PC World refusing to give me receipt

Kenny Bania

So I spent €2099 on a new PC on PCWorld.ie 2 weeks ago. It arrived last week, but with no receipt.
There was no online receipt either - just an order confirmation via e-mail after I made the order. All I was able to see was Order Details with confirmation of price, payment method, ETA, etc.

Anyway - I sent multiple e-mails to their "websales@pcworld.ie" address asking for a proper invoice and got no reply. Last one was 5 days ago.

So I called them this morning and they told me to e-mail that same address - I said I already did, and they said to just wait. She said they can't sort invoices there - it's done by a different company. I told them to put me through to that company and she said they're e-mail only. I called bullsh*t and said that nobody is e-mail only and I want my invoice. I shouldn't have to chase it by both phone & e-mail - it should have been sent to me!

Anyway - I got fobbed off on the phone and am getting no reply from their e-mails. How should I proceed?

Thanks all.

Del2005

If it's within the 14 day cooling off period send it back, there's bound to be better value and service available elsewhere.

Kenny Bania

Del2005 wrote: »

If it's within the 14 day cooling off period send it back, there's bound to be better value and service available elsewhere.

Too much hassle - it's all set up & I'm happy with it. It was one of these - so not just a desktop:
http://www.pcworld.ie/product/asus-zen-aio-pro-4k-touchscreen-allinone-pc/329000/397.0.0

I just want a bloody invoice!!

JustShon

Have you thought of going in to a shop in person and asking to speak to a manager?

They can't ignore a person standing there as easily as they can ignore an email.

mickdw

Is there any possibility that you could dispute the charge via your credit card when the order has not completed to your satisfaction?

JustShon

mickdw wrote: »

Is there any possibility that you could dispute the charge via your credit card when the order has not completed to your satisfaction?

OP doesn't want his money back or to dispute the charges. He's happy with the product, just wants an invoice / receipt for it.

Kenny Bania

JustShon wrote: »

Have you thought of going in to a shop in person and asking to speak to a manager?

If I have to go all the way to one of their stores just to get something I should have been given already (and something I've chased twice via phone & e-mail), then I'd just return the item on general principal alone. I don't like people taking the p*ss out of me.
If I was going to a PC World store, it'd be with the computer boxed back up and a refusal to leave the store without a full refund. I'm hoping there's another solution. I shouldn't need to be doing this at all!

Surely where there's VAT involved, these guys must be legally obliged to give me an invoice??

JustShon

Kenny Bania wrote: »

If I have to go all the way to one of their stores just to get something I should have been given already (and something I've chased twice via phone & e-mail), then I'd just return the item on general principal alone. I don't like people taking the p*ss out of me.
If I was going to a PC World store, it'd be with the computer boxed back up and a refusal to leave the store without a full refund. I'm hoping there's another solution. I shouldn't need to be doing this at all!

Surely where there's VAT involved, these guys must be legally obliged to give me an invoice??

Yes they are legally obliged to give a receipt / invoice.

I'm not saying you should have to go into a PC world store to get a receipt but that might be the only way you're going to get attention from them.

Your other options are: Continue to badger them via email and phone in the hopes they give in or, live without the invoice / receipt.

2012paddy2012

No they are not obliged to give receipt ...law is silent on the matter. If you have confirmation by post that the item was sent by the company ..relax your grand

JustShon

2012paddy2012 wrote: »

No they are not obliged to give receipt

I stand corrected, I always assumed you were legally entitled to a receipt.

Kenny Bania

2012paddy2012 wrote: »

No they are not obliged to give receipt ...law is silent on the matter. If you have confirmation by post that the item was sent by the company ..relax your grand

But it was a new PC for my company - I need the VAT back.

whiskeyman

For TAX / VAT reasons, surely you're entitled to an invoice though?

Did that order confirmation say anything about 'treat as invoice' or include their VAT number?

JustShon

Kenny Bania wrote: »

But it was a new PC for my company - I need the VAT back.

