Late last year my colleagues gave me $160 (Aud) as a going away gift. I decided to buy the box set of DVD's (Get Smart). After searching online I found the dvddonkey website who claimed to be able to sell and deliver quality DVD's at affordable prices. I did not see any attached complaints about this company and assumed that they were above board in their business. I then gave my friend (Simone Atkinson) the money to purchase the product and she did so using her credit card.
After several weeks I was still yet to receive the dvd's so I asked her to email the company. They replied by saying that the dvd's were in fact en route and to be patient. Three and a bit months later we are yet to receive the dvd. I asked Simone if the money had been taken out of her account and she said yes. She then emailed the company to find out what was happening and as yet we have received no response.
Today, I decided to google dvddonkey and now notice that there have been a number of complaints about the company, either not delivering the products or delivering inferior dvd's. It is the first and last time I will purchase anything online which is very sad for all those reputable businesses relying on the internet to make money. I have rung a few government agencies and private debt collectors and they all give me the same response. There's nothing we can do about it.
How frustrating this is. The saving grace is that it's only $160 but I guess that's how these rip off merchants make their millions, relying on the fact that people could not be bothered pursuing the lost money (it's not worth it) or that it would cost more to recover the debt than the actual debt itself.
I would love to see some legal agency who has the guts to recover all the money on behalf of the poor consumer, just to teach these people a lesson and to deter others with similar ideas. I'd even be happy not to get my money and to use it to pay for the legal expenses.
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