# Pay for any Big Purchases by Credit Card!



## MandaC (1 Jan 2009)

Just to reiterate a warning given elsewhere by Brendan.  Even if you have the cash to make your purchase, please pay for any large furniture/electrical items by credit card.  Especially those with long delivery lead times - sixteen weeks for suite, etc.

Beware of places that seem to be offering unrealistic deals, just to get cash/orders in.  Some of these places would appear to be placed on stop with their suppliers and need cash in to try and trade out any difficulties facing them in the new year.

I almost got stung on a load of tiles  this way about 8 years ago and only got my money back because I had paid by CC.


----------



## chrisboy (1 Jan 2009)

Very good advice


----------



## z109 (1 Jan 2009)

Likewise with us and flatpack Ireland about three and a half years ago. We had paid for an Ikea kitchen by CC - about 3.5k - and only found out that they were bust after they missed their delivery date. We got all our money back from the CC company.


----------



## rmelly (1 Jan 2009)

My understanding (I could be wrong) is that you should avoid front loading your credit card for big purchases and paying from this, as you may not be covered for refunds etc.


----------



## MandaC (1 Jan 2009)

D'ont know about front loading it with cash. I had heard that if you have a lot of cash stored on  cards and then your card is stolen and the cash gone, you may find it difficult to get the cash back.  

What I always do is pay with the credit card and then just pay off the balance before the item starts attracting interest. 

Because of the way the credit card companies pay retaillers, the payments are usually a couple of months behind, so if the goods have not been delivered and the company gone, all the credit card company does is key a refund from their final account.

It is a sorry state of affairs, but I would not pay cash upfront for anything now.  I even pay the deposits on credit cards.  Worked for me with the tiles eight years ago and that was over IR£1.5K at the time, only for having paid by CC would have lost the money.


----------



## Smashbox (2 Jan 2009)

Same goes for places like eBay, in case your seller is a scammer


----------



## getoffthepot (9 Jan 2009)

Smashbox said:


> Same goes for places like eBay, in case your seller is a scammer



Would not recommend credit card on ebay. 
Use Paypal. It's safer.


----------



## nesbitt (9 Jan 2009)

getoffthepot said:


> Would not recommend credit card on ebay.
> Use Paypal. It's safer.


 
Yes definitely.  On a slightly different note my daughter had used her CC alot on line and I advised her to 'lose' it and get a new one issued to replace it.  A bit belt and braces but......


----------



## seantheman (9 Jan 2009)

yoganmahew said:


> We had paid for an Ikea kitchen by CC - about 3.5k - and only found out that they were bust after they missed their delivery date.


ikea gone bust! my word didn't no the recession was quite as bad as that


----------



## Smashbox (10 Jan 2009)

getoffthepot said:


> Would not recommend credit card on ebay.
> Use Paypal. It's safer.


 
My apoligies, I should have clarified this post.

You should raise your Paypal payment by Credit Card

This way, if the seller has no money left in their Paypal account when Paypal try to get it back for you, you can do a chargeback on your card.


----------



## z109 (10 Jan 2009)

seantheman said:


> ikea gone bust! my word didn't no the recession was quite as bad as that


Eh, that would  be flatpackireland...


----------



## MandaC (12 Jan 2009)

Just an add on to the above post.  Land of Leather have now gone into administration.

If you read the attached excerpt from the times, those who paid by debit card or Credit Card are "fully protected", while those who paid cash deposits may have to take a different approach.

[broken link removed]


----------



## MugsGame (12 Jan 2009)

> those who paid by debit card ...  are "fully protected",



Untrue. Read the article! Debit cards are not normally protected and LASER cards are not in this instance. Visa Debit card users are protected in this case, probably because LoL (like many retailers) process Visa Debit cards as credit cards.


----------



## extopia (12 Jan 2009)

nesbitt said:


> Ymy daughter had used her CC alot on line and I advised her to 'lose' it and get a new one issued to replace it.



Why? Was there a problem?


----------



## MandaC (13 Jan 2009)

MugsGame said:


> Untrue. Read the article! Debit cards are not normally protected and LASER cards are not in this instance. Visa Debit card users are protected in this case, probably because LoL (like many retailers) process Visa Debit cards as credit cards.



Yes true it is VISA Debit card as opposed to the more common Laser debit card same as cash, gone from accoutn.  Visa debit (probably more used in UK,)but I think Halifax do them here.  

It still shows you are better paying for larger goods by credit card even if you have the cash, given that scenarios like this are becoming frighteningly common.


----------



## Smashbox (13 Jan 2009)

Your right, Halifax have a Visa Debit card


----------

