Dublin Mint Office Scam? Pay up or they pass your details to a debt collector..

Sounds

Hi,

I ordered the free Elvis coin for a family member from Dublin Mint Office, you just pay the p+p

I thought about it while paying, this won't be the last coin, they'll try talk us into the full collection,

They started ringing my family member trying to offer the rest of the collection, polite, just doin their job.

I'm no idiot and knew what was happening, next, my family member received more coins in the post.

The coins were left sitting there for a while, unopened, then they receive a letter from Dublin Mint Office,

You have 7 days to pay your overdue amount for the other packages, about 100 euro overdue.

Or we're passing your overdue amount onto a debt collectors.

I wonder how many thousands of Irish people they're scamming out of money using these tactics.

That has to be illegal.

My family member wanted to pay for the other packages and tell them not to send any more, I'll have to pay it for them.

I'm really annoyed about this and tried to explain to them, these people are scamming 100's of people across the country.

They don't care about the person on the end of the line, if they can afford the coins or not, once they're sent out in the post, they more or less have you where they want you.

Great business module, and they train people to make these calls, marketing?

An unsuspecting customer will most likely give in and just pay the cash to get them off their backs... at that stage Dublin Mint Office have won their own scam.

I'm not saying the coins are not nice or anything, the first coin is packaged nicely, it's just the way they're getting people to take the first coin because you only have to pay postage, then they're purposely trying to get people to take the rest, sending them out in the post, maybe making a nice call to the unsuspecting customer and talking them into accepting the new package at least, then putting you in a position where you either pay up or you'll be passed onto a collector, at the end of that you'll probably have bad credit history if you ever need any loans etc, the bank will check your credit history and you'll be blacklisted for being naive about the purchase you made with Dublin Mint Office.

What do you think?

Gusser09

Tell them to pass it to a debt collector.

Ignore said debt collector.

They have no legal authority to enforce collection.

joebloggs32

Why did you buy from them.

They have been exposed numerous times for this shithousery. I'm stunned anyone would have any dealings with them.

Sleeper12

Liveline did a few days on this around a year ago. You'll find useful information on the old podcasts if still available

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118681064#Comment_118681064

Yep....this scam/ nonsense was done-to-death on lifeline......if I remember correctly the general consensus was just to IGNORE ALL CORRESPONDENCE .... it's all codology......suprised they're still at this TBH

silver2020

Somehow I suspect that you will not find a single case that came to the courts as they know that they act very much a thread on the legal side with their dodgy selling tactics.

You say that you are no idiot, yet you still proceeded?

Nothing, absolutely nothing, is free.

Sounds

It was just a little gift for someone that loves Elvis, it cheered them up.

We were happy to add to the collection later, the coins weren't expensive,

But not after this, that's not the right way to market your products.

Sounds

Dublin Mint Office sounds like a government representative sort of company,

Why are they even allowed to hold such a title if we know their, lets say "tactics" ?

We never buy from TV ads, except this one-off, as a gift for someone.

My family member mentioned, did you see this ad, and well you know the story.

TBH I didn't research the company before purchasing the first package.

I just read a few reviews and made the purchase, nothing wrong there.

The first coin was nice, we were happy with the purchase..

After they send the first package, then more, I knew then what might happen,

But I couldn't talk my family member out of paying, especially after them receiving

the letter to pay up, they're not use to that sort of thing, they pay their bills on time.

What I'm saying I guess is, some people will part with their cash just out of fear of what might happen if they do get passed onto a debt collector.

Atlantic Dawn

There was text at the bottom of all ads both on tv and on print media I have seen mentioning that they would send you additional coins to buy, that is their business model, nothing is free in this world. Not sure on the legalities on it.

Sounds

Well, just wanted to let you know about our experience.

johnnyskeleton

https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1980/act/16/section/47/enacted/en/html#:~:text=Unsolicited%20goods.&text=%E2%80%9Csender%E2%80%9D%20includes%20any%20person%20on,him%20or%20on%20his%20behalf.

This section might be useful

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118681549#Comment_118681549

Your last line there hits the nail right on the head.....its a 'fear based' scam....all you need is 10% to 'pay up' & you're in the "black" so to speak

Sounds

Maybe there's nothing illegal about how they deal with new customers, in persuading them to take the new set of coins, without any obligations to pay, if you don't want them for any reason, you can return them. Maybe that's where a customer falls into legal issues, to pay for the goods if the goods are not returned by the set period?

I dunno, not a lawyer. the managers of these companies have this down, they know.

standardg60

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118681549#Comment_118681549

Thing is OP that letting other people know about it is pointless, the people who succumb to this company don't seem to have any cop on whatsoever and are incapable of conducting any due diligence or having any knowledge of consumer law.

I don't have a lot of sympathy for them to be honest.

