S Buckingham online - rip-off returns policy

MicMac

I don't know if anyone else has the misfortune to have shopped with the online company S Buckingham (they do clothes, accessories, etc).
I recently bought an item from them which, when it arrived was incorrect (i.e. not as listed / ordered).

Upon returning the item they charged me - get this - £7.95 for 'admin and internal p&p costs'! And it only cost me £17.95 in the first place!!!

Despite a long chain of emails and to-ing and fro-ing with their Customer Service Dept (interesting use of the word 'service') they have refused to waive this fee, despite the fact that it was their fault in sending the wrong item.

Sadly since they took so long to reply to my emails I believe it has now gone long beyond any window of opportunity to claim back via Paypal or my credit card.

Therefore my advice to others would be: caveat emptor... or preferably - don't buy!

If this post ought to be on another thread please advise me - I'm a newbie!!
Thanks, and good bargain hunting!

pmduk

When did you place the order?

Coopdivi

They are almost certainly not British.

The 0844 phone number is a redirect service. The website address is a mailbox. The Domain Registration has been hidden behind a privacy service.

http://www.mbe.co.uk/cambridge

http://who.godaddy.com/whois.aspx?domain=sbuckinghams.com&prog_id=GoDaddy

There are a number of other websites with the same contact details including one which sells dog kennels. On some of them the standard of English is pretty poor which leads me to the conclusion that they're probably Chinese. If my theory is true then you should count yourself lucky that you got any refund at all.

MicMac

Wow - thanks for your investigation Coopdivi - what a sleuth you are!
In the end they didn't actually give me a refund at all since they claim the item was 'lost in the post' and didn't reach their depot.

I'm not going to suggest they're being liberal with the truth, but I'm not surprised, owing to the quality of their Customer Care, if they'd lost the item themselves!

All the more reason for any potential buyers to BEWARE!!!

Thanks guys

Coopdivi

Well let's be honest. They haven't got a depot at all have they? It's just BS.

If you're unsure about buying from any company online, ask on MSE. There's plenty of helpful people on here who'll check out websites for you.

I've rated and commented on them on Web of Trust.

http://www.mywot.com/en/scorecard/sbuckinghams.com?utm_source=addon&utm_content=popup-donuts

By the look of it you're not the only one to have been ripped off.

Kerrie68

Hey everyone,

Well I just purchased an item a few weeks ago and stumbled upon this review.
I had to send an item back but I didn't have issues like you did (bless ya).
The girl was all in all quite friendly and dealt with my returns swiftly.
See the thing is that I myself sell beads and bracelets so any items that are from abroad have to be returned to the original supplier.
I myself have to put on my site that the customer may have to pay
'X amount' towards the postage. I don't have a warehouse so I order it from abroad, and then sell it. But if someone wants a refund, I have to also post it back which costs money.
And believe me- when companies (such as myself) receive orders they double/ triple check to make sure its the right item. The last thing business owners want it items that have to be shipped back.

But anyway, as a customer I had no issues and I would def buy from them. No problem at all

Kerrie68

Hey everyone,

Well I just purchased an item a few weeks ago and stumbled upon this review.
I had to send an item back but I didn't have issues like you did (bless ya).
The girl was all in all quite friendly and dealt with my returns swiftly.
See the thing is that I myself sell beads and bracelets so any items that are from abroad have to be returned to the original supplier.
I myself have to put on my site that the customer may have to pay
'X amount' towards the postage. I don't have a warehouse so I order it from abroad, and then sell it. But if someone wants a refund, I have to also post it back which costs money.
And believe me- when companies (such as myself) receive orders they double/ triple check to make sure its the right item. The last thing business owners want it items that have to be shipped back.

But anyway, as a customer I had no issues and I would def buy from them. No problem at all

maninthestreet

Kerrie68 wrote: »

Hey everyone,

Well I just purchased an item a few weeks ago and stumbled upon this review.
I had to send an item back but I didn't have issues like you did (bless ya).
The girl was all in all quite friendly and dealt with my returns swiftly.
See the thing is that I myself sell beads and bracelets so any items that are from abroad have to be returned to the original supplier.
I myself have to put on my site that the customer may have to pay
'X amount' towards the postage. I don't have a warehouse so I order it from abroad, and then sell it. But if someone wants a refund, I have to also post it back which costs money.
And believe me- when companies (such as myself) receive orders they double/ triple check to make sure its the right item. The last thing business owners want it items that have to be shipped back.

But anyway, as a customer I had no issues and I would def buy from them. No problem at all

How long have you worked for them??

Kerrie68

maninthestreet wrote: »

How long have you worked for them??

Okay that's just mean! lol. So I had a good service compared to my respectable friend above-so? Yeh I have had issues with SETANTA SPORTS and BT and sometimes BOOHOO... and Ive complained- but I don't expect everyone to agree. Seriously !!

vuvuzela

Kerrie68 wrote: »

Okay that's just mean! lol. So I had a good service compared to my respectable friend above-so? Yeh I have had issues with SETANTA SPORTS and BT and sometimes BOOHOO... and Ive complained- but I don't expect everyone to agree. Seriously !!

Seriously !! indeed.

However, realistically, no-one searches for old posts on forums, registers and comes on defending a company with their very first post unless they work at or for the company.

I hadn't heard of this company, but you've brought it and the bad review back up to the top of the forum so I will now avoid them. Also, the more hits and posts this thread gets, the more it will be pushed to the top of google searches (yay, SEO !) so you've shot yourself in the foot and bitten yourself on your own backside there.

Have a lovely day

vuvuzela

Kerrie68 wrote: »

I myself have to put on my site that the customer may have to pay 'X amount' towards the postage.

So do you comply with UK DSRs ? Or, like the company you are spamming for, are you based abroad ?
Or is all of the above just a fabrication ?