Is it worth pursuing? Next VIP Sale

donnaessex

Hi Experts.

I buy almost all of the following years clothes and shoes from the Next VIP sale and often spend £500 per year kitting my family out for the following year. I know that doesnt make sense but it does to me!

This year I did as I always do and ordered some of my items in two different sizes (i.e. age 4-5 and 5-6 for my daughter) so that I can keep the one in the bigger size.

I needed to return 10 items so filled in all the dockets and sealed them in one bag which had a returns label on it where I had to put that the package included 10 items. I used the online request form for a courier return as I have many times before and on there it gives you the option to tell the courier where the package will be left (it states that this should be a secure location). I chose to leave it in my garage.

Got home from work the following day (Thursday) and the package had been taken but no returns note was left. I saw my regular courier on the Saturday when she had another delivery for me and checked that she had collected the item - she had. Fine.

I received an email from Next with the confirmation of returns on there and only 7 items were detailed so I called the customer services helpline today and they are saying the items werent returned to the warehouse? They have asked me to send in the returns label, which I do not have. She didnt seem to believe me but its the truth! My courier never leaves a returns label even if I am in and I hand her the package!!! I said the package had 10 items written on the outside label and whoever unpacked it must have checked that that tallied with the amount of items in the packet but obviously they didnt.

The cost of items is £42 so not a massive amount, but its a lot to me!

The lady is sending me a "missing item claim form" but I cant help but think its going to get me nowhere as it was my responsibility to leave it in a secure place and thats where I will fall down. I know that I'm an idiot now but it never occurred to me to ask for proof of return.

Does anyone have any opinions for me? Thanks for reading.

AppleCore

I'm sorry I can't help much but I'm going through a similar problem with Next at the moment. I returned an item on 10th Jan and they have no record of it being returned. I've found them awful to deal with, it was finally picked up after 4 other couriers either didn't turn up or the wrong one who didn't take that size of item was sent.

I do have a proof of collection but it doesn't detail anything about the item or even that it was a Next item, I've got to send in a photocopy of this which doesn't sound like much but its hassle I could do without.

I returned to Next as a customer after several years. I always had a good shopping experience with them before but they seem to have gone totally downhill, the problem with this order has been going on since before Xmas and has been a nightmare.

Make sure you pursue the missing items, its not fair that Next should make money from their mistakes.

Good luck OP, keep us updated.

donnaessex

Thanks Applecore its a real pain.

I have had this once before with them about 3 years ago - the delivery docket showed a coat on it but I didnt receive it and it was a real faff proving that it never came. I did get the money back eventually but this time I'm not optimistic.

flea72

tbh i think Next run their courier returns, on the hoping that they can diddle people out of money, by saying items havent been received at the warehouse

if using couriers for returns i think you have no leg to stand on - seeing as no matter how many items or parcels you return the courier only leaves one returns slip, and you have to then prove that you did actually return more - my courier doesnt even check the items in the parcels against the returns slips, they just stick a returns sticker on one delivery note, and thats it

This sale, i returned every item instore, so i would at least have a till receipt listing all my returns, but still several items went missing between the shop and the warehouse (even if returning instore, it still has to be received at the warehouse for it to class as a return) - but as i had printed proof of returning the items, they couldnt win this time, but i still had to chase them for the credits to be put on my account

Next do tend to allow you one 'missing' return, but you will get a letter along with your claim form, basically stating that any future missing items will not be allowed, and tough luck, should anything happen, as they wont help

F

AppleCore

What's going on with Next? They're not what they used to be.