Returns to charity shops

cashmerefrog

Hello, i recently bought a coat in a charity shop at £10.00 it had quite a bold pattern which disguised a hole in it i didn't notice it till some time later, thought i would take it back for at least an exchange but no. I hadn't been told of any return policy by the cashier and took it back 9 days after purchase as its quite a distance from me and i dont shop there often. They told me there was no way they could do anything not even exchange, and that behind the cashier there is a poster to state this, but this poster amongst other items back there did not stand out to me and i couldnt read it as it was too small but it does say no returns after 7 days. I want to complain to the head office but do i have any rights?

Thank you in advance.

HappyMJ

Yes you have rights... If the defect was not pointed out before purchase then you can return the item for refund, replacement or repair. Expect to do a lot of letter writing to get your £10.00 back. Is it worth it?

cashmerefrog

Well, when i tried to return it, it wasnt for the money i was quite happy for a credit note or exchange, the treatment i received was humiliating in front of other customers and made me feel like a criminal for asking, that is mainly what i want to complain to head office about but didn't want them coming back at me with its there policy and their is nothing i can do about it. The manager in the shop told me it was my responsibility to check for faults before buying and stood no chance of anything.

maninthestreet

Name and shame this paricular charity shop.

System

Should you not have checked instore before buying?
When buying second hand clothes I would assume you would have to be very careful about things like this.

Also are you sure you haven't caught the coat on something yourself that has created the hole?

I suspect this could end up being on of those cases where even though legally you are probably in the right, as its a charity shop it will make you appear as a bad person if you continue to press for the cash.

I suppose whether its worth pursing depends on whether £10 is a lot of money to you.

cashmerefrog

goater78, No i didn't get to wear the coat so no i didn't make the hole, as i said its patterned and not obvious at first and would have taken a long time standing in the shop examining it i don't have time for that and as i stated it was not about the money it was about my rights as a consumer i didnt want the money but a credit note or exchange would be fair. I just want to know where i stand when making a complaint about the treatment i received trying to return for an exchange. I have repaired it now and given it away. Its the principal of the matter.

PDC

I had a similar experience once, with a slightly faulty item not that I took it back. I just looked on it as a donation, I thought it was for charity afterall.

cashmerefrog

PDC, I have shopped in charity shops for years and had many faulty items and like you just accepted it, never considered to take items back but just this one time i do and i am slated for it, i have donated lots to charities but i dont think i should have been treated badly for this 1 ever time.

tomwakefield

I think charity shops are generally considered (in practice, if not in legal terms) to be 'sold as seen' as the stock is typically second hand stuff which will have varying degrees of wear and tear.

If you feel the staff were rude, complain about that. But I would consider the onus on to be on the consumer to check the condition is acceptable when the product is second hand, unless the fault is something that couldn't reasonably be checked in a shop (such as an electrical item doesn't work when plugged in, when you can't do that in store).

ThumbRemote

The sale of goods act states an item must be "of satisfactory quality". If there is a fault, the only get-out clause for the retailer is if they pointed it out before you bought, or "where the buyer examines the goods before the contract is made, which that examination ought to reveal". There is no requirement on the purchaser to perform an examination of the goods.

Personally I wouldn't let it drop. It's all very well for some people to be saying they'd treat it as a donation, I like to choose who I donate to and how much, not have it dictated by bad-mannered charity shop assistants trying to flout the law.

System

ThumbRemote wrote: »

The sale of goods act states an item must be "of satisfactory quality". If there is a fault, the only get-out clause for the retailer is if they pointed it out before you bought, or "where the buyer examines the goods before the contract is made, which that examination ought to reveal". There is no requirement on the purchaser to perform an examination of the goods.

Personally I wouldn't let it drop. It's all very well for some people to be saying they'd treat it as a donation, I like to choose who I donate to and how much, not have it dictated by bad-mannered charity shop assistants trying to flout the law.

They are going to have to let it drop as they have mended the coat and then given it away. The only way they could get their money back is by the company agreeing to take the coat back.

That no longer sounds possible.