Here's revenue's info on who is required to issue a VAT receipt: http://www.revenue.ie/en/tax/vat/guide/credit-notes.html#section2

I don't know what the legal definition of an "accountable person" is, perhaps someone more knowledgeable can let us know.

If you qualify as an "accountable person" then they would be legally required to issue you with a VAT invoice.

2012paddy2012

I had this issue before. There is absolutely no obligation to give a receipt obviously you don't need one if you bought by credit card as it's your proof if purchase.. However if you were foolish enough to handle over that kind of money in cash without getting a receipt .. It's unbelievable.

Kenny Bania

JustShon wrote: »

Here's revenue's info on who is required to issue a VAT receipt: http://www.revenue.ie/en/tax/vat/guide/credit-notes.html#section2

I don't know what the legal definition of an "accountable person" is, perhaps someone more knowledgeable can let us know.

If you qualify as an "accountable person" then they would be legally required to issue you with a VAT invoice.

An "accountable person" would be someone who is registered for VAT.

So they are legally obliged.

Pkiernan

Write to them requesting receipt within 10 working days.
If no response file a Small Claims Court case for the same amount as the VAT you can't claim without an invoice.

JustShon

2012paddy2012 wrote: »

However if you were foolish enough to handle over that kind of money in cash without getting a receipt .. It's unbelievable.

You haven't read his post have you?

He ordered online and had it delivered. Handing over cash for an online purchase would be some feat.

serfboard

OP if I were you I'd ring Revenue and ask them what they think you should do.

After all, you need the VAT receipt to re-claim the VAT, and here is a (presumably) VAT-registered company who's not giving it to you.

For reasons like this, this is why I usually browse on-line but buy in-store. That way, if there is any problem with the product/receipt etc. I can go directly to the person that sold it and get it sorted.

P. Breathnach

Pkiernan wrote: »

Write to them requesting receipt within 10 working days.
If no response file a Small Claims Court case for the same amount as the VAT you can't claim without an invoice.

You can't use the SCC for a business-to-business transaction.

Kenny Bania

serfboard wrote: »

OP if I were you I'd ring Revenue and ask them what they think you should do.

After all, you need the VAT receipt to re-claim the VAT, and here is a (presumably) VAT-registered company who's not giving it to you.

For reasons like this, this is why I usually browse on-line but buy in-store. That way, if there is any problem with the product/receipt etc. I can go directly to the person that sold it and get it sorted.

Yeah, but this item is online order only. Otherwise I would have bought instore so I wouldn't have had to wait either.

Will call Revenue for advice. Thanks.

davo10

Op, when you bought online, didn't they send you an email confirming the order and the price paid?

Kenny Bania

davo10 wrote: »

Op, when you bought online, didn't they send you an email confirming the order and the price paid?

Yeah, but it's just a confirmation of order - no VAT breakdown, and it's not a receipt - payment hadn't been taken yet, etc. Just an order confirmation...

dudara

As this is for a company, and VAT reclamation, this is not a Consumer Issue. Moving to Entreprenurial and Business Management.

Did PC world know that you were buying it for business purposes and hence would need a VAT invoice / receipt? In other words, did they know you were an "accountable person". They would need your VAT number also for their VAT returns.

dudara

gizmo555

dudara wrote: »

They would need your VAT number also for their VAT returns.

dudara

Why?

dudara

That way PC World know the transaction is to another validly registered business, and they can offset their input and output VAT

ED E

Return it, shop elsewhere. If it dies in 6mo imagine how much pain you may have.

Irish consumers are poor at voting with their feet, this just leads to worse customer care.

gizmo555

dudara wrote: »

That way PC World know the transaction is to another validly registered business, and they can offset their input and output VAT

Makes no sense to me. If the goods or services you're selling are subject to VAT, you have to charge it and pay it to Revenue, whether an individual customer is VAT-registered or not. And you can offset any VAT on your own purchases against this (provided you have a valid VAT receipt or invoice).

