Returning Unsolicited Goods

tillson

During mid October I ordered a central heating radiator. The company website showed in stock and they took immediate payment. When they failed to deliver on time, I contacted them and they said the item was out of stock and could offer no delivery date.

I cancelled the order and was given a refund (took nine days and many phone calls).

Yesterday, the radiator arrived. I have not paid for it, so contacted the company and informed them of their error. They say that they will collect it on 15 November, but can't specify a time. I am not prepared to wait in all day so that they can rectify their mistake. I have offered to be available between 12:00 and 12:30 to hand it over. If I leave it unattended outside, it's likely to be stolen and there are no neighbours to leave it with. The company won't confirm that they will take responsibility if I leave it outside unattended for collection.

Should I be expected to wait in for an undisclosed length of time for a courier to arrive? How long can this go on for? I am prepared to give the company alternative dates and times for collection, but I am not prepared to remain at home all day waiting for the courier or to take responsibility for any good left unattended outside the house.

Any advice appreciated.

wealdroam

Ask them to collect when someone will be available all morning or all afternoon, if that's possible?

What about Saturday or Sunday collection?

Would you be available during an evening?

Put all these suggestions to them.

Do not leave the thing outside... even if they say it is ok.
You have a duty to look after it while it is with you.

frugal_mike

You definitely don't have to wait in all day for them if that is inconvenient for you. Giving them a half hour window is a little short, but as wealdrom says you can offer other days and times. Ultimately it is their responsibility to get it back so they'll have to take the hit on the courier costs at more expensive times.

tillson

Thank you for the replies. Ultimately, I'll get the radiator back to them.

In truth, I want to make it difficult for them. They took my payment when they didn't have the goods to sell. I had to raise a claim with PayPal to get a refund and that took nine days to arrive and I spent 1 hour 47 minutes on a premium rate number to their company listening to silly excuses. The customer service was appalling. I didn't even receive an apology.

Now that they have messed up, I feel that they have handed me a rare opportunity to return the compliment. I don't feel inclined to be helpful.

hollydays

Why didn't they want to refund you?

tillson

hollydays wrote: »

Why didn't they want to refund you?

I don't know. They were continually stalling using the following excuses:

We have already refunded you (when they had not)

The accounts department has a backlog.

PayPal have rejected the refund (PayPal say they did not).

The computer system is down, we can't help you.

Someone will call you back from accounts to arrange a refund. (No return call).

It takes 10 working days for a PayPal refund to show on your account. (rubbish)

After nine days, I escalated the refund to a claim with PayPal. I told PayPal that I thought the company were operating some sort of fraud by taking payments for goods that they didn't posses and then using stalling tactics to avoid refunding customers. I suggested to PayPal that they withdraw their payment facility from this particular outfit.

Probably due to coincidence rather than anything that I had done, the company refunded me within an hour of submitting the claim escalation to PayPal.

The radiator company really messed me about and made things difficult. They will get their radiator back, I now have no use for it, but they are going to experience what it's like to be on the receiving end of unhelpful service. I just want to stay on the right side of the law though.

jacques_chirac

The goods are not unsolicited, they were sent by mistake - the difference being the goods do not become yours for six years. Making things difficult for the company is actually just wasting your own time - they are paid to be there and answer your emails/ calls, you are not. Arrange for a time (half day) you can be at home and get it returned - problem solved.

tillson

jacques_chirac wrote: »

The goods are not unsolicited, they were sent by mistake - the difference being the goods do not become yours for six years. Making things difficult for the company is actually just wasting your own time - they are paid to be there and answer your emails/ calls, you are not. Arrange for a time (half day) you can be at home and get it returned - problem solved.

I don't dispute that the goods are not mine, I never have done. I take the point about their staff being paid to resolve the issue, but it really isn't consuming any of my time and it certainly won't be consuming a half day whilst I wait in for their courier. I just respond to their emails via my phone whilst I'm out walking the dog, so nothing lost really. I have made an offer of a convenient time, but perhaps a 30 minute window is a bit tight, as someone else has suggested. I will offer them a one hour time slot when they next contact me. I know that it is possible to schedule a pickup to within the hour, it's expensive but it is possible.

The thing that really annoys me is that throughout the refund process I remained calm, respectful and polite to their staff, and they were anything but that in return. It may be a little childish, but I am taking a certain amount of satisfaction form the situation. I can't help myself!

Thanks for the information regarding the six year time limit, I didn't know that.

Regards

jacques_chirac

DPD offer one hour slots, but they specify when that hour is, not the customer - they notify you at the beginning of the day. For you to specify a one hour time slot is unreasonable.

Could I ask why you accepted the delivery?

tillson

jacques_chirac wrote: »

DPD offer one hour slots, but they specify when that hour is, not the customer - they notify you at the beginning of the day. For you to specify a one hour time slot is unreasonable.

Could I ask why you accepted the delivery?

I didn't accept it, the delivery driver left it outside the house which is a bit silly considering the value of the item. My wife found it when she returned home from work.

The DPD suggestion sounds like a good compromise. If I know at the beginning of the day when they will be calling, I could probably arrange to be there or have someone there on my behalf. I will suggest that when they next make contact.

forgotmyname

I thought DPD were 2 hour slots? Either way about 7am you get a text saying what time slot you have and its always arrives within a couple of minutes of the start time. And i do mean a couple. Most of the time its on the dot.

Shame royal mail don't work that way. I have several parcels gone walkies and no trace of them.

No missed deliveries and no returned items when i contacted the local depot.