Don't know if anyone else here is the same boat, but i recently purchased a £499 chromebook using the interest free 5 x monthly payment option.
Order is stated as purchased using monthly payments in my account, product dispatched, and the full £499 debited from my card, instead of the 1st payment of £99.80!
Amazon on phone and live chat saying they are aware and looking into a fix, and will email me in due course... Nothing more they can do.
I contacted my bank, and they say they have to give Amazon 15 days to rectify, only after that can they intervene.
As well as a warning to others, wondered if anyone else here has had this happened to them, either now or in the past, and how did they get it resolved?
Thanks
Order is stated as purchased using monthly payments in my account, product dispatched, and the full £499 debited from my card, instead of the 1st payment of £99.80!
Amazon on phone and live chat saying they are aware and looking into a fix, and will email me in due course... Nothing more they can do.
I contacted my bank, and they say they have to give Amazon 15 days to rectify, only after that can they intervene.
As well as a warning to others, wondered if anyone else here has had this happened to them, either now or in the past, and how did they get it resolved?
Thanks
36 Comments
sorted byI went back them and got another £45 credit added to my account as i agreed to keep the Chromebook, so got £75 total applied in credit.
amazon.co.uk/man…nts
Strange! If it’s not in the monthly payments self service then sounds like youve been charged in full because it hasn’t been (properly) set up as a monthly payment. Must be a technical glitch! Hope you get it sorted
I'm going to ride out it.
The chromebook is ace, far superior to others I've had. I've managed to get myself fluid again, so could afford for it to be paid in full.
If they come back with options, i.e refund the £399.20 difference and continue with monthly payments, or to keep it paid in full, and a % discount refunded to me i'll take the latter.
I did accept the £30 for the inconvenance created so far.
Yeah good to hear you got your finances back in order & as long as you get something out of them. Keep us updated what happens when they eventually sort it out..
The first chat with their CS suggested it could be reversed and their technical team would be in contact within 48-72 hours. I'm on the second chat currently where I've been told the "fault has been resolved" and for me to return it and buy it again using the the monthly payment option. As much as a faff that would be, the phone isn't even available any more with the monthly payment option.
I could take the hit and keep it, but only if they offer some sort of discount or promotional credit.
Yes, still showing on some product groups for me.
@JakeXP can you see if you have monthly payment options on other phones still?
I ask as you can only have 1 item per product group on monthly payment, and so whilst i ordered my Chromebook on monthly payment but it didn't go through as that, I should be able to order another on monthly payment...... no items are showing with the monthly payment option.
So not only did i pay outright, I lost the option to purchase future chromebooks / laptops on monthly payments.
I can see items within other product groups available for monthly payments just fine. (edited)
That’s terrible. No, I haven’t ordered in months and have nothing outstanding. I’ve looked for items I don’t want to buy, just because I know the pay monthly option used to be on them, like laptops and Beats headphones, but it’s not showing.
I thought maybe they had stopped doing it
Whether or not it happens is another question, but he sounded reassured that this'd be the case.
That was exactly the same email I had which made me aware of the issue to begin with (hadn't checked my card statement by that point). First chat I had said it could be reversed, second chat said it couldn't, and now the chap on the phone today suggested it could and would be. Not going to hold my breath mind you, but we'll see what happens.
I don't know for sure, but to hazard a guess they will assign the debt to debt collectors who will write you letters, and put derogatory markers on your credit file.
Pretty much the same if you took out a phone handset contract, sold the handset, and didn't pay.
Amazon accounts used to be referred only by email, don't know if that's still the same, so if your account become barred it may be possible to set up a new account with a different email.
I would consider contacting the money advice service for help with your debts.
moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/…tor
No credit check... the 5 x monthly payment option is purely offered on how you manage your account. Only certain items are available.
I've used the option before several times myself with no problems.
