Dodgy Dealings with Catch

Jackson on 03/07/2020 - 16:45
Last edited 03/07/2020 - 18:29 by 1 other user

Rant warning So I bought one of these a few weeks ago from Catch of the Day: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/541150

No big deal, paid by CC, and signed up for the first time ever for club catch to get a break on the shipping.

I got an email a few days later telling me that they cancelled my order for security reasons. I went online to see if I could purchase it, and it wasn't available. As such, I made a case. They then respond telling me that the items are still in stock and I can reorder them. Sure enough it is, but it's around $100 more expensive! So I ask them if they can sort this out, and this is the response I get:

We conduct security checks on every order placed with Catch. After a detailed review, your order did not pass.

Following our obligations regarding potential unauthorised purchases, the order was cancelled and fully refunded.

Once an order has been cancelled, we are not able to reinstate it.

Please understand that due to security reasons, we are not able to provide the exact checks that are undertaken. We apologise that we are not able to provide the detailed answers you were looking for. We hope you understand these procedures are in place to protect all customers.

If you would like to place a new order, we kindly recommend using PayPal as your payment method as this offers additional security features which we are able to rely on.

Of course, I politely respond saying that the price has increased $100 and it's not really fair to charge me that in the circumstances, but it's a noreply address, and there's nothing in my account profile that let's me contact them, or shows their messages to me. So after finally calling them today, I get the exact same response I got before.

This has to be up their with the worst customer service I've ever experienced. Has anyone been through this and how did you deal with it?

Poll Options expired

• 37
  Catch are terrible, don't buy from them
• 8
  You should go to fair trading for false advertising
• 7
  Suck it up and don't be a Karen

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• 

  Drakesy on 03/07/2020 - 17:02

  +2

  Ummm, what is a security check, did you credit card bounce?
  Sounds like they ran out of stock/were making a loss on the item so had to make an excuse. Bit dodgy but hey.

  But yeah they've given you a refund, so i guess there's not much else you can do.

  • 

    Jackson on 03/07/2020 - 18:16

    Who knows what a security check is? They didn't run out of stock due to having the item in stock again presumably, and in truth i may have missed it searching because the massive prices jump. And no the credit card didn't bounce, they actually took the money and then refunded days later.

    Well, technically there might be, if it's seen as false advertising

• 

  DrRalph on 03/07/2020 - 17:06

  +1

  I wouldn't call it a dodgy experience, but in the last week I had a delivery from Catch where 20 items were missing. You can't use an online form or email to contact them, so you have to wait for an hour plus on hold on the phone to talk to someone outside Australia about your problem (which they created).

  I've been promised a refund for the missing items to my credit card within 5 days.

  • 

    Jackson on 03/07/2020 - 18:18

    how do they lose 20 items and not know about them?

    Yes their customer services is lacking severely. It seems they have an online form, but you can't interact with them online in any way. Only by phone, so what's the point of the form? Then they email you saying you haven't responded when you have no way to respond, which yes forced me to have to call them again

  • 

    Neoika on 03/07/2020 - 18:27

    Surprisingly, you did not pay with giftcards.

• 

  caramel0 on 03/07/2020 - 19:03

  Not with Catch, but I had a similar case where a ~$300 order of mine was cancelled for 'security' reasons, they sent an email that got filtered to spam so I didn't see it until I called up and asked why my cc was refunded.

  I told the store that I found some of the products elsewhere cheaper, but some of the products I'd still like to buy with them for the original price as I heard good feedback from friends. They told me no you have to pay the more expensive price, so I said I was very disappointed and asked for it to be escalated to their supervisor who agreed to give it to me for the price in my original order.

  If that doesn't work, then I'd probably give up.

• 

  loropy9 on 03/07/2020 - 20:03

  Catch. Don’t get me started on my horror porting story away from catch connect.

• 

  [Deactivated] on 03/07/2020 - 21:02

  Had my CC skimmed and used on catch, they seem ok

• 

  Melb69 on 04/07/2020 - 06:10

  Look at it this way. At least you got your money back promptly and probably saved you money by not buying it at all. I don't think I have bought anything from Catch. Sellers can cancel for any reason. Doesn't make buyers happy. Also I don't like the sound if their Cs access. Hate being on hold.

• 

  Jackson on 09/12/2020 - 19:04

  Just an update, putting here as I don't think i can still edit the post. After lodging a Fair Trading complaint, they called and said someone will be in touch. Eventually I got an email from some senior complaints person at Catch, and they were generous enough to give me a $100 voucher, which was a good result. I still asked them why does it take a fair trading case for someone to consider my issue properly, and the response was "we don't have to do anything, this is just a good will credit". We all know the real reason, because only one in 20 people actually follow through on the complaint, so they just play the numbers. Moral of the story people is if you have a henuine gripe, complain and don't let them off the hook.

  Anyway, happy with the result, shouldn't be so painful though.