Problems with Telescope Company

YYZ

Hi, this is my first post on boards.ie. Over a month ago I bought a telescope from Scopes and Space in Dublin. They didn't send me a confirmation e-mail (even this I thought was strange, every purchase I have made online has involved me being sent a confirmation e-mail). They then e-mailed me back saying there would be a two week delay in the shipment of my telescope, they asked did I want to wait for the delivery, I said yes, and then they e-mailed me the receipt for my telescope. After two weeks I e-mailed them, no response. Over the last few weeks I have sent them four e-mails total and no response. I have made two attempts to ring them and neither time did they answer the phone (I let it ring and no one answered). I live in Cork so going up to Dublin on the train is an expense and hassle I hope to avoid if possible.
Has anyone had problems with this company before? Has anyone had similar problems with another company and if so could ye tell me how it was resolved? Also, something I'm not sure of, since it's a limited liability company, does this mean they can legally keep my money if they go out of business? (I don't know if this is what's going on with the company or not I can only speculate.)
Thanks in advance for any help anyone can give me, this situation has me incredibly frustrated, I have never been treated this badly by any company before.

jimmii

Their site is down and they have been quiet on Social Media for a month after being reasonably active previously. I hope it wasn't too expensive as this would be worrying me. Hopefully someone from Swords sees this and can say whether they are still open. Post to them publicly on Facebook or Twitter that might get a response from someone in case the email is down as well as the site.

slimjimmc

Try contacting them on Facebook or Twitter.

To answer your speculation, if you paid by credit card or some debit cards you may be able to do a chargeback.
http://www.consumerhelp.ie/out-of-business

YYZ

I might see about getting onto them on Twitter or Facebook but I'm not sure how much good it would do, after I started this thread I tried ringing them several times today and there was no response. Their site has been down for about a week but they haven't been responding to my e-mails for far longer than that. It's annoying because if I'd gone with Amazon it would probably have been on time and even if it wasn't they'd have responded very quick to an e-mail. If I can get a refund I'll go straight to Amazon if I can't I won't be able to get a telescope for a good while.
I used my AIB debit card to buy it. I might go in to AIB during the week and ask if they do chargebacks.

GerardKeating

YYZ wrote: »

Hi, this is my first post on boards.ie. Over a month ago I bought a telescope from Scopes and Space in Dublin. They didn't send me a confirmation e-mail (even this I thought was strange, every purchase I have made online has involved me being sent a confirmation e-mail). They then e-mailed me back saying there would be a two week delay in the shipment of my telescope, they asked did I want to wait for the delivery, I said yes, and then they e-mailed me the receipt for my telescope. After two weeks I e-mailed them, no response. Over the last few weeks I have sent them four e-mails total and no response. I have made two attempts to ring them and neither time did they answer the phone (I let it ring and no one answered). I live in Cork so going up to Dublin on the train is an expense and hassle I hope to avoid if possible.
Has anyone had problems with this company before? Has anyone had similar problems with another company and if so could ye tell me how it was resolved? Also, something I'm not sure of, since it's a limited liability company, does this mean they can legally keep my money if they go out of business? (I don't know if this is what's going on with the company or not I can only speculate.)
Thanks in advance for any help anyone can give me, this situation has me incredibly frustrated, I have never been treated this badly by any company before.

Assuming you paid by card, contact your bank immediately, tell them the company seems to have "disappeared" and you are worried, and ask for a chargeback, there is a limited time for a chargeback, don't waste them waiting for them to get back, worse case, you can always place another order when they bother to reply.

YYZ

Thanks, I'll do that Monday. But I worry I might have left too much time pass already. I kept assuming 'It'll be sorted out soon enough' and before I knew it a month had passed.

delahuntv

YYZ wrote: »

Thanks, I'll do that Monday. But I worry I might have left too much time pass already. I kept assuming 'It'll be sorted out soon enough' and before I knew it a month had passed.

Don't worry.

Plenty of time left. Aib debit is a visa payment card and comes with protection.

Simply ring the card holder section, inform them that the purchase was not dispatched and request a chargeback.

GerardKeating

YYZ wrote: »

Thanks, I'll do that Monday. But I worry I might have left too much time pass already. I kept assuming 'It'll be sorted out soon enough' and before I knew it a month had passed.

Why wait till monday, they take calls 24/7

YYZ

Oh, didn't realise that, I thought they only operated Monday to Friday, thanks for the info.

Tiny Weasel

I called up to them on Saturday and they were closed, they definitely seem to be trying to cut and run. Go for the chargeback.

mickmackey1

At least one of the blokes involved is well known in the Irish astronomical community, I don't think he can simply leg it with your money.

YYZ

Thanks Tiny Weasel, I greatly appreciate that because otherwise I might have got the train up to Dublin to speak to them, spend 60 euros or whatever the cost is only to find the damn place is closed.
Mickmackey 1 that's what confuses me about the whole thing, the site when it was up gave the impression that they were actually seriously interested in astronomy, I couldn't imagine them being interested in ripping people off like this when it comes to something that they seem to have a genuine interest in. Hopefully the guy you mentioned is so well known that this problem will be sorted out soon. But I'm not taking any more chances, I've gotten in touch with AIB and will attempt to get the money back.

