Warning - Unlocked-Mobiles.com

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kiwijunglist

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Topic # 65575 3-Aug-2010 20:18

Hi

Just a warning for users considering buying from www.unlocked-mobiles.com

I ordered a Samsung Galaxy S from them. They took several days to charge my card, then eventually charged me $780.04 (358.62GBP). However the next day they canceled my order (failed security check) and refunded me as a seperate transaction instead of reversing the original charge, thus they refunded me only $740.35 (358.62GBP). So I am $40 out of pocked!!

Regards
Kiwi

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Reply # 362612 3-Aug-2010 20:25

You should take it up with your bank. Get them to cancel the original charge and also send the credit back.

Might help you out?

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kiwijunglist

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Reply # 362616 3-Aug-2010 20:36

Yup, this is what I plan to try, thanks =)

eracode

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Reply # 362617 3-Aug-2010 20:38

I'm not so sure that this is necessarily fair:

1. It would take a few days for the first charge to come through the credit card system - so that's not unusual.

2. It is not possible to reverse a credit card transaction. Crediting you as a separate transaction is the norm. eg. if you take something back to Dick Smiths for a refund, they do it as a separate transaction.

3. They did refund you the correct GBP amount. The $40 difference is the difference bewteen the GBP exchange rate for the sale and the refund. One is done at the banking 'buy GBP' rate and the other is done at the banking 'sell GBP' rate. Credit card companies use the worst possible rates (for the cardholder) and the difference bewteen the 'buy' and 'sell' rates is large. Also the debit and the credit were done on different days and the rate would have different anyway. Unlocked Mobiles clearly made no money out of this - only the credit card company. Be mad with them maybe - not Unlocked Mobiles.
And sorry - you have got no chance taking it up with your bank - this was all done according to the rules - the credit card fine-print will have covered all this.

Having said all that, I agree with you about Clove - bought my Galaxy S from them and it went like clockwork.

kiwijunglist

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Reply # 362621 3-Aug-2010 20:42

Well

1. If they don't want to sell the phone then don't charge my credit card.

2. Say for instance I am a dodgy person, and used someone elses credit card (this would be correct assumption because they canceled my order for this reason) ... then the innocent real owner of the credit card is out of $40

This is definitely very poor practice, and if unlocked-mobiles have made a mistake then it should be them who foot the bill not me.

eracode

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Reply # 362624 3-Aug-2010 20:46

kiwijunglist: Well

1. If they don't want to sell the phone then don't charge my credit card.

2. Say for instance I am a dodgy person, and used someone elses credit card (this would be correct assumption because they canceled my order for this reason) ... then the innocent real owner of the credit card is out of $40.

What you are describing is credit card fraud and the innocent cardholder would not be out of pocket - the credit card company will readily make that up. Your situation is not fraudulent.

Why/how did you fail their security check?

kiwijunglist

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Reply # 362626 3-Aug-2010 20:50

that is why i said "Say for instance..."

Anyways there is another forum user who also had the same problem, so I am writing to warn others against this company, which is the point of my post.

TheRich

34 posts

Geek

Reply # 362635 3-Aug-2010 21:00

I just ordered a Desire from Clove. I had to send a copy of a credit card statement with address and last 4 digits of card for security verification, all went well, phone on the way.
They seem good, cheap and fast so far...

Linuxluver

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Reply # 362644 3-Aug-2010 21:10

eracode: I'm not so sure that this is necessarily fair:

1. It would take a few days for the first charge to come through the credit card system - so that's not unusual.

2. It is not possible to reverse a credit card transaction. Crediting you as a separate transaction is the norm. eg. if you take something back to Dick Smiths for a refund, they do it as a separate transaction.

3. They did refund you the correct GBP amount. The $40 difference is the difference bewteen the GBP exchange rate for the sale and the refund. One is done at the banking 'buy GBP' rate and the other is done at the banking 'sell GBP' rate. Credit card companies use the worst possible rates (for the cardholder) and the difference bewteen the 'buy' and 'sell' rates is large. Also the debit and the credit were done on different days and the rate would have different anyway. Unlocked Mobiles clearly made no money out of this - only the credit card company. Be mad with them maybe - not Unlocked Mobiles.
And sorry - you have got no chance taking it up with your bank - this was all done according to the rules - the credit card fine-print will have covered all this.

Having said all that, I agree with you about Clove - bought my Galaxy S from them and it went like clockwork.

