Been refunded too much - what happens?

and_another_thing_2

My parents paid a deposit of @£600 for tiles, against a total price of £1200, over 3 weeks ago on a credit card. They were told to come in closer to the time to confirm the delivery etc.
They went to the shop only to be told that the tiles were discontinued and that their order couldnt be completed. They were offered a refund as nothing else was right for them.
However, when the shop processed the refund they put the full order back on to the card (ie £1200) not the £600 they had deposited.
They have only just spotted this today when doing their banking and phoned me as they are worried what will happen - and I have no idea either.
They did have to go and buy tiles from another shop which was @£200 more expensive so my immediate thought was "tough! - the first shops screwed it up" but I`d like some advice please in case the first shop get in tough with my parents and try it on.
thanks

Miss_Spendalot_2

Personally I would pay the shop back the overpayment, I guess there are a few that will say just keep the money as it was the shops mistake but I personally feel as though I had stolen that money. It is not your parents money to spend, do the right thing I say and return it to them...

MonkeyMad

You know that this is an error so probably have a civil liability to return it before the Co discover the mistake and try to recover their loss. If they cannot recover it ie it has been spent and if you refuse to pay it back you may have a criminal liability, as you have already told us you do not reasonably expect the money to be yours and are knowingly depriving them of it ie theft. In which way do you think the shop asking for their money back would be 'trying it on?'

The additional cost of the tiles and the replacement is neither here nor there. Why not just go back to the shop and get them to put it right?

j2011

Keep the money.

Now you can tell the retailer that someone on the internet said keep the money, so you are.

Miss_Spendalot_2

j2011 wrote: »

Keep the money.

Now you can tell the retailer that someone on the internet said keep the money, so you are.

I guess that is what he wants to hear tbh as most people would not have to ask what they should do in this situation.. So probably your advice wins hands down..

tpt

lets face it, you already know what the right thing to do is, and you should have called them when they refunded too much. If they had overcharged you by £600 what would you be doing?
A lot of people seem to think that because its a company no one is losing out but thats not the case.

bengal-stripe

and_another_thing wrote: »

......my immediate thought was "tough!"

If the shop had refunded too little or nothing at all; would you equally think "tough!", or would you get in touch with the shop and ask for an immediate refund of the missing money?

redpete

and_another_thing wrote: »

my immediate thought was "tough! - the first shops screwed it up"

Wouldn't have been my first thought.

I`d like some advice please in case the first shop get in tough with my parents and try it on.

By "get tough and try it on" do you mean "ask for their money back"?

Why do you think they should not pay it back? The price of similar tiles somewhere else has no bearing in your dealings with the first shop.

McKneff

It may just flag up when an audit is done.

The shop has 6 years to find it and get it refunded.

In (i think 3 months, they can just take it) after that they have to inform you that they are going to take it.

Is it worth your parents worrying for 6 years incase £600 is going to disappear from their account.

What do THEY want to do.

MonkeyMad

I'm a little depressed that it is obvious what the answer is, and that it is actually the OP who is trying it on and can't see it. I'd like to think the majority of people are better than that, but these boards seem cluttered with people trying to claim 'compensation' in one shape or form for genuine mistakes.

Stephen_Leak

Morally, you should inform the shop and arrange to pay them back the £600.

Legally, it's down to them to realise their error, and they have 6 months in which to do so. They could ask you for it back, but they could also just do a "chargeback" on the credit card.

Financially, you should "ring fence" the money in an easy access savings account for the 6 months, so that it's still readily available if and when they ask for or take it back.