Best course of action/relevant consumer law?

moneyistooshorttomention

I bought an item of clothing (Radley handbag - so not cheap) from a shop whilst on a recent visit to my home city (ie House of Fraser).

I have found since that there is a fault with it.

Normally, that wouldnt be a problem. I'd just take it back to the shop concerned with my receipt and say "Refund please".

But, it was bought in my home city and that is several hours travel away from where I'm living - and so isnt possible.

I've been in contact with Radley.

Several frustrating emails to and fro between us and them saying a variety of things to me later - eg they started by asking for a photo of the fault (which I'm unable to provide anyway - as I have no means of taking a photo etc) - ie they looked like they were trying to resolve this.

I responded by requesting them to give me details of how I could return their handbag directly to them for either repair at their expense (ie them covering postage costs) or a refund.

As stated - various emails between us later and the general feeling that either "the left hand doesnt know what the right hand is doing" in their firm or they are deliberately stonewalling. The latest email from them is trying to wash their hands of this and tell me to return it to the shop I bought it from to deal with and saying they can only deal with goods bought from Radley shops - though I've repeatedly made it plain that I can't do that (ie because the shop is some hours travel away).

I'm not aware of there being any such thing as "Radley shops". People buy Radley handbags from shops that sell a variety of handbags as far as I'm aware - eg a House of Fraser store.

What is the best way to proceed now?

Are there any suitable laws I can quote that state that the manufacturer HAS to deal with complaints if it's not feasible for the shop to do so for any reason (eg it's too far away)? (I imagine there must be)

Does anyone know name/email address of someone suitably high up in the Radley firm that I can contact? - and hopefully they will "know what they're doing" and deal with this appropriately.

pollypenny

Can you take it back to House of Fraser in Cardiff?

moneyistooshorttomention

I've been googling for "nearest House of Fraser store to me" and Cardiff seems to be the one.

That would be a "no" then - as Cardiff is quite some distance away from me. I'm way over on the West Coast and don't even have a car. As for public transport here - :rotfl: - that would be another "no" then. It would take me hours and a noticeable amount of my own money to get to Cardiff. An all-day job for me to get there and back again and tens of £s in costs from my own money.

I've never actually even been to Cardiff since moving here - with it being pretty inaccessible (unless one counts travelling through it on my way back to Southern England for a home visit).

EDIT; The only plus side I can see on this - is that at least I bought the handbag from a House of Fraser store since 10/8/2018 - ie since the stores were taken over by Sports Direct (ie so someone has to honour guarantees for goods bought since that date and I would be even more worried if I'd bought prior to that date - as I'd probably be deemed a creditor of House of Fraser and it would be in administrators hands).

Tigsteroonie

It's not really Radley's fault that you bought the handbag whilst on a trip a long distance from home, and cannot make a return journey to the same city. That's the perils of buying anything non-expendable when you are away from home.

And i wouldn't expect them to pay postage for return of an item where you cannot provide them with evidence of the fault by way of a photo. For all they know, there is no actual fault, just somebody stringing them along. If you don't have a camera or smartphone, do you perhaps have a friend who can take the photo and email it to you for you to then forward to Radley?

JJ_Egan

All your consumer rights are against the vendor .
If that was HOF you may better able to deal with them .

Hermia

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

I'm not aware of there being any such thing as "Radley shops". People buy Radley handbags from shops that sell a variety of handbags as far as I'm aware - eg a House of Fraser store.

There are Radley stores, there is one near me. Is there really no way you can take a photo? Does your computer not have a webcam? The problem is claiming you can't take a photo of a fault is something scammers are known to do so you may have put Radley on alert without realising it.

moneyistooshorttomention

Tigsteroonie wrote: »

It's not really Radley's fault that you bought the handbag whilst on a trip a long distance from home, and cannot make a return journey to the same city. That's the perils of buying anything non-expendable when you are away from home.

And i wouldn't expect them to pay postage for return of an item where you cannot provide them with evidence of the fault by way of a photo. For all they know, there is no actual fault, just somebody stringing them along. If you don't have a camera or smartphone, do you perhaps have a friend who can take the photo and email it to you for you to then forward to Radley?

In the course of the various emails from them (where it seemed initially they were going to deal with it themselves) I offered to provide photocopy of the receipt and quoted them all details from the receipt - to prove the purchase happened.

moneyistooshorttomention

Hermia wrote: »

There are Radley stores, there is one near me. Is there really no way you can take a photo? Does your computer not have a webcam? The problem is claiming you can't take a photo of a fault is something scammers are known to do so you may have put Radley on alert without realising it.

I've been googling and found that there is such a creature as "Radley stores" subsequently and again found there isnt one anywhere near me. The vast majority of their handbags are sold through House of Fraser/Debenhams/John Lewis by the look of it.

Errr...no...my computer doesnt have a webcam/wouldnt want one anyway (having read the downsides of doing so).

Being yer standard "honest person in the street" I don't have much idea of how scammers operate - so wouldnt know if that's a trick they play but, as stated above, I have quoted full details from my receipt and offered to supply a photocopy of it.

moneyistooshorttomention

JJ_Egan wrote: »

All your consumer rights are against the vendor .
If that was HOF you may better able to deal with them .

Perhaps it would be best if anyone knows name/contact details of the Chief Executive of HOF? So I don't get tied-up with buck-passing to and fro amongst lower-level staff (as has happened with Radleys wasting a fortnight or so of my time with doing this).

moneyistooshorttomention

Tigsteroonie wrote: »

If you don't have a camera or smartphone, do you perhaps have a friend who can take the photo and email it to you for you to then forward to Radley?

That may be one possibility - ie wear the darn handbag next time I see a friend of mine that "lives" on her mobile phone and frequently takes photos from it.

I guess I could get her to take a photo of the offending bit of it and send it to me and I could then forward it to anyone that I can get to admit responsibility for it - be it House of Fraser, Sports Direct, whoever....

antrobus

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

I bought an item of clothing (Radley handbag - so not cheap) from a shop whilst on a recent visit to my home city (ie House of Fraser).

...

When exactly?

HoF went into administration on 10 August.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-45140874