Problem with Techdirect.

ThunderZtorm

Hi all,

Sorry if some of my questions are stupid - I don't come from Ireland originally, so I may not know certain basics of how things work and where to go with complaints like these..

Now, here's the story:

On January 21st, I order a cable and a Windows DVD on Techdirect.ie, as they advertise with 2-3 days delivery and the prices seem quite ok. Their sales pitch also tells me that on the day the package is sent I will receive a mail with a label number so I can track it on Fastway.ie's website.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday pass, I send a mail to them on Thursday (26th) asking if they know when my order is shipped. I get an answer same day that my order has shipped and should be with me the day after. No label number.

Thursday, Friday and the weekend pass, and on Monday (30th) I send another mail asking where my things are as they still haven't been delivered. I get no reply.
On Tuesday 31st, I send two mails (one in the morning and one in the afternoon) stating that I still haven't seen my items. Still no reply.

On Wednesday the 1st, I send yet another two mails. I finally get a reply in the afternoon, stating that he can see digital proof of delivery from Fastway online, but will ask his manager to contact Fastway for information tomorrow morning.

On Thursday the 2nd, in the afternoon, I ask what they found out. I get an answer stating that "if Fastway does not have a reasonable explanation we will reship today"

Friday (3rd) I send another mail, asking what has happened, if they reshipped or not and if I can get a label number on the package this time so I can follow it - and if it hasn't shipped, can I get my money back (Paid with VISA, money has been taken from my account).



Now, what do I do from here - I don't believe that I will ever get the things I paid for, and I can't afford to just let 160 euro go like that. Where do I go to complain, what do I do?
I read in another post that you can somehow tell your bank to get the money back, but I'm not sure how that works and if that's too late now?

I know the company has broken several Danish laws, but obviously I don't really know the Irish laws on this..

ShaShaBear

Well I've had similar dealings with Fastway Couriers, only not to that degree of expense. Ordered a keyboard from Littlewoods, and two weeks after the due delivery date, I decided to cancel (no contact was made to attempt delivery). From the following day, Fastway rang me once a day for five days organizing delivery, despite me telling them every single time that I had cancelled the order due to their poor service. They then decided to forward onto Littlewoods that I had signed for and received the keyboard (where the hell they got my signature from is beyond me) and I had to have an unholy fight with Littlewoods to get the item charge removed from my account.

8 months later and I decided to get myself some new clothes off Littlewoods, thinking it would be like it used to, and An Post would deal with the delivery. Shocked and dismayed to log on today to find out it was sent to Fastway in the midlands, and I was due to receive it last Friday. No-one has attempted to contact me since Fastway received my package Wednesday morning to deliver it to me, and since I go back to college tomorrow, I can safely say I will end up having to cancel this order as well. If this goes like the last dealing, I will be steering completely clear of Fastway and any companies that employ their services.

ThunderZtorm

.. So the lack of replies signal that there's absolutely nothing I can do?

I can't take back the payment or report this to Gardai or anything at all? I'm just basically screwed?

In Denmark, where I come from, I could legally kill this company for this behaviour - surely there must be SOMETHING I can do??!


EDIT - I have STILL not received my goods, in spite of them now saying that it has been re-shipped and I should've received it today. I have been home ALL day, just like I have been for more than TWO WEEKS now.
Is this really the standard of service that is accepted in Ireland? If so, then you guys have a LOT to learn.

To compare. If I had ordered the exact same products in Denmark, I would've gotten them by noon the day after. That is within 24 hours delivery GUARANTEED. I would have gotten an official receipt with the company's name, address, telephone nr and CVR nr (company ID in Danish system), and if ANY of this was incorrect or missing, I could've sued the company instantly.

I have never in my life had an experience this horrible and I sure as hell ain't going to recommend this company to anyone. I find it amazing that this can happen in a western country.. Heck, I've ordered things from the USA that arrived faster, with less hassle. Actually I've done so several times.

SteoL

ThunderZtorm wrote: »

.. So the lack of replies signal that there's absolutely nothing I can do?

I can't take back the payment or report this to Gardai or anything at all? I'm just basically screwed?

In Denmark, where I come from, I could legally kill this company for this behaviour - surely there must be SOMETHING I can do??!