Also worth remembering most non-US credit card transactions are converted twice - first to US$ by one bank, then from US$ to local currency by the other bank. That's how VISA and MasterCard (US companies both) do their interbank currency interchanges. Each of two banks gets a slice. I would think it very rare that any bank in the UK went directly to NZ$ where a credit card was used to make the transaction.

Americans usually only suffer one conversion as their cards are denominated in US$.

____________________________________________________
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fahrenheit

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Reply # 362786 4-Aug-2010 09:40

kiwijunglist:

Anyways there is another forum user who also had the same problem,

That would be me.

Unlocked-mobiles failed in communicating any security requirements and also failed to contact me when I asked them why there was a delay in shipping notification. I just got the same 'canceled' notification and that was that.

I'm greatful this purchase wasn't successful. Imagine having to deal with those clowns for a warranty issue.

Fortunately my bank (BNZ) has come to the party and refunded me the shortfall so I'm back to neutral (other than the loss of time and effort).

Handsomedan

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Reply # 362798 4-Aug-2010 10:08

Credit card rules state that a refund must be applied to the card used in the original transaction.

Might not make a difference to the amount you get as the clipping of the ticket and currency fluctuations will come into it, but at the ened of the day it should have been processed as a credit card refund.

You CAN reverse a credit card transaction...it's called a charge-back and you need to speak to your credit card issuing bank to initiate a charge-back.

Refunding anything other than the original credit card should raise a red flag and usually does.

Handsome Dan Has Spoken.

kiwijunglist

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Reply # 362997 4-Aug-2010 14:12

^ trolling... (or thick), or both ;-P

rossmnz

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Reply # 363011 4-Aug-2010 14:30

Linuxluver:
eracode: I'm not so sure that this is necessarily fair:

1. It would take a few days for the first charge to come through the credit card system - so that's not unusual.

2. It is not possible to reverse a credit card transaction. Crediting you as a separate transaction is the norm. eg. if you take something back to Dick Smiths for a refund, they do it as a separate transaction.

3. They did refund you the correct GBP amount. The $40 difference is the difference bewteen the GBP exchange rate for the sale and the refund. One is done at the banking 'buy GBP' rate and the other is done at the banking 'sell GBP' rate. Credit card companies use the worst possible rates (for the cardholder) and the difference bewteen the 'buy' and 'sell' rates is large. Also the debit and the credit were done on different days and the rate would have different anyway. Unlocked Mobiles clearly made no money out of this - only the credit card company. Be mad with them maybe - not Unlocked Mobiles.
And sorry - you have got no chance taking it up with your bank - this was all done according to the rules - the credit card fine-print will have covered all this.

Having said all that, I agree with you about Clove - bought my Galaxy S from them and it went like clockwork.

Also worth remembering most non-US credit card transactions are converted twice - first to US$ by one bank, then from US$ to local currency by the other bank. That's how VISA and MasterCard (US companies both) do their interbank currency interchanges. Each of two banks gets a slice. I would think it very rare that any bank in the UK went directly to NZ$ where a credit card was used to make the transaction.

Americans usually only suffer one conversion as their cards are denominated in US$.

This is actually incorrect. Differing banks will convert differing currencies directly.
I know my card converts USD, EUR and GBP and possibly also JPY directly. All other currencies get converted to USD then back to NZD.

Eg you bought an iPhone in Hong Kong on your credit card, it would go HKD->USD->NZD incurring the conversion % penalty at each conversion.

If this is a concern check with your credit card issuer.

The force is strong with this one!

kiwijunglist

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Reply # 363053 4-Aug-2010 15:22

Thanks for all the info re foreign exchange, but i already know this (I have imported several cars from japan and paid in yen and travel overseas a few times each year and buy a lot of stuff over the internet using my credit card) and it's not the point...

A company is charging a credit card before approving a transaction, it's bad business practice. They list NZ credit card as accepted payment, yet 3 geekzone members who attempted to order have been stung by this...

I post this to warn other users before considering using this website, as it was suggested by other geekzone members...

n4

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Reply # 363058 4-Aug-2010 15:26

Just as a matter of interest, did you try calling them when they cancelled the order?

Huawei Mate 7, on 2degrees

kiwijunglist

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Reply # 363067 4-Aug-2010 15:30

Hi n4, didn't call but they had been responding to my emails. Although not the best at answering questions

UM: Refunded, please allow upto 3 working days to show on card account. Failed secuirty check. Please reply to this email if you have any questions.

ME: Yes, please tell me why it failed security check, thanks.

UM: We ship orders which pass our security check. This one did not.

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