River Island refusing to refund even with a receipt!

unholyangel

Pound wrote: »

I have to disagree with this. Although you don't have a statutory legal right to return a item that isn't faulty, River Island advertise that they allow this in store and on the back of the receipt.

I would have thought that this therefore forms part of the contract between River Island and their customers which is effectively a "right" to return the item. I don't see how RI can retroactively decide that their policy is discretionary.

Bearing in mind that they dont have to give receipts and that technically she didnt have the receipt?

Some shops do have very generous policies and will give refunds on unsuitable goods but it is important to remember that they do not have to do this. If you are not sure if something is going to be suitable it is important that you check with the shop before you buy it what their policy is. If necessary get the assistant to write on the receipt that they will give you a cash refund if what you are buying is unsuitable.

The above pasted from consumerline.org

Pound

BlueAngelCV wrote: »

I don't have a RI receipt in front of me but I think that it is at the management's discretion as that it the case at most other places.

In any case in this instance the OP didn't have the receipt.

It's not something I can say I've seen and I don't think a policy that effectively says "you can return an item within X days but only if the manager feels like it" would attract business from customers thinking they can return an item if they change their mind.

Just out of curiousity I tried to find an old RI reciept but couldn't find one. I did however find a BHS, Next, Debenhams, TK Maxx, and B&Q receipt. The only reciept which had any sort of condition attached was Debenhams who won't honour the policy if the price of the item has dropped below 50%, certainly nothing about "managers discretion" on any of them.

Muffinmaker

The back of my receipt for the size 10 cardigan is as follows:
buy with confidence
please feel free to return your unused
purchase if it is unsuitable for any reason
we will be pleased to offer a full refund
or exchange provided it is within one
month and you have proof of purchase
this will not affect your "statutory rights".

Pound

unholyangel wrote: »

Some shops do have very generous policies and will give refunds on unsuitable goods but it is important to remember that they do not have to do this. If you are not sure if something is going to be suitable it is important that you check with the shop before you buy it what their policy is. If necessary get the assistant to write on the receipt that they will give you a cash refund if what you are buying is unsuitable.

The above pasted from consumerline.org

I think you may have misinterpreted Customer Line's website. The emboldened part means that shops don't have a legal obligation to have a policy allowing the return of non-faulty goods. It doesn't mean that they can have and advertise such a policy and then choose not to honour it.

It's like anything in a contract, if it's written down (e.g. whether in a written contract or signage) then it forms part of a legally binding contract.

unholyangel wrote: »

Bearing in mind that they dont have to give receipts and that technically she didnt have the receipt?

The situation with the OP's reciept is a seperate issue from whether customers have a legal right to return non-faulty items. But the OP may have trouble enforcing their policy without it and it could be argued that it was the OP's responsibility to ensure they were given the correct receipt.

chardonnay_2

kwaks wrote: »

Of course they can't resell the item. It is no longer "new". High St stores do on the whole value their customers, but as times are getting tough then they "may" have to try to protect their profits a bit more. As for saying ALL the stores offer a 28 day refund, you are simply wrong. Many offer 28 day exchange if you have proof of purchase and the goods are in the original condition (in this case with tags still attached). Seems you had neither, and in addition you say you were asking for a refund rather than exchange.

don't be so ridiculous, of course shops immediately but returns back on the shelf. the only times they won't is if the item has been returned as faulty.

wealdroam

chardonnay wrote: »

don't be so ridiculous, of course shops immediately but returns back on the shelf. the only times they won't is if the item has been returned as faulty.

Well they wouldn't be able to put this item back on the shelf immediately.

Did you miss the bit where the op told us she had removed the tags?
They'd need re-affixing first.

Zandoni

Muffinmaker, I agree with you 100% you have been bullied here. This forum was designed to help people but it seems that many of it's members like to gang up on people and have a laugh at their expense.

In my opinion you do have a receipt, the fact that you exchanged it once doesn't come into it. How are you supposed to know that they issue another receipt, I wouldn't know that either.

If the back of the receipt gives you 28 days to exchange then that's what you have.

I would try taking it back again 15 mins before they close and be as polite as possible, if that fails try their head office.

Zandoni

unholyangel wrote: »

Bearing in mind that they dont have to give receipts and that technically she didnt have the receipt?

Some shops do have very generous policies and will give refunds on unsuitable goods but it is important to remember that they do not have to do this. If you are not sure if something is going to be suitable it is important that you check with the shop before you buy it what their policy is. If necessary get the assistant to write on the receipt that they will give you a cash refund if what you are buying is unsuitable.

The above pasted from consumerline.org

Think you are reading that wrong, if they state their policy they certainly have to do it. That quote is trying to warn the customer that not all shops have a generous returns policy.

unholyangel

Zandoni wrote: »

Think you are reading that wrong, if they state their policy they certainly have to do it. That quote is trying to warn the customer that not all shops have a generous returns policy.

No but if you cant meet their requirements for the policy, then it doesnt apply. Plus a stores policy doesnt automatically entitle you to it like your statutory rights. They dont have to do it so they can affix their own terms into it providing it doesnt breach your rights.

I've yet to see any shops who will accept back goods without the tags and without proof of purchase in circumstances like this.

But some people seem to be forgetting the store offered to look it up in their logs. They were trying to help and they didnt have to offer to do that. As i said in a previous post, if the OP could remember what else she did that day and could remember what date roughly it was on, you'd likely find they would give her a refund/exchange/credit note.

Zandoni

unholyangel wrote: »

No but if you cant meet their requirements for the policy, then it doesnt apply. Plus a stores policy doesnt automatically entitle you to it like your statutory rights. They dont have to do it so they can affix their own terms into it providing it doesnt breach your rights.

I've yet to see any shops who will accept back goods without the tags and without proof of purchase in circumstances like this.

But some people seem to be forgetting the store offered to look it up in their logs. They were trying to help and they didnt have to offer to do that. As i said in a previous post, if the OP could remember what else she did that day and could remember what date roughly it was on, you'd likely find they would give her a refund/exchange/credit note.

She has the tags and she has proof of purchase. How was she to know that a new receipt should be issued.

I understand both sides of the arguement here but I feel that River Island are being unreasonable.