Issue with Hughes not being able to collect TV due to Covid - I should be entitled still to refund?

unholyangel

Al_Ross said:

Also, Kineticmix are your aware Hughes will charge you £50 to return your TV, as per their website anyway.

OP's opening sentence was:

kineticmix said:

I purchased a TV through Hughes and I made sure they had returns policy where they would collect the TV and have it fully insured to be returned even at an additional cost of £50.

So it would look like not only were they aware, it was part of the reason for ordering from them.  

mattyprice4004

Unfortunately this problem is entirely of your own creation, and their solution is reasonable. 
If you don't want to wait, book your own courier to uplift it. 

Why on earth anyone would let a courier deliver an item knowing full well it was going to be returned is beyond me - you should have just told the delivery guys to return it for you, and saved all this hassle. 

MothballsWallet

Moneyineptitude said:

DoaM said:

Where's the additional customer contact?

I was thinking along the lines of the delivery personnel checking the packaging and item  before accepting it for collection. An uplift in the manner you describe would be wide open to abuse... 

Not if the customer stays close to their door when they step back.
But then that would have to be specified by the courier firm when agreeing the collection appointment.

Lilythecat

kineticmix said:

Aylesbury_Duck said:

kineticmix said:

born_again said:

So you ordered a TV, then found another better/cheaper one. Yet still took delivery of the one you did not want?
Why not cancel the order before they delivered, or ask the courier that it is not required and to take it back...

Yes that is correct, I seen a better deal on a better TV, which was found the day before the original TV was delivered.
Is there an issue with that?

I think the point being made was why didn't you simply turn the courier around the next day, asking him to take the TV back?  By accepting delivery, you've put yourself in this tricky position where you are obliged to store the TV until Hughes are able to collect it, and can't have a refund until that happens.

That's a fair statement to make. But if Hughes had of stated on there website that returns may possibly not happen due to Covid, then I would not have ordered the TV.

I believe Hughes have a responsibility to keep there customers fully up to date, if there normal operating procedures may be affected by Covid for returns as well as orders. So if returns are being affected, then why have they not updated there website to address this?

No company is operating normally. You should have used common sense and turned back the courier. Why did you accept a product you had no intention of keeping? 

Lilythecat

kineticmix said:

unholyangel said:

From the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation & Additional Charges) Regulations 2013:

(4) Reimbursement must be without undue delay, and in any event not later than the time specified in paragraph (5) or (6).

(5) If the contract is a sales contract and the trader has not offered to collect the goods, the time is the end of 14 days after—
(a)the day on which the trader receives the goods back, or
(b)if earlier, the day on which the consumer supplies evidence of having sent the goods back.

(6) Otherwise, the time is the end of 14 days after the day on which the trader is informed of the consumer’s decision to withdraw the offer or cancel the contract, in accordance with regulation 44.

So as they have offered to collect the goods, they have 14 days to refund you - starting the day after you informed them of your intent to cancel. 

While I would be more forgiving personally in the circumstances, ultimately "the law is the law" and government have not made any provision which would alter the law and allow retailers any leeway for the current situation. 

Hi unholyangel, thank you for the constructive feedback. So this law still applies and has not been superseded by any new legislation?

They have offered to collect the TV but have said you’ll have to wait. So you will get your refund within 14 days of it being returned. To speed things up you could pay to return it via Royal Mail or one of the other companies still operating