www.computerwebstore.co.uk

As the IT manager at my firm I am often ordering components online - 95% this process runs smoothly the goods are delivered online and cheaply. I have often used companies like Misco, Ebuyer and Dell - and most of the time when there is a problem it is easy to resolve.

However, recently I have been using Google Product Search to find the cheapest deals. I have been placing orders with companies I have never heard of - who have an online store.

Twice in the last year I have come unstuck and have had great difficulty getting my order - or money back. The first experience was with exciteit - who have now ceased trading. You can read about them here.

The latest trouble I am having is with computerwebstore.

There are some similarities between these two operations. The companies have done their best to hide any form of meaningful contact details. They don't have a telephone number. The address given is a PO Box. Also the problems seem to have arrisen through the fact that they don't actually appear to keep any stock of their own.

The original order for two external hard disk drives was placed on the 19th of July. I was emailed an order confirmation which stated there was an expected delivery time of 3 days.

I emailed them on the 25th when it hadn't arrived. I had no response. The next day I wrote again - this time via the website. They finally replied on the 1st of August.

They advised me the order would be shipped that day or the day after. I waited - and sure enough on the 3rd a parcel arrived for me - upon opening it I was aware that I had only got one of the two drives I had requested. I checked my statement - to see if they had charged me for one or two - and they had charged me for both items.

I wrote to them again - explaining their error - and asking them to immediately dispatch another one.

I had no reply. Finally on the 6th - getting frustrated that I was unable to call Computerwebstore i decided to threaten them with cancelling my order. As of today they have said they will dispatch a second drive ASAP - as their warehouse only had one in stock.

If they only had one in stock why did their website quote me a delivery time of 3 days!

I am inclined to contact my card issuer - and request that they do not honour the payment - and then make Computerwebstore collect it at their own cost.

I will not be making the mistake of using a small company like this again - just to save a few pennies.