Fishy CC "return" label.

Bela_Lugosi

Dear all,

First post! Asking for advice on a dilemma.

I was refunded by the CC (as a "goodwill gesture" apparently) for some unsuitable goods that the vendor wouldn't accept back but which are of no use to us, in a dispute that rattled on for a couple of years.

As I was wrapping up the call in which we were told of the refund, I said "I still have the item, obviously it is no use to us, do we send it to [credit card issuer]?". The call centre person rang off and called back a while later to say "yes, we'll send an address label".

Well, said label turned up, but it is a handwritten thing addressed to an individual within the CC organisation "confidential" and "to be opened by the addressee only".

Am I the only person whose suspicions are raised by this? I was expecting a label with some kind of barcode on it and a freepost address within the credit card company - and the name of an official-sounding department therein. I was expecting traceability, but I'm not getting it.

So for the moment I may well sit on this until I can get some clarity. So here are some questions.

If a CC issuer refunds unilaterally in a dispute, what actually happens to the goods? We have our money, this object is no longer ours, as far as I can see. Do the CC issuers even collect stuff that has been refunded?

If they don't, why have I got this little handwritten "return label" that looks more like a staff member trying something on?

If they do, why isn't there some more legitimate looking return location than "suzie at desk 43?" (I made that up).

If this useless item is in limbo now, I can't very well get rid of it if the CC issuer then goes to the vendor with a chargeback. If that happens the vendor will probably want the goods back! If the CC issuer "took the hit" and refunded for the sake of some goodwill and doesn't want the item sent to them, I would prefer to sell it in a charitable auction and send 100% of the proceeds to Orbis - not hand it to some blagger in a call centre somewhere to be wasted.

Obviously I'd rather be rid of it, but not if a/ someone will ask for it back down the line (the vendor) or b/ some official department in the CC organisation will ask for it down the line or c/ some charity could make better use of the £££ it generates on the market.

[Deleted User]

If the refund is a goodwill gesture, then the item belongs to the lender. So send them their stuff and get proof of postage.

dalesrider

Bela_Lugosi wrote: »

? I was expecting a label with some kind of barcode on it and a freepost address within the credit card company - and the name of an official-sounding department therein..

Why barcode?
Anything in this situation would go to the disputes team.

TBH.
If it was a goodwill refund. Then it was only a small amount. Or well out of time... Couple of years would fit that bill.

Chargeback max time of 540 days.

As a rule we do not want the goods... Why would we want anything that you don't.
Councils have tips for rubbish. NOT BANKS.

Bela_Lugosi wrote: »

Well, said label turned up, but it is a handwritten thing addressed to an individual within the CC organisation "confidential" and "to be opened by the addressee only".

Either.
Write to Chief Exec of company with a nice letter and the slip received.
Or
Ring back ask to speak to a Manager. No one else....
This person deserves to get the sack.

izools

C'mon, name and shame, who's the card company?

jonesMUFCforever

izools wrote: »

C'mon, name and shame, who's the card company?

........And what are the goods?

Bela_Lugosi

Dispute was settled for over £300 and the item is jewellery (now their jewellery, as I took pains to mention in my post).

My concern is just the sketchy way this is being done. Return something patently broken to Amazon and you get the returns label and the anonymous department (not an individual by name), the RMA etc, and labels barcoded so that the arriving goods can be reconciled against outstanding returns. Its anonymised, you are sending to a department and the process feels solid.

This process might also be solid but there's no evidence for it - it comes over as a personal request and not a transfer of valuables from one person to a company.

I reckon the CC issuer can do something with it to reclaim some £££ so I don't see the company being out of line to want it (after all, its now theirs), but I do expect not to feel that I'm sending this off to some individual for their own benefit, which is how this feels.

Naming and shaming comes later!

jonesMUFCforever

I think you are right to be sceptical about this.

sharpy2010

So someone in the call centre is trying their luck. Who cares? Just send it to them!

Bela_Lugosi

Well, I care if someone is getting a bit of easy bling when it could be put to better use, perhaps generating funds for a charity (obviously 100% would go there :A), as it is, 2/3 of the refund £££ is going there too. I guess I feel edgy because I was the one that had to mention sending the item to them (and I heard surprise on the other end of the phone, if I read the voice properly), and then I get a handwritten label saying "to be opened by named recipient only" (either they are the only honest person in the department, or they're worried about it falling into honest hands, and there's no way I can guess that - hence the reluctance to name anything).

I was posting in the hope that someone else had run through this process previously (I felt sure more than a few of you folks have run through a recovery process with a CC issuer before and know what happens to the booty afterwards). I will approach them through another channel and see what happens.

Cheers all for your opinions, especially "jones" :beer:. I'll use another channel and see what happens.

Bela_Lugosi

Interesting, just had a message from the CC company that reads...

"You can contact the merchant and return the goods directly to merchant. If you return the goods to the merchant then please keep a return proof with you.

Your request to [...] to collect the item from you has been forwarded to the relevant team who will contact you shortly."

Now to tell them who the thing is going to - put the thing in the open if something was dodgy. At least it is then "on the official radar", and I'm good with that.

Cheers all

dalesrider

Bela_Lugosi wrote: »

Dispute was settled for over £300 and the item is jewellery (now their jewellery, as I took pains to mention in my post).

That's very honest of you. Most people never mention things like this.

Bela_Lugosi wrote: »

My concern is just the sketchy way this is being done. Return something patently broken to Amazon and you get the returns label and the anonymous department (not an individual by name), the RMA etc, and labels barcoded so that the arriving goods can be reconciled against outstanding returns. Its anonymised, you are sending to a department and the process feels solid.

Well as such we do not have any processes in place for this. Unlike retailers who are geared up for returns.
Best advice address to the manager of the disputes department.
Any packages coming into the building are run through a x-ray machine. For staff safety.

Bela_Lugosi wrote: »

This process might also be solid but there's no evidence for it - it comes over as a personal request and not a transfer of valuables from one person to a company.

Well we always avoid anything being address personally as it can/will delay any process. Due to the days we work, as well as may be on holiday.

Bela_Lugosi wrote: »

I reckon the CC issuer can do something with it to reclaim some £££ so I don't see the company being out of line to want it (after all, its now theirs), but I do expect not to feel that I'm sending this off to some individual for their own benefit, which is how this feels.

Last lot of goods we got were auctioned off. Money going to the nominated charity...
OK. If you liked fugg boots :rotfl:
Other than that It could well be binned.

Bela_Lugosi wrote: »

Naming and shaming comes later!

Will be interesting.