Allgain.co.uk

Hi Stevebuk,

did you buy your lens from them (Allgain.co.uk) ? I've found Tamron macro lens on their web page but price sounds too good to be true. I don't want be scammed and I'm concern whether lens is genuine. Any experience?
 
Hi Steve,

Please give us a call to discuss if you are unsure of anything.We are happy to chat about

We are a HK based electronics business with a twist.We do not ship any items from any overseas locations.All goods are shipped into our UK hubs before we distribute across the UK and the EU.This in turn eliminating any import tax or duty for the customers as we have taken care of this already.

We also offer local UK warranties (parts and labour) on any item from a range or repair centres up and down the UK.

We appreciate your feedback and hope with your input we can improve on the business whilst keeping our prices competitive!!

Kind Regards,

Allgain
 
Please can you confirm that you do abide by the UK distance selling regulations with regard to returning items for refund as you have a statement in your website which says

"No shipped product will be returned. ALL ORDERS shipped ARE FINAL! 15% RESTOCKING FEE APPLIES FOR CANCELLATIONS."

Also do you supply VAT receipts?

Thanks
 
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Hi Brian,

As long as an item is unopened and the seal has not been breeched we will take back the item free of charge.If an item has been opened or used in anyway we will charge a 15% restocking fee.We do ask our customers that they are completely sure that the selected item is the one they want.I hope you appreciate that once an item has been opened or the seal broken we cannot sell it at full price and the item will be relisted as demo or used stock and clearly outlined.The 15% merely covers the cost in this exercise.

We do not supply VAT invoices but cover all import duty and taxes on all items,

regards,

Allgain
 
hzv5wk said:
Please can you confirm that you do abide by the UK distance selling regulations with regard to returning items for refund
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AllGain UK said:
As long as an item is unopened and the seal has not been breeched we will take back the item free of charge.If an item has been opened or used in anyway we will charge a 15% restocking fee.
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Or, in other words, "no, we do not comply".

Customers who buy online are allowed to open the packaging and inspect the goods. If that means you cannot re-sell them as "new", that is your problem. You are not allowed to charge a restocking fee.
 
Hi Brian,

As an HK company we are not completely governed by UK distance selling regulation but we align ourselves and we want to play fair no matter what.We believe this is a fair option.You really should know what you are purchasing and we ask research is done before you make your purchase.

Last week we had a photographer buy a macro lens from us.He used it for the weekend for a shoot and then said he wanted to return the lens under the UK distance selling regulation 7 day return.The lens came back dusty and was not in brand new condition.Do you think it is fair that we basically rented the goods out free of charge so he could make money through his business at our expense?We don't believe this to be good business practice and have to protect ourselves.We believe it is fair practice to relist a return item as demo stock at approx minus 12-15% of the original sale price so we can recoup our costs and supply a customer with a potential bargin!!

Please refer to the following information on the John Lewis returns policy.They will not even accept a return item if it has been used whatsoever, so by having the 15% restocking fee at least it offers another option.



Refund policySee full terms and conditions here, and information on Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013

Refund policy
We want you to be happy with your purchase. If you're not, just return the product to us or to one of our shops, following the instructions above, and we'll exchange or refund it to the credit or debit card of the person who originally placed and paid for the order. Please see below for products excluded from this policy.

Under Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, if you buy online or by phone, your consumer rights entitle you to a full refund if you request one in writing within 14 working days of receipt. This includes any delivery charge, but excludes the products listed as exceptions below.


Terms & conditions

  • If you're unhappy with your purchase, please let us know. Unless faulty, we'd like this to be within 90 days of purchase
  • If you return your item to one of our shops and you'd like a refund but don't have your receipt, order confirmation or delivery note, we'll give you a gift card to the value of the current selling price. Ordinarily if you have your receipt or delivery note we'll refund the original debit, credit or charge card used to purchase
  • It's important that any unwanted item, unless faulty, is returned in a re-saleable condition. We'd expect this to mean that you've kept all original packaging and labels, and that it's undamaged and unused
  • We'll refund any delivery charges you've paid if you return an entire order (UK orders only)




 
AllGain UK said:
As an HK company we are not completely governed by UK distance selling regulation
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AllGain UK said:
We are a HK based electronics business with a twist.We do not ship any items from any overseas locations.All goods are shipped into our UK hubs before we distribute across the UK

Allgain
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By your own admission you distribute your items from a UK hub after importing them, this makes you 100% governed by UK laws and regulations with regards to selling your products in this country

.
 
