Assistance ordering from CPC - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: kcs
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2018, 04:53:57 pm
content: CPC (Farnell) no longer accepts international payment cards and even if you have a UK registered card but your shipping and invoice addresses do not match, you order will be canceled. I have never experienced such issues before, but that is the second UK shop that does no longer allow to place orders with non UK registered card. Is it related to Brexit?Anyway, I am looking for someone who could order a few parts from CPC and then send them over to me. Total order amount is only £10. I will pay for your expenses. You have to have a UK registered payment card and your shipping and invoice addresses must match. Please let me know your "terms and conditions" by sending me a personal message. Thank you.

author: PlainName
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2018, 04:57:35 pm
content: Might be an idea to say where these would be shipped to

author: kcs
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2018, 05:23:22 pm
content: To UK.

author: CJay
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2018, 06:16:04 pm
content: I can order for you from CPC

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2018, 08:18:49 pm
content: Phone up CPC and talk to them. They are usually a victim of their IT rather than actively declining it I understand.

author: kcs
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2018, 09:01:12 pm
content: bd139, that's what I was hopping to be the case. Unfortunately, after speaking with Sales department and Accounting department representatives I understood there is really no chance. I can place an order, payment will get authorized, but then they will manually cancel it. Go figure.

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2018, 09:02:20 pm
content: That sucks. I'd use someone else out of spite.

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 21, 2018, 09:51:33 pm
content: QuoteHave you tried altering invoice address to match shipping address? IME payments with my cards have gone through even if invoice address did not match with registered in the bank.

author: kcs
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2018, 10:38:05 pm
content: Quote from: wraper on August 21, 2018, 09:51:33 pmThat is what I do all the time and I have never experienced any issues before. I have not tried paying with UK registered card as I was assured they will cancel my order yet again. They did even go one step further and researched my provided shipping address and wrote me that they will not "deliver to freight forwarders or storage companies".

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2018, 11:59:52 pm
content: I wonder what their issue is? They get their money and dispatch the goods, what difference does it make what happens to the order after that?

author: PlainName
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 22, 2018, 12:10:49 am
content: Perhaps money-laundering.

author: kcs
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 22, 2018, 12:26:17 am
content: Quote from: james_s on August 21, 2018, 11:59:52 pmMaybe those good are only for British.Reference comes fromhere.As you can see they do not allow to enter non UK registered cards in their system:

author: PlainName
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 22, 2018, 04:00:19 am
content: QuoteIs it a freight forwarding address? If so it no doubt falls foul of their Terms of Supply:QuoteIn which case you need to either supply a UK address which isn't obviously going to export the stuff, or obtain the necessary export license(s).

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 22, 2018, 06:22:34 pm
content: Use farnell, they own CPC and are a worldwide company.

author: langwadt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 22, 2018, 06:33:38 pm
content: Quote from: james_s on August 21, 2018, 11:59:52 pmif it turn out the CC was stolen and the goods delivered to place where it can be picked it up anonymously they won'tget their moneyand some things are restricted in what countries they can be sold to

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 23, 2018, 06:12:46 am
content: Quote from: kcs on August 21, 2018, 04:53:57 pmI doubt it is brexit. It is probably more about the hassle factor. what parts do you want?

author: Cloud
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 23, 2018, 12:38:59 pm
content: Have you tried ordering from export.farnell.com?

author: kcs
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 23, 2018, 11:38:43 pm
content: dunkemhigh, are you serious? If someone would really be involved in money laundering, he/she would definitely not be placing £10 orders on CPC. He/she would be buying precious metals or other items with high liquidity and would be spending thousands of pounds. From when do I need to get an export license for goods that will be used within Europe?Simon, almost everything in Farnell cost more than in CPC, some products are almost 5 times more expensive. MOQ are smaller for the same goods in CPC. Some products were (maybe still are, have not checked recently) exclusively sold only in CPC.langwadt, there are much more clever and safer ways to cash out stolen CC than buying electronics at CPC. Why did you straight away considered there could be some criminal activities involved? What about the presumption of innocence?Cloud, I do not need to order from export.farnell.com. I can order directly from uk.farnell.com or go to the local distributor. In both cases I will have to pay a huge premium when small orders are placed.

