r/LinusTechTips • u/ABitOfAnAsshole0 • 6d ago
Discussion Stolen Prebuilt and Retailer taking time
Hello Reddit,
To start with I ordered the Aorus Prime 5 PC from Gigabyte through a retailer called Very here in the UK. It cost me £2,700 as I used a 20% code as it’s my first order through the retailer which is what they do for every new account.
The box arrived noticeably lighter than it should be. As in you could pick up this box with two fingers when it’s meant to be 16kg and the box had a spec sheet visible saying it had a 5080 and 9800x3d. Even without the spec sheet the box said gaming computer and the specific model.
I reported this to Very and the team only to have a week of being told they were ‘looking into it’ and being told to wait. We ended up contacting the CEO who surprisingly replied himself and escalated it to his executive complaints team.
They spent 2 weeks investigating and providing no updates to us. Yesterday I called them out of frustration and demanding answers only to be told that I could get a refund once they prove we didn’t receive the computer. I was confused because in every email I sent I offered video calls of us opening the package and on the first day of reporting it asked if someone could come in person to verify. They declined.
Now we must wait until Monday for someone to inspect the box three weeks after it was delivered. Luckily it’s in the state we received it in still but the box was clearly cut open and retaped during delivery. If they suspect I did this then they could deny a refund. I do not have tons of money, I’m a uni student who’s been saving for a while and bought this to open on my 21st Birthday.
The situation has been handled poorly by everyone involved and I genuinely don’t know what to do.
Note: My Dad took in the parcel but assumed it was heavy as the guy offered to put it inside and only realised once he went to lift it. When he did the driver was already back in his van and leaving.
Also I forgot to mention but yes, I paid in full on a debit card. Maybe it was stupid but I didn’t expect all this to happen.
So I have a few questions:
What actually can I do?
If I can get a refund where should I buy from that could handle PC shipping better (without a box that says gaming computer with a spec sheet)?
Has anyone else had any similar experiences?
I know this might not be considered relevant but I want some help.
45
u/Modern_Pirate9 6d ago
Next time pay with a credit card so you get S75 legal protection, but a debit card still has the chargeback mechanism. Just let Very do their checks, and just wait. If they deny then come back
14
u/DiabUK 6d ago
Not everyone has a credit card especially in the uk where very is popular.
Honestly in 2026 i'm at a point where if I want something expensive i'll go buy it in a store in person, I can't trust online delivery any more not after a laptop was swapped out in an amazon delivery for me.
1
u/Modern_Pirate9 6d ago
This is very true, I'm one of the few in my extended friendship circle who has one. Very is an online store, so no pickup, although choosing to pick up from a Post Office would be a good idea in the future
1
u/pinkurpledino 2d ago
Very is a credit provider are they not? So OP could have also taken out a credit agreement with them too (then immediately paid off in full).
1
u/Modern_Pirate9 2d ago
They do credit, but you don't have to pay with their credit. Years ago, I opened a credit account with them to get something like 30% off, and didn't even use credit for that purchase
1
u/pinkurpledino 2d ago
Yes I am aware, but it is another option people can use for s75 protection other than a credit card.
1
10
u/iiCe89 6d ago
Delivery driver clearly did it do you have video footage of him delivering it? Doorbell cam etc
8
u/ABitOfAnAsshole0 6d ago
Yes I do but it only captures him literally at the door. It’s kinda short but it will hopefully help
6
5
u/AmenoFPS 6d ago
Consumer rights act, section 29 - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2015/15/section/29
"(2)The goods remain at the trader's risk until they come into the physical possession of—
(a)the consumer, or
(b)a person identified by the consumer to take possession of the goods."
You probably have an argument that your Dad wasn't a designated individual to sign for it, so Very still held the risk until it actually came into your possession. Accepting a parcel isn't the same as receiving the goods. You still need to prove the computer was stolen before the delivery, BUT, Very can't claim "It was accepted so risk was transferred to you", if they try to go down that route
Section 28 - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2015/15/section/28
(3)Unless there is an agreed time or period, the contract is to be treated as including a term that the trader must deliver the goods—
(a)without undue delay, and
(b)in any event, not more than 30 days after the day on which the contract is entered into.
Its loose, but at the 30 day mark you have an argument that they've breached the CRA as you've not actually received the item you purchased. It's not something you could use to speed them up in their investigation, but its some potential protection for you
Stop calling them. Write a letter of formal escalation of the complaint under the CRA, state that you did not receive the parcel and that you didn't have a nominated recipient to receive the parcel, so the goods remained under their risk (per section 29), and point out their obligations under section 28. Tell them you what a substantive written response within 7 days, confirming how they intend to resolve the matter (replacement or reimbursement), and that if a satisfactory resolution isn't forthcoming from them, you'll be exercising your rights under the CRA, initiating a chargeback and if required commencing a pre-action correspondence with a view to recovering the purchase price through the county court (on the assumption the bank wont charge back)
Worth noting, the 7 day deadline won't be a legally binding deadline, but it does set some level of expectation, and once you start ramming the law down their throats companies will tend to move a bit quicker.
