Pixmania Refund Problems

Lunabu

I noticed that there's a few threads about Pixmania here on this forum, but I just wanted to add my bit as well:
I'm never going to purchase anything from Pixmania again. My first purchase went ok when I purchased an iPod from them in 2007.
My second order, placed 16th December 2008 was a different matter. I ordered a netbook for my husband and got all kinds of conflicting info from Pixmania as to when it would be delivered and if it was even in stock (after I placed the order for an item they had in stock). I decided to cancel the order, but that was not a straight forward thing either as I had to wait for the courier and refuse delivery. This I did on 23rd December 2008.
Since the beginning of January, I've been trying to get my refund from them. I received only FAQ type reply emails from them and no indication as to when I'd receive my refund. Trying to phone them was impossible as the lines were constantly engaged and there didn't appear to be any kind of queueing system.
Eventually, I contacted PayPal (thankfully I paid by PayPal) and opened a claim against Pixmania. Only today, 28th January 2009, did I receive my refund and that was down to my PayPal claim. God only knows how long it would've taken otherwise.
I was all set to start a small claims procedure against them.
Pity really, as I'd thought they were an ok company, but their customer service "sucks".:rolleyes:

Flaccus

Well known about Pixmania sucking around these parts. I filed a Paypal claim against them as well, when they were selling Wii's on ebay they didn't even have in stock. They actually contacted me after I left negative feedback and offered me a 5 euro voucher off my next purchase if I removed the feedback. The cheek. Needless to say I wouldn't touch them again ever. They seem to think they can ignore consumer laws when it comes to repair or refunds. Surprised trading standards or the eu have not been on their case.

Lunabu

That's interesting, Flaccus. I think we're gonna see a lot more things like this in the future, as companies are trying to pull a "fast one" in the current recession times. If Pixmania weren't such a big multinational company, I would've been really worried about getting my money back. Many companies file for bankruptcy and the "little" people are the losers. Like with the gift vouchers people bought from Zavvi for their kids and that weren't exchanged for goods by Zavvi after Xmas.
Why didn't you contact the Irish Consumer Agency about Pixmania's trading practices?:eek:

311

Got something from them last week no problems. They're ok for sturdy items ,but I wouldn't buy anything fancy off them like a tv or laptop. They use monkeys in the warehouse to climb up and get things down and pack the stuff.

SAVE_ME.222

They are really annoyin me now, I won't say too much because it's an on-going case. But my god, if you ever have to return something to them expect to be waiting 3 months for a replacement.

_Whimsical_

SAVE_ME.222 wrote: »

They are really annoyin me now, I won't say too much because it's an on-going case. But my god, if you ever have to return something to them expect to be waiting 3 months for a replacement.

This has also been my experience. I'm waiting for a refund from pixmania for over 2 months now for something that was never delivered.

Lunabu

chilly wrote: »

This has also been my experience. I'm waiting for a refund from pixmania for over 2 months now for something that was never delivered.

If you've paid by PayPal, open a claim against them. Otherwise, send them a Registered letter to their Irish address and set them an ultimatum for payment. If they don't pay within that time, start a procedure with the Small Claims Court. It's cheap and you can do it all online, I think;)

Kencollins

Hi there,

To the last poster, do you know the Irish details of this company? I tried to search the company regestrations, but I couldn't find anything on them.

If you have problems with them, the best person to email is xxxxx@pixmania.com , and make sure to CC it to her boss xxxx@fotovista.com. Alice is the Northern European manager, and Steve rosenblum is her supervisor.

Ken.

Edit, on advice received, I removed the contact details.

RangeR

Kencollins wrote: »

If you have problems with them, the best person to email is aaaaa@pixmania.com , and make sure to CC it to her boss bbbbb@fotovista.com. aaaaa is the Northern European manager, and bbbbb is her supervisor.

Ken.

Ken, Regardless of how the company is treating their customers, you cannot post private contact details for any employee from any company unless these contact details have been publicly published.

You'd be best off editing your post.

