Nasty email from Greece

[miglet54]

Hello all, I received a nasty message this morning telling me I have lots of courage to complain especially as I paid €10 short. I sent a screen shot to them when I placed the order as proof of payment, I sent €65 which equated to £58.72. The company are now claiming that I only sent them €55.00. I'm certainly not going to send them any more as my bank charged almost a tenner for the transaction despite them doing nothing. I feel really anxious about the whole thing, I really don't do confrontation well, or injustice. I suspect they're looking to blame Nyone who questions the poor customer service.

[Marz]

Sorry you are having problems. The exchange rate could be the issue with the difference in the amount ...

[miglet54 in reply to Marz]

Hello Mary, I paid in euros and my bank did the transaction automatically. I don't think there is room for error.

[miglet54 in reply to miglet54]

Marz, sorry my spellchecker is out of control, I've asked my laptop to convert £58.72 for 30.05.2017 and it comes to €66.75. I can't fathom what their game is.

[bluebug]

There maybe bank charges at their end of 10 Euros due to the transaction coming from the UK even though you sent the money in Euros as we don't use Euros.

I have had problems like that when working abroad and sending/receiving money from foreign clients.

I suggest you ask them if their bank charges them to receive money from the UK.

[miglet54 in reply to bluebug]

Thanks for the advice, but surely if they request the cost of the goods, plus postage if there was anything to add they would have asked at the time of payment. They knew it was a uk transaction. They received euros from my bank, who charged me almost a tenner for the transaction.

[Clutter in reply to miglet54]

Miglet54,

The customer usually pays the bank charges for their own bank and the seller's bank.

[Helena877 in reply to Clutter]

Yes - this is standard. The buyer pays bank charges at both ends.

[miglet54 in reply to Clutter]

Then why in heavens name don't they ask for it in advance or add it to the checkout price. I'm not shooting the mesenget I just think it's very poor trading. Mind reading comes extra.

[Clutter in reply to miglet54]

Miglet54,

The company charges a price in Euros for T3. It's your bank and the company's bank who levy charges for converting £ to €. Nothing to do with the company.

[bluebug in reply to miglet54]

Cos they are illogical? Or more likely they don't realise that if they received transactions from the UK their bank would charge them.

Also the reason the email seems rude is likely because English is an additional language for them. You would be amazed how sometimes even in large companies, where English is most people's first language, how internal emails can be reviewed before they are sent to another team to check the email can't be misinterpreted. With some of the foreign teams I've worked alongside the entire team can review and edit the email before it is sent.

Can you pay the extra by Paypal? I've received money that way - granted from friends - as it was cheaper than paying bank charges on my side when I brought goods for them.

If you can pay the extra by Paypal, I would simply write a very polite email back asking if there were bank charges on their side and state you wonder why they forgot to tell you as you would have paid them.

[miglet54 in reply to bluebug]

Paypal don't accept money for drugs. They said I don't know how you have the courage to complain when you paid €10 short. I had foreign language students for 20 years, we had a university house in Cambridge, I realise that there is a language difference. But rude is rude

[Helena877 in reply to miglet54]

Absolutely right. If PayPal are suspicious of anything they tend to freeze accounts and ask questions later. I have friends who have been banned for life from PayPal for receiving monies for questionable "services".

If the payment ended up being short didn't they tackle you about this right at the outset when they received payment?

I feel for you - it took 5/6 weeks for me to get a shipment from them the other month. It now leads me to believe that they "bought time - a month" by losing tracking references for mine and other peoples packages.

[miglet54 in reply to Helena877]

No nothing from them, not even confirmation of order until I received the email we all got which wasn't pleasant, the rude one followed when I said if they were aware for the last 2-3 months they ought not to be taking orders until they had fulfilled the backlog.

[ukgospeldiva in reply to miglet54]

That's Greece.

[fibrolinda in reply to miglet54]

the company aren't mind readers either and have no idea what your bank or any banks the payment is sent via charge which is why you are expected to pay all bank charges. My bank was not helpful at all and gave me a load of flannel as to why my payment had arrived short... they said they had no idea of payment routes or charges incurred before it reached the companies bank!!!!!! Can't remember which bank it was sent via but they charged €10. Western union... and other such companies have no such problem apparently, you pay they receive and all good.

