Online Xmas purchase - Right to a Refund

Woolly_Rabbit

Dear Advisers,

I purchased a lovely pair of leather riding boots worth around £170 online for a Christmas present, they arrived on 7th December 2021.

Sadly, the recipient of the present shortly after Christmas decided they weren't right for her, so I paid for the boots to be posted back to the store for a full Refund, on 4th January 2022.

The store after receiving the goods, sent them back to me, saying it was outside the Refund window and too late for a refund.

After complaining and providing the Receipt for the Postage, the store agreed to give me a full refund for the boots, as I sent them back within 30 days of receiving the goods.  However, as the boots are once again in my possession, the Store will only refund the money if I post them back to the store, for a second time and additional postage costs...

My issue is - I've already spent £8.99 on the Postage fee first time, it will cost about the same again to send them back for a second time...total loss of £17.98.

What Consumer rights do I have?  Can I insist on them paying for the Returns Label?  Or can I argue that as the Contract is over they must pay the Refund, (ignoring the products arrived back at my address) Or do I have to accept liability for the Postage for a second time?

emmajones1976

Distance selling regs allow you 14 days to change your mind and then another 14 days to return, they were already showing goodwill by letting you do that a month after you bought them. 

https://www.gov.uk/accepting-returns-and-giving-refunds

Far as I see it you have no consumer rights at all. If anything you have had more than you should have got.

Sandtree

Woolly_Rabbit said:
 Or do I have to accept liability for the Postage for a second time?

Keep the boots or pay for a return for a refund... your statutory rights of return were expired when you first returned them so any offer of a refund now is a guesture of goodwill and they can put any conditions they want on it

Woolly_Rabbit

Sandtree said:

Woolly_Rabbit said:
 Or do I have to accept liability for the Postage for a second time?

Keep the boots or pay for a return for a refund... your statutory rights of return were expired when you first returned them so any offer of a refund now is a guesture of goodwill and they can put any conditions they want on it

Hi Sandtree - thank you for your message, however, not sure I understand your comment, regarding expiring of statutory rights.  As I didn't receive a refund when I first returned the boots, how can my rights have expired?  Surely if I had these rights, the refund should have been completed, rather than the boots being posted back to me.....?

emmajones1976

Woolly_Rabbit said:

Sandtree said:

Woolly_Rabbit said:
 Or do I have to accept liability for the Postage for a second time?

Keep the boots or pay for a return for a refund... your statutory rights of return were expired when you first returned them so any offer of a refund now is a guesture of goodwill and they can put any conditions they want on it

Hi Sandtree - thank you for your message, however, not sure I understand your comment, regarding expiring of statutory rights.  As I didn't receive a refund when I first returned the boots, how can my rights have expired?  Surely if I had these rights, the refund should have been completed, rather than the boots being posted back to me.....?

Your rights expired on the 21st December when you hadnt asked them for a refund at that point. The goods werent faulty, this was a simple "change of mind". Any refund agreed to after the 21st December was merely a goodwill gesture.
Did you click the link I provided?

Woolly_Rabbit

Ok thank you emmajones1976 - I get that now...  

I shall beware when ordering presents in advance for Xmas.