Lunabu

I spoke to the Consumer Agency a few days ago (before I received my refund)
They advised re registered letter, etc. Also, as Pixmania do business in this country, they have to have a registered Irish business address. The companies register should show up that address.
Any problems, I'd suggest to ring the Consumer Agency again and ask them how to proceed.
Alternatively, the Citizens Information Centre will most like look into this for people with problems.
I'm just glad that I paid using PayPal, as PayPal sorted the matter out within 10 days for me.:)

RangeR

A quick search of the CRO website shows no mention of pixmania or fotovista as either a business name or company name.

The pixmania "contact us" link on their own website gives UK contact details.

In my humble opinion, they are not registered to trade in the Republic.

tallaghtoutlaws

IrishTLR wrote: »

A quick search of the CRO website shows no mention of pixmania or fotovista as either a business name or company name.

The pixmania "contact us" link on their own website gives UK contact details.

In my humble opinion, they are not registered to trade in the Republic.

Online companies dont need to be registered in certain countries to be able to sell products to it. Its seems to be quite common for UK based companies to set up .ie websites to try grab the Irish market. It still doesn't mean they have to be registered here. They can trade here all they want.

_Whimsical_

I'd be interested to know if Pixmania do have an Irish address so please post it if someone comes across it.

I rang the European Customer Centre (www.eccireland.ie) about my case and they told me to send on details and they'd fax them to their French office as that was where pixmania were based.

If they can't sort it it's one for the European Small Claims Court which takes up to 90days apparently.

EDIT : I finally got my money back today nearly 10 weeks after they took it.I would never buy from them again.

SAVE_ME.222

My case is still on-going with them :mad::mad::mad:

I am going to start a new thread about them on here next week if it's still not resolved. People need to be warned to stay as far away as possible from this company. Over 3 months now trying to get a refund or replacement for a faulty product (and out of pocket on 2 delivery charges so far - receiving the product and returning it). I'm thinking about just accepting the loss of money (roughly €140) and forgetting about them altogether, the stress of dealing with them is too much.

_Whimsical_

SAVE_ME.222 wrote: »

My case is still on-going with them :mad::mad::mad:

I am going to start a new thread about them on here next week if it's still not resolved. People need to be warned to stay as far away as possible from this company. Over 3 months now trying to get a refund or replacement for a faulty product (and out of pocket on 2 delivery charges so far - receiving the product and returning it). I'm thinking about just accepting the loss of money (roughly €140) and forgetting about them altogether, the stress of dealing with them is too much.

I completely sympathise.

Don't give up though.

Write to them and tell them you're launching proceedings in the small claims court in 3 days if they haven't resolved the issue.Then do it if you don't hear from them.It's easy to do and you WILL get your money back eventually.

I wrote and threatened the same and then rang their Paris office on the last day I specified.I spoke to Alice Walker and explained I'd be sending off the forms that day if I didnt get my money.I got my refund minutes later.You definitely get no where dealing with their general phone staff.

They are an absolute disgrace and extremely difficult to deal with.

Lunabu

SAVE_ME.222 wrote: »

My case is still on-going with them :mad::mad::mad:

I am going to start a new thread about them on here next week if it's still not resolved. People need to be warned to stay as far away as possible from this company. Over 3 months now trying to get a refund or replacement for a faulty product (and out of pocket on 2 delivery charges so far - receiving the product and returning it). I'm thinking about just accepting the loss of money (roughly €140) and forgetting about them altogether, the stress of dealing with them is too much.

First of all, isn't this a thread about them??? But I agree, the more threads, the merrier (or the more people are gonna read them).
Secondly, don't give up! I've fought many battles, with a phone network (got my money back), with Tesco Personal Finance (got it sorted out AND got compensation), with a UK employer here in Ireland who refused to pay me oustanding holiday pay after I left (got my money from them). Don't give up, there's the Citizen's Information Centre and there's the Consumer Agency and the European thingy that was mentioned here, so someone is going to help you with your rights.
Good luck!

SAVE_ME.222

Thanks ^ chilly and Lunabu

I've decided not to let them away with this. I'm just looking for an address to post a registered letter to, but there's nothing on the website? Anyone know the address for the Paris office? Is it the same as the returns address?

Lunabu

I'd give the National Consumer Agency a quick call if I were you:
1890 432 432
You can ask them what they would recommend and what's the story if a company is NOT registered in Ireland. I'd say it's not the first time that someone is looking for advice re Pixmania.
Like I said, I gave them a call a few weeks back and they suggested to send a registered letter to their IRISH registered address. Ask them about that and pick their brains, then ACT:)
Good luck and keep us informed.

