Customer complaint - need advice

stevetuk

We produce beverages and donated a bottle to a charity for auction. We've had the winning bidder contact us directly to say she found the product had no taste and was disappointed so threw it in the bin. She wants us to send a replacement bottle of something else.


This is a new one on us, and I was just wondering what the regs were and what advice people have for how we handle it?

WibblyGirly

Personally, I'd say no, you had the contract with the charity who in turn gave the bottle to their customer. She couldn't have bought the product off Ebay and then gone to you to request a replacement as you didn't sell it to them.
You could just say you appreciate the feedback or something but I wouldn't send another one.

Barny1979

No direct contract with bidder, maybe a gift voucher or money off as a gesture of goodwill depending on the value of the bottle?

Auntie-Dolly

How much would that cost you? Is it worth it rather than having the winner saying how tasteless the product was?

stevetuk

I don't mind offering a money off voucher for a direct order from us, just as a gesture, that's a good idea.


Normally, we would need an item returned to us to first of all test and inspect it to make sure there's not a wider problem, and second of all to verify the problem does exist. But the bidder has said they just threw it in the bin...


Plus, this is the first time we've had someone complain and ask for a freebie in 2.5 years of trading (I know, we're lucky!)

Me2you

She’s trying to get free stuff lol

Barny1979

Me2you wrote: »

She’s trying to get free stuff lol

You think?!

jonesMUFCforever

What kind of beverage was it?

stevetuk

Barny1979 wrote: »

You think?!

Yeah, we know what she's doing but it's how to resolve it without it blowing up. I guess all small biz owners experience this, unpleasant people trying it on, just wondering how we handle it best.

I think I'll say we need the product returning for testing. If they can't return it, then there's nothing we can do. If I've made a complaint about a product myself I'm always asked to return it which I do because it's a legitimate complaint.

stevetuk

jonesMUFCforever wrote: »

What kind of beverage was it?

Alcohol. Who throws a bottle of a spirit in the bin anyway?!

lincroft1710

If you are in business you should be familiar with the Consumer Rights Act 2015. The salient point being that as the chancer didn't purchase the product direct from yourselves, you have no contract with them and therefore no direct liability.

As others have said, you should ask her to return the bottle and its contents for analysis.

But I'll add something further. Taste is subjective, she may have poor taste buds or be used to drinking a much stronger flavoured (more expensive?) product. So she may have had a point, but we'll never know if this was the case and/or an inferior product did leave the production line.