...well, it might be. Got an email last Thursday from current owner of house we moved out of just over a year ago to say she'd refused delivery of what looked like a TV which was addressed to me. As I hadn't ordered one I was a bit surprised and asked if she'd got any more details, like where it had come from. All she could tell me was that it was a Parcelforce package.
Somewhat curious I thought I might as well try to get hold of it, but because she'd refused it there was no card with a parcel number, or any other paperwork. So I rang Parcelforce hoping to speak to a human - ended up in the corridor at work shouting down my phone trying to get their stupid voice recognition system to understand me :) Eventually it said I had arranged redelivery to a local post office, although I wasn't convinced, and it had cost me £2+ on my PAYG phone. (Actually I think I could have done it online - just saw something about needing a parcel number and didn't at the time spot the 'no parcel number?' option.)
Anyway, went to the PO on Saturday and lo and behold it was there. Managed to convince the nice chap behind the counter that all was above board, and came away with a 19" LED TV - not the 50" I was hoping for but at least it was easy to take to the car :)
The only clue as to where it came from was the return address on the label - ebuyer. Now I'm a regular if infrequent customer of theirs, but leaving aside the fact I haven't ordered a TV from them I've had 3 orders since moving which have all come straight to my new address without any problem. So I emailed them on Sunday asking if they knew what had happened. Got a reply yesterday asking for photos of the address label, which I've supplied. Currently waiting with baited breath to see whether I get to keep it...
Any predictions, and/or guesses as to what's happened?
This is the TV: www.ebuyer.com/340204-digimate-etv-1981w-19-etv-1981w
EDIT: BTW there's no clues in my ebuyer account/order history
Last edited by: Focus on Tue 24 Jan 12 at 09:26
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From my local police, in the last week.
"This is one that has been sent to me by a neighbourhood watch member and is therefore in their own words; an expensive flat screen TV was delivered to my neighbour bearing his correct name and address, but it had not been ordered by him. A little later in the day he received a phone call (from an Indian-sounding person) who apologised that the TV had been delivered in error and that someone would come and pick it up. My neighbour was curious enough to telephone the company who had delivered the item and found that it had, indeed, been ordered by someone of his name, but although they had the correct phone number,(which they could have found in a phone book) they had his birth date wrong, and the company suggested he might have been a victim of identity theft. The company offered to pick up the TV, but advised my neighbour to verify the identity of the company and the driver, who would be carrying the appropriate documentation. This was done quickly, and thankfully, before the scam people could get round and cheerfully pick up (and effectively steal) the TV, which would still have been charged to my neighbour."
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Interesting henry - looks like a distinct possibility. Better not start using it yet then :(
EDIT: although doesn't explain the incorrect address?
Last edited by: Focus on Tue 24 Jan 12 at 09:35
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>> EDIT: although doesn't explain the incorrect address?
In a way it might. The ID thief's info could be out of date?
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>> >> EDIT: although doesn't explain the incorrect address?
>>
>> In a way it might. The ID thief's info could be out of date?
So it was ordered be persons unknown as a 'new' customer order rather than through my account.
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>> So it was ordered be persons unknown as a 'new' customer order rather than through
>> my account.
If I read 'BTW there's no clues in my ebuyer account/order history ' rightly there's no trace of this x/action there?
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>> If I read 'BTW there's no clues in my ebuyer account/order history ' rightly there's
>> no trace of this x/action there?
Yep, zilch.
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I did purchase one of their own-brand (F&H) 19" TVs in April 2009, which I returned (not possible to view full widescreen picture without distortion). I would have thought unlikely that this is related.
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>> EDIT: although doesn't explain the incorrect address?
Do you mean that your eBuyer account is up to date with the current address?
It will be interesting to see what explanation eBuyer come up with. Possibly a corrupted database, with someone who has genuinely ordered it and still waiting for delivery.
If a scam, then same questions arise as for Henry's tale below.
>> "This was done quickly, and thankfully, before the scam people could get round and cheerfully pick up (and effectively steal) the TV, which would still have been charged to my neighbour." >>
How was the payment made before delivery?
How would the charges been applied to the neighbour?
I have a gut feeling that that story is going to end up on Snopes or Hoaxslayer or Mythbusters as a hoax, if it is not already there.
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>> >> EDIT: although doesn't explain the incorrect address?
>> Do you mean that your eBuyer account is up to date with the current address?
Yes - as mentioned in the OP I've had 3 orders since moving a year ago, all delivered straight to my new address.
If they are scammers, they're setting their sights quite low; it's not even one of the better 19"-ers!
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>> Yes - as mentioned in the OP I've had 3 orders since moving a year ago, all delivered straight to my new address. >>
So you did. I missed taking that in!
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>> >> Yes - as mentioned in the OP
>>
>> So you did. I missed taking that in!
It's ok, I did ramble on a bit :)
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Always start identity theft or credit card scam low to keep it under the radar and see if it works, then go for the biggie or large run.
I would be
a: checking my credit card and bank statements
b: getting a credit expert check to see if someone has been taking out cards or loans in my name.
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Ebuyer have finally replied; Della writes:
"I am pleased to announce that you did win the TV competition.
Enjoy your product and have a lovely day."
Result!
Why it took them a week to work that out, and why it was sent to my old address, and why I didn't get any notification, and exactly which competition, they didn't say. I suspect there's more to this than they're letting on... but I'm not going to complain.
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Scam victim to legal prizewinner in a week! That IS a result!
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Free TV - henry k
