Credit card payment question

Hi all,

We purchased a Dell PC last October and paid for it with our credit card. This morning they phoned us to say that the payment wasn't processed due to a "technical fault" and could we "furnish them with our credit card details again".

I've checked and it appears that they weren't paid, but I'm not as rich now as I was then, and frankly can't afford to make the payment! Do I have any rights here? Can I refuse to pay on the grounds that so long has passed? Or can I get them to take the PC back? After all it's probably been superceded by a better model at this stage, and it galls me to pay for something that is no longer state of the art.

Opinions, comments, suggestions welcome.

Regards

Are you saying that you didn't notice whether or not you had been billed for a PC?

You recieved the goods. You should pay for them.

If you can't afford it now, might be worth explaining this to Dell and offer to send back the computer. You could then buy the latest model when you can afford it. I don't think they can force you to put this on a credit card, and you'd be mad to do this at a high interest rate if you can't afford to pay in full at the end of the month.

Yes. I noticed that the payment didn't go immediately, which I thought strange, but it didn't cross my mind after that. My credit card transactions would be be many and varied and thus €760 isn't going to keep me awake at night. And if it had, I was hardly going to ring up and remind them. Maybe that's an immoral attitude but c'est la vie.

Of course I'll pay for the goods, but the fact that I currently don't have the funds to do so means that Dell will have to either
a) accept instalments
b) come and take the PC away

It's not my fault that it takes them 11 months to spot problems with their internal billing systems.

I don't think it's that straighforward (that they have to accept (a) or (b) above), but I'm sure it's worth your while negotiating with them. It's not that unusual for there to be a time lag between the undertaking and processing of a transaction, and you could easily have put the €760 aside until they came looking for it.

Anyway, it may be worth contacting the ODCA ([broken link removed]) to see what they have to say in relation to this issue.

Ccovich - Will check the [broken link removed] website. Thanks for the tip.
Extopia - That's prob what I'll do.

Best regards

I appreciate that they were late in taking payment but you did order the goods, accept delivery and have use of the goods for the last 10 months! You ordered, purchased and had use of a NEW PC - it is no longer new so I couldn't see them taking back the now second hand pc 10 months later and have no compensation for same! Would you really risk the effect on your credit rating for €760? IMO I wouldn't think Dell HAVE to do anything - you HAVE to pay but perhaps they would accept installments as a gesture of goodwill. Best to contact them and work out the payments.

You made 2 good faith attempts to pay for the goods, which due to their fault they didnt process the payment. If it was a check you paid them the check would be invalid if they didnt cash it so this should be similar... although normally its difficult to get any sort of decent customer service when dealing with CC companies

Your not the only one to have difficulty with DELL's credit card processing deptartment.

See here CC referred.

BiNomial