Online Store - Return not received

myfairlady

Good morning all,


I'm looking for some advice if possible please. I bought a dress from an online store which upon receipt was too small (eek!). I sent it back using first class signed for and expected to receive a refund. The refund was not received and after numerous emails to the 'contact us' on the website I received a reply saying 'all returns are up to date, have you got a signature of the delivery'.


Stupidly, I managed to lose the signed for tracking number, but do still have the receipt showing I used the signed for service £4.45.


I emailed the receipts to the store and have heard nothing since. I have sent approx. 10 emails now and they are just ignoring me. The post office have informed me that the item is now 'officially missing' and that the online store need to refund me and make a claim to the post office. But as they aren't responding to my emails this of course is not an option to discuss with them.


The dress was £39.99 so I really don't want to just let it go.


If anyone can offer me any advice of what to do next I would really appreciate it.
Thanks in advance.


x

cono1717

First things first I'd send them a letter before action, there are some templates at the top of this forum. Not entirely sure if you can get your bank involved when dealing with returns but someone should be able to clarify that.

DoaM

myfairlady wrote: »

The post office have informed me that the item is now 'officially missing'

How do the PO know that without knowing the tracking reference? Or do the PO have the reference? (In which case they could tell you it too).

myfairlady wrote: »

and that the online store need to refund me and make a claim to the post office. But as they aren't responding to my emails this of course is not an option to discuss with them.

Did the online store engage the PO to send the dress back? No? Then the PO are wrong ... YOU need to make a claim for missing goods, not the online store, as YOU engaged the contract with the PO to return the goods.

myfairlady

Hi guys, Thank you for the advice. DoaM, when I called the post office she said that as I'd posted it on 20th Feb and it was now 28th March, the item is classed as 'officially missing'.


So now I'm wondering should I just claim with the post office and not bother contacting the online store again? Any emails I send are being ignored.

Fosterdog

Yes claim from PO or RM, you were the one who arranged and paid for the return so you are the one who has the contract with the courier not the seller so they won't be able to claim.

DoaM

Yes, raise a claim. PO/RM may then find the tracking reference ... wouldn't it be sweet if that then showed that the goods had indeed arrived and been signed for?

myfairlady

Thank you all! I have raised a claim with the post office (that wasn't easy!), and have also raised a complaint with the Retail Ombudsman. Their client service is appalling. All I asked for was advice and following a 'all returns are up to date' they've ignored me! Shocking! I want to post some remarks on their facebook and instagram pages....but will take the high ground and complain through the proper channels


have a great day all.....


And DoaM, Yes that would be sweet indeed! I think I left the tracking number on the desk when I left the post office. Does make you wonder if they see this and then know you don't have a hope in hell of tracking the damn thing!

Fosterdog

Why would you complain to the retailer or the retail ombudsman? They haven't done anything wrong, your courier has lost the package and they have told you that 1)all of their returns are up to date meaning if they had received it you would have been refunded and 2)they asked if you had the signature most likely for them to investigate their end in case it had been received and misplaced.

That is not poor customer service as they have done nothing wrong and without you providing the additional information they have requested there is nothing more they can do for you. Any further emails you've sent unless they had the proof of signature has just been wasting their own and your time.

This is not you taking the high ground and following proper channels, it is you being petty and complaining for your own mistake (losing the tracking)

photome

its not one of those dodgy chinese online stores that once they have sent inferior goods then ignore you?

myfairlady

Thanks for the words of advice everyone.

And Fosterdog, I have sent them numerous emails which have gone unanswered, to me that's poor customer service. You're entitled to your opinion of me, although not sure there was any need for name calling. Hope you have a pleasant evening.

Fosterdog

I can't see anywhere that I called you any name I merely stated that in my opinion from the information you have given you have over-reacted and seem to want to tell on them and get them in trouble. Regardless of whether you sent one email or a thousand that went unanswered they had asked you for a piece of information that you couldn't provide therefore every second of their time spent reading your emails or replying to them is wasting time they can be dealing with valid complaints.

All of your annoyance towards them should be redirected to the courier who you paid to complete a service which they have failed to do and they are the ones who have left you doing all of the running around to fix it including giving you the incorrect advice that the store is the one who should be chasing them. You really do have a valid complaint but you are chasing the innocent party not the ones you have a valid complaint against.