Mr Cosmo

Yesterday I saw a great bargain on Streets Online - Cheap XBOX 360, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS, Playstation 2 Games, DVDs and Music CDs offering an Alfred Hitchcock DVD set (featuring the Universal stuff like “Marnie”, “The Man Who Knew Too Much”, “The Birds” etc.) for 7.99 GBP. I ordered it straightaway but less than 12 hours later I received a note saying

With reference to order number xxxxxx
Unfortunately, our suppliers have informed us that they are no longer able to supply Alfred Hitchcock [14 Disc Box Set]
Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience or disappointment.
As it is our standard policy only to charge for products when we are notified they are available for dispatch, you have not been charged for this product.
The status of this product has now been updated to No Longer Available and the item effectively cancelled from your order.
Streetsonline.co.uk
Customer Service Team.

Now think about it – I don’t know these people, but they now have my credit card details, my e-mail address and other information that could be used for a fraud or as the basis of an identity theft attack. I am not saying that they will misuse my details, but have you noticed that more and more on-line sites are springing up and offering great bargains they can’t fulfil. (A couple of weeks back http://www.play.com failed to honour an order on the Pink Panther boxed set, and Cheap CD's, DVD's and Games online at PowerplayDirect.com - all with FREE DELIVERY! took around 9 weeks to deliver the last thing I ordered from them (and it is definitely the last thing I will order from them).

There is no legal comeback on these people as any advertised product is “an invitation to treat” and is not part of a contract. The only legal implication is that now they have my information they are duty bound to protect it under the Data Protection Act – but given that they have no head office, no store front or anything – this could be difficult to chase up. After all – anyone can set up a website.

One last thing that you all probably know – never enter any sensitive information on to a site unless it begins with https and has a padlock icon at the bottom of the screen. You’d be amazed how many merchants still don’t have secure websites.

So next time you see something on-line that looks too good to be true – chances are it is.

Rob Compton

Sam

I think the other point to make is that with an ever increasing number of online sales sites, comes the prospect of more mistakes and "misprices" which I think your Hitchcock bargain was - these things get about really quick across the web and often such sites are swamped with orders, destined for ebay usually.

rgds
Rob

ChristineCB

This is one of the best schemes to gather such info. Post a great deal, then collect the data, then come back and say, "Sorry-!" and maybe not now, maybe not next week or next month, but later launch the attacks so the on-line shoppers will be even more confused about who's misusing their data.

It's a lot easier than raiding a post-office's bins full of new credit card mailings, or standing in alleys, pulling a gun on passersby.

Wolfgang

Recently Barbara requested something on Britmovie and subsequently received lots of offers. I wondered then who really had that film and who just wanted Barbara's address!

Dame Starry

A couple of months ago, I ordered a DVD on-line from cdwow!.
The film was listed as 'In Stock' until I had created an account, given them all of my details and they had extracted the ackers from my debit card!
THEN, a message came up on screen that they were waiting for a delivery and they didn't know when it was being delivered.
That really infuriates me!
If I'm told that it is out of stock before I give them my order, then it is my choice to continue.

However, all of my e-mail enquiries were dealt with by return - within 20-30 minutes - and, when I finally lost my patience after 4 weeks and requested a refund, it was put back into my bank account the same day.
I paid slightly more for the DVD in the end, but I did get it within a couple of weeks (it had to come from the States).

I was always told that, if your URL changes from http:// to https:// when you checkout your order, then the site is secure.

I use websites where they have been holding my details for over 8 years without a problem - although hackers may well have looked at it and decided that they didn't want to take on the responsibility of my overdraft!

DS x.

Carmel

As someone said always use sights you know rather than the ones noone has ever heard of if a product is listed as in stock on the web page it should be in stock so i would be wary of these sights that suddenly say that they are no longer in stock when clearly it states on their page that it is i would inform my bank of this or my credit card company to be on the safe side. TRUST NOBODY BUT YOURSELF.

Live each day to the full because one day it will be your last.