Sounds

I've made thousands of purchases online, never been scammed, work with payment processors often.

I'm not saying the purchase was a scam, but after seeing how they dealt with a customer afterwards,

Now I'm wiser after coming online to see what other people thought, should have done that first.

There's nothing wrong with their product or how they take payments, same as any online business.

It's how they use fear to get people to pay for something they probably didn't need.

stellamere

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118681648#Comment_118681648

I'd have sympathy for your plight. Not everyone knows about the company and you were taking them at face value.

My understanding is that it is an offence for them to threaten proceedings against, so you could make a complaint to the gardai or to the competition and consumer complaints commission. To be on the safe side you could write to the sender advising them of when and where the coins can be collected. If they don't collect them within a month of your letter you can keep the coins.

Your family member has great taste in music !!!

If you're thinking of another gift in the next while the 1969 Comeback Special (deluxe edition) dvd will put you in the good books. He's v nervous at the beginning because he's been out of the limelight for a few years and doesn't know if he still has it, it just takes off from there.

Trigger Happy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118681549#Comment_118681549

You say you read reviews but if you Google 'Dublin mint office reviews' the horror stories are there...not hidden but on the first page.

They are a bunch of schiesters and it's hard to believe they are still at this.

Sounds

@Trigger Happy

The name "mint office" .ie sounds good, official, like a government related service / TV advert.

I made the first payment on behalf of someone else, didn't think much about it at the time.

Had no issues with their website, products or making payment, just how it turned out.

@stellamere

I may have ordered similar a few years back, as a gift. Elvis: '68 Comeback - Special Edition.

HildaOgdenx

Sorry to hear that happened.

I thought they kind of went to ground after all the bad publicity. They were all over tv ads and whatnot a few years ago.

screamer

I see they have a new padraig pearse coin out at the moment, so just bumping this thread for anyone who might be thinking of buying one.

whisky_galore

UK based scammers selling worthless tat, avoid like the plague.

I don't know how they are allowed to operate and not be shut down by the consumer watchdog, misleading name and dubious practices.

cml387

What they are doing may be unethical but it's not illegal.

A lot of people just see "free stuff" and sign up without reading the small print.

Yes it's tat. Nobody ever went broke underestimating the public's taste.

paul71

There is no obligation to pay for unsolicited goods, in fact you are entitled by law to treat them as an unconditional gift.

S.I. No. 484/2013 - European Union (Consumer Information, Cancellation and Other Rights) Regulations 2013.

PART 7

Unsolicited Goods and Services

Amendment of section 47 of Act of 1980

32. Section 47 of the Act of 1980 is amended by inserting the following subsections after subsection (5):

“(6) Where unsolicited goods are supplied, or unsolicited services are provided, by a trader to a consumer—

(a) subsections (1) to (5) do not apply, and

(b) subsections (7) to (10) apply.

(7) The consumer is exempted from any requirement to provide consideration for unsolicited goods or services supplied by the trader.

(8) The absence of a response from the consumer following the supply of unsolicited goods or the provision of unsolicited services does not constitute consent to—

(a) the provision of consideration for the goods or services, or

(b) the return or safekeeping of the goods.

(9) In the case of an unsolicited supply of goods, the consumer may treat the goods as if they were an unconditional gift.

(10) The following definitions apply for the purposes of subsections (6) to (9):

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119514961#Comment_119514961

If you have agreed for them to send you further coins on approval then this doesn't apply.

paul71

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119515003#Comment_119515003

Unsolicited goods and the provision of them have been covered by Case law under common law for more than 100 years. The statute above is from 2013, but amends an 1980 act. The 1980 act was brought in to solidify already existing case law and that did cover preconditions such as prior approval of future orders.

Dublin mint are blustering. Their claims are unenforceable and any coins sent out by them under terms as described as above can be thrown in the bin, resold or kept without any consequence (and they know this).

cml387

You are ignoring the point. Yes you don't have to pay for unsolicited goods, but the agreement signed with Dublin Mint will show that the goods were actually solicited.

The business model they work to probably allows for losses (small losses for the cheap tat they send out) in the expectation of at least some people paying up. It's not very nice but not illegal.

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119515051#Comment_119515051

You're ignoring the terms they send out coins under in favour of the terms covered by legislation. They're scummy and they're chancers but it's not illegal. Your point is moot.

paul71

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119523481#Comment_119523481

I am not ignoring the condition, I am saying the condition is unenforceable in common law, ie. there is case law against such conditions going back more than 100 years. You have ignored that point which I made therefore your point is moot.

cml387

Which law is it. You have quoted EU legislation (which doesn't apply in this case) now you are invoking "common law".

What is the common law applicable in this case?

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119523940#Comment_119523940

You're not saying anything. It's not unsolicited goods. Have you ever read what people agree to when taking up these offers?