather than courier.

sean5302 · 07-11-2009, 11:03 AM

I'd agree with that.

I also note that many items advertised on Play.com are out of stock. They take the order but it remains unfulfilled.

I reckon they just list items to appear competitive, but have no intention of supplying us.

Never had this nonsense with Amazon or ebuyer.

CLH · 07-11-2009, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sean5302

I had problems with RAM memory which went faulty after 2 months. Because it was longer than 28 days they wanted me to liaise with the supplier in France for a refund.

You cannot easily sue them in the small claims court, as they are based in Jersey.

Absolute nightmare to get them to remove my account details and credit card info.

Terrible company. I suppose you get what you pay for.

After my fraud incident I got them to remove my account straight away. Given what transpired yesterday I'm still not convinced it was fraud. I'm far more convinced that their databases are messed up and I was billed for someone else's order. It was all so odd.

I'd urge everyone to check their statements this month.

sutton8 · 07-11-2009, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CLH

After my fraud incident I got them to remove my account straight away. Given what transpired yesterday I'm still not convinced it was fraud. I'm far more convinced that their databases are messed up and I was billed for someone else's order. It was all so odd.

I'd urge everyone to check their statements this month.

Must admit after maybe 500 orders over the years I could not describe them in that way even though their service has gone downhill recently. Your case is unfortunate and it must be terrible with dealing with people who wont budge or keep trying to pass you on and claiming it is somebody else's responsibility.

CLH · 07-11-2009, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sutton8

Must admit after maybe 500 orders over the years I could not describe them in that way even though their service has gone downhill recently. Your case is unfortunate and it must be terrible with dealing with people who wont budge or keep trying to pass you on and claiming it is somebody else's responsibility.

Ironically, even though the other account was "in my name," they wouldn't give me the address where the stuff was going.

I cancelled my account.

I should have waited, I'd have known now

sean5302 · 07-11-2009, 12:59 PM

Play.com is a terrible company IMHO.

The whole idea of moving to Jersey, on the pretext of saving VAT, just shows you how scurrilous they are.

Normal businesses pay their dues and taxes.

On customer service I can tell you that I resent having to phone manufacturers up when something goes faulty within a few months. The Sale of Goods Act clearly shows the retailer is responsible. Trying to enforce that with a Jersey-based company is difficult.

I have asked them to delete all my account details which they always say they have done, yet everytime I place a "test" order, everything is there.

Rubbish company. I advise people not to deal with them.

sutton8 · 07-11-2009, 1:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sean5302

Play.com is a terrible company IMHO.

The whole idea of moving to Jersey, on the pretext of saving VAT, just shows you how scurrilous they are.

Normal businesses pay their dues and taxes.

On customer service I can tell you that I resent having to phone manufacturers up when something goes faulty within a few months. The Sale of Goods Act clearly shows the retailer is responsible. Trying to enforce that with a Jersey-based company is difficult.

Implicit in that is that they offer cheap products to UK customers because their costs are lower. Amazon's DVD merchant Indigostarfish is also Jersey based.

Both Play and Amazon live up to the distance selling regulations and I've never had a problem the times I've had to return goods to either.

cas398 · 07-11-2009, 1:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IAN P

Er, why are they telling the BBC? Contact Play, it's their problem not the bloody BBC'S.

I'm guessing they have contacted Play and they are putting the story out there to raise awareness.

sean5302 · 07-11-2009, 3:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sutton8

Implicit in that is that they offer cheap products to UK customers because their costs are lower. Amazon's DVD merchant Indigostarfish is also Jersey based.

Both Play and Amazon live up to the distance selling regulations and I've never had a problem the times I've had to return goods to either.

Then you're lucky. I wasn't and would never again buy from Play.com

Why on earth should they insist that you speak to the manufacturer if something goes wrong after the first month?

My contract was with them and they tried to wheedle their way out of it.

