WH Smith Mistake... Help needed!

cambookpro

Hi, first post here, please be gentle!

Anyway, recently I had purchased an Airfix model for my brother for Christmas from the WH Smith website.
It cost approximately £10, but I had bought it with something else so I qualified for their free delivery.

Fast forward a couple of days, and they both arrive, except I had been sent a Slanket rather that an Airfix model... :mad:
Obviously, even though the Slanket is worth a bit more than the Airfix, I contacted WH Smith and they gave me a freepost address to send it back to them, and they'd give me a WH Smith voucher of the value of the Airfix so I could re-order it.

So I get the voucher and it only covers the cost of the item, and not delivery, since I had qualified for free delivery in my original order.

So effectively, they have charged me for delivery when it was their error. Obviously it's not a lot, but I have yet to get a debit/credit card as I am still young, and I paid originally by gift card.

Is there anything I can do, and are they allowed to do this? I have emailed their cust support but they say since I had free delivery then this 'refund' doesn't include delivery on it. Many thanks.

Scania_Man

I don't know what the legal position is but saying as you did your part and they made the mistake i don't see how or why they in any way should be allowed to leave you further out of pocket.

In fact they should be almost offering you a gesture of good will. Perhaps you were unlucky and got the wrong person in the customer support, someone else may have been more helpful.

I'd email again, or to a different email address for WH Smiths and explain your situation. Tell them you're young etc and explain how you don't understand why given that they made the mistake - and you had to go out of your way to return an item to them that was not of your doing (you might live beside a post office but hey its still the principle) - and yet you're being penalised. Be polite and pleasant (not saying you wouldn't be!) and just put across your disappointment in what has happened.

I find in issues like this that you can generally get someone to see sense and they will sort things out. Try it and hopefully you get some success. Let us know what happens.

unholyangel

I think from W.H. Smiths view they've already given a goodwill gesture by not charging for delivery when the initial order went below the limit needed to get free delivery. However, imo not much of a goodwill gesture given the circumstances.

Is it the model spitfire? There are a few reductions in price on the website. Only ones i can see at £10 have been reduced to £8.

Also according to their site, you can have it delivered to a local store for pick up free. And if the price of hte item is the £8 i mentioned above, saver delivery is only 84p So you'll be able to get it for under a tenner

Scania_Man

Good info there, but the OP says he bought something else which allowed it to qualify for free delivery, so there has been zero godwill if i have picked it up right?

cambookpro

Scania_Man wrote: »

Good info there, but the OP says he bought something else which allowed it to qualify for free delivery, so there has been zero godwill if i have picked it up right?

Correct, I had qualified for free delivery by buying something else with it.

Thanks for the advice, I'll ask again and see what happens.

Also it wasn't the Spitfire, it was the MGB Roadster

unholyangel

Scania_Man wrote: »

Good info there, but the OP says he bought something else which allowed it to qualify for free delivery, so there has been zero godwill if i have picked it up right?

I was referring to the info that they didnt deduct money from his refund to cover what delivery costs would have been charged without the 2 items being ordered. In other words, if he had only ordered the one item he did correctly receive.

Probably because they cancelled the 2nd part of the order and not the OP.

bod1467

But it was THEIR error, not the OPs. So the original delivery status should still stand. So they should offer free delivery for the correct item, even as a gesture of goodwill.

unholyangel

bod1467 wrote: »

But it was THEIR error, not the OPs. So the original delivery status should still stand. So they should offer free delivery for the correct item, even as a gesture of goodwill.

I' wasnt commenting on what i think they should do. I already said in my first post that although they might think they've made a goodwill gesture already, its not much of one imo.

withabix

Don't send the slanket back, because that requires effort on your part.

Email them telling them that they can collect it at your convenience.

cambookpro

I've already sent it back, unfortunately.
I'm appalled by WH Smith to be honest, other customer services seem much better than theirs. I've asked to speak a supervisor to see what they can do.

cambookpro

Well... result!
Think it was more by accident really.

Received an email last week with a full refund (but not including delivery) and today another gift card came with the same amount but it's different!

Just ordered it again and hopefully should still come in time for XMas :j