AllGain UK said:
, and that it's undamaged and unused
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and how is the buyer supposed to check the item without opening the box and attaching it to his camera ?

If you really are operating from a uk hub then you are bound by uk law although as google shows 83 Ducie Street manchester to be a PO box / mail forwarding service * with mutiple companies using it as their address , maybe you are actually operating from HK in which case you would be right about not being bound by the DSR , but would beg the question of how you are importing gear ?

Perhaps you could reasurre us by telling us where your UK hubs are located ?

(*see http://www.cityaddress.co.uk/about-us/locations.html )
 
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I think Allagain have stated all they can here now. They have been as honest as possible and stated how they operate. It's upto the buyer to choose if the products lower price is worth the cons of buying without the right to a full refund if they open the package and change there mind.
 
Ickle97116084 said:
I think Allagain have stated all they can here now. They have been as honest as possible and stated how they operate. .
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apart from not telling us where their hubs are (as they arent at the postal adress they give on their website) , and claiming not to be bound by british law when they are (assuming that they are indeed operating from a uk base).

Personally I'd be happy to buy from them if they can demonstrate they are operating from a UK base and agree that they are bound by the distance selling regulations (and other uk law) ... if not then I'll continue to give my grey business to hdew.
 
@Ickle97116084
I don't think AllGain have said all they can, they've said all they're willing to. None of it adds up.

1. No VAT invoice provided. No UK tax paid when shipped within the UK? Where is the evidence it has already been paid? As a business buyer, I quite like a VAT invoice so I can claim it back...
2. Confirmed they don't intend to stand by UK Law in terms of DSRs, which they must be bound by if selling goods in sterling and shipping from UK hub.
3. No confirmation of precisely where they ship from, or where they are based.
4. Dodgy surcharge applied to all purchases. When you go to checkout, they add a 5.5% surcharge, ostensibly for purchasing via PayPal (which is not permitted by PayPal, and is the only payment method). They claim that they may, under rare circumstances, allow collection from a UK hub, but that a 5.5% surcharge will be applied. In other words, the price you see is not the price you pay, which is not permitted in UK Law - a blanket surcharge means they are simply displaying lower prices for competitive reasons, but fail to honour them. Reported to Paypal.
5. Who provides their warranty services? They offer an amorphous statement about a series of repairers throughout the UK, but no clear information as to exactly who - some Joe working from his bedroom? Turnaround times? No clear policy at all.

A shame, I'd have been very pleased to make a large order if they weren't so dodgy. After seeing the blanket surcharge I realised something was not right about these people, and after a quick google reading this page was what dissuaded me from buying there, so thanks to all who have weighed in here, and as a new member, hi, and I look forward to chatting more in the future.
 
I see you are correct, adding 5.5% to the transaction at checkout does seem a little unscrupulous. Given the addition of the surcharge there prices don't really compete after al against other online companies for example WEX or Clifton. I guess its upto to each buyer to make there own choice.
 
I wouldn't trust this company with a barge pole! I recently ordered a lens from them as their website said it was in stock and the price was good. I received the emails to say that the order and payment was received and they gave a deilvery of 5-7 working days. When that had expired (plus a few days leeway), I contacted them to be told that they had 'problems with stock'. Apparently, if the website says it is in stock, this doesn't actually mean in the UK. It could be pretty anywhere in the world! Despite their promises that the problem had been sorted and that I would definitely receive my purchase within a few days. Still nothing turned up. I asked them again when I would have the lens and was told again 'in a few days'. I then told them that it was required for an assignment on the May Bank Holiday weekend and was told that they couldn't guarantee delivery by then. They gave me the option of cancelling the order and receiving a full refund to my PayPal account. I informed them that was what I wanted and they promised that my money would be refunded in 24-48hours. This was not done despite two subsequent requests. I therefore instigated a dispute via PayPal to which they have so far not replied. They now have until 16th May otherwise this will escalate to a full complaint and claim from PayPal.

