SPORTSDIRECT.COM - What Customer Services

thesled

Hi Folks

I bought some shoes from SD.com. I started buying on-line because of the in-store 'no refunds' policy. So I tried some shoes on in the store, and they seemed fine so I bought them online. BUT when I got the shoes although they were nominally the same shoe they were a different model number, a different shape and most importantly did not fit at all.

At that point I thought, well this is not my fault, I could not know they were going to send me effectively a different shoe so I should not have to pay out about 9 quid in lost postage charges as my understanding of the law is that they should give me a free return AND refund my original postage costs.

To cut a long story short(er) their website says if you want to do anything other than a vanilla return (all your expense and refund value of goods only) you have to contact them. So - I tried submitting a query on the web form - nothing. I tried tweeting them. No response. I phoned them up. After a twenty minute wait (cost about £2.50) I eventually got through to someone who said I have to send in pictures to their email address to prove the shoes are wrong. I have duly done this - about three days ago. Their acknowledgement email said they would respond in max three days. They haven't. Of course.

It seems their strategy is to try and time me out on the 14 day returns period by not talking to me so I have to return the item 'blind' (at my expense) and effectively accept I will get a refund on the cost of the goods only.

So has anyone been able to get a FULL refund off SD.com (including postage) AND got them to pay return postage and if so how on earth did you do it?

Also if they continue to avoid fulfilling their obligation under consumer law, what is my 'ultimate sanction' ? Do I have to sue them? I guess they know they are a lot of people out there who won't be suing them for £9 which is how they probably get away with this sort of thing all the time.

Many Thanks

DCFC79

Do you live close to a store ?

Can you not return them there.

LadyDee

DCFC79 wrote: »

Do you live close to a store ?

Can you not return them there.

I think I've seen here on this forum before that a SD shop won't accept an SD online purchase for exchange or refund.

DoaM

Consumer Rights Act 2015

This explains your rights and responsibilities. Getting SD to abide by their's is your challenge.

wealdroam

thesled wrote: »

Hi Folks

I bought some shoes from SD.com. I started buying on-line because of the in-store 'no refunds' policy. So I tried some shoes on in the store, and they seemed fine so I bought them online. BUT when I got the shoes although they were nominally the same shoe they were a different model number, a different shape and most importantly did not fit at all.

At that point I thought, well this is not my fault, I could not know they were going to send me effectively a different shoe so I should not have to pay out about 9 quid in lost postage charges as my understanding of the law is that they should give me a free return AND refund my original postage costs.

To cut a long story short(er) their website says if you want to do anything other than a vanilla return (all your expense and refund value of goods only) you have to contact them. So - I tried submitting a query on the web form - nothing. I tried tweeting them. No response. I phoned them up. After a twenty minute wait (cost about £2.50) I eventually got through to someone who said I have to send in pictures to their email address to prove the shoes are wrong. I have duly done this - about three days ago. Their acknowledgement email said they would respond in max three days. They haven't. Of course.

It seems their strategy is to try and time me out on the 14 day returns period by not talking to me so I have to return the item 'blind' (at my expense) and effectively accept I will get a refund on the cost of the goods only.

So has anyone been able to get a FULL refund off SD.com (including postage) AND got them to pay return postage and if so how on earth did you do it?

Also if they continue to avoid fulfilling their obligation under consumer law, what is my 'ultimate sanction' ? Do I have to sue them? I guess they know they are a lot of people out there who won't be suing them for £9 which is how they probably get away with this sort of thing all the time.

Many Thanks

The '14 day returns period' is only relevant when you want to return the goods for a 'change of mind' type of reason.

The Consumer Rights Act gives you thirty days to reject the goods for a full refund if they do not conform to contract.

From what you have said, the footwear does not conform to contract.

The clock stops ticking on that thirty day period as soon as you notify them that you want to reject the goods, so any of their delaying tactics will not work.

DCFC79

LadyDee wrote: »

I think I've seen here on this forum before that a SD shop won't accept an SD online purchase for exchange or refund.

Thats correct

Thanks for pointing it out.

Bogalot

BUT when I got the shoes although they were nominally the same shoe they were a different model number, a different shape and most importantly did not fit at all.

Were they different to those on the website?

steampowered

I'm not sure what difference the model number makes? If it is only the model number that is different you could return the shoe under the 14 day right to return online purchases but wouldn't get all the postage paid.

Or are you saying that this is a completely different shoe? If the shoe was completely different then it was 'not as described' and you should be getting reimbursed for all postage.

thesled wrote: »

Also if they continue to avoid fulfilling their obligation under consumer law, what is my 'ultimate sanction' ?

The ultimate sanction would be to issue a formal 'letter before action' asking for payment within 14 days, and if payment is not made to then issue a small claim against them through the moneyclaimonline website.

If you do not get anywhere through the usual customer service channels, then sue them. I can almost guarantee they'll settle your claim like a rocket when a small claim lands on their doormat.

thesled

wealdroam wrote: »

The '14 day returns period' is only relevant when you want to return the goods for a 'change of mind' type of reason.

The Consumer Rights Act gives you thirty days to reject the goods for a full refund if they do not conform to contract.

Yes, good point. But what I mean is, if you return within 14 days SD will give you the standard 'cost-of-goods-only' refund. So the temptation to do that is there just to cut your losses if they are not talking to you.

What I might do is email them and tell them I am rejecting the goods under the CRA and they are obliged to accept them back and refund me. They can't deny receiving the notice because their email will auto-acknowledge. Then, I'll send the items back within the 14-day period while they are still giving me the runaround. So they will probably just give me the standard refund and I will have paid postage, but I still have some comeback on them if I want to take it further.

[Deleted User]

steampowered wrote: »

Or are you saying that this is a completely different shoe? If the shoe was completely different then it was 'not as described' and you should be getting reimbursed for all postage.

No, he's saying that the shoe was different to one he tried on in the shop.

I doubt it will have been mis-described on the website and Sports Direct are under no obligation to offer the same shoe on their website as they do in their physical shop.

It may even have been a cheaper version.

The OP needs to be checking the description on the website and if the model number is correctly referenced then he really has no complaint and will have to pay postage on the return

I really can't understand why he tried an item in the shop and then bought elsewhere?

thesled

Bogalot wrote: »

BUT when I got the shoes although they were nominally the same shoe they were a different model number, a different shape and most importantly did not fit at all.

Were they different to those on the website?

Short answer - no. But they were different to the ones in the shop. My contention is that a shoe with the same name from the same shop, and which looks basically the same (until close examination) should be the same online or in the shop. I can't be expected to know subtle differences between model numbers and the website should make it clear that they are selling a different shoe (they don't).