A certain saddlery and online retailer...

[Mad_Cow347]

ALO that's what annoyed me too, the fact I had to ring them to find out where they were.
I recently ordered from Next & got an email the following day saying sorry we let you order something that wasn't in stock so we have removed this from your order. Much better than leaving me guessing where it was!

 

[Bambi.]

There's a few online saddlery shops i've ordered from where i've had to chase them up asking about my order only for them to say its not in stock! Why can't they be quick to tell you this or why can't they update their website!!

 

[OFG]

I bought some things from them recently. One item was in stock and the other wasn't. Even though I paid by card over the phone for the whole amount only the amount for the item in stock was debited from my account immediately. As soon as the other item was in stock / despatched a week or so later did they take the outstanding balance from my card.

Glad you got some boots in the end

 

[OWLIE185]

If they offer them to you at a specific price and you order them then they have entered in to a contract with you and they are obliged to supply them at that price even if they have to order them in to get them.

I would also suggest ringing trading standards and getting a reference number from them which you can quote.

 

[NikkiF]

I had a similar problem with them years ago, after numerous phone calls (all made by me) I had quite an argument with them, told them what I thought of them and have never used them since, much better online stores out there!!

 

[Sparkly Snowdrop]

I have had problems with them over the years, so much so that I will never buy from them again. Well done OP for getting them to sort it

 

[cattysmith]

My little girl was left crying on her birthday with no presents thanks to Derby House.

Absolutely useless abysmal excuse of a company.

 

[Laafet]

DH is not getting worse it has been shocking for a long time now, last time I ordered off them was 5 or 6 years ago, a few things which arrived in dribs and drabs but most annoyingly a mane and tail rake that took 4 months to arrive, by which time the showing season was over! Each time time I phoned/emailed was fobbed off and never once offered my money back.

 

[PandorasJar]

If they offer them to you at a specific price and you order them then they have entered in to a contract with you and they are obliged to supply them at that price even if they have to order them in to get them.

I would also suggest ringing trading standards and getting a reference number from them which you can quote.

This.

If simply labelled at a cheap wrong price they can refuse the sale. But once they've entered into the sale (by accepting your money) the contract is made. Trading standads require a number of things to be done (mainly written requests over a certain period of time) so can be a fairly lengthy process, but lots of places will sort the issue out quickly as don't want to extend the problem their end. Unfortunately I'm still in this process a year on from a dodgy car purchase through a large dealer

If this drags out, small claims might be worth doing? Assume it would be applicable.

 

[PandorasJar]

No, I don't think it's illegal to take money prior to dispatch as we often charged cards over the phone as if the customer was there, then rummaged around for the goods... but I'm not certain of this.

Not illegal.

We deal with very large orders. There are more than a handful of people who we wouldn't sell equipment over £1m without pre-payment to!
There is a contractual agreement with this to supply the goods within X time though. The buyer can't pull out of an order (regardless of money changing hands and an order can consist of a simple email stating what they are ordering and the amount) either, but we'd do it for admin charges.

If we pulled out of the order we would compensate the buyer. (Differing dependant on the contract signed).

 

[jesterfaerie]

criso

One item ( it was something small like a thinning comb) had ran out so they put the whole order on hold and emailed me asking me to contact them.
Couldn't get through on their line for several hours and by the time I did they had sold out of the other items which had been in stock.

I had exactly the same problem a few years ago, ordered about 8 rugs from them had an email confirming my order and giving me a order number. Few hours later they emailed me asking me to ring them. Hours later managed to get through and they told me my order didn't exist and they had sold out of everything and it was a typo giving me an order number and that my order has been placed. Fuming didn't cover it!