Refund to card vs voucher

Arusha87

I recently used an e-voucher with Selfridges but the total of my order came to more than the value of the voucher so I paid the remainder by card.

After I placed the order, it turned out that one of the items was unavailable so I was refunded but as an e-voucher. Shouldn't I be entitled to have the value I spent on card refunded in preference to receiving the voucher? I called customer services and the guy I spoke to was very nice & polite, but basically said that's how the system works and he can't do anything about it. I don't see that I should suffer as a result of their poorly designed system because I really don't want to be lumbered with this voucher – I just want the extra money back that I spent on card.

I was already disgruntled at this point because I spent ages deciding what to spend my original voucher on (valid both in store and online), but only half the order showed up. The other half was mysteriously marked as 'received by: DESTROYED' on DPD's tracker (apparently code for 'broken at the depot'). Selfridges refunded me when I called them but as an e-voucher, not one valid in store. This voucher is like a bad penny I can't get rid of and now I've wasted my own money trying to spend it too!

I don't know whether I'm legally entitled to a card refund (up to the value of what I actually spent on card) but at any rate, surely a premium brand like Selfridges should be trying to help me out when I've already had a poor experience with them so far. Admittedly it's partly DPD's fault, but still a major part of their online shopping experience and I think they need to take more ownership of it.

Lomast

I believe it should be refunded proportionately so if you paid 75% by voucher then 75% of the refund should be by voucher

68ComebackSpecial

Arusha87 said:

I recently used an e-voucher with Selfridges but the total of my order came to more than the value of the voucher so I paid the remainder by card.

After I placed the order, it turned out that one of the items was unavailable so I was refunded but as an e-voucher. Shouldn't I be entitled to have the value I spent on card refunded in preference to receiving the voucher? I called customer services and the guy I spoke to was very nice & polite, but basically said that's how the system works and he can't do anything about it. I don't see that I should suffer as a result of their poorly designed system because I really don't want to be lumbered with this voucher – I just want the extra money back that I spent on card.

I was already disgruntled at this point because I spent ages deciding what to spend my original voucher on (valid both in store and online), but only half the order showed up. The other half was mysteriously marked as 'received by: DESTROYED' on DPD's tracker (apparently code for 'broken at the depot'). Selfridges refunded me when I called them but as an e-voucher, not one valid in store. This voucher is like a bad penny I can't get rid of and now I've wasted my own money trying to spend it too!

I don't know whether I'm legally entitled to a card refund (up to the value of what I actually spent on card) but at any rate, surely a premium brand like Selfridges should be trying to help me out when I've already had a poor experience with them so far. Admittedly it's partly DPD's fault, but still a major part of their online shopping experience and I think they need to take more ownership of it.

Totally standard to refund to the voucher first - you will find the same method used by other large retailers, including John Lewis and Marks and Spencer. From the pragmatic point of view of the retailer this makes total sense but it is also logical as the voucher is always applied as the first method of payment for an online order and the balance taken via card so sense would say that any refund should be made in the same order.

Arusha87

Lomast said:

I believe it should be refunded proportionately so if you paid 75% by voucher then 75% of the refund should be by voucher

The customer services person actually said this on the phone at one point, but I've been refunded 100% of the out of stock item to voucher and 0% to card.

Arusha87

68ComebackSpecial said:

Arusha87 said:

I recently used an e-voucher with Selfridges but the total of my order came to more than the value of the voucher so I paid the remainder by card.

After I placed the order, it turned out that one of the items was unavailable so I was refunded but as an e-voucher. Shouldn't I be entitled to have the value I spent on card refunded in preference to receiving the voucher? I called customer services and the guy I spoke to was very nice & polite, but basically said that's how the system works and he can't do anything about it. I don't see that I should suffer as a result of their poorly designed system because I really don't want to be lumbered with this voucher – I just want the extra money back that I spent on card.

I was already disgruntled at this point because I spent ages deciding what to spend my original voucher on (valid both in store and online), but only half the order showed up. The other half was mysteriously marked as 'received by: DESTROYED' on DPD's tracker (apparently code for 'broken at the depot'). Selfridges refunded me when I called them but as an e-voucher, not one valid in store. This voucher is like a bad penny I can't get rid of and now I've wasted my own money trying to spend it too!

I don't know whether I'm legally entitled to a card refund (up to the value of what I actually spent on card) but at any rate, surely a premium brand like Selfridges should be trying to help me out when I've already had a poor experience with them so far. Admittedly it's partly DPD's fault, but still a major part of their online shopping experience and I think they need to take more ownership of it.

Totally standard to refund to the voucher first - you will find the same method used by other large retailers, including John Lewis and Marks and Spencer. From the pragmatic point of view of the retailer this makes total sense but it is also logical as the voucher is always applied as the first method of payment for an online order and the balance taken via card so sense would say that any refund should be made in the same order.

Doesn't it count for anything that it was their mistake though? If I hadn't been able to add the unavailable item to my basket then I wouldn't have had to pay anything on card. The voucher would've covered my whole purchase.

Jenni_D

You could always exercise your right to cancel and return the whole order. That way you'd get the amounts returned correctly to voucher and card. Then reorder only the available items and pay by voucher.

Perhaps mention that to their CS person and see if they'll accept that returning your refund to card is perhaps the pragmatic approach.

Arusha87

Jenni_D said:

You could always exercise your right to cancel and return the whole order. That way you'd get the amounts returned correctly to voucher and card. Then reorder only the available items and pay by voucher.

Perhaps mention that to their CS person and see if they'll accept that returning your refund to card is perhaps the pragmatic approach.

Ah, great idea only I've already used one of the products!

pbartlett

re order it again using voucher, then return it under the original order number ?

Jenni_D

pbartlett said:

re order it again using voucher, then return it under the original order number ?

How will committing fraud help the OP in any way? 🙄