Hi Guys

I would definitely agree with Blackhorse 70V on this one and go on to say that you should never use anything but a credit card to buy goods and services simply because you get more protection than just the standard.

I heard this story on Money Box, a BBC finance programme for ordinary people, a scam company (William Electronics) set up a website offering electrical goods at £50.00 below the best retail prices available. The only thing was that the scammers wanted payment via bank direct transfer.

Well, the people who ordered their goods did not get anything, some of them went to the police and got no help, the police said the customers had to wait 28 days from date of complaint before they would do anything (British police are quite naff when it comes to on-line crime), others went to the address of these scammers and found nothing, the company had shut up shop and moved on (probably to scam again under another name).

But what is worse, there is absolutely no protection when transferring money directly to a retailer's bank account, your money is gone. If you do not get the goods you have paid for then you have now become a creditor and have effectively lost your money.

However, if those scammed people had used their credit cards they would've got their money back.


UK Bob