Online ordering is a convenient way to buy many of the things you need, from groceries to dog food, to replacement light bulbs and even new clothes or shoes. More and more retailers are now offering online shopping services, and many consumers take to sites like EBay, Amazon, or a favorite specialty store on a daily basis. When orders are placed, the site requests payment upon check out and then prepares and ships the ordered items. But what do you do if you place an order and before your items arrive (or shortly thereafter), you file a bankruptcy case? You may have heard that when you file for the protection of bankruptcy you are not allowed to keep all of your things, and that in some cases there are items of property that have to be returned. This begs the question, do you have to give back things you ordered from Amazon?
If you file bankruptcy shortly after placing an order on Amazon or a similar site, you will usually not have to return the items once received. But here are some words of caution if this factor is present in your case:
• If you used an Amazon card to pay for the purchase, you will not be able to continue to use that card for future purchases.
• If you used a debit card to pay for the order, you should make sure that you do not have it set up as a recurring order that draws from your banking account on a regular basis.
• If you paid for your order with a credit card, you will not be allowed to use that credit card for future orders placed. The best thing to do would be to gather the credit cards you have used, and destroy them so you do not make a mistake and try to make a purchase with a credit card you have included in your bankruptcy.
There might be times where you buy something too close to filing, and the creditor claims you made the purchase with the intent to never pay the debt for the property. This is rare, but does happen in some bankruptcy cases. If one of your creditors decides to challenge your intentions when ordering online and using their card to pay, you will be required to explain your order. This might sound scary, but is something we are equipped to handle for you. When we file bankruptcy for you, we handle every aspect of your case, and provide you the advice you need along the way.
For more information about bankruptcy, contact us at www.DsouzaLegalGroup.com. We will help by coming up with solutions that work for you.