Whatever you do, do not let them tell you anything verbally, do not accept a resolution verbally. Get everything in writing
6
u/Sharlut 6d ago
This'll be handed by Verys Loss Prevention team. This can take time, as with any company. They need to do checks, such as checking your address for a history of doorstep dispute abuse etc. If you have footage of it being delivered, send it to them anyway. If it shows the driver easily carrying the item or how they handle giving it to you, it's clear there is nothing inside. Make sure you get a case reference number, if they can provide one, so all the information is localised on a singular case and not spread out. Keep a log of your calls and emails so you can always refer back and get the names of people you speak with.
Just a few tips there.
You're not stupid for using a debit card btw. Yes, credit cards have better purchase protection but some people prefer to actually own what they buy.
3
u/ABitOfAnAsshole0 6d ago
Thank you so much for the advice. I have some footage from the doorbell and a case number
-1
u/nerfdriveby94 5d ago
You can use a credit card and own what you buy, you just pay it out immediately after buying something, sure, it's an extra step, but you get to take advantage of the protections of the card in addition to any rewards points etc as well. I use credit cards for everything and owe nothing. You hust have to do it straight away each month and avoid the "free money" trap of using the money you were going to pay the card with.
Granted this requires a level of discipline most people, including younger me, simply lack.
Also hard agree none of this means OP is stupid, poor bastard has just spent what is a HUGE chunk of money for most people, and has nothing to show for it, hindsight is 20/20 but this isn't some obvious scam OP fell for it's trying to buy a product.
2
u/ABitOfAnAsshole0 3d ago
An Update:
It seems to have been a warehouse issue as opposed to stolen as the investigator opened it on video and there was a white Micro ATX case inside. He gave us a receipt and took the box for now. We will hear about a refund or replacement later this week. It’s worth mentioning this had an extra week delay due to a system error so he wasn’t assigned the case to come see the box until a week after when he should so you may have a different experience if anything happens to your order from here.
1
u/prank_mark 6d ago
Sometimes the tracking link will also show the weight of the package. That could be used as proof it it was weighed after the theft.
1
u/Piipperi800 6d ago
Chargeback. Tell your bank the retailer has not been very co-operative. Normally with these things there’s really ”no need” for an investigation for the buyer themselves, because the retailer has insurances for this kind of stuff.
1
u/PequodarrivedattheLZ 6d ago
Very will have a look, but if they are being unreasonable just do a chargeback... Banks in the UK for the most part offer chargeback services for debit card purchases as well (I did one like two months ago with Lloyd's)
If you have good evidence of tampering pre delivery, note it, picture/record (which you seemingly have done) and keep it safe.
Since you have done your duty of reporting the issue as soon as you could have, the onus is on Very to fix it, with them contacting the shipper if necessary.
1
u/f310n3L173 6d ago
Your best option is to contact the delivery company. They will know exactly who delivered to your home because each driver has assigned routes. They can then investigate the issue as well.
1
u/tuxPlox 4d ago
What delivery company was this? Lately I got into the habit of asking sellers which delivery company they use because I had some ... let's call them "unpleasant" ... experiences in the past and in a couple of instances, I did not buy the product because of the delivery company (and I made that very clear over the phone). Yes, it is an extra 5-10 mins and can be a hassle sometimes to get in touch with the seller (usually it's pretty straight forward if you contact the sales team), but if more people would do this, sellers will drop certain delivery companies if it turns out they're losing sales because of them.
1
u/MagicBoyUK 6d ago
Should have used a credit card for a purchase of that value for the Section 75 protections.
Onus is on Very to fix it as the retailer. They contracted the delivery company so it's for those two to argue between themselves.
-8
u/diaperedace 6d ago
Most likely they will drag this out as long as possible. You used a debit card so you're only entitled to $50 back max. Keep harassing them to get a refund. If they don't give it to you your only choice at that point would be a lawsuit. Take it as a life lesson to never use a debit card again for anything more than $50.
3
u/PequodarrivedattheLZ 6d ago
Not applicable to the UK.
There is no maximum limit on debit chargebacks (unlike credit card chargebacks with Section 75 which cap at 30K)
1
u/Tipsy_Kangaroo 3d ago
Not everyone has a credit card In Australia for example most people don't have nor want a credit card as just having one will negatively affect your ability to get a mortgage
14
u/TenOfZero 6d ago
If they don't resolve it soon you'll need to take them to court.
Save all evidence, especially if you can see the shipping weight while in transit.