author: PlainName
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 24, 2018, 12:14:56 am
content: QuoteIn the sense that it wouldn't be surprising, yes. The detection of possible laundering is no doubt rule based, and if the spec didn't give a lower "don't bother" limit then the method will be flagged regardless of value. Note that I wasn't saying that this transaction failed because of that, only that it's a possibility to consider.QuoteIn about 6 months. Maybe they are in the late testing stageSince when are we supposed to be psychic? You seemed quite keen not to let on where the ultimate destination is. In fact, I don't think you've told us yet - in response to my direct question you just said "UK".I am now wondering if you are playing games with us. Despite having done what you are asking for with other EEVBlog users, I would be hesitant to touch this one, now.

author: kcs
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 24, 2018, 02:13:52 am
content: Quote from: dunkemhigh on August 24, 2018, 12:14:56 amYou have asked where items will need to be shipped to and I have answered your question. I have said the truth.It looks like you are over suspicious. At the end of the day we are talking about £10 order.Anyway, one member has already agreed to help me out and placed an order. Thank you everyone for suggestions, opinions and discussion.

author: langwadt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 24, 2018, 11:52:31 am
content: Quote from: kcs on August 23, 2018, 11:38:43 pmI did not assume anything, it was just a mention that they might have security policies in place (possibly dictated by the CC companies) to prevent losses

author: PlainName
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 24, 2018, 12:15:57 pm
content: Quote from: kcs on August 24, 2018, 02:13:52 amJust to clarify, I said allthatin response to this:QuoteUntil that point, we had no idea where the ultimate destination was, and I hadn't even though of being suspicious. I mentioned export since that seemed to be a reasonably reason for your issue.QuoteTo be blunt, you brought that on yourself. Had you said at the start that it was to ship to Europe ultimately, I wouldn't have thought of export as a potential issue, and someone may have come up with a more appropriate reason and/or workaround. And I wouldn''t be thinking "WTF?! Why is he trying to make me look daft instead of helpful?"

author: amiq
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 29, 2018, 01:44:49 am
content: As the fellow who agreed to purchase items from CPC for kcs, I'm rather surprised that he refused to tell me his actual address (other that a UK forwarding address) yet expected me to provide him with my bank details (having declined to pay via paypal). Needless to say his parcel is being returned to CPC.

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 29, 2018, 01:50:12 am
content: Really?For someone wanting to go through all the hassle, I would have thought using PayPal would have been the least objectionable part. There is a disagreeable aroma with this.I'd have sent it back as well.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 29, 2018, 05:24:32 am
content: That puts up numerous red flags. Nobody in their right mind would agree to a deal like this without having someone's actual physical address. I would be highly suspicious of anyone who refused to use Paypal too, it's by far the most convenient way to send money.

author: PlainName
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 29, 2018, 05:46:16 am
content: Appropos of not a lot, I've heard that one way to launder money is to buy something and pay rather more then get a refund of the rest. Voila, pay with dodgy money and get pukka stuff back. You could imagine £10 worth of CPC parts being reimbursed with £1000: "Sorry mate, finger trouble - forgot the decimal point. Just send me £900 back to this other account and we'll call it quits." Of course, the return account wouldn't be the same as the (hijacked) paying account. Wouldn't work with PayPal, of course, 'cos you would just tell it return the excess to the sender (who would be known to PayPal in the first place).I also heard that mules caught up in this sort of scam get treated as willing participants with jail being a likely result. If you're lucky you might not be funding terrorists but just losing money:https://www.hoax-slayer.net/overpayment-scams-work/

