Consumer refund rights with debit card that has a 'void' signature panel...

dickyd

I just had a pretty terrible experience in H&M wherein they refused to refund items I bought less than 24 hours ago due to the signature panel being worn away from my debit card revealing a 'void' symbol.

I accepted store credit in this instance which I regret somewhat, but as I have more clothes to return over the weekend to other stores, I'm concerned this is going to be a recurring issue...

is there any advice, suggestions or knowledge of my consumer rights that can be imparted to help me with this? It's a pretty flimsy reason not to give me my money back... it's not like they check for this while they're taking my money, so why should it be different when I want it back?

Also, it's worth noting I have been to the bank who are sending me a new card in 7 days, but my concern here is that the card number will differ that of the payment card shown on the receipt. Any help?

Thanks!

Aquamania

dickyd wrote: »

I just had a pretty terrible experience in H&M wherein they refused to refund items I bought less than 24 hours ago due to the signature panel being worn away from my debit card revealing a 'void' symbol.

I accepted store credit in this instance which I regret somewhat, but as I have more clothes to return over the weekend to other stores, I'm concerned this is going to be a recurring issue...

is there any advice, suggestions or knowledge of my consumer rights that can be imparted to help me with this? It's a pretty flimsy reason not to give me my money back... it's not like they check for this while they're taking my money, so why should it be different when I want it back?

Also, it's worth noting I have been to the bank who are sending me a new card in 7 days, but my concern here is that the card number will differ that of the payment card shown on the receipt. Any help?

Thanks!

Most major retailers won't give two hoots what card they refund to. What they won't do is give you cash out the till, if you paid via card.

If you didn't have any other card, what you should have done was wait until the replacement arrives and they will refund to that.

Now you've accepted gift tokens, that's it I'm afraid.

peachyprice

Aquamania wrote: »

Most major retailers won't give two hoots what card they refund to. What they won't do is give you cash out the till, if you paid via card.

Most major retailers will only refund to the card that was used to make the purchase. They can and do refuse point blank to refund to another card.

OP your replacement card won't have a new number just a new expiry date.

vuvuzela

Aquamania wrote: »

Most major retailers won't give two hoots what card they refund to.

Factually incorrect. The terms of their merchant contracts with the payment providers will say they have to refund to the same card.

Aquamania

peachyprice wrote: »

Most major retailers will only refund to the card that was used to make the purchase. They can and do refuse point blank to refund to another card.....

I have to disagree with your disagreement over what I posted.

I posted my advice based on experience and I have never found a major retailer (in store) have any issue with refunding to any card.

I didn't think this was possible, but years ago I returned an item after several months and I didn't even have the card/account that I originally paid with, and the retailer said it didn't matter to them (they just couldn't give me cash as I paid by card)

dizzydoll

Tesco, as one example, definitely take no notice.

But don't do what I did and offer a Tesco credit card for the refund, else they deduct the Tesco points even though you never earnt any that way in the first place (because you didn't originally buy the item on that card)

JimmyTheWig

Aquamania wrote: »

I posted my advice based on experience and I have never found a major retailer (in store) have any issue with refunding to any card.

I returned a faulty Vax to Argos a few months ago.
Between purchase and return my credit card had been replaced because the card company had found an error with some of their cards. It had a new number.
Argos wouldn't refund to the new card. They could only give me a credit note.
The implication was that if the credit card expiry date printed on the receipt had since passed then they would have done. But in this instance (and in the OP's case) the card was replaced unexpectedly.

In my case it wasn't a problem as I was on my way to queue up to buy a replacement (a Henry, as it happens, which has been much better!) so spent the credit note straight away.

SuperHan

Aquamania wrote: »

I have to disagree with your disagreement over what I posted.

I posted my advice based on experience and I have never found a major retailer (in store) have any issue with refunding to any card.

I didn't think this was possible, but years ago I returned an item after several months and I didn't even have the card/account that I originally paid with, and the retailer said it didn't matter to them (they just couldn't give me cash as I paid by card)

In some instances this will be the case, but I've worked at a number of large retail chains where the systems prevent refunds to any other card, and others where training for staff is to check the card, but they can override the process if they like.

I have also returned items to 3 high street shops this week, all of which asked for the card I paid on, and checked it against the receipt before issuing the refund.

I didn't ask what would happen if I didn't have it, but they certainly gave two hoots.

peachyprice

Aquamania wrote: »

I have to disagree with your disagreement over what I posted.

I posted my advice based on experience and I have never found a major retailer (in store) have any issue with refunding to any card.

I didn't think this was possible, but years ago I returned an item after several months and I didn't even have the card/account that I originally paid with, and the retailer said it didn't matter to them (they just couldn't give me cash as I paid by card)

Sainsbury's,
Curry's
Argos
Schuh
M & S
The list goes on. All won't refund to a different card.

Whatever happened to you years ago is irrelevant to the here and now. Retailers don't like, or have to, refund to a different card.

It's a moot point anyway as OP's card will be the same.

InsideInsurance

Most will want to refund to the same card for one simple reason, its then actually a refund and so the merchant fees on the original transaction arent payable.

If they send money to a different card then this technically isnt a refund and merchant fees are payable on both transactions.

In store they will normally give some comment about it being to do with anti-money laundering/ fraud prevention and whilst the latter may be a concern the former is unlikely to be so on the average card transaction. Obviously slightly different if you are bringing a porsche back for a refund.

gik

Retailers will always want to refund to the original card in order to reclaim any merchant fees.