House of Fraser - how is this legal?

ellymoo

I ordered a bikini from HoF. It is too small so I took it to a store to exchange for the next size up. The member of staff told me that they can't do returns for online purchases and they won't return bikini bottoms at all. How can this be legal? The bikini bottoms have a sticker in them which says "if this sticker is removed no refund can be given" - so if the sticker is there then presumably they must be refundable! I can't find anything on the website or in the Ts and Cs at all. I was told this was brought in "this week" which doesn't help as I ordered the bikini 2 weeks ago.



I wasn't aware you can't return online items in store anymore; this is a blow, but the website does state this. However I want an exchange which is allowed in the Ts and Cs.


How should I handle this please?


Thank you.

tehone

https://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/customerservices/completedorders/returnsandexchanges

ellymoo

Yes? I have read the Ts and Cs, as stated in my original post, so linking to them without giving any reason is somewhat pointless.

This morning I went into the store and they said they can only return such items if they are 'faulty'. So they decreed the items faulty and did the exchange. They told me that their store manager is arguing with Head Office about this, as you simply can't do this if you aren't informing customers. I am on the phone to Trading Standards about it. Other stores, i.e. Primark, sell underwear which is non-returnable, but theirs does not have the sticker in it saying 'non returnable' and moreover this is clearly stated in their Ts and Cs:


"We do not offer refunds or exchanges on briefs or boxers (including sets), piercing jewellery, opened or unsealed health and beauty products, gift cards (including digital and third party gift cards) or swimwear where the hygiene seal is not intact."


If you cannot return these items, why is there a hygiene sticker in place?

ellymoo

I have just spoken to Trading Standards who, fair play to them, took a long time sorting this out. They told me that it is not actually obligatory for a company to say they don't accept returns of swimwear, etc. at all. I am astonished by this, particularly when it is well-known that the hygiene sticker is there for a reason and the sticker itself says "a refund will not be given if this sticker is not in place". But they are not operating illegally - just very, very shiftily.


My days as a loyal HoF customer are, sadly, over.

stingey

No online returns in store - legal.

Returning only faulty items - legal.

Retailers are under no obligation to provide anything other than the statutory minimum. Refunds/exchanges (apart from faulty items) etc are at the discretion of the retailer.

Was your item bought through a concession name or was it a HOF 'own brand'?

Concession - that retailer will put their own stickers on hygiene items as the items will come from their own warehouse. HOF may not be in control of this.
Own Brand - Possibly a Sports Direct brand and there will be a clash between Sports Direct returns policy and HOF policy since they were bought over.

What will happen is that the HOF policy will be updated in store and on their website. . That's it, nothing else will happen. Sports Direct/HOF will tell Trading Standards they will do this, TS will give them time to do so.

Welcome to life as a Sports Direct customer.

ellymoo

Thank you. The bikini I bought was by Biba, but they can I believe only been found in House of Fraser. Seeing as they are the only bikinis which don't make me look like a sausage bursting out of its skin, I'd better make this one last as I won't be a Sports Direct customer.


What a sad decline; I've been a regular customer of HoF, but no longer.