author: CJay
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 29, 2018, 06:31:14 am
content: I too offered help but backed out because it stinks to high heaven, Paypal or cash posted to me was seemingly not possible but a bank transfer was fine?FWIW, I am not saying the OP is trying to scam anyone but I offer this to the OP to explain another part of the reason why I backed out:I can quite imagine the first transaction or two going smoothly, money appears and stays in your bank account, you believe you've done a good thing and there's smiles all round.Until there's a 'oh I must ask you a large favour, I need to buy £x000 worth of equipment, as we have already done business I'm sure you can help', because the first one or two transactions went without hitch and you're a nice helpful person, you agree.The money appears via bank transfer as before so you duly purchase and forward on the kit while the money enjoys its short holiday in your account, then the bank tells you the transfer was fraudulent and it has been returned to the account it was 'borrowed' from so you're out some not inconsequential amount of cash having forwarded on some nice, resellable gear to the con artist.I may just have a nasty suspicious mind but I don't have the time to mess about trying to untangle weird transactions because someone can't be bothered to meet me halfway when I'm doing them a favour and I certainly don't have the money to fall for a scam that leaves me in debt.

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 29, 2018, 07:57:15 am
content: Yep. Cash on the barrelhead or the buyer can FOAD.Also, why were they being coy about what they wanted? If they'd posted the list of parts and their approximate location, odds are someone would have found them either a local supplier or one that accepted export orders.

author: kcs
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 29, 2018, 09:50:20 pm
content: That was one side of the story, here is another one.One of the first questions I have askedamiqwas if I could pay by a bank transfer and I have received a confirmation that "bank transfer is fine". Whenamiqhas received a parcel from CPC, he has, for the first time, asked me "Are you able to pay using paypal?" to which I have replied that I specifically asked if bank transfer is fine and that I want to pay using this method. Then I was told that "If you want to pay by bank transfer I'll need your address and phone number" (my actual address, not the one used for parcel forwarding services). Again, this was told to me only after the order was received. I must say, that I have asked his bank account number right after he has placed the order so that I could pay him in front, but he did not provide it. Maybe at that time he already knew that he no longer wants to accept bank transfer or that he would introduce extra requirements that were not agreed on. I have replied that I am not willing to give up the details he has requested as they are not required to make a bank transfer and that there was no mutual agreement that I will do so. I have also said that even if I did provide those details he had no means to verify if they are valid and actually mine, so what is the point of that? I could speculate that even having my details he would not be completely satisfied and ask for some other proof of my identity, for example to provide a photocopy of my passport. He gave me one day to change my mind and has not explained why there was such a change in his requirements. To sum up, we agreed that payment will be made by a bank transfer, he knew that parcel will be shipped to the UK address (to parcel forwarding service), after he has received a parcel he unilaterally introduced new requirements that we did not agreed on and he gave me one day to change my mind and do what he says or otherwise he will return the parcel back to CPC.I have learned a very good lesson. I should have listened tobd139much more carefully and just order from other place.

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 29, 2018, 11:02:46 pm
content: I'm with you on that - I don't trust PayPal further than I can spit upwind in a hurricane. However IF I had volunteered while I was still responsible for CPC orders at work, it seems to me that a 20 Euro note wrapped up in foil with a piece of hardboard, popped in a padded envelope with your order list and shipping details, and sent by registered post would have avoided all the payment aggro, and as long as nothing on the order is subject to US or UK export controls, why the <beep> would I want to know your residential address, especially if I've given you a mailbox rather than my own residential address.

author: kcs
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 29, 2018, 11:18:19 pm
content: Ian.M, there were two reasons why it was not an option for me: (1) I do not live in the UK, I live in other European country, so it would cost me quite a bit to do that, but more importantly (2) under the local regulations, I cannot send currency by post.

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 29, 2018, 11:34:57 pm
content: Yes - international currency by post is *NOT* permitted in many countries, which is why you wrap it in foil round a piece of plywood (or slip it inside the foil of a chocolate bar) so it doesn't show up on a random mail X-ray and keep the value low enough so you can afford to write it off if it goes missing. No-one's going to give a damn for 20 Euro, as long as neither of us is dumb enough to post our real names and contact details on a public forum!You send it registered because of the few bad apples in the postal service. Its been known here for Christmas mail sacks to be blatantly dumped in the nearest canal or river after they've been looted for valuables, and the lost and misdelivered items percentage for ordinary post is far from acceptable. Registered mail delivery is subject to slightly higher scrutiny so the temp workers with fake ID have less opportunity to intercept it.