Christmas Direct issue

catyb20

Hi All,

I purchased items for Christmas through Christmas Direct via facebook. They offer a flexi pay system and you buy items on their auctions online.

I started purchasing in September paying each month and was fully paid up by the end of nimvember.

I only received a number of items I paid for, found out 5 days before christmas that I would not be receiving the rest.

They offered a refund/credit to use with them, within 21 days which is 22nd of January.

I have received very little communication from them but got a response to an email I sent last week, today.

They are now saying I received all bar 1 item. However I was missing 3 which were my sons xmas presents.

I am waiting to hear back from them but I am wondering if anyone can advise where to go from here?

I spoke with NCA before xmas and they said that they had had a number of complaints about the company but as they had said they would refund within the legal 30 dayn requirement, I had to wait it out and see.

There is an issue arising that the items I paid for were not sent within 30 days....but I do niot know much about this.

Has anyone got any advice on where to go from here? WHat happens if they continue to dispute the items they sent/neglected to send?

wmpdd3

How did you pay them, please say credit card or Paypal.

catyb20

Through bank transfer. I have invoices showing payments made but I know that doesn't 'protect' me as such

ceo

I also have the same issue with Christmas Direct. This is my 2nd year using them for my xmas shopping, first time around no hassle at all. Payment was always bank transfer. But this year same as OP I was told 5 days before xmas that 3 of my items would not be arriving.
I was offered a credit to use with them whereby I would receive an extra credit of 50% (goodwill gesture) of my total credit if I didn't take a cash refund. I have asked for a cash refund included with this is an extra 10% of my total again a goodwill gesture.
I have told them I want whats owed to me back no more no less. No amount of "goodwill" would see me use this crowd again!!
They wrecked my head saying items were deliverd when they weren't or that a delivery was being delivered on a certain day, it wasn't. Trying to get information from them was a headache and still is. I was told this day lasy week my refund was in the post no sign as of yet.

dudara

Reiterate that you never received X number of items, and that you want a full refund for those items.

Consider a Small Claims Court case if they do not sort this out.

catyb20

Thanks for the replies.

I have replied saying what items I am missing & that I want a refund, though I have mentioned this multiple times to them before and today was the first time since november I received a non generic email from them, I won't hold my breath waiting on another one.

wmpdd3

What way did they delivery? did you sign for them?


Do you have their VAT number or address? (handy so you can find their details for the small claims court)

It should be on the invoice.

Sounds so dodgy to me

just the fact they use bank transfer and don't allow paypal.

I see there are no contact details on the website, never a good sign.

But it turns out that the company is from Tramore in co Waterford and the spokespeople are Damien Daniels and Mary Ronan.

source: http://www.thejournal.ie/christmas-direct-1231156-Dec2013/

At least if it is an irish company you have crack at the SCC.

Have you been refunded at all, for any items?

I would send a letter ASAP demanding a refund for items not provided, dispute their argument that you received the items, its up to them to prove you did. In the letter give the company 14 days to return your money by bank transfer and tell them that after that date, if you don't have your money, you will be lodging a claim with the small claims court.

I just re read your OP and realised that these guys were offering you store credit for a Christmas present that they couldn't supply! Get your money back ASAP.

catyb20

Thanks for your reply wmpd33

I have the contact details for the company...i even managed to track down a mobile number for damian....but not surprisingly he doesnt answer it.

I will write a letter to them....i have had no response to my latest email.

I have not received any refund at all and to be honest january is bad enough without having had to buy another set of santa presents.

If i have to go through small claims can i claim the amount owed to me plus the e25 fee of scc or only the cost of toys?

wmpdd3

only the cost of the toys but sometimes the threat of court put in a recorded letter is enough to get your house case to the top of the pile.

how was delivery made for what you did receive ? did you sign for the parcels?

i would get on to this asap as if a company winds up you will get nothing.not in anyway saying this may happen. but still.....

Tanya1988

I Just want to let everybody know publicly about Christmas direct and what they do to people especially young children's Christmas toys....

I ordered of this company as I knew it was local (Approx 30 minute drive away) hearing it was a family run business and hearing great reviews from the internet and friends who have used it with a number of years, myself and my partner been a young couple with three young children under 5, we decided to take it up as there was an option to pay weekly and would take the stress of Christmas off us..Little did I know!

That now been 10.April.2014 I have still yet not received 4 items that I ordered that amounted too € 53.48. I had good faith that I would receive my refund after the public apologies from Christmas direct sent out by thejournal.ie on 26th January 2014 “All refunds are being processed, at present the majority of these customers have already been refunded and the remaining refunds are currently being processed and customers will be in receipt of them within 14 days,”.

I know for a fact my refund has not been sent as I have been emailing them constantly and have been promised a refund on numerous occasions but nothing never seems to be received. Christmas direct use to run their invoices (Can see credit balance and what was ordered here) through an online accountant called Freshbooks and have deleted my account within the last 2 weeks, I contacted this company and they advised the reason my account was cancelled was 3 failed payment attempts..... which I have no idea as to what was happening there but it is been investigated into..

So I would defiantly not recommend this company to anyone. I have been in contact with the guards which have been a big help to me as they contacted the owner of the company which resulted in some of my emails been replied too.. Has anyone to this date as well of myself not receive these "Refund".

