giving address for refund?

lindos90

Not quite sure if this is a rant or a question.

Ive noticed a few shops ask for address and phone number etc when asking for a refund.

I am very careful who I give my details to, as I hate junk mail and phone calls. I always check that the details are not used for marketing purposes, or sold on, but how do I know what they do with my details.

Ive been told that addresses are required for refunds for 'security' or 'just for our records' but each time I have to do it I always feel uneasy.

Can anyone advise me why shops do this, and are they able to refuse to refund if I declined to give them my personal details?

LinasPilibaitisisbatman

lindos90 wrote: »

Not quite sure if this is a rant or a question.

Ive noticed a few shops ask for address and phone number etc when asking for a refund.

I am very careful who I give my details to, as I hate junk mail and phone calls. I always check that the details are not used for marketing purposes, or sold on, but how do I know what they do with my details.

Ive been told that addresses are required for refunds for 'security' or 'just for our records' but each time I have to do it I always feel uneasy.

Can anyone advise me why shops do this, and are they able to refuse to refund if I declined to give them my personal details?

Fraud purposes

I.e If someone is returning stolen items, faulty items etc they know where to find them - of course a proper person would give wrong details but I suppose it acts as a semi deterrent

djb215

I think there are a few reasons. I work for Argos and when we refund we ask for the postcode and house number.
One reason is for verification, so if something goes wrong with your refund retailers may at least be able to contact you (or the funds admin. office at H/O). Granted this is only really useful where a credit/debit card refund has been done though.
The other reason is to identify "serial refunders" who are abusing the system, ie constantly claiming refunds for faulty items which may not be faulty.
That's Argos's reason for collecting, we don't take names.

lindos90

Interesting replies, thank you.

That makes sense, but like you say, if someone was taking stolen items back for a refund, they could just give a false address anyway, I thought thats why shops needed a proof of purchase, to show where the item was originally purchased from?

If an item was faulty, and there was a reciept, in theory could a shop refuse a refund if the customer declined to provide an address?

I would assume that the refund would be covered under the sale of goods act, whereas the request for the persons details is more likely to be a 'company policy' which is not the law...

I can sort of see the reasoning, but with a card purchase/refund they would be able to trace/comtact the person via the bank account anyway I assume, (unless it was a false bank account or stollen card?) but it could still very easily be a false address anyway.

Quite interesting to know why shops do it anyway, and I guess if I did test the theory out and decline to provide my details the next time I need to return something, it would just make me look like a dodgy customer!

hollydays

I didn't used to have a problem with this, but have changed my mind a bit over the years,but,there are retailers I consider to be reputable,and I have no problem.There are other retailers eg mobile phone companies,comet,pc world and currys for example that I don't trust,so would probably want to give the correct name,but a false address too,and definitely never give my phone number .

Dreamnine

Give a neighbour's name and address, or a local politician...

moonrakerz

lindos90 wrote: »

Quite interesting to know why shops do it anyway, and I guess if I did test the theory out and decline to provide my details the next time I need to return something, it would just make me look like a dodgy customer!

In "the olden days" when we used cheques, many shops had a "policy" of asking you to put your name and address on the back of the cheque. I used to have great fun in refusing to do this. It usually ended up with the Manager being called - but I NEVER gave my address and they ALWAYS accepted the cheque in the end !

Dreamnine

moonrakerz wrote: »

In "the olden days" when we used cheques, many shops had a "policy" of asking you to put your name and address on the back of the cheque. I used to have great fun in refusing to do this. It usually ended up with the Manager being called - but I NEVER gave my address and they ALWAYS accepted the cheque in the end !

Nowadays they won't take cheques..

amandada

According to my Matalan "membership" card, my name is minnie mouse and I live in Disneyland

Krystaltips

I had an ex who was a very trustworthy fella... Used to work for a DIY store... and he used to have a look at what big expensive items had been purchased and do a 'refund' then pocket the cash... If that shop had had an address policy it might of saved them a bit of money... He got caught in the end though... Although plucky sod handed his notice in right before they fired him and only got probabtion when he was taken to court... So never really paid for his offence... And from what I heard later on never really learnt either...

DCFC79

hollydays wrote: »

I didn't used to have a problem with this, but have changed my mind a bit over the years,but,there are retailers I consider to be reputable,and I have no problem.There are other retailers eg mobile phone companies,comet,pc world and currys for example that I don't trust,so would probably want to give the correct name,but a false address too,and definitely never give my phone number .

whats the problem with currys or comet knwoing your address,