EDIT - I have STILL not received my goods, in spite of them now saying that it has been re-shipped and I should've received it today. I have been home ALL day, just like I have been for more than TWO WEEKS now.
Is this really the standard of service that is accepted in Ireland? If so, then you guys have a LOT to learn.

To compare. If I had ordered the exact same products in Denmark, I would've gotten them by noon the day after. That is within 24 hours delivery GUARANTEED. I would have gotten an official receipt with the company's name, address, telephone nr and CVR nr (company ID in Danish system), and if ANY of this was incorrect or missing, I could've sued the company instantly.

I have never in my life had an experience this horrible and I sure as hell ain't going to recommend this company to anyone. I find it amazing that this can happen in a western country.. Heck, I've ordered things from the USA that arrived faster, with less hassle. Actually I've done so several times.

Sorry didn't actually read quoted post as in rush but if you can contact your bank and request a chargeback to your credit card (not dr card) for non receipt of goods. Not sure if there is a higher body can you can escalate to other than than the NCA.

Good luck with it!

EDIT: I would just like to add that this is far from the normal level of service in Ideland and it's something I have never personally experienced. I am usually very satisfied with the speed of my online purchases. I just use standard post though.

Zab

Hey ThunderZtorm,

Mainly you're covered by the Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act.

You can find more here: http://www.nca.ie/yourrights

Obviously you have the right to insist you receive the goods! However, realistically exercising these rights will require you to send letters and ultimately bring a case to the Small Claims Court if the company won't acknowledge you.

SteoL's method will be much faster and if your bank is willing to do it for you then I suggest you go that route.

However, it does seem a little early for any legal system to allow you "kill the company", or look fondly on you instantly bringing legal action without trying to solve the issue with the company first. I don't know how things work in Denmark in particular though.

Zab.

ThunderZtorm

Zab wrote: »

Hey ThunderZtorm,

Mainly you're covered by the Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act.

You can find more here: http://www.nca.ie/yourrights

Obviously you have the right to insist you receive the goods! However, realistically exercising these rights will require you to send letters and ultimately bring a case to the Small Claims Court if the company won't acknowledge you.

SteoL's method will be much faster and if your bank is willing to do it for you then I suggest you go that route.

However, it does seem a little early for any legal system to allow you "kill the company", or look fondly on you instantly bringing legal action without trying to solve the issue with the company first. I don't know how things work in Denmark in particular though.

Zab.

Basically, in Denmark we have overnight delivery and a legal requirement for the company to publish name, phone and home address. If it takes 22 days and 10+ mails as well as phonecalls (that end up NOT at the company but somebody else), there's enough "evidence" that the company is a fake. If any of the info is wrong, the company will have it's rights to trade in Denmark revoked.

ThunderZtorm

I can now add the following events to the "history" of this:

February 6th, I get a reply stating that my items have now been reshipped and should be with be "tomorrow".

February 7th at 5pm, I send a mail stating "nothing so far - did you get a label number this time?" No answer.

February 7th, an hour later, I try calling the number given to me and get a hold of a guy from a company called tech1 - he has no idea about my order or anything related to this company. I mail them again. No answer.

February 8th I send a large email to the email addresses I know from the company stating I want my things or my money back. I send this mail in the morning, giving them a full day to respond. No answer.

February 9th I forward the mail asking for a reply. I state in no uncertain way that I want to cancel and get my money back as I don't believe I will ever see my things. Awaiting reply.

I don't know where to report to, im sure someone will be along with details, but I can tell you to go get a chargeback on your credit card, go to your bank

ThunderZtorm

Fastway just arrived with my things! Amazing.

Except of course that the cable I ordered and the cable I got are two different things. At least the Windows DVD looks right...

... Off to PC world to get the cable I actually need..

nosferatum19

i belive this company not exist, open the web-site http://www.techdirect.ie/online-store-ireland and go to ABOUT US you will se the adress
unit W3F Ladytown Business Park, Naas, Co. Kildare, Ireland
Now, Ladytown oficial page
http://ladytown.ie/?page_id=168

and check unit W3F you will see this

W3F Newbridge Gas www.newbridgegas.ie 045 449236


I belive this company not exist, is a <SNIP>
they have no ph. to contact them?

what we can do in this case??

kingco251

You are right. They are a <SNIP> trader from that address and are a <SNIP> company. They have numerous other <SNIP> trading names www.cheaplaptops.ie www.techdirect.ie www.laptopsireland.ie www.tekone.ie These are all <SNIP> I placed an order over a month ago and did not receive it in delivery so I cancelled the order and was told I would get my refund but to date have still not received a refund. The have no contact telephone numbers and when you email them they do not reply to the emails

adrianglass

I don't like to rubbish companies on a public forum... but... as a warning to others.

