Next Directory - Catalogue Scam - Who can I report this to?

[treacletart]

I received a letter today from Next Directory telling me that unless I call them by March 22nd to tell them not to, they will send me a copy of their Spring Summer Directory and invoice me later for £3.50. I've ordered from their website a couple of times but I've never asked for a catalogue and would certainly never pay for one.

I've cancelled it, but how many thousands won't bother? How much are Next set to gain from this little scam?

I'm sure its illegal to demand payment for unsolicited goods or to demand any action on the part of the recipient to cancel unsolicited goods.

I'd like to report Next - but who to?

Are you sure it wasn't in the T&C's when you bought the items from the website that you'd get a catalouge? Or did you 'untick'/'tick' the relevant boxes (often below the 'submit' button) to say you didn't want it?

Don't know if there is a problem with this - I'm happy to get my directory - but you could try Trading Standards as your first port of call.

IIRC- yo can't order from the website without having a catalogue sent to you and paid for. I know- it's a con. BUT they don't actually charge you for the catalogue unless you order anything from it. They'll also stop sending you once you've not ordered from one catalohue

Well, I cant be certain Gwenick, but I very much doubt it. See myself as a bit of a greeny so I'm normally pretty careful about that sort of thing. I think I first ordered from them last June - If they send catalogues to everybody, wouldn't I have got one before now? It would be interesting to hear from other Next customers or if anyone else has been sent the same letter.

I'm usually careful too - as I enter a lot of competitions - but there's always one or two that 'slip through' the net so to speak..

Hope someone else can help

Sorry not sure who you should report it to but...

I received an autumn/Winter directory from Next last year and they sent me an invoice for the £3.50, which I knew they would, but we went away on holiday and I forgot all about it and didn't pay it.
I didn't think they would send me another directory since I hadn't paid for the last one but they phoned me at the beginning of the year to ask if I wanted the spring/summer directory and I said yes, haven't had an invoice yet for the £3.50.

I also dislike the fact that you have to pay a delivery charge so what I do is choose what I want off the website or out of the directory and go into my local store and order it there. That way you don't pay the delivery charge. Someone who used to work in Next told me to do that

Yes, I've had that letter in the past, and felt annoyed but just rang up to cancel it and didn't do anything else. Assumed I had agreed to it at some point (have ordered through the website and have an account).

Other people have posted while I was writing that. I didn't order anything from my autumn/winter directory but they still sent me the invoice which I didn't pay I feel a bit bad about that as I always pay my bills.

well i've just been to the next website and 'pretended' to open a new account - and one of the boxes I HAVE to tick says

"I would like to open a NEXT Directory Flexible Account and reserve a copy of the new Spring Summer 2005 Next Directory.
I understand there will be a £3.50 charge which I will be invoiced later."

when I say 'preteneded' - I mean I haven't actulaly clicked submit - just looked at what's needed

I have ordered from the website a few times and never had a directory at all. Should I have done?

Thanks for all the posts and for checking the Next site Gwenick.

Well, I am absolutely certain I didn't agree explicitly to a catalogue in that way when I opened my account last year. I suppose there's a chance it might have been in tiny tiny small print somewhere. I might be over-reacting but I do see it as deception/extortion on their part. All those £3.50s must add up..

I have been billed for 2 and as yet haven't paid. I vaguely remember years ago, they ran out of copies and were asking people to send them back if you weren't going to order.

I've just received my summer directory. In the letter that comes with it it says you won't be charged unless you order from it and if you do you will then be credited with the 3.50 off your next delivery. Depends how you look at it I suppose - you're still paying the 3.50 be it for the catalogue or delivery. Its always annoyed me that they charge for the catalogue but I like NEXT things so grin and bear it! I usually order off the website but use the delivery to your local store which costs nothing.

I had this, too. I ordered from the online pages and then they sent me a catalogue unsolicited. It said they would charge me £3.50 when I next ordered. Phoned and told them I hadn't asked for it and wouldn't pay. They didn't argue at all but I think its a cheek. Not sure how they get away with it.

You can't order online without opening an account, and this includes the catalogue.

I have a Next account and haven't had the catalogue for years, I rang up and specifically said I didn't want one, it did take a couple of goes iirc.

Oh, oops this is an old thread, ignore.