Dorothy Perkins have kept my refund for months

~*Plushroom*~

Afternoon all,

had hoped it wouldn't come to this but I really need some advice because I'm at my wits end now.

I placed an order online with Dorothy Perkins on the 14th January for a couple of items to go to the store for click and collect. They came too late to use for when I wanted them so was planning to pick the up and return them for a refund. I was told that there was no need for me to collect the items when I explained to staff, as any orders not picked up within 10 days of arrival would be sent back as cancelled orders and I would receive my refund automatically. Great I thought, no time wasted messing about at the post office and no risk of it going missing via royal mail. So I left it to be cancelled and sent back.

Time passed and I didn't think about it, but then on the 15th March I was sent an email stating that an order had been "awaiting collection for more than 10 days. As a result we have had to cancel your order and we will refund the full amount to your original method of payment". Now I hadn't bought anything since the 14th January, had presumed it was all taken care of when they said so I panicked, thinking someone had stolen my account details and started placing orders. I had to search way back in my inbox but found out that this email was regarding the order from the 14th January. Obviously not impressed as they'd not done what they were supposed to and kept my money for more than a month more than they should.

I e-mailed customer services and on the 18th March they admitted that what the store had done was wrong and they were going to investigate the incident as it should have been sent back, cancelled and refund after 10 days. No mention of when I would be given my overdue refund or anything else.

I e-mailed back pointing out that this was not enough, I still did not have my refund and that keeping a customers money for so long and giving such bad service was unacceptable. Their reply on the 19th March was to confirm it had been sent back and cancelled, and that my refund was being processed. To recognize my "inconvenience" they offered me a £10 gift card. At this point I decided to wait until my refund came back to deal with the matter further.

After waiting a week from there with no information on when the refund would come I sent a letter of complaint to head office via recorded delivery. They have never replied.

The refund is still not in my account and it's the 3rd April now, I'm increasingly fed up of dealing with them (heck I'll probably never buy from them ever again after this nonsense). I have e-mailed them again stating that my refund is still not through, that I am extremely unhappy with their service and will be looking into escalating the matter further.

Any advice on what my next move should be? It's been going on so long that my head is spinning.

Thanks in advance.

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth

I suppose as you were in no rush in January and Febraury to get your money back, then they are in no rush either!

squashy

Can you ring and speak to them? It sounds to me like they were probably trying to be helpful by not sending the items back straightaway and giving you some extra time to collect. I don't think you should be too harsh with them for that element. However, since you have now had an email confirming that they are refunding you since 19th March, I would have expected that to have been processed by now. I would ring and chase your money.

visidigi

~*Plushroom*~ wrote: »

Afternoon all,

had hoped it wouldn't come to this but I really need some advice because I'm at my wits end now.

I placed an order online with Dorothy Perkins on the 14th January for a couple of items to go to the store for click and collect. They came too late to use for when I wanted them so was planning to pick the up and return them for a refund. I was told that there was no need for me to collect the items when I explained to staff, as any orders not picked up within 10 days of arrival would be sent back as cancelled orders and I would receive my refund automatically. Great I thought, no time wasted messing about at the post office and no risk of it going missing via royal mail. So I left it to be cancelled and sent back.

Time passed and I didn't think about it, but then on the 15th March I was sent an email stating that an order had been "awaiting collection for more than 10 days. As a result we have had to cancel your order and we will refund the full amount to your original method of payment". Now I hadn't bought anything since the 14th January, had presumed it was all taken care of when they said so I panicked, thinking someone had stolen my account details and started placing orders. I had to search way back in my inbox but found out that this email was regarding the order from the 14th January. Obviously not impressed as they'd not done what they were supposed to and kept my money for more than a month more than they should.

I e-mailed customer services and on the 18th March they admitted that what the store had done was wrong and they were going to investigate the incident as it should have been sent back, cancelled and refund after 10 days. No mention of when I would be given my overdue refund or anything else.

