Online Shopping

Mithias

Hi All,

Not sure if this is the right forums (have checked and I think it is) but I'm hoping you can offer some advice.

My Missus brought some hair extensions from a shop online. Took a little while to get here but when it did, thats when all the trouble started. I'll try and break it down into chunks so its easier to digest:

1) The product they sent was the wrong colour. She had ordered a tone 60 when instead they sent a tone 613.
2) She sent an e-mail asking for them to send out the correct item, only to be told there is no visual difference (even though on the website there is, and its a different product?) and could she please just keep it
3) Of course we said no and asked for a refund (well within thier 48 hours return policy)
4) To cut a long story short, they are now saying she has to cover the cost of returning the item, the cost of shipping it out to her orignially and must pay a 10% restocking fee. So in effect, loosing out on moey with nothing to show for it

Now heres where it gets really interesting. It turns out the company is based somewhere in China, but has offices in the UK (at least some kind of distribution warehouse). We have been told that we must return the item to thier office in shanghai, which will cost a small fortune.

Our argument is that its thier mistake, so why should we cover any cost at all?

Being based in China, DSR won't cover us, so I'm hoping someone can perhaps give us a place we can look towards for advice? Its only a low value thing, but its more the principal, that we are paying for someone elses mistake!

Thanks in advance

savemoney

If you paid by Visa debit card or credit card (if goods are over £100) you could claim of cc company or do a visa chargeback. Otherwise I think you stand no chance with Chinese company

zaax

If they have a warehouse here then they are here. Did the item have UK postage on it?

Look the company up in companies house.

savemoney

what site/company was it often its is had lots of complaints you can find comments posted

unholyangel

All of the advice i'm about to give relies on the DSR's being applicable. If you can provide the website, we'll be able to advise you better

2) This is irrelevant if there is no visual difference or not. If they have substituted an item, they are liable for return postage costs.
4) Unless they have informed you in a durable medium prior to the contract being concluded, your only obligation is to take reasonable care of the item and make it available for collection. If they have stipulated you need to return then they are still liable for return costs. Under DSR's they have to refund you in full (including the original delivery charge if there was one) and cannot make any deductions such as a handling/admin/restocking fee. Providing you have informed them of your intent to cancel within 7 working days of receiving the item of course.

If you've paid by credit card and the item is over £100, contact your issuer and request to start a section 75 claim.

Mithias

Hi All,

Thanks for the sound advice from everyone. I think we've managed to reach a resolution now, breaks down like this:

- Despite several emails and live chat sessions, they still insist its a "return" and we must cover the cost of sending it back and the original shipping
- During the live chat session, they person basically admited there was a visual difference between the two tones. They said the tone they had ran out of was out of stick at the time so they sent another one "or we would have been waiting".

So in the end, we are out of pocket (by way of delivery costs both ways) but at least hae managed to avoid the 10% restocking fee. I probably could have fought this harder, but with the company being based in China and the staff not being helpful at all, I didnt think we'd get anywhere soon.

Anyway, lesson learned, choose your website carefully, use paypal if its offered and don't use hairextensionsale.co.uk/