I like buying toys for my daughter from independent little boutiques and have done for all my kids. Clothes, too when funds allow.
Anyway, I ordered her a (not inexpensive) doll from what seemed like a lovely online shop selling Spanish dolls and Spanish children’s clothes.
About 2 hours later, the owner of the shop messaged me to say that she was sorry but she didn’t have that doll in stock and it shouldn’t be showing on the website. She offered me two others which were the same price as what I’d already bought so I said that’s fine and chose an alternative. I had selected and paid for next day delivery on the site. She told me it was all sorted and that she would be posting it today.
Then today, at about 5pm I get a message out of the blue on Whatsapp of all places saying ‘I’m sorry but I’ve just got to the post office and discovered delivery is more than I thought it was so you’ll need to pay me an extra £20. I told her, no thank you. And I asked for a refund. I told her that I had paid for delivery in good faith and decided what I was prepared to spend when I checked out! I told her she needs to change her delivery options and be transparent if they are leaving her out of pocket. I can’t just suddenly pay another £20 and hadn’t budgeted for it.
She was then arguing with me back and forth with no clear answer to my question, ‘have you actually posted it?’ So I blocked her and referred the matter to PayPal. Suddenly, I got a next day delivery tracking number.
When I spoke to my friend about this, he said that there are some strange things going on atm with online shopping in which often sellers are not being transparent about their ability to fulfil orders. And sometimes they don’t have any of the things on their website.
The shop owner’s strange behaviour just made me think she’s shady and I don’t even want anything from her now. Goodness know whether the thing that turns up is even what I ordered?!
Be careful to use PayPal when you buy things!