David <
wibble@btinternet.com> wrote:
Conclusion: UK address is a blind and it is being delivered from China.
I wonder what the distance selling regulations make of this - in case of problems do I have a claim against the UK arm of this organisation?
It looks like they're dropshipping from China. If the battery is faulty the best you'll get is 'send it back to China' which would probably cost more
than the value of the battery (especially given much of the postal service won't take lithium batteries).
Fortunately I'm not in desperate need of the battery.
Oh, estimated delivery on the website said 2-4 days for UK.
The website looks rather dubious, I have to say. It says:
"Global Company Info:
Meledo Company Limited
330 High Holborn, Holborn
WC1V 7QT, London, United Kingdon
Company number 11736866
TEL: 442086385417
which does exist:
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/11736866 Nature of business (SIC)
46420 - Wholesale of clothing and footwear
One officer, based in Shenzhen
In the 2019 accounts the company had £300.
330 High Holborn is a virtual office building - £112 per month:
https://www.regus.com/en-gb/united-kingdom/london/camden/holborn-gate-162
It appers over the last two years they've moved four times:
红松鼠超市, 63 High St, Orpington BR6 0JF (which translates as Red Squirrel
Supermarket)
107-111 Fleet Street London Greater London EC4A 2AB (Regus virtual office)
31 Southampton Row London (rent-by-desk office)
330 High Holbor (sic) London (virtual office)
Oh dear, it seems like Meledo has quite a reputation for scamming:
https://www.scampulse.com/meledo-company-limited-reviews
and if you search for it there's a huge number of sites that Meledo claims
to be operating, as well as people calling them out to be scams in equal measure. Pretty impressive for a £300 company.
It sounds as shady as shady can be :-(
You could sue them for their £300 but they would just go bankrupt and start again.
I'd expect 'a' battery to turn up, but the quality may be low and it not to last very long. It may not even fit. It sounds like this kind of scam:
https://time.com/5921820/facebook-shopping-scams-holidays-covid-19/
I'm not sure what to do about it at this point, but I'd be tempted to refuse delivery. The parcel may end up in customs limbo, but at least you can
claim you don't have the item in any future complaint.
Theo
(who had no recommendations for battery suppliers for your original post because my only experience with even a bona fide UK one was that they
couldn't get good stock and did two replacements before I gave up and junked the laptop)
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