Hi Guys

Maybe someone has any other theories of what happened here, Customer rings me this morning and tells me that a woman sent an email saying

Now that’s sounds fine except, it’s impossible to buy anything online via his website (except design books from Amazon) His website is set up as a showcase of his products and not as a shop! The software is there to turn it into a shop at anytime but at the moment it’s just a showcase.

Customer sends back email saying you can’t actually buy anything on line, its just a list of items for sale. Next she rings claiming she bought a mattress went through the whole credit card process, checks out then her screen went blank, now she’s claiming she’s after been robbed.

Next I ring the customer who bought the mattress to try to uncover what happened, she claims she went onto the website never left it, logo was on top of the screen at all times, clicked to buy the mattress went through the whole process with the shopping cart paid via credit card and then the screen went blank. Now thinks she’s after being robbed (Not by the shop but by some scam).

I’ve checked the log with her IP address and she’s entered the site at 21:10 and last time she was on it was 21:48. Left the site for 15 minutes then came back with no referring link.

My theory is she went on the website and clicked a Google ad even though she claims she never left the site.

The only way you can create an account is by leaving a review on a product you bought. I’ve checked the admin and no new accounts created last night. There are no security certs on the site because there’s nothing to sell.

In the end I asked her to check her browsing history to see what sites she was actually on and to get back to me.

Here’s the website in question. Quirkesfurniture.com I’ll be looking after it for a couple of days so if you want to try the review just to help me explain what happened, or even try to buy something fire away.

Thanks

I've got to ask what the hell the site has google ads on it for ... its a showcase of the persons furniture isn't it ?

Its quite misleading ... I'm looking at the main site .. browsing down ...
I see stressless sofas on the left .. think ooo thats for me .. click that .. and I'm taken to a site ... place my order .. kill the window ... and I'm back to the original site ...

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Pays for the hosting, Customer dosn't sell on line and has no intention of yet,

Any furniture shops in the locality have been blocked from placing google ads on the website, people on the site are looking for furniture google ads help them.
Google ads always open in the same window part of terms and conditions

can't see hosting being much more than 30 quid ... if the customer can't afford that they should be out of business

It'd be like me putting links to other designers on my homepage ... a bit crazy

I created an a/c under the name 'enzo', you can delete it.

Had a good browser through, don't know how she managed to buy anything expect through Google ads. There's no other possibility I see. How long has the site being online?

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I think the ads need to go! They probably generate a tiny revenue, but they also advertise competitors (even if they aren't locally based competitors), so you might get a few cents from someone clicking the ad, but you'll lose more because they'll be giving their business to a competitor.

Maybe she hasn't been robbed - she has just bought from a competitor and the delivery could arrive any day now?

I'm also wondering why the site runs Zen Cart but doesn't sell online. Surely they are missing out on a business opportunity.

I'd get her to check her email records and see who she signed up with ... get her to check her credit card and see who took her money ... the phone banking crowds will usually tell you fast enough

Email received a while ago,

Hi Tom, Its (xx Customer Namexx) , I was on to you this morning about a mattress.You were right i must have connected to another site by mistake, I'm now waiting for the English company to trace my payment. Thank you for your help this morning, And when i get this sorted i will give you a ring and i will give you my order over the phone, Again Thank You, (xx Customer Namexx)

So everybodys happy again,


There is probably an opportunity there but and it would not take much work to turn the shopping cart on (1 click) , but you have to look at the bigger picture.

1) Customer doesn't deliver nationwide and furniture is large bulky, heavy, fragile and these are items couriers would not touch with a pole and the cost would be huge on top of the price of the goods. Loose competitive edge.

2) Internet consumer laws are stricter than normal consumer law; a customer can send goods back just because they don't like them not that easy when dealing with a large 3 piece suite.

I’m told there is a lot of sales coming from the site by phone and it’s used as a reference if customers ring enquiring about goods. Its not 1 year old yet and still rough around the edges, will wait until the unique visits each day get to the 000’s before more will be looked into

(Since the Google checks started arriving the customer won’t give the ads up YET)