Futu Online Haven't Provided a Warranty Refund on Return and Are Ignoring Messages. Please Help!

poppingtags on 14/11/2020 - 11:40
Last edited 20/11/2020 - 09:28 by 1 other user

TLDR:
Bought a USB-C dock from Futu Online, ran into issues a few months later, Futu asked me to send the item back for a full refund, Futu acknowledged receipt of the item, didn't process a refund and stopped replying to messages for over a month now. PayPal and eBay said there's nothing they can do. Please help!

DETAILS:
I bought a USB-C dock from Futu Online in March via their eBay store.

In September, the dock wasn't performing to specification. I contacted Futu via eBay messages, they acknowledged the issue and asked me to send the item back for a full refund - I sent the dock to them at the start of October.

Once they received the item, they said they'd send me a replacement dock - I pointed out that the replacement dock wouldn't solve the issue and that I want the refund that they had agreed to in writing. That was on the 19th of October.

They've completely stopped replying to messages since then. This is especially strange and frustrating as they usually replied to messages within a few hours. They haven't replied to the 5+ messages I've sent since then asking for an update.

PayPal have said they can't do anything as its beyond the 180 day claim period - eBay says they can't force a refund because its beyond the 30 day claim period - but they'll try and get Futu to reply (couldn't tell me how they'd do that though).

Futu Online is a registered Australian business. They don't have a phone number that I can call either - eBay messages seems like the only point of contact.

I have no idea what to do next. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Update:

Finally got them to process the refund. thanks for all the help! :)

Related Stores

Shopping Express

• 

  bohn on 14/11/2020 - 12:12

  +2

  What is the value of the item?
  I would write to them and tell them you will be applying to VCAT to get it sorted. Give them a week. Whether you go to VCAT depends on how much the item is (there is an application fee etc).

  If you have it all in writing VCAT will sort them out.
  Most likely they will refund you before the VCAT hearing date.

  • 

    poppingtags on 14/11/2020 - 13:14

    Thanks will use this as a last resort.

    • 

      Nutrino on 15/11/2020 - 18:17

      So arrr.. What was the value of the item?.

      • 

        poppingtags on 18/11/2020 - 16:45

        $200 :/

• 

  skid on 14/11/2020 - 12:13

  Here's their phone number: 02 8338 8899

  Hours: Monday - Friday : 9.30am - 5.30pm

  • 

    poppingtags on 14/11/2020 - 13:13

    I tried to ring this number, despite it being for Shopping Express - but it looks like they aren't even accepting calls on this line either.

    • 

      skid on 14/11/2020 - 13:39

      Try ringing on Monday. They're closed on weekends.

      The shop has a good reputation. You won't be scammed.

    • 

      jiberz on 14/11/2020 - 16:58

      Yeah they have some weird connection with Shopping Express. When I got my GTX 970 from FUTU it came in a Shopping Express box.

• 

  b-t on 14/11/2020 - 12:13

  +1

  I think they are swamped though, just keep making contact.

  I just had an item that was accepted for refund as per warranty, and took me around 3 weeks to get from RMA number to the refund to my PayPal, and… the dollar amount is wrong, so I am still chasing them.

  Guess I'm slightly better though, at least I got something back (though not the full amount, around 3/4 of the original value).

  • 

    poppingtags on 14/11/2020 - 13:19

    That's still very frustrating! I think I'll just keep sending them a message on eBay everyday until someone replies. If they don't I'll look into ACCC and VCAT options as stated above.

    What I've found especially frustrating is that they were relatively good with replying within a few hours - but since asking them to stick to their written agreement for a refund, they've completely stopped replying.

    • 

      b-t on 14/11/2020 - 14:13

      +1

      Hey I had the same issue too. 3 messages in and I got my agreement for refund, then another 3 messages to chase up the refund, and then the wrong amount being refunded.

      Hang in there! I don't think they are that bad support as I've had numerous positive experiences with them, but maybe they're just busy in this period.

• 

  p1 ama on 14/11/2020 - 13:32

  +1

  Once they received the item, they said they'd send me a replacement dock - I pointed out that the replacement dock wouldn't solve the issue and that I want the refund that they had agreed to in writing. That was on the 19th of October.

  FWIW, if it's a major fault, the seller has choice of replacement or refund.

  • 

    b-t on 14/11/2020 - 14:27

    if it's a major fault, the seller buyer has choice of replacement or refund.