Cabaal

This made the news back in December 2013, if you've not already sought advice from the NCA I'd suggest you do
http://www.thejournal.ie/christmas-direct-1231156-Dec2013/

No offense, but please don't waste Gardai time with this issue, they have more important issues to deal with

wmpdd3

I believe the local garda are taking details of people involved. I think the only people who did received a refund were those that paid by visa debit card, most paid by installments through bank transfer leaving them totally with out any buyers protection.

OP have you been on to the National Consumer Agency? I'm not sure if they can advise anything further than the SCC, but I don't think even people that took this route secured a refund.

More info here:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=88468610

Tanya1988

I've been onto a friend who works for NCA.. They have numerous complaints there been investigated..

tazwaz

I myself was hit by the Christmas direct crowd, they don't reply to emails, no phone number to ring them on and no refund :-(

dudara

New thread merged into existing older thread

dudara

wmpdd3

tazwaz wrote: »

I myself was hit by the Christmas direct crowd, they don't reply to emails, no phone number to ring them on and no refund :-(

Their details are on the CRO website and I'm sure the phone book would provide a number.

Type Business Name
Number 473320
Name CHRISTMAS DIRECT
Address ROTORUA

BALLYCRADDOCK

DUNHILL

CO. WATERFORD

Registered 13/08/2012

Status Normal


Effective Date 13/08/2012

Tanya1988

Isnt it terrible its a pity we could not have our money back...

tazwaz wrote: »

I myself was hit by the Christmas direct crowd, they don't reply to emails, no phone number to ring them on and no refund :-(

wmpdd3

did you call them.?

did you take a small claims case. ?

Dub4747

Call or email RTE's The Consumer Show and ask for Kathriona Deveraux:

Kathriona Devereux
The Consumer Show
Coco Television
01 208 4635

kathriona@cocotelevision.ie

They are considering doing a segment on Christmas Direct and all of their <SNIP>, etc.

I was screwed over by them over a year ago (Xmas 2012) and I went on a mission to get my refund. It was absolute hell and they are a complete sham of a business. It took me over 6 months to get my refund and it only came after the Consumer Show/RTE got involved and found a phone number for Christmas Direct (they never had one advertised anywhere and would only correspond via email) and contacted them. At the time I found others on Facebook who had been in the same situation as me but Christmas Direct were good at deleting negative comments off their page immediately and blocking people like me who tried to warn others so it was hard to get enough people for Rte to do a show about them. However, a year later and hundreds more people <SNIP> it will hopefully be a different story.

Christmas Direct actually emailed me threatening legal action if I did not stop warning people about them. I really hope you all manage to get your money back. Please contact Kathriona and maybe she can help x

catyb20

Sorry guys, only seeing latest replies now.

I have been onto the NCA and you are right...all they can advise in SCC, I have just tried to send an email to katriona but the delivery failed...is that definitely the correct email?

Does anyone know of people who have gone to SCC and how did they fair out?

catyb20

I got in touch with Kathriona, they are looking to do a segment in the coming weeks.

She requested that I send on the invoices to her, no problem I said!

went to the link in the email where the invoices are and am met with 'Your account is no longer active' so no more invoices! I am hoping the guys behind the website can retrieve them.,...raging I didnt download them/print them off.

wmpdd3

Oh, no, get a copy of your internet banking for the transfers you made, if thats the way you made then.

Oryx

catyb20 wrote: »

I got in touch with Kathriona, they are looking to do a segment in the coming weeks.

She requested that I send on the invoices to her, no problem I said!

went to the link in the email where the invoices are and am met with 'Your account is no longer active' so no more invoices! I am hoping the guys behind the website can retrieve them.,...raging I didnt download them/print them off.

Did you ever view them? If you did, your browser may have downloaded them to a downloads folder?

Dub4747

Do you not have emails from them with the invoices or email correspondence you could use as reference?

catyb20

Hi Guys,

I couldn't download from emails as the emails regarding invoices contained a link which brought me to a different website that contained the invoices.

I got in touch with that website and they kindly granted me access so I could download them.

RTE crew are coming to my house tomorrow to film a piece on my experience with Christmas Direct....regardless on if I get my refund, at least the company will be highlighted to others and they can then avoid!

Dub4747

catyb20 wrote: »

Hi Guys,

I couldn't download from emails as the emails regarding invoices contained a link which brought me to a different website that contained the invoices.

I got in touch with that website and they kindly granted me access so I could download them.

RTE crew are coming to my house tomorrow to film a piece on my experience with Christmas Direct....regardless on if I get my refund, at least the company will be highlighted to others and they can then avoid!

How did the filming go?

Cabaal

This is getting coverage in thejournal.ie http://www.thejournal.ie/christmas-direct-refunds-1437312-May2014/

FOUR MONTHS AFTER they did not receive some of the items they ordered through online company Christmas Direct, a number of its customers are still waiting for refunds.

wmpdd3

very interesting comments beneath the article echoing this thread.

This supply issue seems to hit them every year.

TheIrishVoice

Hi update from the The Consumer Show, Christmas direct will be on the show the 27/05/2014

blankAs

and what happened then?

wmpdd3

It was a toothless 4 min. slot that showed two affected families that had lost less than €100 each iirc. There was no reference to the fact that families lost money in previous years or the dangers of paying by installment by bank transfer.