Select Fashion shop refunds

10Thumbs

Hi everyone. I’m looking for advice on claiming money back as a refund on a purchase from the high street shop Select.
At the beginning of November I purchased 2 pairs of boots - a pair for my daughter and a larger pair for my wife. We got them home and discovered that the small pair were not the same shape as each other and did not fit properly. I returned to the shop with the boots and was told that their return policy was restricted to a store credit slip (valid for a short period), or an exchange. They did not have another pair in her size in stock and at hearing they don’t do refunds, I was taken aback, so my instinct was to not accept an exchange that would continue to tie me to this shop. The manager of this shop explained that refunds for faulty goods are possible, but the faulty boots would need to be sent back to the Select Fashion head quarters to process the refund. They showed me the returns policy on the reverse side of the receipt.
I went ahead and let them do the return, with the promise that they would be sending them in the post that afternoon. They kept the original receipt and took my details.
Its now been a month and I’ve heard nothing back. The shop staff have given me a phone number for the head office, but it doesn’t have any queuing system and plays a recorded message that the line is busy.
I’ve found a customer service email address on their website (I couldn’t find their phone number there to confirm the one I have is correct, though a Google search seems to confirm it), so I’ve sent an email, but I don’t know where I stand at this point.
The whole experience feels really sketchy and is certainly not as organised as I’d expect a company that trades on the high street to be.

tldr;
Select Fashion have got a pair of boots that I have paid for in store, as well as the receipt.
Both have been posted to Select Fashion head quarters in London because they’re faulty and I would like a refund.

Does anyone have any experience with this shop, or advice on what I’m allowed to do next?

Thanks