B&Q returns policy - faulty item

Jimi.K.

Hi all,

I bought a duvet cover set from B&Q a couple of weeks ago. Popped it straight in the wash and when putting in on the bed for the first time noticed a large split along one of the seams - clearly a manufacturing defect where the 2 pieces of material weren't aligned properly resulting in the stitching not holding the seam together.

No problem I thought - it's clearly a faulty item and I'll return it to B& Q next time I pass. Went into store yesterday and was gobsmacked when the returns assistant, homeware dept manager, and eventually the store manager all refused the return on the basis that I'd washed it and they have no way of knowing if it was my machine that had caused the damage! "Company policy is we can't return fabric items that have been washed" they all kept spouting.

It was incredibly frustrating especially as none of them even properly inspected the item, but I held my ground and eventually after 20 minutes got the store manager to reluctantly issue the refund, with him insisting he was doing it as a gesture of goodwill and that I shouldn't expect it in future!

I'm a stickler for keeping receipts and returning items that are faulty and I've never had an issue like this before - surely the consumer rights act covers me here and B&Q can't have a store policy of refusing to refund an obviously faulty item if it's been briefly used or washed??

Thanks,

Jimi

hollydays

I've had this similar thing before , I put it down to dim people.
If you'd have rung the head office they would have told you a different thing.

steve900

Hi. I used to work there. My best mate still works there. That what you have described is awful and not the way it should be. I am glad you got the money back but it should never came to all that agg in the first place. B&Q seems to be badly managed just now.

unholyangel

The issue usually stems from the fact that companies only ever train their staff in company policy and not consumer law. This isn't what they should be doing - part of the reason consumer rights were simplified was to reduce training costs for retailers :rotfl: They'd have to incur those costs in the first place for them to be reduced but its nice to see politicians stay true to form in living on a completely different planet.

marlot

Jimi.K. wrote: »

...all refused the return on the basis that I'd washed it and they have no way of knowing if it was my machine that had caused the damage! "Company policy is we can't return fabric items that have been washed" they all kept spouting.

Even if your machine had opened up the seam, washing is a recognised activity for a duvet cover and it should be able to withstand it!


Sounds like the manager was an idiot.

Jimi.K.

Thanks for the responses - I really was amazed at the time, so glad I'm not going mad! I certainly won't be returning to B&Q in a hurry after this incident.