Goods Not Delivered

psychic_kitten

I placed an order with an online fashion retailer and selected to have my parcel delivered to a click and collect facility. Today I had notification it would be delivered to the destination via Hermes, however I later checked the status to discover the parcel was being returned to the sender on the advice that "the order was no longer required". I immediately called the C+C facility and was told they had no idea what I was talking about and that they wouldn't have declined a parcel being delivered (I usually have similar parcels delivered to this same destination without an issue).

There is no way to contact a human being at Hermes, and in any case on doing some research I don't believe I'd have grounds to take it up with them as I am not Hermes' customer; that I should raise the issue with who my contract is with [the retailer].

The retailer has shown very little understanding and have advised me to wait for the order to be returned, at which point they will process a refund within 5 working days. I have tried to advise them that I didn't return the order, that I have no desire to cancel it and that I don't want a refund. There has been no acknowledgement that the item was never actually delivered or that there has been an error.

To make matters more frustrating, firstly the items I ordered are now out of stock in my size, and secondly I redeemed a unique discount code against the order. Even if I could place another order, I'll need to pay 10% more and a delivery fee as the code is no longer valid.

Is it reasonable to request a refund of the subsequent delivery cost I'll have to pay once my order has been returned to stock?

Trace-T

A shop near me used to do Collect +
A couple of times I went in to collect a parcel, they found it in the returns pile! Luckily for me the driver hadn’t yet collected the returns. 
I complained via the feedback request. They no longer offer the service there - I wonder why 
Maybe your parcel has ended up on its return like that. 
Think only ringing customer services will really answer your other questions. 

psychic_kitten

Trace-T said:

A shop near me used to do Collect +
A couple of times I went in to collect a parcel, they found it in the returns pile! Luckily for me the driver hadn’t yet collected the returns. 
I complained via the feedback request. They no longer offer the service there - I wonder why 
Maybe your parcel has ended up on its return like that. 
Think only ringing customer services will really answer your other questions. 

Thank you for this, I will go down to the store to double check tomorrow but the man I spoke to on the phone didn't find anything with my name.

The Hermes tracker states that they are still in possession of it and that it hasn't been delivered. 

dreamypuma

Contact the retailer and get them to deal with it. If they arranged the delivery it's their issue to resolve. 

TELLIT01

The collection point has stated that they would not, and have not, refused delivery from Hermes.  Your contract is with the retailer you purchased from so all you can do is contact them and provide the additional information from the collection point.

psychic_kitten

TELLIT01 said:

The collection point has stated that they would not, and have not, refused delivery from Hermes.  Your contract is with the retailer you purchased from so all you can do is contact them and provide the additional information from the collection point.

The man stated they wouldn't, but that he had only just arrived so he wasn't the one to have seen the Hermes driver. I am inclined to believe him though as like I say, I've collected multiple bits from there before and they always have a huge pile of parcels awaiting collection.

Unfortunately the retailer just keeps repeating the note from Hermes, that "the order was stated as no longer required". I've gotten to the point of putting that it was being delivered to a click and collect facility and not to the customer in big, bold text but they are refusing to even acknowledge this and/or that I still want the order, speaking as though I refused the delivery. I don't know how to further resolve the issue when they are replying like automated robots (but they're not).

cx6

You are entitled to (and will probably get) a full refund.

One of the perils of dealing with a merchant that uses Hermes I'm afraid.

You are lucky - many vents about Hermes saying they had delivered but hadn't and no refund possible.