do i need to give my address when i return an item?!

OnePound

Hi

Not the first time this has happened to me...

Went to B&Q to return something today. The CS guy asks "whats your post code" Im thinking 'Grrrrrr' but begrudging disclose it. Next its "and your house number?" Erm hold on a minute, why the hell do B&Q need to know something as personal as my address??!! :mad:

So as usual I say "Im not telling you something as private as my address" and as usual the guy says "I cant get the till to open to do your refund unless you tell me! The till wont let me progress" So me being the stubborn mare i am say "oh... its number 1.." he guesses im lying but admits he doesnt blame me. The transaction went ok.

When i did this once in Next they said "that number doesnt match the postcode" but i point blank refused to give my number and they refunded me anyway.

What are my rights? Can i refuse to give my post code and/or house number? I dont see why they need to know it. Surely they are just being crafty and trying to collect data about their customers?

One day im going to get in a stalemate with CS when the till cant open but i still refuse to divulge. I want to be forearmed :T

Meepster

Yes you can refuse, but the reason they want your post code and house number have nothing to do with collecting data about you. The sole purpose of taking an address is to help prevent refund fraud. Not by the customer, but by the employee.

By giving them your information, you are actually helping to prevent losses by them, which in return keeps prices down. The information you disclose cannot be used for ANY other purpose (i.e. contacting you for marketing purposes etc.) due to the Data Protection Act. The only time this information will be used, is if they suspect an employee of theft/fraud with regards to refunds and they will write you a letter, asking if you returned goods on this day etc.

I know this as I have (back in the OLDEN days) used this information to catch out two colleagues from different stores I was working at and in both cases lead to arrests being made.

I know in the whole "big brother" state we are sometimes curious of why we are asked for our information and how it will be used, but for once, this isn't anything to be concerned about...

ShaneUK

I belive that the reason they do this is to combat fraud, however, you have highlighted how easily it is to "work the system".

I personally would say that you do not have to give your details. After all - they didn't ask for it to sell you the product, so why should they need it to refund you!

dmg24

mwilletts is spot on.

You do have to remember that, unless the return is as a result of you exercising your statutory rights, they can refuse to refund/ exchange etc. Is it really such a hardship to give your address?

gnaril

Dont see what the damn problem is, Fairly simple request not asking you for d/o/b, bra size, sexual orientation.

As above required sotheir own security checks. This is fairly common for most stores to ask this information aswell.

xocbc

They also do it as protection against fraud by customers, in other words if a particular customer has a lot of refunds, it flags up.

My old employer had a system that showed all of a customer's transactions when making a refund, which was quite interesting, amazing how many things some people have that break just before the warranty expires...

sarahg1969

dmg24 wrote: »

mwilletts is spot on.

You do have to remember that, unless the return is as a result of you exercising your statutory rights, they can refuse to refund/ exchange etc.

Yes, that's right. If I've changed my mind, I do give my details. However, if I return a faulty item, I don't. No, it's no hardship, but it's unnecessary.

st999

Don't try and buy a TV then.

My son works in a TV shop and a customer refused to give his name and address when buying a £1000 TV for cash. The manager refused to sell it to him as he said he wasn't going to jail for the sake of the profit on a TV.

Stan

Esqui

At my store:

We take details for tracking refunds (for reasons given above), and also to prove that returned items aren't store stock (not that I'm sure why that matters). You can refuse to give your details, or request no marketing bumpf be sent to you.

It also helps us when there are stock errors (e.g. something got returned to the store when it was collected by the distribution centre).

But there's no secret plan to come round your house and take your stuff before using your credit card details to buy things on the internet. Sorry.

williham

st999 wrote: »

Don't try and buy a TV then.

My son works in a TV shop and a customer refused to give his name and address when buying a £1000 TV for cash. The manager refused to sell it to him as he said he wasn't going to jail for the sake of the profit on a TV.

Stan

That's a different reason... If you buy a TV in England the company has to take your address and send it to TV licensing.. it's the law.