I ordered a second-hand laptop from cheaplaptops.ie.
Waited a while for some sort of order confirmation email.
Didn't get it - so emailed them, several times.

Had various delivery promises, then and email that said that cheaplaptops.ie was in the process of being absorbed into tekone.ie and that they'd been having some problems, plus my original laptop had failed burn-in and would be replaced by a higher spec (ex-demo) model.

When the laptop eventually arrived it was filthy, lots of sticky finger-marks on the screen and generally insanitary. Never mind - quick wipe over with a damp cloth and all should be well.

Then discovered that they'd not installed the Samsung-specific software, so things like FN keys didn't work, and the display wasn't properly set up. Spent quite some time on the Samsung site downloading & installing the correct bits & pieces.

Now Windows starts complaining that this install isn't activated. So - type in the COA Key from the label on the bottom of the machine - and it refuses to activate. Spend more time on the phone to MS and Samsung - it appears that cheaplaptops.ie had wiped the entire hard drive (losing the recovery partition and the original setup data) so nobody can help me.

Have emailed cheaplaptops.ie and their associated companies ten times or so since Monday - and no response whatsoever. You can't contact them by phone - so email is the only option.

They are either very inefficient, or just downright dodgy.... I can't decide which.
My advice would be to save your cash and buy elsewhere - I wish I had.

Adrian

*********update 3pm Saturday**********
In the interests of fairness, finally managed to contact 'somebody' from one of the companies
(by sending a text to the contact number on tekone.ie),
who denied any association with cheaplaptops.ie, but was able to email [email]<SNIP>@cheaplaptops.ie[/email] who
claimed that they'd sent the COA info to me via emails three times in the past week, also by post.
None of these emails or letters had arrived with me...

Was then contacted by a <SNIP> (Operations Manager) who told me off for having the temerity to contact
them at the weekend - and told me he'd instructed the original responder from TekOne.ie to'ignore any further communication' from me.

They did supply a working COA, and the laptop now seems to be activated properly (no more nag screens on boot up)
In updating the COA, ANG Anti-virus is now complaining about it's own license, but I can sort that.

So - it would appear that there is life in cheaplaptops.ie - but, apart from that, all of the above comments still apply,
plus they gain a further demerit mark for telling off the customer once they finally manage to get some response from that company...

Adrian

kingco251

Hi Adrian, I had all that rubbish too when I eventually got in contact with them. I was told the same bull that a manager in England, your <SNIP> would be handling it directly. THERE IS NO <SNIP>. ITS ALL BULL****. It is all a <SNIP>. All of these <SNIP> websites are run by one guy who calls himself <SNIP>. All info from all of the previously mentioned websites goes to him and he is probably just a techie <SNIP> that operates from his home. There is no proper laptops to buy and no big warehouse of used equip. His phone number is <SNIP>. I eventually got my money back after I got my bank to contact him and I suppose to avoid being found out he refunded my money but there is probably alot of people who are losing their money. PLEASE DONT BUY FROM CHEAPLAPTOPS.IE, TEKONE OR ANY OF ITS ASSOCIATED WEBSITES. ITS ONE <SNIP>.

dudara

Can I please remind posters to refrain from hyperbole and stick to hard facts. In addition, please do not post names, phone numbers or email addresses.

dudara

adrianglass

adrianglass wrote: »

I don't like to rubbish companies on a public forum... but... as a warning to others.

I ordered a second-hand laptop from cheaplaptops.ie.
Waited a while for some sort of order confirmation email.
Didn't get it - so emailed them, several times.

Had various delivery promises, then and email that said that cheaplaptops.ie was in the process of being absorbed into tekone.ie and that they'd been having some problems, plus my original laptop had failed burn-in and would be replaced by a higher spec (ex-demo) model.

When the laptop eventually arrived it was filthy, lots of sticky finger-marks on the screen and generally insanitary. Never mind - quick wipe over with a damp cloth and all should be well.