Astroboi

You are not alone, I know of 3 other people who are trying to get money back from this lot. Two of them in excess of 8 grand.
This lot have gone to ground, I understand the Garda in Swords are involved, I would contact them if I was you.

jimmii

Hopefully they haven't done a runner. People almost always carry on too long in retail when things go wrong and the hole just gets deeper. If they have gone under it would have been nice to send a courtesy message to people who have made orders so at least they know to try and claim back from CC companies instead of just go silent but it must be a very depressing time and you'd probably just want to go and hide.

OP most people manage their social media pages by phone so if they aren't checking emails you might find they will still be logged in on facebook/twitter. For small businesses its a lot easier way to communicate.

jimmii

Astroboi wrote: »

You are not alone, I know of 3 other people who are trying to get money back from this lot. Two of them in excess of 8 grand.
This lot have gone to ground, I understand the Garda in Swords are involved, I would contact them if I was you.

Ouch that really doesn't sound good. Was the shop around for a while or just popped up recently?

EDIT: looking it up they appear to have started trading in 2011 then switched to an LTD in 2012 last accounts to date on CRO were filed June 2013 so looks like it might not just be customers that are trying to find out what is going on!

Astroboi

jimmii wrote: »

Ouch that really doesn't sound good. Was the shop around for a while or just popped up recently?

It's going a few years, took over from Astronomy Ireland.

As far as I know they have changed their mobile numbers and have not been seen on social media for weeks.

jimmii

Astroboi wrote: »

It's going a few years, took over from Astronomy Ireland.

As far as I know they have changed their mobile numbers and have not been seen on social media for weeks.

Yeh was just looking them up there seems they have been going for about 4 years as Scopes and Space at least.

Astroboi

jimmii wrote: »

Ouch that really doesn't sound good. Was the shop around for a while or just popped up recently?

EDIT: looking it up they appear to have started trading in 2011 then switched to an LTD in 2012 last accounts to date on CRO were filed June 2013 so looks like it might not just be customers that are trying to find out what is going on!

Understand they have a few suppliers looking for them also. Some of which have dropped them.

jimmii

Astroboi wrote: »

Understand they have a few suppliers looking for them also. Some of which have dropped them.

Lots of suppliers are offering credit again now very easy for things to get out of hand.

slimjimmc

Posters, while it's looking more likely the company is no longer trading I think we shouldn't speculate on why. Let's stick to the consumer issue at hand. Thanks.

Brassman04

Don't go near them. Allegedly under investigation. I paid seven and half thousand euros towards large telescope last October and also gave them my 8 inch telescope as a trade in for a further 1000 euros off the outstanding balance. I have received nothing. I ZHAVE been to shop regularly and have been given very plausible excuses , all <SNIP>. I Am helping Grads with investigations but that will not get my money back. I have taken steps to gets charge backs from both PTSB and AIB but it is not looking good because of time delay. You just <SNIP>. I am unemployed since been made redundant last July and made decision to buy a really good telescope instead of upgrading car and now it looks as if <SNIP> and there seems to be nothing I can do. I took small clamps court case for the scope the took off me but that is only for 1000 euros. I also have a solicitor involved but if scope is not worth a lot it might not be worth that. Limited companies in this country are far too protected

YYZ

Brassman 04 I am very sorry to hear that you lost so much money to these people. You are right about the liability laws, there is no reason in the world why they shouldn't have to pay you back every cent, I hope you can take consolation from the fact that these <SNIP> people have tough times ahead of them, if the law doesn't take care of them their reputations are ruined, and I don't believe they will be able to get away with <SNIP> like this in future.

I hope a lesson has been learned from my experience. I made very little effort to research this shop, I just looked at their website and said 'oh that shops looks fine'. Of course it looked fine they're not going to advertise <SNIP>! The first few people <SNIP> couldn't have known what was to come but I could have, more research would have told me what these people are like. So to everyone who might be reading this, if you deal with a business you have never encountered before, do a LOT of research on them.

YYZ

Scopes and Space has sent me a letter telling me that they have ceased trading and that the matter is now in the hands of An Garda Siochána and that they are not in a position to refund any balances due. Oh yeah and 'please accept our most sincere apologies for the inconvenience caused'. They didn't seem to mind inconveniencing me by ignoring all of my emails. I will buy a new telescope soon and after that I hope I never have to order anything online again, I don't think I will ever again be comfortable with the idea of paying for something in advance.

YYZ

Hi all, just a quick update on what happened. After resigning myself to the idea that I wasn't getting my money back I decided I was buying the telescope anyway, I bought it off Amazon. The telescope arrived, and on the same day a letter came from AIB telling me that they got the money back! There's been a few clear skies since so I had a great time looking at the Moon, Jupiter and Venus (that's all I can find until my astronomy skills get better) Thanks very much to everyone who has helped me deal with this annoying experience.

mickmackey1

Delighted to hear that, enjoy the scope!

YYZ

Thanks, just delighted the matter is finally dealt with