"Admin charge" for product return

davidmcn

Durbanitejoller said:

My wife and I recently booked and paid for two Covid 19 PCR Tests with Wren Healthcare. The tests cost £170.00 each. We were due to fly out to South Africa in November 2020 to visit family. After much discussion with the family we have postponed our visit due to all the Covid 19 international travel red tape. I contacted Wren Healthcare the next day, cancelled our Covid 19 PCR tests and asked for a refund. They credited my bank account with only £290.00. I contacted them again asking why they kept £50.00. They said it was an administration fee for the refund. Is this legal even though it is written in their terms and conditions?

You're somewhat confusing matters by tagging your post on to an old thread about products being returned, whereas you're talking about cancellation of a service you've booked. Admin fees are permissible in this case.

unholyangel

davidmcn said:

Durbanitejoller said:

My wife and I recently booked and paid for two Covid 19 PCR Tests with Wren Healthcare. The tests cost £170.00 each. We were due to fly out to South Africa in November 2020 to visit family. After much discussion with the family we have postponed our visit due to all the Covid 19 international travel red tape. I contacted Wren Healthcare the next day, cancelled our Covid 19 PCR tests and asked for a refund. They credited my bank account with only £290.00. I contacted them again asking why they kept £50.00. They said it was an administration fee for the refund. Is this legal even though it is written in their terms and conditions?

You're somewhat confusing matters by tagging your post on to an old thread about products being returned, whereas you're talking about cancellation of a service you've booked. Admin fees are permissible in this case.

 No they're not. 

If you purchase a service then the trader must not begin supply of the service before the cancellation period ends unless the consumer expressly requests the service begins early. Even if the consumer requests the service begin early, the trader can make a deduction but only to account for the service already supplied and only if they complied with their obligations by telling the OP they have the right to cancel/would be liable for costs of supply up until cancellation by requesting the service begin early - at no point can they ever deduct an admin fee. 

There is an exemption (from the right to cancel only - not on providing info) for medical products but it seems to only be for those that are provided on prescription.