High st jeweller refusing to refund

lisee_ev

I ordered a ring to be made on Friday 1.30pm from a jewellers.

No deposit was necessary, but as the ring was £1600 I opened an account and put £400 on it,  as a deposit i suppose, in readiness for this ring that will take 6 weeks to make and be delivered.   I got a receipt for the money I put on the account, with no indication whatsoever  stating what the money was for or anything.

I told my husband the next day (saturday) and he said he has already got me one ordered for Xmas as a surprise, so I emailed the jewellers (Sunday night)  so they may cancel it first thing Monday morning, ensuring  they had no costs to themselves, or stock they don't need.

I get a call Monday morning, to say that its OK they have cancelled the ring at no cost to themselves.

Then he tells me I'm not entitled to a refund for items purchased in store, but will still have the credit on my account to spend as I wish.

I stated that there is nothing I want, at the present time, and that I want to close the account and get my money back.

I want to know, even though I did not make an actual purchase, return an item, or added any cost to the store, how they can not give me my money back.  Am I wrong to demand my £400? 

Their policy states that in store purchases have no refunds, but I didn't actually make a purchase.   I made an oder and cancelled within  1 working day essentially.  

I feel I am forced to spend this money on items I don't want

Their returns policy does not say anything about cancelling in store, just the 14 day online policy.

Company is oswin and co jewellers.

Aylesbury_Duck

What's the nature of the account you're talking about?  Terms and conditions?  As I read your post, it seems that you've opened an account with the jeweller's, an account that is independent of the order you placed, and deposited £400 into it for future use.   The aborted ring purchase is independent of the £400 as well.  Is it therefore similar to buying £400 of gift vouchers from the jeweller?  If that's the case then why would you be entitled to a refund, unless the terms of the account specifically allow you to take cash in and out?  If you'd bought vouchers you wouldn't automatically entitled to swap them back to cash, and I fear this may be the same.  The terms and conditions of the account are important here.

[Deleted User]

There's no right to a refund on a simple change of mind.   Topping up your account is the same as making a purchase.

photome

As above, no right to a refund for change of mind...are you sure they are not going to charge you the whole amount of £1600

lisee_ev

There were no terms and conditions, no contracts, and no paperwork  saying I had bought anything.  All I had was a receipt to say I had put 400 into the till.

If I was led to believe, that any money I offer to put forward, would become a credit note, before even trying on, or receiving the item, I would not have done so.
There was zero costs to the shop.

I will remember to buy online next time so I wont get caught out, at least I know ill get it back.   I had spent almost 500 on the day on other things as well, so I'm a bit sad.  I wont buy again,  thanks for your replies everyone, my mistake, I wont get caught a second time.

Aylesbury_Duck

No harm in asking them for a copy of the terms and conditions of your account.  If there's anything in there they are breaching, you may have a route to your money back.

lisee_ev

There were no terms discussed or anything. I thought I was putting a deposit down on the ring to be honest, and its not the case, the only reason I know its on an "account", is because it says so on the receipt  as being what I have bought. I have attached it.  

EDIT:  THE SECOND PIC THAT SHOWS THE FOLDED OVER PART OF THE RECEIPT9

Aylesbury_Duck

Hmm.  I'm not sure about this.  Perhaps someone like unholyangel will have a more informed view, but to me, you don't seem to have anything in exchange for your £400 so I wonder if they're allowed to hold it without your continued consent.  I can see there are no details on the receipt but in your opening post you said "I opened an account and put £400 on it."  How did you open the account?  Was there no detail on what an account is, how it can be used, etc?  In my first response I likened your deposit to buying gift vouchers but it looks a little different to that.  

Happy to acknowledge I don't know the legal status of this, but it doesn't look quite right to me.

lisee_ev

I stated that I opened the account, as the receipt says I did.  I thought I was putting a deposit on the ring,  which, if it was non refundable deposit, i would understand.  But it isn't, and all he has said is instore purchases are non refundable, and will become instore credit.  I only knew this today after speaking to him.    I literally have no idea what account it is :-/

Edit: as i have no idea what the account is, how can I be told that  this is now not refundable, as instore purchases are credit note only, but my receipt says I havent made any purchases? 
The purchase I did make on the day did not go into an account, and had a seperate receipt.  He didn't ask for a deposit,  I offered it,  so there is no issue with non refundable deposit.   Just dont understand whats happened to be honest.

Manxman_in_exile

Doesn't it depend on whether the OP "purchased" the ring when she ordered it in-store?  Isn't the shop arguing that it's an in-store purchase so no change of mind cancellation?  (I'm not saying they're right to argue that, but isn't that what they're saying?)  I don't think the OP has paid anything into a specific "account", she's just made a payment on account to set against the cost.

Is there no paperwork to go with the order containing T&Cs?  There must be something more than a receipt to show what the OP ordered.

lisee_ev

Nope no paperwork at all.  Just this receipt, where I offered to save toward it if you like.  

Also there are no terms or conditions regarding deposits, or  that the money was used to purchase the ring, otherwise my receipt would have said so surely :-/  I just offered so that I wouldn't have to pay  the whole thing at be end.   So I literally put the money in the till for my own benefit, so would be less  when I came to pay the rest.  

If he had said, ok once I take this money it will become non refundable no matter what, I would not have put it in. :-(