Any Legal Eagles Out There?

[CarolynU]

This isn't really serious, but a bit frustrating.
I have used Amazon Marketplace in the past which is a part of the Amazon site where goods are sold used. I have mostly bought books and been delighted. However this time the cd which I purchased described as new by the seller wasn't even in stock and the seller is a company who it now appears frequently uses The Marketplace to advertise goods that they don't have and keeps the money.This isn't the only company to be using the site in this way.
I have e-mailed Amazon and reported th 104 cases this year so far where this situation has happened with this company alone but they are not interested. Although it clearly breaches their rules the contract is between the buyer and the seller.
It isn't a vast amount of money, but should this company just be getting away with it? Should Amazon at least take some action in the consumers favour?
Carolyn

 

[WDWfan uk]

....... might be worth a call or a visit to the Citizen's Advice Bureau - they have qualified legal people available - not all the time, but they'll advise you when they are there so you can discuss it with them.

 

[mike230652]

Carolyn

I don't use Amazon ....but do they have a feedback forum ? Ebay do, you post your feedback after a transaction, if a seller or buyer gets negative feedback it shows. Also., if they do 3 bad transactions....i.e. non-payment or deliberately mis-described items ...they're banned.

Don't know if this is any help.


mike230652

 

[UKDEB]

Amazon does have the feedback option - I've used it myself - and I'm pretty sure they also have similar rules. I can understand why they wouldn't want to get involved in an individual dispute, but I'm amazed that they're not interested at all. Surely they wouldn't want to risk their reputation.

 

[UKDEB]

I assume you've seen this on Amazon's site:

Problems with Sellers

Amazon.co.uk wants every transaction to go as smoothly as possible, which is why we have the Amazon.co.uk A-z Guarantee, but in rare cases disputes will occur. Since the sales agreement is between the buyer and the seller, Amazon.co.uk cannot intervene in the event of a transaction dispute. If you have a problem with a transaction, please try and contact the seller in the first instance. The vast majority of problems are caused by miscommunication, and a quick e-mail can usually resolve things to everyone's satisfaction.

On the Amazon.co.uk Web site you can find your seller's email address by:

accessing the "Your Account" link (which appears in the top right-hand corner of most pages of the site) and click on "Amazon Marketplace and zShops: view and pay for your orders" or "See the status of all your orders"
once there, simply locate the item you purchased and click on the seller's nickname to request the seller's e-mail address
Seller Ratings and Feedback

If you have had a negative experience with a seller, remember to leave a feedback rating. Your feedback, both good and bad, helps other customers judge whether or not to buy from a seller, as well as helping us to evaluate the activities of sellers on our site.

When a Seller Fails to Deliver

If you have paid the seller weeks ago but have yet to receive your goods, you have the right to be concerned. Sellers are responsible for communicating with you and for correcting any problems that might arise with lost deliveries, damaged items or other mishaps. The good news is, if the seller fails to deliver, you may be eligible for protection under the Amazon.co.uk A-z Guarantee.

Reporting Fraud

Our first concern at Amazon.co.uk Marketplace, zShops and Auctions is maintaining a safe and secure transaction environment. Before you consider submitting a claim, please read the Amazon.co.uk A-z Guarantee. If your transaction is not covered under the Amazon.co.uk A-z Guarantee, please take the following steps:

*make every effort to contact the other party to resolve the problem
*if you used an escrow service, please review and follow their reporting procedures
*rate the other party's performance
*If you continue to experience problems despite your best efforts to resolve the situation amicably, please contact us by e-mailing buyers-support@amazon.co.uk.

 

[CarolynU]

Thank you all for your replies. I think that because I made myself such a nuisance I have today received a refund, however in the process I did find out some general information.
If you use The Marketplace at Amazon the contract is only between you and the third party, although you are covered by a limited guarantee.
If things go wrong you can leave negative feedback on the seller, and Amazon states that they take this very seriously. However in reality I don't think that this is taken as seriously as it might be. Large sellers actually pay a monthly subscription, and there are some companies who seem to make rather a habit of taking money and not supplying the goods. Customers leave the feedback, and complain to Amazon, but unless I am mistaken the level of complaints would have to reach an almost impossibly high level for Amazon to actually take decisive action against them.
After this experience I spent a while trawling the site looking at a variety of companies, and there are literally hundreds hundreds of customers without the goods that they have paid for. I was stunned.
So it is a case of ' buyer beware .' I still feel that it is unethical, but I am not a business person!
Thanks again. Carolyn