Why do we have to pay for goods not yet received?

[iheartruby]

What is the law regarding goods paid for but not yet received - eg in the last 2 weeks i have paid for both a set of furniture and 2 pairs of glasses - neither of which i actually have, or even have a delivery date for (i've just been given rough dates).
is it right that we should pay several weeks before receiving?

[New Judge]

Whether it is right or wrong is not the issue. If you agree to pay for something �up front� you have agreed to the seller�s conditions of sale.

Ideally you should never pay for something which you do not have. However, this is not always possible. If you do pay in advance you should always insist on a firm delivery date and retain the right to cancel the transaction (with a full refund) if this is missed.

If the trader refuses this then you should take your business elsewhere.

Paying by Credit Card provides added protection. For goods costing between �100 and �30,000 the Credit Card provider is deemed jointly liable with the vendor for seeing that the contract is fulfilled. If it is not you have a claim for reimbursement against the Credit Card Company.