    Is that a typo?

    You can ask for a replacement or refund if the problem with the product is major.

    https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/consumer-rights-guarantees…

• 

  hoverboardrider on 03/04/2021 - 11:30

  I have bought lots of things from Futu Online but have just had a bad experience with them through their eBay store and will never buy a thing from them again - be warned.
  I've been in the market for a Dell U2720Q monitor for a while, I'm in need a good colour-correct monitor for photography work with 100% sRGB coverage (regular calibration for colour accuracy is easy with a colorimeter). This monitor is one of the best reasonably priced options and is usually picked up for around $900, which is not cheap, but to step up to a professional grade monitor costs thousands more and I don't have the budget for a pro-grade monitor.
  Dell shop has had U2720Q out of stock for ages due to pandemic and I contacted Dell Australia to find out if or when they expected to restock. Dell told me that they were not expecting stock for months and suggested I check resellers as some resellers were still carrying new stock.
  - An eBay Plus 20% off voucher came out on ozbargain and Futu-Online eBay were selling the U2720Q (Brand New, Unopened etc) for $869 less 20% with the voucher, plus I bought using eBay gift cards which at the time had a 5% discount, so the price was $651.75 which is a very sweet deal, I got in just before the 20% off voucher expired on 20th March 2021.
  - Very quick delivery, it was at my local post office inside two days, very snappy for a small regional town on NSW South Coast.
  -Picked up from the post office and alarm bells starting ringing. The box was a bit battered and torn and poorly resealed. Took photos before opening.
  - Opened the box and fears were realised. The monitor had clearly been repacked in a very haphazard way. The internal packaging was torn, the cords and accessories were just loosely thrown in the box not even coiled up properly and they weren't in the the inner cardboard box where they should be, and the monitor itself wasn't packed properly, there was no protective film on the monitor etc. Took more photos.
  - Contacted Futu through eBay messaging a couple of times explaining that I would like a return refund as the monitor was not brand new and unopened and was not as described on eBay. It is impossible to talk to them on the phone, there is an answering machine message saying both Shopping Express and Futu staff are all working from home and then the message machine hangs up without the caller being able to leave a message. I received a reply through eBay messaging a bit later asking me to send photos, Futu would check with their logistics dept, etc. I sent photos and a bit more info. Futu then stopped communicating completely.
  - I entered the service tag number printed on the monitor stand into the Dell website and the 3 year Dell Advance Exchange Support service warranty had been initiated a few weeks before I had even placed the order, somebody had apparently initiated a warranty claim or registered their purchase on this monitor weeks before I even ordered it. Told Futu about this.
  - There was an old delivery sticker on the box and my delivery sticker had been stuck over the top, however I noticed that the tracking number on the old sticker was still visible. I entered the old tracking number into the Auspost website delivery tracker and discovered that the item had travelled from Minchinbury NSW to Alexandria NSW via Auspost a few days before I placed my order. A quick check revealed that Dell has a service centre located in Minchinbury and that the item was later dispatched via Auspost from the eBay seller addressed to me from Alexandria. Told Futu about this also.
  - It seems clear that this item was either a previous return or a refurbished item that Futu_Online had sold to me as a new unopened item. May have been an accidental error by Futu, or may have been deliberate, who would know? What do you think?
  - As Futu have gone completely incommunicado I have started a return process. I went through an online chat process with eBay to find out who pays postage as I was new to the whole eBay return process. eBay were terrific, I am really pleased with the help and information they gave me after I initiated the return process. The seller has to either pay for postage or send a return postage label via email, and they have 7 days to do this. After 7 days if I haven't received the postage details from Futu, I can expect an automatic refund through eBay, and may get to keep the item as well.
  - It's now a few days after I initiated the return and still haven't heard a peep from Futu, I'll update this post if I hear from them but I don't think it's likely. I suspect that Futu may have already claimed the item as faulty and may have gotten a refund from Dell, and couldn't care less about this matter, but that's just a total wild guess on my part.
  - As I have said at the start of this post: I WILL NEVER DEAL WITH FUTU EVER AGAIN. BE WARNED. THEY ARE ALSO CONNECTED SOMEHOW WITH SHOPPING EXPRESS, SO OUT OF AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION I WILL NEVER DEAL WITH THEM EITHER.
  - Thanks for reading.