Quite honestly, this company should be reported for their practices as they are taking money under false pretences.
 
Simon Fenwick said:
I wouldn't trust this company with a barge pole! I recently ordered a lens from them as their website said it was in stock and the price was good. I received the emails to say that the order and payment was received and they gave a deilvery of 5-7 working days. When that had expired (plus a few days leeway), I contacted them to be told that they had 'problems with stock'. Apparently, if the website says it is in stock, this doesn't actually mean in the UK. It could be pretty anywhere in the world! Despite their promises that the problem had been sorted and that I would definitely receive my purchase within a few days. Still nothing turned up. I asked them again when I would have the lens and was told again 'in a few days'. I then told them that it was required for an assignment on the May Bank Holiday weekend and was told that they couldn't guarantee delivery by then. They gave me the option of cancelling the order and receiving a full refund to my PayPal account. I informed them that was what I wanted and they promised that my money would be refunded in 24-48hours. This was not done despite two subsequent requests. I therefore instigated a dispute via PayPal to which they have so far not replied. They now have until 16th May otherwise this will escalate to a full complaint and claim from PayPal.

Quite honestly, this company should be reported for their practices as they are taking money under false pretences.
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Report to your card company at the same time so they are kept informed.
 
twist said:
Report to your card company at the same time so they are kept informed.
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I don't think that will work on this occasion as firstly the payment was via PayPal and secondly, I don't have a credit card, only a debit card.
 
Simon Fenwick said:
I don't think that will work on this occasion as firstly the payment was via PayPal and secondly, I don't have a credit card, only a debit card.
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It does, if Paypal dont play ball your card company will get involved, debit cards also qualify for protection.
 
not if its via third party like paypal - because theres no direct relationashipbetween card issuer and supplier - you can argue for an indirect relatioonship but its subject to the goodwill of your bank
 
big soft moose said:
not if its via third party like paypal - because theres no direct relationashipbetween card issuer and supplier - you can argue for an indirect relatioonship but its subject to the goodwill of your bank
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I know of some that have been successful in the past, in all likelihood PP will recover the funds anyway.
 
Can't you just open a dispute with Paypal? Unless you paid via PPG of course. Personally would never do that except to trusted sellers on here. I'd defo speak to paypal and see what they say :)
 
jakeblu said:
Can't you just open a dispute with Paypal? Unless you paid via PPG of course. Personally would never do that except to trusted sellers on here. I'd defo speak to paypal and see what they say :)
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As mentioned in my post, a dispute has been opened and I can't expedite it to a full claim and complaint until 16th May which I will do as soon as that date arrives.

In the end, I did get the lens that I wanted via ebay from Camera Centre UK which is actually a shop in Cardiff. Only slightly more expensive and I had the lens within 24hours.

Still means that I am down over £425 from Allgain though at the moment until I sort it out.
 
If you are going to use these sort of companies its madness not to use a Credit Card!
 
Overexposed said:
If you are going to use these sort of companies its madness not to use a Credit Card!
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Don't possess one and never will for the simple reason that, other than for hiring a car, I can't think of a reason why I should. For online purchases, I either use well trusted companies OR a system where there is protection such as PayPal. I know that they will sort my problem out, it is just a matter of waiting until I get to the date when I can instigate the full process.

Really, other than having a rant, my sole purpose of my post was to warn others against using this company.
 
Simon Fenwick said:
Don't possess one and never will for the simple reason that, other than for hiring a car, I can't think of a reason why I should. For online purchases, I either use well trusted companies OR a system where there is protection such as PayPal. I know that they will sort my problem out, it is just a matter of waiting until I get to the date when I can instigate the full process.

Really, other than having a rant, my sole purpose of my post was to warn others against using this company.
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Well i wish you luck with getting your money back but you would have had a lot more protection with a credit card - I would never ever rely on Paypal.
 
PayPal is pretty good with this sort of stuff. The seller would need to show proof of delivery for a start. Unfortunately you will just have to wait for PP to do their thing which can be time consuming.
 
Refund finally received into my PayPal account today. At last! No apologies from the company though!
 
The refund was finally received into my PayPal account today! At last! Needless to say there was no apology from the company. Scathing review posted on Trustpilot.
 
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