Pixmania

Hello,

Thank you for your review.

Orders can be cancelled in the Pix & I space when you log into your account if an item hasn't yet been dispatched.

If an item has already been sent out, you have to refuse the parcel and a refund will be offered when the parcel is returned to our warehouse.

Please note that if a complaint is filed with Paypal, Paypal block the funds during the duration of the enquiry & this can cause a delay.

Please don't hesitate to contact us as soon as you are facing a problem with your CCL number and we will do our best to resolve the issue asap.

Here is our e-mail address : mediator_uk@pixmania.com

Best regards,

Pixmania Mediator

getonyourboots

I just received my digital camera from pixmania. Or at least I thought I did.
When I opened the box there was no camera inside. Where do i stand now, who is responsible for this bull? Pixmania or UPS who delivered it. What do I do next?:eek:

Lunabu

Pixmania wrote: »

Hello,

Thank you for your review.

Orders can be cancelled in the Pix & I space when you log into your account if an item hasn't yet been dispatched.

If an item has already been sent out, you have to refuse the parcel and a refund will be offered when the parcel is returned to our warehouse.

Please note that if a complaint is filed with Paypal, Paypal block the funds during the duration of the enquiry & this can cause a delay.

Please don't hesitate to contact us as soon as you are facing a problem with your CCL number and we will do our best to resolve the issue asap.

Here is our e-mail address : mediator_uk@pixmania.com

Best regards,

Pixmania Mediator

Good to see that there is someone like a mediator. Would be nice to let people know about that on your website, rather than sending people meaningless emails and "confirmations" of having received items back in the warehouse that the buyer never ordered in the first instance.
PayPal did not delay the refund in my case, I'm sure of that. Without PayPal, I'd more than likely still be waiting for my refund, so thumbs up for PayPal and the rest is history.

_Whimsical_

SAVE_ME.222 wrote: »

Thanks ^ chilly and Lunabu

I've decided not to let them away with this. I'm just looking for an address to post a registered letter to, but there's nothing on the website? Anyone know the address for the Paris office? Is it the same as the returns address?

I emailed Alice Walker for help with my situation. She is the North European Supervisor.
The Paris address quoted on her emails is :
43-47, avenue de la Grande Armée - 75016 Paris FRANCE

Lunabu

getonyourboots wrote: »

I just received my digital camera from pixmania. Or at least I thought I did.
When I opened the box there was no camera inside. Where do i stand now, who is responsible for this bull? Pixmania or UPS who delivered it. What do I do next?:eek:

Get back to Pixmania immediately about this. They are responsible for getting the item delivered to you. Good luck!

Kickaha

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=59089593&posted=1#post59089593

keevita

I have also had a nightmare of a time with pixmania, too headwecked by it all to go into the details, but i would not recommend this company to anyone, their customer service is appalling. Its a constant battle with them, and just not worth it. :mad:

baztard

I recently ordered a camera off Pixmania and surprise surprise they delivered the wrong one. I should have paid heed to what is written about them here and avoided them like the plague. Like other people have pointed out, they are expecting me to pay for the return of the camera. They mess up and I have to pay for it. Anyway I submitted a strongly worded email to them through their website, demanding that they pick up the camera for return at their expense. I fully intend on persuing them to the ends of the earth over this. Am awaiting their response...

Lunabu

baztard wrote: »

I recently ordered a camera off Pixmania and surprise surprise they delivered the wrong one. I should have paid heed to what is written about them here and avoided them like the plague. Like other people have pointed out, they are expecting me to pay for the return of the camera. They mess up and I have to pay for it. Anyway I submitted a strongly worded email to them through their website, demanding that they pick up the camera for return at their expense. I fully intend on persuing them to the ends of the earth over this. Am awaiting their response...

An email via their website will merely go to their call centre or something. You'll get an FAQ type reply from them, nothing else. Or maybe a reply that doesn't even refer to your case.
Use the contact details mentioned earlier on in this thread.
Also, you're right, of course they will have to pay for the return of the camera as they sent the wrong product.
Keep us informed about your case here, but do get some advice from the National Consumer Agency.

axer

Always always always try to use a credit card where possible. In the OP's case she could simply charge back - end of story. Never use paypal unless you have to.