I e-mailed back pointing out that this was not enough, I still did not have my refund and that keeping a customers money for so long and giving such bad service was unacceptable. Their reply on the 19th March was to confirm it had been sent back and cancelled, and that my refund was being processed. To recognize my "inconvenience" they offered me a £10 gift card. At this point I decided to wait until my refund came back to deal with the matter further.

After waiting a week from there with no information on when the refund would come I sent a letter of complaint to head office via recorded delivery. They have never replied.

The refund is still not in my account and it's the 3rd April now, I'm increasingly fed up of dealing with them (heck I'll probably never buy from them ever again after this nonsense). I have e-mailed them again stating that my refund is still not through, that I am extremely unhappy with their service and will be looking into escalating the matter further.

Any advice on what my next move should be? It's been going on so long that my head is spinning.

Thanks in advance.

£10 goodwill is more than enough, its an error - these things happen.

nodiscount

So you have a gift card but not the refund?

Email the CEO:
(Text removed by MSE Forum Team)

That's what I had to do.

~*Plushroom*~

Squashy thanks I will look at calling them. I don't think they held onto it longer to give me longer to pick it up as it was when I went to pick it up that they said to do this instead, I guess it got put somewhere and something else was put on it so it wasn't spotted to send back. Ringing them to find out where the refund went might be quicker than e-mail so I'll go find the number on the website.

Blackbeard of Perranporth I did not feel the need to worry as I'd never had any problems with them, besides which this all occurred at a time when between shifts and family illness I was rather busy. Yes I should have checked, but with all that on my plate and trusting that as previously refunds would simply be sorted no fuss I put it to the back of my mind. Obviously this goes to show you need to keep an eye on these things but its too late for that now.

Visidigi I never wanted any goodwill so I'm not sure what you are getting at there. What I wanted was exact details of when the refund would be processed and where it was being processed to which wasn't given which is why the help wasn't enough.

Nodiscount thanks, no I have no refund or giftcard, the giftcard wasn't something I wanted or asked for as I just wanted to chase them up on the refund and get it done and dusted. I'll use the e-mail you've supplied and follow Squashys advice to call them as its dragging on now.

pulliptears

My first experience with DP was a dress ordered to store which I sent back. It took a while to notice they hadn't refunded P&P so the next time I ordered I paid with Paypal. As it turned out the jacket was too big, so following the instructions in the parcel I returned to store who refused to accept it as 'Tall is now a concession and can only be returned via post'. They don't actually tell you that...

I returned the jacket and ordered the correct size, all was well. When the Paypal refund was issued again it was short the initial P&P. I contacted them and asked for it. I heard nothing. Several emails were ignored, no refund was forthcoming and in the end I opened a Paypal dispute for the remainder which was paid back quite quickly after the case was opened.

TBH the whole experience put me off buying with DP online, they don't seem especially organised, don't answer emails etc

aldredd

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth wrote: »

I suppose as you were in no rush in January and Febraury to get your money back, then they are in no rush either!

For start, that's irrelevant - it's their (op's) money regardless

And where does the op say they're not in a rush for it? What's said is they assumed that it had been taken care off (based on what they were told by the company).

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth

aldredd wrote: »

For start, that's irrelevant - it's their (op's) money regardless

Bit confused here. It is OPs money, or rather refund.

aldredd wrote: »

And where does the op say they're not in a rush for it?

January 14 to now is about 2 and a half months

aldredd wrote: »

What's said is they assumed that it had been taken care off (based on what they were told by the company).

Refunds can take up to 7 working days to process. If money was not returned in this time, then a simple call may have resolved the issue.

But as OP was in no rush to get a refund! Then ...

wealdroam

Distance Selling Regulations allow the seller up to thirty days from the date of order cancellation to refund the money.

As the OP never actually cancelled the order, but instead relied on a Dorothy Perkins apparent process for automatic order cancellation, I would suggest that the 'thirty day clock' should not start ticking until 15 March.

From the above, it is clear to me that DP have until around 14 April to do the refund.

And if you get the gift card too, that really is a bonus.