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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to not have given my debit card details?

56 replies

LadyOfTheManor · 19/01/2011 20:38

I got sent some Disney books and there was a letter in the parcel;

"blah blah blah, Disney books, 3 for £5.00 if you don't want them you have to pay for the return postage blah blah blah, if you do want them call this number and pay blah blah blah".

So, my dh and I decided it would be nice to collect them. I tried on 4 occasions over 2 weeks to pay for them but was kept on hold for 40 minutes each time before answering.
I got a letter today saying they were adding "admin costs of £5.00" to my order. No problem, I tried to ring and after 50 minutes I got through. To West Africa.

I refused to give my debit card details as fraud in the West of Africa is rife. I asked for a British call centre number or a head office number in London and he hung up on me.
I called back and got a lady, I asked the same questions and she replied;

"What's wrong with African people?"

I assured her, nothing, and that I wasn't comfortable in giving my card details over the phone. She went on to say;

"nah wrong wit us Africaans just give dem here".

I hung up and now face the "debt" of all £10.00 being sent to a debt collection agency. The plus is, if it does go it means I can ring up a UK number and get hold of a UK call centre.

AIBU to have not given them this information?

OP posts:
emsyj · 19/01/2011 20:41

YANBU. And you don't have to pay a penny either - assuming they are unsolicited goods and you didn't ever order or ask for them. They are trying it on.

Original poster
LadyOfTheManor · 19/01/2011 20:43

Well I kept them as it worked out cheaper than the return postage! I'm not sure if there was a refund date and after that you therefore enter into some sort of contract where no response results in you agreeing to having them?

The point is I don't particularly want to deal with debt people as I haven't before and I don't want 2 heavies on my doorstep for the sake of a tenner that I'm more than willing to pay!

OP posts:
emsyj · 19/01/2011 20:43

And to be clear, you are entitled to keep the goods too. I would report to trading standards/consumer direct (whatever they're called these days).

scurryfunge · 19/01/2011 20:44

What is the company name?

shirazgirl · 19/01/2011 20:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

emsyj · 19/01/2011 20:45

They have zero leg to stand on from a legal perspective. If you have never asked for these books they are unsolicited goods and you can treat them as a gift to you. Pay nothing.
(I am a solicitor by the way!)

LindyHemming · 19/01/2011 20:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Altaira · 19/01/2011 20:46

What code do you ring them on. Could be a scam to get you to ring an expensive phone line. Would check your bill..

Original poster
LadyOfTheManor · 19/01/2011 20:47

Well it's a major company,

Hatchworks something or other. I Googled them, they are a massive publishing house, based in London and I've tried all the landlines (not the 08 numbers) associated with that address and not one of them works..I even tracked them down to Companies House but the number listed no longer works...there's about 5 in total.

OP posts:
activate · 19/01/2011 20:49

did you not notice that it's illegal?

odd - it's patently a scam - can't believe you bothered to phone it

wonder how much your phone bill will be - I'd check on that

Original poster
LadyOfTheManor · 19/01/2011 20:49

The lines for the mainland UK are 0871..the EIRE number is 0845 which according to the net , is cheaper. I tried them all then I found a different 0871 I tried that, then a bunch of 0207. They have a PO Box in Newcastle but I can't get any other information on that.

OP posts:
activate · 19/01/2011 20:51

Disney would never licence their characters in this kind of scam

tuggy · 19/01/2011 20:52

If you did not order them, then the goods are free. They are using scare tactics to get you to pay. The heavies will never arrive... I promise. If they do, I'll pay the £10 myself.

Don't pay, keep the free books, and don't be intimidated.

activate · 19/01/2011 20:54

please tell me you didn't call the 0871 number

gulp

business.bt.com/phone-services/08-and-09-numbers/0871/

co. sets it own rate per min - costs them £10 a month

Original poster
LadyOfTheManor · 19/01/2011 20:54

Right you are and if they come I'm a-waiting.

Just so bizarre.

Also, when I asked the African lady if there was a number for her head office in London she said "wah head office" I told her the address and she said "I am de head office".

Should've seen the warning signs then eh? More fool me.

OP posts:
ChippingInSmellyCheeseFreak · 19/01/2011 20:55

Honestly, what everyone is saying is right, they were unsolicited, it doesn't matter who sent them!

You do not have to pay for them and you do not have to return them & you certainly don't have to worry about the heavies!

Original poster
LadyOfTheManor · 19/01/2011 20:55

Oh fuck. I hope it isn't a telephone scam. Bollocks.

I'm going to have to ring BT as if waiting for 40 minutes for scammers wasn't bad enough. ERGHHHHHH Angry

OP posts:
ChippingInSmellyCheeseFreak · 19/01/2011 20:55

Thank god you didn't give them your CC details!

Original poster
LadyOfTheManor · 19/01/2011 20:56

Yes that's something I guess.

EVen though they know my name and address, likelihood is they're not going to come here personally....

Balls. I'm fucked.

OP posts:
Original poster
LadyOfTheManor · 19/01/2011 20:57

Should I write to the HO in London to complain?

OP posts:
ChippingInSmellyCheeseFreak · 19/01/2011 20:58

I often wonder who is taken in by these scams - now I know! People who in all other ways seem perfectly normal Grin

I hope you get through to BT quickly.

activate · 19/01/2011 20:58

what head office ?

ChippingInSmellyCheeseFreak · 19/01/2011 20:59

You could write to them to make them aware that someone is doing this in their name - but you can't call a London company to complain about an African scam.

activate · 19/01/2011 20:59

EIRE is a different country to the UK - different telephone company (not BT) - doubt it would have 0845 numbers

Original poster
LadyOfTheManor · 19/01/2011 21:04

Let me clarify. The company is called X the phone number is an 0871 number the company's address is in LONDON. But the 0871 number connects to an African call centre....

This is another woman I've found online;

iler2000
Posted 09/11/2010
Hi ladies, I just caught a post about this on another board and realised I had been targeted as well. Got a phone call - was told from Bounty (though now realise they just got my details from Bounty) offering 2 free Disney books and a bookshelf, along with 2 full price books. Once they post them to you, the offer is that you can still keep the 2 free books but return the full price others if you don't want them. The other board was saying that they did post back the full price books but kept getting reminder letters asking for payment which got increasingly threatening in tone. Despite making phone calls to the company during which staff at first denied the books had been returned, then later admitted they had, reminder letters kept coming. They're saying this company is well know for its agressive marketing and payment tactics - alot of people will simply pay up to make them go away.
The problem is i agreed to it and my books arrived yesterday. They are nice but definitely not worth £8.97 a month! Has anyone else signed up to it?? x

OP posts:
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