internet shopping - money taken but no goods received and the company don't reply to my contact

[W Sussex Sue]

On July 10, 2007 I ordered items on line from art2gogh.net (an American company) and paid by Paypal. It said $10 extra for overseas shipping but there wasn't anywhere to add this to my payment screen. The money has been taken from my account but I have never received the goods. They don't reply to my emails or phone messages and the fax rejected. On 23 Aug 07 I emailed Paypal and asked them how I could get my money back as I'd never had the goods or a reply from ast2gogh.net.. They replied on 25 Aug telling me to enter it on their Resolution Centre pages. I did this and it was rejected. Apparently I now find out that you have to register your request within 45 days of the transaction. Day 45 was 24 Aug. I maintain I DID let Paypal know within 45 days (just not on their Resolution Centre pages). I have asked Paypal to look into this matter as I believe art2gogh.net no longer trades. So why should they still be allowed to take money via Paypal for goods they are never going to deliver? Lots of questions really: Does anyone know how I can contact art2gogh.net, if they are still trading and if there is a website like our Companies House site in the UK? Do you think I have a case for Payapl to intervene or am I outside the 45 days? Paypal have said they can reopen a closed dispute if they get lots of other people complaining about them. I wonder whether I'll ever get my money back, and how to go about warning others not to buy from art2gogh.net who happily let you complete their order form and take your money but never deliver the goods or return your contact?

[Buenchico]

You could try submitting a complaint to the local Better Business Bureau.

Details of the aims of the BBB network are here:
http://www.thebbb.org/aboutmain.htm

Details of how to complain (and what they do about it) are here:
http://www.thebbb.org/commoncomplaint.html

5 years ago, the local BBB issued a press release giving the names of the companies which they had received most complaints about. Unfortunately, Internet Shopping Services forms the biggest category and Art2gough is included in that list:
http://www.thebbb.org/release.html?value=145

Chris

[W Sussex Sue]

Wow, thanks for the informative and QUICK answer! I have just been reading in the Law section of this site and how you were helping the couple who tried to buy sofas off a dodgy internet seller.

I will certainly log my complaint with the BBB as you suggest.

Do you think there is any mileage in my approaching my credit card company (I pay Paypal through Goldfish)?

How is it that dodgy internet sellers are not removed from the internet, or blocked from accepting new orders?

Thanks
S

[Buenchico]

Thanks for the reply.

With regard to contacting your credit card company, I seem to remember reading somewhere that they've got a 'get out clause', in respect of refunding you, when payment is made through a third party, such as PayPal. However, there's also that well known saying, "If you don't ask, you don't get". It's worth a try, surely? ;-)

Chris

[W Sussex Sue]

I just thought I'd post the outcome of all this. Thanks Buenchico for your BBB info. They tried to contact art2gogh, but wrote back to say they hadn't received a reply from them. I did write to my credit card company, Goldfish, and hey! they returned the money, no problem. This has taught me to research companies on the net before sending them any money!