Be Weary of Using SHIPLY.com - You may lose your deposit

[10 Bears]

A general warning about using http://www.SHIPLY.com - they do not follow a business model that includes giving any sort of customer service, while also putting as many obstacles in your way to recover any deposit you have left with them.

 

The background is this. I needed some equipment transporting between Manchester and the South Lakes as described in this thread. I placed an advert on Shiply and got a good price of a fairly local transport company to pick up on a back-load. I accepted his offer and placed a deposit to book this in.

 

Unfortunately, the transporter then text messages me to say he cant do the job as he only has a flat-bed, and missed in my advert that I need a hi-ab. I was on the PC, so attempted to contact him via the messages portal on Shiply, only to find that Shiply prevents you from communicating with your transporter via the Shiply message portal once you have agreed a transport/paid a deposit. This is the first annoying obstacle placed in the way by Shiply.

 

So, I text back and ask him for the deposit to be returned as I paid via Paypal - this should be straightforward. However, no. He says he cant return the money as Shiply holds the deposit until the order is paid in full. Hence the second Shiply obstacle.

 

So, I instigate a dispute via Paypal. This involves a formal notice being sent to Shiply's monitored PayPal account. They do not respond. A few days pass, so I send them a message via the PayPal dispute portal. Again no response. I email their customer services, and send another PayPal message over a couple of days. Still no response. Level 3 on the Shiply obstacle scale.

 

While all this was going on, of course I used the Shiply customer service helpline (020 3137 2454 - and apparently open from 9-6, M to F) to call and try to get my money back. Guess what is the problem here? No matter what option you select on the dial-a-number phone menu, you cannot get through to anyone at all to talk to. Give it a try yourself! Now this is a level 4 Shiply obstacle. One more level and we get to battle the end of level boss.

 

Today, in a bid to power up for the end of level boss fight, I have sent them a warning email to every Shiply mail box I can find, that if they don't return my money within 24 hours, I will be instigating legal recovery. It's just a shot across the bow, which will possibly be met with this continued silence, but its actually the first step I need to do should I have to take this to small claims.

 

So, what to learn from this fiasco? Well, I would suggest not using Shiply at all, but if you have to:

 

• Get transporters details from Shiply and contact them directly
  
• Dont pay a deposit!
  
• Agree terms/Dates/conditions with the transporter and pay directly
  
• In short, just use Shiply for browsing the ads/getting bids and put no business through their website
  

 

I am sure I have PayPal protection, but there is a prolonged delay on this until you can recover the money. I have since googled "problems with Shiply" and surprise, surprise - there are various entries for can't get my deposit back from Shiply...

 

Ultimately, I really object to Shiply not responding to any communication from me, for having all these obstacles in the way, and for sitting with my money in their accounts while they know the transaction has been cancelled and there is no transportation service being provided.

 

The only recommendation I can make is to avoid, avoid, avoid!

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

Ball aching, unnecessary, irritating and distracting admin faff probably from some PC desk jockey making a tidy living for not actually "doing" anything other than the keyboard clickety-click.

 

👊🏻

[SteveA]

I've used Shiply before and didn't have any problems with them at all.

The only problem I did have was with our privatised UK rail network.... my advanced ticket couldn't be collected because the machine wasn't working so I caught my already 30 minute late train without a ticket which meant missing another train connection. So I caught another late arriving train without a ticket and somehow managed to get kicked off the train by the ticket inspector.... fortunately that was at my destination.

 

Overall conclusion: Shiply 1 - Network rail nil

cheers, steve

[inthewoods]

Totally agree, Shiply is a big fat con with no buyer protection. Had a right to do last year with them, didn't get my items from eBay (refunded by PayPal) they didn't refund my deposit but luckily the credit card company did. Never use them again. Think they were on watchdog this year...

[scbk]

The "deposit" isn't actually a deposit, it's the fee for using shiply, they keep it either way.

[Thesnarlingbadger]

The "deposit" isn't actually a deposit, it's the fee for using shiply, they keep it either way.

 

 

Even so he didn't actually use them in the end. It's poor customer service at its best. By the sounds of things I fear this will be a live and learn lesson. Thanks for the name and shame, I will avoid.

[10 Bears]

I wish I found this particular discussion on Shiply before using them!

 

It seems they have a long history of this type of shenanigans, and have even changed their terms and conditions to be able to withhold the customers money.

 

Needless to say, I have reported them to PayPal, Trading Standards and I am taking advice on whether there is enough of a case for small claims - which I doubt Shiply would contest...

[10 Bears]

The "deposit" isn't actually a deposit, it's the fee for using shiply, they keep it either way.

 

So it would seem, but their dialogue at the booking stage states to 'pay the deposit in order to confirm the booking with the agent', which at best is misleading, or at the worst, is a form of obtaining money via deception, which is a criminal offence.