Feel Like I Was Rorted by Coop Bookshop

L3 on 07/04/2017 - 21:25
Last edited 07/04/2017 - 21:42

Jumped on a deal this morning for a wireless keyboard at Coop Bookshop online.

https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/301063

$10.50 for a (normally $55) keyboard, plus $6.95 shipping but not currently a member so needed to pay $25 to sign up. Decided to get a few for work to offset the membership fee and shipping.

I added them to my cart and their website says something like "become a member for $25 and save $X on your cart". All sounds good so I go ahead (while thinking maybe that the price is too good and it will be cancelled).

I received an email from them this afternoon saying that they are actually out of stock and will be refunding the order. Apparently though the membership fee is non refundable… I emailed them explaining that the only reason I signed up was to make this purchase and asked if they could either honour the original sale, or make a refund in full, but they gave some poor excuse about "not even having a way to process a refund for membership". When I pointed out that they state in the terms that a refund will be made for non-approved member applications (so clearly they are capable of processing the refund), they've gone back to just saying bad luck.

What do you think? It does say in the terms that the membership​ is not refundable.

They claim to have over 2 million members - I guess this is how they got there…

General Discussion

Related Stores

The Co-Op Online Bookshop
The Co-Op Online Bookshop

Comments

  • retiredfeline on 07/04/2017 - 21:32
    +4

    wroughted

    * rorted

  • kipps on 07/04/2017 - 21:58
    +3

    Dodgy. Did you pay by credit card? I would try a charge back

    • 3 on 07/04/2017 - 22:00

      Yep, could do. I did authorise the original transaction though.

      • tomsco on 07/04/2017 - 23:03
        +4

        On the condition of the keyboard. They did not deliver on that. Just go with that line.

  • 17833 on 07/04/2017 - 22:04
    +1

    Long discussion in this thread, not sure if you have read it but may provide some help https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/296310

    • 3 on 07/04/2017 - 22:07

      Thanks hadn't seen that. I'll have a read

  • SydStrand on 08/04/2017 - 00:07
    +3

    They claim to have over 2 million members - I guess this is how they got there…

    Coop's members are overwhelmingly students or faculty who bought in for textbooks. Not defending their crummy refund policy or how mismanaged their online store is, but I highly doubt they've snookered 2 million people with a handful of Ozbargain deals.

    • Diji1 on 08/04/2017 - 01:05
      +3

      Remember when Universities weren't scam artists?

  • [Deactivated] on 08/04/2017 - 01:32
    +3

    chargeback time

  • altomic on 08/04/2017 - 09:32
    +1

    hey 3, if you don't get a refund then watch out for future coop deals and then offer your services to buy stuff for non-members (maybe charge a $2 fee and only accept funds as paypal friends and family?) ?

  • garffi on 08/04/2017 - 10:11
    +2

    I'm pretty sure it used to be refundable back when I signed up 4 years ago, I guess that's changed :/

  • trongy on 08/04/2017 - 23:51
    -1

    I saw this ABC story just the other day about the shenanigans going on within the Co-op Bookshop. Technically, members are shareholders, but it seems to be run for the benefit of a select few, mostly Labor party insiders.

    Textbook retailer The Coop faces membership backlash over allegations of running 'corporate clique'

    • PVA on 09/04/2017 - 20:24
      +2

      I must have misread cos I didn't read anything about Labor party in that story.

  • robbyjones on 09/04/2017 - 20:02

    Membership used to be free, got mine when my son needed a book, purchased at the Uni bookstore about a decade ago. I'm thinking that's how they have so many members

  • EmployeeThe Coop @ The Co-Op Online Bookshop on 10/04/2017 - 10:03
    +3

    You'r situation is not company policy, and it will be dealt with.

    Can you please send you account/personal info here in a PM, and I will get you a solution today.
    Obviously there are situational circumstances where we can and should ignore written "Terms & Conditions"
    This is one of them. Sorry to hear that it didn't happen.

    Technical possibilities completely aside I will ensure you are not out of pocket for the membership fee.

    • 3 on 10/04/2017 - 10:48
      +1

      Thanks, PM'd

    • videoman on 02/05/2017 - 08:47
      +2

      Don't trust what the coop has to say. They scammed so many people from this deal- https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/296310

      The coop started off answering everyones questions until the matter of a refund came up and then we never heard from them again. They didn't even respond to paypal refund requests. Eventually paypal ended up giving me my refund because the coop didn't respond to them.

  • scrimshaw on 02/05/2017 - 00:55

    Good on ya, Coop Employee!

    • 3 on 02/05/2017 - 06:09
      +2

      I haven't received a refund yet…

      • ltvo3 on 02/05/2017 - 08:52
        +1

        Just being curious, What was the solution that they offered you?

        • 3 on 02/05/2017 - 12:49

          I have received the refund for the items, but so far no email response about the membership fee despite user 'The Coop' indicating that they would sort it out.

          It does sound like maybe they're improving this process in the recent Galaxy S7 deal though.

      • Rodo on 02/05/2017 - 10:36

        I suggest you contact the ACCC. In NSW you can also contact the Department of Fair Trading. They will be able to help you.

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