Then discovered that they'd not installed the Samsung-specific software, so things like FN keys didn't work, and the display wasn't properly set up. Spent quite some time on the Samsung site downloading & installing the correct bits & pieces.

Now Windows starts complaining that this install isn't activated. So - type in the COA Key from the label on the bottom of the machine - and it refuses to activate. Spend more time on the phone to MS and Samsung - it appears that cheaplaptops.ie had wiped the entire hard drive (losing the recovery partition and the original setup data) so nobody can help me.

Have emailed cheaplaptops.ie and their associated companies ten times or so since Monday - and no response whatsoever. You can't contact them by phone - so email is the only option.

They are either very inefficient, or just downright dodgy.... I can't decide which.
My advice would be to save your cash and buy elsewhere - I wish I had.

Adrian

*********update 3pm Saturday**********
In the interests of fairness, finally managed to contact 'somebody' from one of the companies
(by sending a text to the contact number on tekone.ie),
who denied any association with cheaplaptops.ie, but was able to email [email]<SNIP>@cheaplaptops.ie[/email] who
claimed that they'd sent the COA info to me via emails three times in the past week, also by post.
None of these emails or letters had arrived with me...

Was then contacted by a <SNIP> (Operations Manager) who told me off for having the temerity to contact
them at the weekend - and told me he'd instructed the original responder from TekOne.ie to'ignore any further communication' from me.

They did supply a working COA, and the laptop now seems to be activated properly (no more nag screens on boot up)
In updating the COA, ANG Anti-virus is now complaining about it's own license, but I can sort that.

So - it would appear that there is life in cheaplaptops.ie - but, apart from that, all of the above comments still apply,
plus they gain a further demerit mark for telling off the customer once they finally manage to get some response from that company...

Adrian

Another update 22/5/12 - battery on the laptop failed after a few weeks.

Dealing with the company was just too much like hard work - so replacement purchased on eBay.
Apparently they were having problems with their website / organisation etc at the time my order was placed, and I've been told that the machine I ordered never actually existed - so it's hard to understand how it could have failed test, as I was told at the time.

They sent me an email this morning promoting their massive stock of cheap s/h laptops & inviting me to buy another one...... don;t think that's going to happen any time soon!

No hyperbole - just plain & simple reporting of the facts!
Buyer beware!

Caucasian Ovcharka

kingco251 wrote: »

Hi Adrian, I had all that rubbish too when I eventually got in contact with them. I was told the same bull that a manager in England, your <SNIP> would be handling it directly. THERE IS NO <SNIP>. ITS ALL BULL****. It is all a <SNIP>. All of these <SNIP> websites are run by one guy who calls himself <SNIP>. All info from all of the previously mentioned websites goes to him and he is probably just a techie <SNIP> that operates from his home. There is no proper laptops to buy and no big warehouse of used equip. His phone number is <SNIP>. I eventually got my money back after I got my bank to contact him and I suppose to avoid being found out he refunded my money but there is probably alot of people who are losing their money. PLEASE DONT BUY FROM CHEAPLAPTOPS.IE, TEKONE OR ANY OF ITS ASSOCIATED WEBSITES. ITS ONE <SNIP>.

I HAVE HAD A NIGHTMARE WITH THIS GUY TOO THEY HAVE A LOT OF SITES THAT ARE ALL FAKE WEBSITES SUGGESTING A HUGE BUSINESS WITH 1000'S OF PRODUCTS ETC BUT ITS NOT VAT REGISTERED BUSINESS BECAUSE THEY CLAIM TO HAVE A TURNOVER UNDER 70000 A YEAR.

I paid €300 for a laptop that burnt out after a week and they would not stand over it. They claimed that I must of damaged it if it failed after a week. As the other poster pointed out my laptop was also dirty with hairs and grime under the keyboard (which actually had 7 wornout letters), smudges and grease on the screen. :mad:

In order to get a refund I had to constantly call and email them and he was actually aggressive to me on the phone regarding my repeated calls. After 2 weeks of stress I returned the laptop by registered post that cost me 15 euro and then waited another 2 weeks for a refund.

They are not an irish outfit and I would not recommend them to anyone I'd agree with the above this is one man show pretending to be a legitimate business selling old outdated dirty laptops at high prices.:mad:

Worst experience of buying online.