Totally unscrupulous.

dunk05 · 07-11-2009, 3:07 PM

I've not ordered much from play recently because everytime you think
you've found a good deal it turns out to be a playtrade price and play don't
have it. Don't know why that annoys me but it does

pwood · 07-11-2009, 3:13 PM

Have not used them for ages so on reading this decided to delete our account. well I would if there was a way of doing it but no option to delete account as far as i can see

sutton8 · 07-11-2009, 3:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sean5302

Then you're lucky. I wasn't and would never again buy from Play.com

I'm sorry about that and if your experience is bad then yes seek out other suppliers. Mine is fine with them just that they are slower these days. Certainly not a rip off and I buy from them roughly once a week.

sean5302 · 07-11-2009, 4:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pwood

but no option to delete account as far as i can see

As I wrote.

Plus, even when you ring them up and they tell you they've deleted it, next time you go on their site all your card details are still there.

Terrible company.

CLH · 07-11-2009, 4:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sutton8

I'm sorry about that and if your experience is bad then yes seek out other suppliers. Mine is fine with them just that they are slower these days. Certainly not a rip off and I buy from them roughly once a week.

Keep checking your statements carefully

Graham27 · 07-11-2009, 5:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sean5302

The whole idea of moving to Jersey, on the pretext of saving VAT, just shows you how scurrilous they are.

Normal businesses pay their dues and taxes

That's a teeny, tiny, ickle bit hypocritical, no? You were happy to deal with them initially, as the goods were competitively priced due to the fact that they're based in Jersey and they therefore have lesser "dues and taxes". But now others should avoid them, based on that same thing?

Quote:

On customer service I can tell you that I resent having to phone manufacturers up when something goes faulty within a few months. The Sale of Goods Act clearly shows the retailer is responsible. Trying to enforce that with a Jersey-based company is difficult.

If the sale is legally processed in Jersey, The Sale of Goods act is entirely irrelevant, as Jersey isn't in the UK.

Quote:

Why on earth should they insist that you speak to the manufacturer if something goes wrong after the first month?

Well, they shouldn't insist, but you do often get a better resolution that way (as we tried to explain in your last thread where you were slagging Play off

). Consumer Advice will tell you the same thing.

I've bought plenty of goods from Jersey and have always dealt with the manufacturer direct for warranty purposes. Why would I want add the extra step of returning the goods to Jersey first? By the time the goods would have made it to the manufacturer via Jersey, I've already got my product back.

sean5302 · 07-11-2009, 5:45 PM

Hiya Graham.

Yes, I'm still miffed about the service I got from Play. They'll never see any more of my money.

Yes, I used to buy items based on their low prices, but I expected the same standard of service that I would from any online retailer. You only find out what a company's customer service is when you need to use it.

That is when they lost me as I believe their service is abysmal. The RAM memory failed through no fault of mine. No sensible person would expect any retailer, online or physical, to welch from their contractual duty but that is exactly what Play did to me.

Out of dozens of orders I made with them, only once did I need to contact them and that lousy service will remain with me forever.

Graham27 · 07-11-2009, 6:10 PM

Quote:

Out of dozens of orders I made with them, only once did I need to contact them and that lousy service will remain with me forever.

Sure, if you're avoiding them purely on a perceived lack of decent service that's fair enough, but you had a pop at them for avoiding tax. All I was getting at was that it's a wee bit rich to take advantage of their tax-free prices "dozens" of times, then start moaning that they don't pay tax after you've finished shopping with them

If you buy from Amazon (or any other Jersey-linked company) now, you should be ashamed

cas398 · 07-11-2009, 7:09 PM

Play have been great for me, but like already mentioned they seen to be taking a good while longer to process orders/dispatch goods these days.

I've returned, or had replacement posters, t-shirts, dvds and almost returned my ps3 as well with no trouble (controller died).

SeanT · 08-11-2009, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Graham27

If the sale is legally processed in Jersey, The Sale of Goods act is entirely irrelevant, as Jersey isn't in the UK.

You're completely right, the UK legislation isn't.

Business Advice - Supply of Goods and Services (Jersey) Law 2009

I'd draw particular attention to:

Quote:

Originally Posted by the relevant law in Jersey

If the seller supplies goods under a contract of sale of goods in the course
of a business, the seller warrants that the goods supplied under the
contract are of satisfactory quality.