[miglet54 in reply to fibrolinda]

I was happy to pay any charges, if only they had requested it. They can see that it is a UK transaction. All they have to do is ask for what they want in one payment. They are the experts. I paid my end and would have paid theirs had i been billed. Unless they ask how are we to know. I really don't understand , they take international orders and don't know that they are being chared by their own bank so include that in the transaction. I don't understand that you are seemingly defending them. They are deceitful in taking orders they can't fulfil.

[Helena877]

There really needs to be some competition over in Greece to supply T3. This company is only getting away this because they currently have a monopoly.

[Clutter in reply to Helena877]

Helena877,

There is a lack of Uni-Pharma T3 so anyone selling it will have problems. The other company selling Uni-Pharma T3 from Greece has stopped taking orders. This company should have done the same.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Helena877]

Helena, there is competition. I know of 3 suppliers of Unipharma. The main one, who I believe is being discussed here, does seem to be getting the majority of business, maybe because they were the original supplier, and I have a feeling that it may be big business for them.

I absolutely agree that they should suspend orders for the time being, it's madness to keep taking orders when they have a backlog and very little stock. And it's very wrong to be taking people's money, not telling them when they're likely to get their order fulfilled, and then​ moan about people emailing asking where their order is.

Another supplier a friend uses has suspended ordering on their website, has changed their email address and informed previous clients of the new one and ask that their details aren't shared at the moment as they want to supply their previous clients only at this stage. They have informed them of the shortage and suggest that clients reorder well before needing a new supply due to the delay, they put you on a waiting list and I believe they email you for payment when they have some to send. A much better way of dealing with the situation I think.

I don't know much about the third one.

[Helena877 in reply to SeasideSusie]

The supplier your friend is with have integrity!

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Helena877]

Absolutely! Communication is with a lady, not sure if it's her business. I always think ladies have a lot more sense 😊 (sorry fellas!)

[Marz]

I know nothing of these T3 suppliers but have a feeling they are operated from the spare bedroom - started small and then grew fast without the skills needed. I am still unsure how they access supplies - not from UniPharma itself but from the wholesalers perhaps ? I cannot get straight answers from Pharmacies. There is a list of pills that are similarly affected here.

Do hope you find a solution soon 😎

[helvella Administrator in reply to Marz]

Absolutely agree with you about the spare bedroom.

As many point out, companies (or one man and a dog) can give every appearance of being fine when things are going right. It is when things go wrong you uncover the reality.

(When there are tourists around, they rent it out, so deliveries are slower... )

[miglet54 in reply to Marz]

Thanks Marz, I don't really expect anything. I'll just chalk it up to more bad luck. It's not as if it's a stranger.

[SimonA87]

International bank transfers are a big rip-off.

I know Paypal don't get involved with online pharmacies, there is another service called "Orbit Remit" that I have used once, they charge a small fee for the transfer.

[Helena877]

Has anybody else eceived the texts about Moneygramme now complying with "anti money laundering regulations"?

Now sender and recipient will both have to provide ID at both ends.

[pamgarner]

don't be afraid of the storm (confrontation) Be the storm!.What kind of company talks

aurgumentatively to a customer?And one that doesn't feel well? Urrgghhh!

[HONORA]

hi did you ever receive your T3

[arTistapple]

Many of your replies cover the umpteen possibilities. My experience was that it was definitely made clear I had to pay their banking fees as well as my own. This was about an extra £10. I never felt comfortable about the whole thing but my T3 arrived relatively promptly.

However because T3 is so cheap in Greece over the counter, there is a lot of money to be made and frankly the ‘back room or bedroom’ scenario is highly likely. The product does not even have to be accessed directly from the producing pharmacy, due to its retail price being so cheap. I can think of a number of ways this can be circumvented. Access to emails from abroad would be one part of this. Additionally this ‘banking’ stuff is how a lot of ‘legal’ businesses in Greece operate! They hold bank accounts outside Greece to avoid tax. I have experienced this myself booking holidays.

So you have a system set up to be ‘worked’. Legitimate email address or not. As long as there is no pressure on access to T3 this system works well enough but as soon as there is a problem of supply, suddenly it’s an issue.

Who knows how many people this will affect if this little system stops working? I have a feeling the main suppliers either take this ‘sideline’ in their stride, or they are unaware of it.