When i saw the £499 as a pending transaction i contacted Amazon to confirm they would be only charging instalments. They confirmed this was the case and that the pending transaction was an authorisation charge to ensure my payment card is still active,
Oh thats good. Is it promotional credit or gift card? I always love abit of credit back when they mess up (which is quite often I find) Never had 75 in one go but then again I never spend as much as you did on the chromebook..
I never had a payment missed or late when I did it before
This one for example
amazon.co.uk/Gar…-11
I'm planning on phoning them today to try and sort it out, but in this case I'm probably going to escalate into a complaint. (edited)
Please let us know how you get on.
This is a snippet of the email i got saying it couldn't be done, after a week of them investigating it.
Ill probably get hate for this but when you're so low on funds you can't afford to pay internet bill and sell your phone then I do admit I took advantage of the offer. I am not even sure why I was offered it as I had not even used the account for over a year.
I am using my friends bt wifi hotspot so that's something when it works, so something I can save on. I did try to sell my laptop but it was not worth much. (edited)
:: Although they do not have my date of birth and I didn't agree to credit agreement. (edited)
I am not after sympathy though as I know it was wrong and I can't justify it as I know lot of people are desperate during these times (edited)
In assuming it had gone to a debt collection agency. If it has the following advice applies. The same advice applies if it hasn't, but don't stress if they refuse to listen or help, just wait for it to go to a collection agency, then follow the advice.
Quite simply they can't have more than you can afford. If you were unemployed at the time of taking finance they weren't being responsible lenders and they didn't conduct an accurate affordability check. You simply tell them you can't afford more than £5 a month or whatever you can afford and they have little option but to accept it. Sure they could make you bankrupt, but they will get pennies in the £.
Contact them, YOU CONTACT THEM the worst thing you can do is to ignore them. They will be sympathetic, many many people are in financial difficulties because of Covid (myself included. I was a coach driver, driving Chinese visitors on tours around the UK. No work now. No job now ) . I have a part time job and Universal Credit. Never claimed benefits before. It's a confusing as FK. But I've found that all the companies I've had dealings with are 100% sympathetic. Just contact them. Apologise and say you were too embarrassed to admit you were in difficulties They will ask you a few questions and probably offer you a payment 'holiday' for a month or two and send you an income and expenditure form. If you're not confidant about completing it contact stepchange organisation. Everyone rates them, but I personally didn't find them helpful (they advised me to go for something that sees 80% of the debt written off after a year and small payments before that - couldn't morally do that, my debts I pay them).
I can't stress enough... CONTACT THEM... you will feel like you're walking on air after you do. Any advice you need, from someone who's been through it themselves message me. And Good luck.
Not sure how they operate but I imagine they will probably close your account and issue proceedings against you in the county court, and get a CCJ. You won’t have any defence. Then, yes, after that they can send enforcement agents (bailiffs) round to take goods if they so desire.
Almost correct. They can't demand money if you can't afford it. They will ask for list of earnings and expenditure. If you make an offer they will accept it providing it's not a silly offer (meaning, if you have £500 left after paying your bills they won't accept £5. But if you have £50 they probably will). Best advice is still to contact them as soon as possible.
To get a CJJ they have to send you a money claim form, where you have a choice of admitting to owing the full amount, partial amount, or none at all. You have to state reasons, a defence as to why you only owe partial or none.
If you accept the full amount owed, you then have a choice, pay full amount now, later, or offer repayments.
For repayments you have to fill in an income and expenditure form - same as Ringfinger has said for a debt collector.
They then make a decision to accept your offer of repayment and the CCJ is issued, or decline it and let a judge decide.
The judge can agree, or set a different amount for your repayments, and again the CCJ is issued.
You won't have to attend court.
Whatever you do at this stage you must keep up repayments, even if it's £1 a month, as once you default, only then can they send bailiffs to seize goods to the value of the debt.
A CCJ will stay on your credit file for 6 years, regardless if by that time the debt has been paid off or not.
This is England process.