LivingSocial - do they have any responsibility to customers?

[Homer]

Hi

In February, I purchased coupons for some razor blades through LivingSocial. I was given vouchers which directed me to another site - lifestyleretailproducts.com.

When I went to place the order, the price showed up as stg£59.94, but I was then asked if I wanted to apply a coupon code. I did this and the price was reset to zero. I was then directed to another page where I was asked to pay £3.40 postage via PayPal. When I went to do this, the £59.94 had been added to the bill.

I wrote to the retailer and got an automated response. I responded to this and have sent several follow up emails, but have received no response. I copied LivingSocial on the correspondence and told them that I would like them to give me a refund if I don't get any satisfaction from the retailer. Their response was that it's nothing to do with them and I have to take it up with the retailer.

Giving that it was LivingSocial that I paid for the vouchers, I find this attitude very cavalier and I would like to know where I stand legally. I wrote a strongly worded response to their email, but have heard nothing further from them.

Both companies are UK based. Is there a UK watchdog that I can contact to make an official complaint or does the fact that this transaction was cross border affect my consumer rights?

I am now outside the validity dates for the coupons and this may be a factor in the difficulty I am having applying the vouchers, but I was a few days in advance of the expiry date when I first tried to use them.

Thanks
Homer

 

[Sue Ellen]

1. Did you pay by credit card and maybe it would be best to pursue a refund through that rather than put up with the hassle?

2. Maybe you will find something useful on the NCA website http://www.nca.ie/nca/shopping-from-home

3. List of regulators in UK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_regulators_in_the_United_Kingdom

4. ECC here may give some advice [broken link removed]

 

[ajapale]

Do a search for livingsocial and there are a few threads like this and this which offer some help.

Livingsocial Deal not as advertised..legal entitlement to refund?

Livingsocial refund - what chance?

"LivingSocial" has come up on more than one occasion here before.

 

[Homer]

Thanks. Sounds as if chasing LivingSocial will be a waste of time. I think I'll try contacting my credit card company and see if they can offer any satisfaction.

It seems to me that these internet companies can basically do what they please and they will get away with it most of the time because the amounts involved are relatively small and people will eventually give up and decide its not worth the hassle of chasing them any more for the amounts involved.

Part of me feels like pursuing them to the ends of the earth to get satisfaction. Another part says life's too short and I should regard it as a lesson learned and just move on.

 

[Boyd]

See http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?t=174951&highlight=groupon

I got a refund from Groupon before for a similar thing. I know theyre not the same company as LivingSocial but theyre the same ballpark.

 

[MrEarl]

Hello,

I know it will cost you a small fee, but take them to the Small Claims Court .. the more of us that use this service to deal with bad retailers and other service providers, the less those retailers and service providers will behave badly in the future

It's easy enough to do, you don't need legal representation etc.

Regards

Mr. Earl.

 

[uptomyeyesin]

Suprised that Living Social wont honour a refund - as above poster says, no matter what the reason I would always get a refund from Groupon.

Do they have a facebook page you could put a post on asking for help? Sometimes by highlighting it to them publicly it might be more of an incentive to help you out.