I find it almost impossible to find glasses frames that suit me and have recently started to browse the many online shops that supply them. Last week I ordered a 'trial' frame that I really liked from a website in the UK for £4, the idea being that you get to try them on and if they suit you send them back and they fit lenses to your prescription. I only intended to get plain lenses and have my prescription fitted through my local optician. If you fail to return the trial frames within ten days of receiving them they can charge you the full cost of the glasses (about €75).
I had previously emailed the company about the availability of the frames and postage to Ireland and had received a reply (signed 'customer services' which I probably should have been a bit more wary about) stating that they were available and that they charged the same postage to Ireland as the UK. I decided to order the trial frame and replied asking them to make sure that they put international postage on it. I didn't get a reply to that.
Anyhow, its a week later and there's no sign of the frames, although the £4 was taken from my credit card. I realise the post from the UK can be slow at times, but decided to phone the company today to check if the frames had been dispatched. I did so and was told by the person I spoke to that 'they' (in her words) only take order queries using the online enquiry form-which doesn't give any automatic feedback other than tell you that they will get back to you within two working days. I submitted a query using this form this afternoon, no reply yet.
Now I'm starting to feel a bit uneasy about all of this. I realise that I probably shouldn't have ordered the frames in the first place, but I couldn't find similar ones anywhere else, so gave into temptation. Of course I may be just being paranoid and they may arrive tomorrow, but I'm starting to wonder if I will ever see them and if they will charge the full amount to my credit card. Any advice about what I should do (apart from being more cautious in future)?
I had previously emailed the company about the availability of the frames and postage to Ireland and had received a reply (signed 'customer services' which I probably should have been a bit more wary about) stating that they were available and that they charged the same postage to Ireland as the UK. I decided to order the trial frame and replied asking them to make sure that they put international postage on it. I didn't get a reply to that.
Anyhow, its a week later and there's no sign of the frames, although the £4 was taken from my credit card. I realise the post from the UK can be slow at times, but decided to phone the company today to check if the frames had been dispatched. I did so and was told by the person I spoke to that 'they' (in her words) only take order queries using the online enquiry form-which doesn't give any automatic feedback other than tell you that they will get back to you within two working days. I submitted a query using this form this afternoon, no reply yet.
Now I'm starting to feel a bit uneasy about all of this. I realise that I probably shouldn't have ordered the frames in the first place, but I couldn't find similar ones anywhere else, so gave into temptation. Of course I may be just being paranoid and they may arrive tomorrow, but I'm starting to wonder if I will ever see them and if they will charge the full amount to my credit card. Any advice about what I should do (apart from being more cautious in future)?
I haven't received a reply to the online query I submitted on Thursday yet either.