Choice Catalogue - Advice Needed Please

[Coyote Ugly]

Hi,

 

Please be gentle with me (its my first post).

 

To cut a very long story short I have been a loyal customer of Choice catalogues for around 7 + years and have always kept up repayments. I have never had any complaints.

 

Back in September I ordered a Tom Tom sat nav system and some track pants. I received the track pants on the day that they were supposed to be delivered but not the sat nav system, the couriers advised me that they often deliver things separately. When I checked the online tracking system at Choice it stated that the item had been delivered and had been signed for.

 

I immediately phoned them and said that I had not received the system not did I sign for anything. Customer services were adamant that it had been delivered and asked me whether I had been out (it could have been left with the neighbours). I informed the ever so unhelpful representative that I work from home and that there would be no need for anything to have been left with my neighbours, she then told me that my enquiry would be passed to the 'investigations department'. Meanwile the £289 has been added to my bill. Days passed and I heard nothing, therefore I phoned only to be told it was still being investigated. Days later I phoned again only to be told the same thing. I phoned Choice once again yesterday and asked to speak to the 'investigations' department only to be told that I could'nt speak to anyone as the department does not accept telephone enquiries. Therefore I emailed them. I got a message back to provide signatures of all members of my household so that they can compare signatures, which I provided them with.

 

They are adamant that one of the members of my household had signed for this and that I would be liable for the bill. As I mentioned I work from home and receive many parcels but I certainly didnt sign for this one.

 

My personal belief is that the couriers have either lost the parcel or delivered it elsewhere, where the parcel was opened and a nice new sat nav was on offer on my account.

 

Please could somebody let me know where I stand and what do I do? I have proof of all the emails that I sent enquiring about what Choice are doing about tracking this parcel. After years of loyalty I feel very cheated and I certainly do not want to pay for an item that I am not in receipt of. I would obviously like to write them a letter of complaint but I really do not know what my consumer rights are?

 

As I believe that someone has signed for my parcel fraudulently do I get the police involved?

 

I would be very grateful for any advice whatsoever.

 

Thank You

 

A

[gyzmo]

It is for them to prove that it was delivered to you - not for you to prove that you have not got it (as you cannot prove a negative). It is a simple case of requring that they honour their obligations under the distance selling regs. If they refuse to deal with this, require them to provide proof that you received the item. If they cannot, then it is for them to refund you.

 

I suggest you report this to Consumer Direct.

[scotsdamo]

The company i work for use's a courier company for deliverys (nice yellow van lettering in red) anyway when we have an issue like this we investigate and generally if the courier is saying there has been a delivery they email or fax over the signature used which would be why they are requesting a copy of yours.

 

However one case i worked on and its the only one i have ever come across and heard of, had 2 items delivered and signed for yet customer claimed to have received only 1. When i checked the signatures initially i thought yeah fine your at it cos they are the same, lucky for the customer i like a bit of an investigation and she seemed very genuine when i called back to inform her of my findings so i agreed to look into this further. so here i am looking at signatures and suddenly realised that they were just to perfect and identical and that 1 was slightly larger than the other (ya know like how a photocopy gets a little smaller when constanly printed) Turned out somewhere along the line that we had been sent a copy signature of the one correct item. now whether this was done by the warehouse staff or driver i will never know but just be aware people you just never know what they are doing when you expect a delivery get a consignment number and track it online it will tell you if parcel has been dispatched or in warehouse or even on the van

[Freakin' Out]

I had a problem with a package I was supposed to have received but didn't. I telephoned Royal Mail in Colchester (I think it was) and was told I had signed for it and I could have a copy of the receipt for a cost?

 

I argued that just because an item had been signed for, it doesn't mean it had been delivere correctly...if at all?

 

In the end, I received a free copy of the signature not - it was unreadable just proving the point I was making. Anyone delivering any package to the incorrect address can receive any old signature

 

In my case, the supplier of the goods believed me, sent out a substitute item and claimed from the Royal Mail himself.

 

A signature proves nothing at all does it

 

Sorry I can't offer more helpful comments