Lunabu

I paid by PayPal and it was PayPal that helped me get the money back.
I disagree with PayPal's inflated rates from a seller's point of view, but I think it's great for buyers and I've had positive experiences with PayPal.

flan59

Pixmania may be among the cheapest but in the long run it may be cheaper to buy local. I have NEVER had any success in dealing with them, they always seem to get something wrong. This time I bought a camera and they sent the wrong colour, they refused to answer my e mails so I sent it back on March 7th by Reg post and still I have not had a reply. It always seems to be the same, they will promptly send out your order or something that resembles your order and thats the end of it. Their after sales service is S**T.

MunsterCycling

Why should users here waste their time buying from Pixmania, I'd much rather see them remove your website registration and bar your company from trading here for gross incompetence and down right underhand practices.

Can we get this account removed please, they sully the name of boards.ie by their presence.

MC

Pixmania wrote: »

Hello,

Thank you for your review.

Orders can be cancelled in the Pix & I space when you log into your account if an item hasn't yet been dispatched.

If an item has already been sent out, you have to refuse the parcel and a refund will be offered when the parcel is returned to our warehouse.

Please note that if a complaint is filed with Paypal, Paypal block the funds during the duration of the enquiry & this can cause a delay.

Please don't hesitate to contact us as soon as you are facing a problem with your CCL number and we will do our best to resolve the issue asap.

Here is our e-mail address : mediator_uk@pixmania.com

Best regards,

Pixmania Mediator

Pixmania

Thank you for your comments.

We have made an account on this forum in order to resolve any problems that customers may have as quickly as possible.

We do our best to satisfy our customers. If you are experiencing problems with the Customer Care then please report it to us by email at mediator_uk@pixmania.com

We have made an account on this forus in order to solve any problems that customers may have.
Best regards,
Pixmania Team.

MunsterCycling

Your policies of forcing customers to return faulty goods to France and making them pay for it are in direct violation of European consumer law and best practice.

Good luck as you'll not find many here ordering from you, only the uninformed.

Also if you want to interact with your customers then pay boards.ie to open a sub-forum for you in Commercial Interaction.

Hearvee

I'm gonna add my 2c in here, as it's kind of a 'refund problem'.

I ordered a very expensive item back in January, at a good price, but it went
"temporarily out of stock". Over the last 3 months the same item has come
in/out of stock a number of times, always at a higher price. At one point it
was actually "in stock" in my account for approx 5 days!!!

A number of times (I lost count of how many times I called them) I was
offered a refund but told them I wanted the item I ordered.

This week I was issued a refund, even though the same item is "in stock"
on their site at £250 more than my order. I was even issued a £20 credit
for my inconvenience and patience.

Oh, and I've emailed Alice Walker, who responded quickly to offer the £20
credit for a company I will never order from again, but still just said I was
being refunded. But at least she did say they would also refund any loss
made due to changing currency exchange rates over the 3 months.


So I'm blue in the face trying to find out why I'm being refunded after 3
months, when the product I ordered is "in stock" on the website at £440
more than the price I ordered. In fact a couple of days ago it was almost
£1000 more than the price I paid.

MunsterCycling

If your card wasn't charged then no contract exists and they don't have to supply the item if it was then they are obliged to supply the goods.

MC

dudara

MunsterCycling While I appreciate your good intentions, please leave the handling of the Pixmania account to the moderators and administrators.

Pixmania I appreciate the fact that you have taken the time to respond to issues on this forum. However, we cannot have companies posting on boards without first declaring themselves to the administrators. Please contact one of the administrators before posting here again.

As has been suggested, you might care to open a Commerical Interaction Forum on Boards.

dudara

MunsterCycling

As I had I pointed out, thank you for taking action.

MC

Hearvee

MunsterCycling wrote: »

If your card wasn't charged then no contract exists and they don't have to supply the item if it was then they are obliged to supply the goods.

MC

Yep, my card was charged, and received the refund today even though I
told them I wanted the product, not the refund. I've still not been given a
reason why the refund was sent.
Current "in stock" price on the site is over £400 higher than when I ordered.

Shame the European Consumer Centre is only open from 9.30-13.00 Mon-Fri
so I'll have to wait until Tuesday to ask them about it.