Do I give a customer a refund??

cazzybabe

Hi


I am sorry but this is a bit long....I have tried to contact trading standards but it is so difficult to get answers and now I have been sent a form to fill in before they will talk to me!!


In a nut shell - my customer purchased a painted twig/branch as a Xmas tree. We painted this branch which was one of many sold to other customers. The customer was aware that this was a natural product from our garden.


This customer has now demanded a refund due to paint flaking off, bearing in mind she has been using this since December does she have a right to refund?


I do want to do the right thing by her but surely there are limits???


Thank you

paddyrg

How did you sell it? Was it 'suitable for outdoor use all year round', or 'interior Christmas decoration'?

June seems a bit of an odd time to complain about something sold as a Christmas decoration, mind you even pound shops get people buying Christmas decorations before Christmas then trying to return them for cash refunds the following week, there are a lot of selfish idiots out there.

Takeaway_Addict

Is this customer likely to be a return customer? If yes then it might be better to bend and sort something out, if no then its easier to play hardball.

If she is over 6 months since purchasing then she would have to get a report to prove the fault was inherently faulty and not down to wear and tear (which would be your argument IMO if it was designed for a christmas tree she has used 4-5 years worth in 6 months (based on 6 weeks a year).

If it went to court and they had a report and the court found in their favour you would most likely have to pay for the cost of the report.

How much are we talking about? If its like £20 I would just refund and refuse to sell to her again for the ease and hassle

cazzybabe

It is only £29, I just feel it is more the principle.....if I purchased an item of clothing and then several months down the line the hem came down could I demand a refund!
It was purchased predominantly for displaying Xmas decs - I had a couple in my shop for this purpose. She pestered and pestered until finally I sprayed some more- others also sold and as far as I know these have also been used since as internal decorative pieces.
Incidentley the ones in my shop still look good.
I don't know who to get advice from without it costing me a fortune as trading standards is now operational thru the council and it would appear I will have to pay £58 +vat approx!
All help is appreciated, thank you

greyteam1959

I would not give a refund now.........
Reminds me of when a customer brought a bottle of wine back into my shop demanding a refund because it was 'corked'.
There was only about a inch of wine left in the bottle !!!
Politely told to f*** off.........

colino

£29 for a piece of decoration and they want money back? If you have told them no refund, that's the end of it. Don't waste your time doing anything for Trading Standards, etc., etc.

Aquamania

cazzybabe wrote: »

...I don't know who to get advice from without it costing me a fortune as trading standards is now operational thru the council and it would appear I will have to pay £58 +vat approx!
All help is appreciated, thank you

You need legal advice. You can usually get half an hours initial advice from a solicitor for free or a nominal fee of say £5.

Your local CAB should have a list of local solicitors offering this service.

Mistral001

I should have thought the OP should be investigating why their painted branches are flaking. Was the branch totally dry when it was painted? Was the correct type of paint used for that particular material and situation? If this was a Christmas decoration, I should imagine that it would was designed to be re-used every Christmas and appears that this product cannot be reused. Perhaps you assume that customer will know that it cannot be reused, but I do not think that it can be assumed.

TBagpuss

Would it be possible to offer a replacement? If the ones in your shop are still fine, then either she got unlucky and got one with a fault, or else it is down to how she has treated it.

I would be inclined to tell her to return it and you will replace it. When she collects the new one, let her know that it has been in use since December with no faults, that you will not be offering any further replacement or returns and that you are replacing it solely as a goodwill gesture. Also remind her that it is intended as a temporary decoration and does require gentle handling.

londonTiger

cazzybabe wrote: »

Hi


I am sorry but this is a bit long....I have tried to contact trading standards but it is so difficult to get answers and now I have been sent a form to fill in before they will talk to me!!


In a nut shell - my customer purchased a painted twig/branch as a Xmas tree. We painted this branch which was one of many sold to other customers. The customer was aware that this was a natural product from our garden.


This customer has now demanded a refund due to paint flaking off, bearing in mind she has been using this since December does she have a right to refund?


I do want to do the right thing by her but surely there are limits???


Thank you

I think it all depends. Decorations for short term events aren't supposed to last more than a few weeks. It's expected that they will break apart soon.

It's halfway through the year now - was it expected to last 6 months? or was it a cheap disposable seasonal item?

On the flipside - this is why running a business is expense. R&D costs money. Infrastrture costs more. An established business would research long term affects of painted wood. Wood has moisture in it and sap - both will surface and harm the surface paint.

Wood needs to be dehydrated before painting.

NoviceAngel

My advice, don't refund or sell again to her, she's clearly a loony and doesn't deserve your time or even your obvious worry of posting in these forums, tell her if she's unsatisfied with her purchase after 6 months, for what was sold as a seasonal decoration to issue a claim via MCOL...

What a waste of your effort while trying to run a small business.

Kind regards,

NoviceAngel