With help like this from RTÉ, is it any surprise that there's "no demand"

Foxwood

According to Áine Lawlor on Morning Ireland this morning "One third of all goods bought online fail to arrive".

She then introduces someone from the European Consumer Centre who says that said that one third of the complaints that they receive are about the failure
to receive goods ordered onine.

Which isn't nearly the same thing as one third of all goods ordered aren't received!

a line failure

Foxwood wrote:

With help like this from RTÉ, is it any surprise that there's "no demand"

Morning Ireland's on TV3 actually. Good point though.

oscarBravo

Morning Ireland's on RTE Radio 1. Ireland AM is on TV3.

There's no comparison.

Foxwood

a line failure wrote:

Morning Ireland's on TV3 actually.

Ireland AM is on TV3. Morning Ireland is RTÉ Radio 1s main morning news program. It has a listenership in the region of half a million people.

That's half a million people who might be scared off online purchases on the basis of an absolutely appalling mis-statement of fact by a senior newsreader.

byte

There was some guy on The Last Word on Today FM earlier, saying that story was untrue and had been taken out of context.

What was really the issue was something like 1/3rd of people found deliveries to be the primary cause of complaints made to online retailers, not that they never arrived. Something to that effect anyway.

watty

Obviously a serious slip of the tongue. 1/3rd of COMPAINTS are about non-arrival. I'd imagine of transactions a small proportion reach the European Consumer Centre as complaints.

I've even given my credit card details to scary Ukrainian and Russian addreses and not had a problem. I've had more trouble with Argos than online sellers. And Argos are pretty good on returns.

Mind you , never bought anything on eBay.

JMcL

The same guff was being peddled on Newstalk during the day as well in exactly the same manner. Can't remember which show exactly, but I <i>think</i> the lunchtime show.

Very sloppy.

John

Sponge Bob

Foxwood wrote:

She then introduces someone from the European Consumer Centre who says that said that one third of the complaints that they receive are about the failure
to receive goods ordered onine.

I heard that piece too and your summarisation is absolutely correct. I was never a fan of Áine anyway but this was bad even by her overdramatic inclinations.

Now if the European Consumer Centre could concentrate on sorting out

1. "Functional Internet Access"
2. BT Billing
3. IBB generally

and

4. The appaling Comreg .

It would be a jolly good year and I would look forward to hearing them again


Just bring up their CONTACT FORM here and bitch away .

Robxxx7

I have to say that i have bought plenty of stuff on-line, and never had any issues whatsoever ... 100% success .... does that make me a minority

Sponge Bob

No Rob . Thats normal.

even eBay is fine if you use normal common sense and deal with established sellers who use verifiable methods of delivery with tracking and stuff.

the only good advice from the ECC in Áines piece was to avoid paying thru Western Union for all goods and all services at all times . Of course Aine did not know anything about the difference between Western Union and Paypal and IBAN and Visa so the advice was not clarified at all.

Patrickof

I too heard that article and was surprised, I've bought a lot from the likes of ebay, amazon (UK&US), dabs.com etc and have never had a problem with deliveries. The only single issue with one delivery was with amazon.com who sent me the same order twice but only billed me once!!!!

watty

Any auction situation you avoid problems by knowing your subject and watching similar auctions before you bid. Worked for me with car Auctions. I have cautiously bid on a few things on eBay and deciding on a limit beforehand and if it sounds to good to be true it probabily is it best advice for buying anywhere.

Western Union is for sending cash to friends in need. You got to be mad or inept to even put it in same league as other payment methods. It's a lot faster and more secure than banknotes through the post to a PO Box but the same essential idea.

Paypal & Credit card you can at least in theory get money back. Once the "person" has walked out of remote Western Union agent office the money is gone forever.

Though the 20 miutes WU transfer begs the question as to why it takes up to 10 days for an Interbank money transfer.

JMcL

watty wrote:

Though the 20 miutes WU transfer begs the question as to why it takes up to 10 days for an Interbank money transfer.

To quote Father Ted "Ah now, that money was just resting in my account...."

byte

JMcL wrote:

To quote Father Ted "Ah now, that money was just resting in my account...."

Yup, I think that sums it up pretty well!

Cabaal

I've bought thousands euro's worth of stuff from amazon.com/co.uk, play, OCuk, dabs.com, scan.co.uk, ebay, komplett, SA etc and only twice have I had serious issues where it took me 2 months to get the item,

But I got everything in the end and I've never been overcharged or ripped off.