The VAT3 form does not ask whether any of the VAT on sales you made was to other VAT-registered businesses, so where would you return such information anyway?

cruizer101

Just to confirm OP, was there any PC World paperwork with the delivery at all.

Kenny Bania

cruizer101 wrote: »

Just to confirm OP, was there any PC World paperwork with the delivery at all.

No - just a DPD shipping doc. It was stuck onto the actual product box itself - so there wasn't even any extra external packaging.

Trojan

Revenue are not unreasonable. If it was me, I'd just print the payment confirmation page, calculate and handwrite in the VAT amount, staple on the email correspondance with PCworld and file it in expenses. Also you're losing money every minute you spend dealing with this

Joseph

You've already got plenty of advice regarding the invoice/receipt. For any future computer purchases I would strongly recommend to stay clear of any Irish retailers, you are not going to get value for money and as you've seen the customer service can be poor at best.

I'd be happy to recommend some other options for purchasing depending on your needs, feel free to PM me. (disclaimer: I have no business interest in this, just don't like seeing people get defecated on by Irish retailers, especially with computers)

mneylon

They have a b2b arm: http://www.pcworld.ie/content/pc-world-business-welcome/2298
Maybe speak to them?

VincePP

Kenny Bania wrote: »

Yeah, but it's just a confirmation of order - no VAT breakdown, and it's not a receipt - payment hadn't been taken yet, etc. Just an order confirmation...

You bought as a consumer on their consumer website. No vat receipt has to be issued.

Any basic accountant will cross reference your payment with a print off of the order confirmation and calculate the vat paid. If their vat number is not on the receipt, write it on yourself. Its 8259460C

That literally is as simple as it gets.



Your other option is to get all worked up about it, start getting angry with call centre person, make it take hours of your time and get absolutely no advantage whatsoever to what I describe above.

mickdw

VincePP wrote: »

You bought as a consumer on their consumer website. No vat receipt has to be issued.

Any basic accountant will cross reference your payment with a print off of the order confirmation and calculate the vat paid. If their vat number is not on the receipt, write it on yourself. Its 8259460C

That literally is as simple as it gets.



Your other option is to get all worked up about it, start getting angry with call centre person, make it take hours of your time and get absolutely no advantage whatsoever to what I describe above.

Is that 100% fine as far as a tax audit goes?
Is there any situation where that sale could have gone through vat free and if so, assuming the vat amount could be abit dodgy..... Im only asking the question. Ive no idea if there is a situation where the sale from pc world could have been vat free.

VincePP

mickdw wrote: »

Is that 100% fine as far as a tax audit goes?
Is there any situation where that sale could have gone through vat free and if so, assuming the vat amount could be abit dodgy..... Im only asking the question. Ive no idea if there is a situation where the sale from pc world could have been vat free.

100% fine. I've done it for years and have had two tax audits (32 years in business) and its never been an issue.

Many retail shops don't do vat breakdown - ikea is an example. Accountant just checks the item and calculates the vat and writes it on the till receipt

Sleeper12

All you need is pc world's vat number and proof of payment with reference number and something saying what the payment was for. You can claim back the vat with this information.
You will only get into difficulty if you have tons of transactions like this as it looks suspicious but as a one off its perfectly acceptable.

Palmach

Joseph wrote: »

For any future computer purchases I would strongly recommend to stay clear of any Irish retailers, you are not going to get value for money and as you've seen the customer service can be poor at best.
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That statement is nonsense. I have purchased goods online including PCs and laptops and have always got a receipt and been very happy with price and service. My advice would be to phone the revenue. As oen poster said they are generally understanding.

Joseph

Palmach wrote: »

That statement is nonsense. I have purchased goods online including PCs and laptops and have always got a receipt and been very happy with price and service. My advice would be to phone the revenue. As oen poster said they are generally understanding.

Any time I have ever checked the prices have been bloated compared to other retailers (UK and otherwise). Sometimes it may not be obvious with models and specifications on devices but 9 times out of 10 they are worse.

Any experiences I've had with them is like trying to pull teeth. Glad you are having such a good time.