Ridiculous

[Bugbear]

Some UK banks and suppliers, in their wisdom, have now decided that online purchases made with a credit/debit card can now only be delivered to the billing address of the card.
This means that if, like me your cards are registered to your French address (which is home) you cannot make a purchase to be delivered to an address you are staying at in the UK.

This would also prevent purchases made as a gift for someone.

I wanted to buy some Lipos whilst visiting family here as they can no longer be sent abroad and failed on two attempts - unable to register my card to complete the purchase. £100 + sale lost to two companies.

I understand it is a 'fraud- prevention' measure but surely there must be some way to incorporate additional checks etc.

Quite ridiculous.

The only option it seems is to, A, visit the shop where you can quite happily pay with your card or B, pay online using PayPal (if they accept it, of course)

Anyone want my money ?

[Nigel Day]

I think that you might be able to request a different delivery address if you phone up for the order. That way they can make a few other identity checks (in theory) and make sure that you've not stolen the card.

[Bugbear]

I tried that Nigel but just hit a brick wall. It wouldn't have anything to do with the fact I'm staying on Portland do you think

[TheFlyingCrust]

Surely the company concerned can bill your home address but deliver to a different address? IIRC Last purchases I made from GiantShark allowed this.

Redlands Models in Weymouth sell LiPO's. They only open Wednesday to Saturday. Give Brian a call to see if he has what you need.

Portland. Now there's an interesting place.

[Kevin Wilson]

I have had a few RC parcels delivered to my brother and paid by my credit/debit card.

The retailer was happy to do this as long as I had previous purchases delivered to the card address.

This is a security measure put in by the banks, so it is not really the retailer not wanting your money. Just there are some unscrupulous people out there and the retailer has no protection if he doesnt follow the rules.

[Terry Walters]

Hi Bugbear - I too live in France and shop in the UK quite often. It's a mixed bag of responses. Generally I find no problem getting what I want but some online retailers do insist that the the ' first purchase' can only be delivered to the registered address. I use PayPal more often now and have some cards registered on there and I have a PayPal address here in France and the UK too.

Usually I end up working round the issue but sometimes you can't and the retailer loses another sale.

I have UK debit cards as well as french and they are all registered, correctly, to my french address. The UK cards are for a high street bank in the UK and are in sterling but retailers can't seem to understand this is perfectly legitimate.

Keep on trying..... I find that most will respond to a phone call.

If you can deal with french bureaucracy in France then this is hardly a challenge is it? ! ( I just spent the morning running around Cahors between the Public Finances Office and URSAAF about Taxe Foncieres demanded for an auto-entrepreneur that is no longer an auto-entrepreneur but you don't won't to hear about that unless you are addicted to head aches!)

Terry

[Bugbear]

Cheers Terry - as you say it's nothing compared to French beaurocracy.

Sorted now with a very nice man who had what I wanted and accepted my payment without any problem.

Thanks to everyone else for their comments.

Cordialement

Gary