Re. buying cameras in Teneriffe.
I was in Teneriffe last month. Went in to a camera shop on the sea front in Playa de Americas to ask about a digital camcorder in the display cabinet.
The owner showed me the camera, told me the price of the camera and all that I would need. I purchased with a debit card then he told me I needed a memory card which was not included in the price.He then showed me a Euro Cyber camcorder costing marked on the box at 1750 euros which would be "a better deal than the one I already bought". He reduced the price to 1200 euros .
To make along story short, I bought this camera then heard the same old story about extras. Anyway, I bought the Euro Cyber camera then I asked for a receipt. He said he needed the receipt to apply for a Europrean Warranty from Toshiba!!!. He said he would have the warranty and receipt in 2 days time. this was at 4pm and first thing the following morning I called my bank in the U.K.
to cancel the transaction and was told no money had gone out. The man advised me to take the goods back. This I did in the company of two friends. I told the dealer the payment was cancelled since I had no receipt and here was the goods returned.
When I got home 2 days later I went to the bank and found that £1400 was out of my account and no receipt and no camera.
If I can mention the name of the camera shop (Draxons) on the sea front.
The Spanish authorities really need to do something about these people. It is gettiing the place a bad reputation.
Your best best is to contact your credit card company and get them to sort it out. I can recall reading similar stories about this sort of scam on the internet.
Mark
Mark
Even if you still had the camera there's a good chance it would be counterfeit. Counterfeit electronics are a big problem in many countries and a lot of tourists are suckered into buying them (no offence intended). You should NEVER buy from one of those independent stores and, as already mentioned, paying by debit card is asking for trouble. I'm sorry you are out 1,400 pounds but, as you paid by debit card, it could have been worse. Please make sure you cancel you debit card and have your bank issue a new one. A lot of these dodgy independent places deal in counterfeit or stolen items and would have no qualms about skimming your debit card when you weren't looking.
Is there no come back to the bank because he asked for the transaction to be cancelled before the money had come out? If you cancel a cheque you are not liable for payment. I would think that it at least merits investigation/enquiry?
I was hassled incessently in gran canaria to buy things like this. The shopkeepers were even more rude than normal this year, trying to forcibly drag people into their store. Simple bit of advise is never to give into these people. He tried to tell me he was selling something which he opened an argos book for. I told him I might bring him a more upto date argos book next time i went over 
I really can't understand why anyone would even contemplate buying an expensive item like that whilst on holiday. There are so many perfectly safe ways to buy such things at home these days.
Well, I expect madabouttravel, it's because sometimes you can get a very good deal, especially when the exchange rate is good!!!! And where do you think we who live here buy our electrical items? Obviously in this case, the dealer was not a reputable one, but that isn't always the case.
One thing I would say perhaps, is that if this scenario had happened in ones own country, alarm bells may have rung a little quicker. And regardless of whether a debit or credit card was used, the norm is that every transaction that is swiped through a machine will produce a hard copy for the buyer, so I am not too sure what has happened in this case.
I do hope the OP gets some satisfaction
Obviously in this case, the dealer was not a reputable one, but that isn't always the case. One thing I would say perhaps, is that if this scenario had happened in ones own country, alarm bells may have rung a little quicker. And regardless of whether a debit or credit card was used, the norm is that every transaction that is swiped through a machine will produce a hard copy for the buyer, so I am not too sure what has happened in this case.
I do hope the OP gets some satisfaction
Tommac, These people are professional con artists. I had almost exactly the same experience as yourself except an hour before I bought I was advised by a Scottish priest to buy nothing other than cigarettes and spirits to bring home.
Of course, eejit here, said I could not be conned and went off and bought, cam-corder, cameras, binoculars, watches all of which went out of order within a week of my holiday being over. The tragedy is that these people will eventually kill tourism even in the Canary Islands.
Of course, I am the fool who had his money easily parted. But, never again, in the long run, I win, they lose.
Of course, eejit here, said I could not be conned and went off and bought, cam-corder, cameras, binoculars, watches all of which went out of order within a week of my holiday being over. The tragedy is that these people will eventually kill tourism even in the Canary Islands.
Of course, I am the fool who had his money easily parted. But, never again, in the long run, I win, they lose.
same thing happened to me in Lanzarote a few years ago ,paid by Barclaycard when all of a sudden all the extras i would need started popping their heads up . so i told the shopkeeper i did not want the camcorder and i wanted my order cancelled .he then replied it was to late and the card had been processed and he said take this digital camera instead , which i could have got in the U.K. for a third of the price .so i did no more just walked out of the shop phoned barclaycard to cancel the purchase .they told me to go back to shop tell them that they would not get the payment and to destroy the recipt . this the owner was reluctant to do until i told him i was going to stand outside the shop and warn other's who were browsing the window display .but be aware i was prepared to do this and stand up and have a battle with them if need be
Terry Collier
Terry Collier
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