Restricting the right to return faulty goods?

[Deleted User]

Bought some books online from a high street bookstore.
2 of the books arrived damaged.
Have been told by the shop I must send photos before I can post them back.
I have told them I do not own a camera. 
They say I can not return them then as it is store policy that photos must be sent first.
Is this legal?
I thought I had the statutory right to return faulty goods, can that right be made conditional on sending photos first? 

EDIT now sorted they have issued return label with out photos first. 

MattMattMattUK

Deleted_User said:

Bought some books online from a high street bookstore.
2 of the books arrived damaged.
Have been told by the shop I must send photos before I can post them back.
I have told them I do not own a camera. 
They say I can not return them then as it is store policy that photos must be sent first.
Is this legal?
I thought I had the statutory right to return faulty goods, can that right be made conditional on sending photos first? 

Did you buy in store or was the transaction completely at a distance, eg. did you buy via their website, or order in the store?

The_Unready

Please name the shop in question.

[Deleted User]

MattMattMattUK said:

Deleted_User said:

Bought some books online from a high street bookstore.
2 of the books arrived damaged.
Have been told by the shop I must send photos before I can post them back.
I have told them I do not own a camera. 
They say I can not return them then as it is store policy that photos must be sent first.
Is this legal?
I thought I had the statutory right to return faulty goods, can that right be made conditional on sending photos first? 

Did you buy in store or was the transaction completely at a distance, eg. did you buy via their website, or order in the store?

Bought online. 

[Deleted User]

The_Unready said:

Please name the shop in question.

EDIT have deleted store's name as now sorted out.
After being told no online and via email, and by another member of staff by phone, on second phone call talked to another member of staff and no problem. 

[Deleted User]

Phoned up shop. They repeated store policy of not permitting return without photos first and refused to let me talk to a manager. 

MattMattMattUK

https://blackwells.zendesk.com/hc/en-gb/articles/360021262940-What-is-Blackwell-s-returns-policy-

Why are you phoning the store? You just need to book the return in via their site as per their returns policy.

[Deleted User]

Phoned up the shop again a different member of staff answered and this time they permitted return without photos first. 

If their store policy of photos required first is against statutory rights then I think they need to amend it and retrain staff. As by email they said I could not return, by phone a different member of staff said I could not return and refused to let me talk to a manager, then the second time I phoned I talk to another member of staff and it is not a problem I can return the books.

MattMattMattUK

Deleted_User said:

Phoned up the shop again a different member of staff answered and this time they permitted return without photos first. 

If their store policy of photos required first is against statutory rights then I think they need to amend it and retrain staff. As by email they said I could not return, by phone a different member of staff said I could not return and refused to let me talk to a manager, then the second time I phoned I talk to another member of staff and it is not a problem I can return the books.

I think the issue is that you are phoning a store. In store policies are different to distance selling policies, in store you have no right to return, distance selling you have a statutory right to return with no reason required. 

[Deleted User]

MattMattMattUK said:

https://blackwells.zendesk.com/hc/en-gb/articles/360021262940-What-is-Blackwell-s-returns-policy-

Why are you phoning the store? You just need to book the return in via their site as per their returns policy.

Originally I tried to do it online. They require photos first to return damaged goods. And via email insisted photos required before return. As did a different member of staff I talked to when I phoned them up the first time. The second time I phoned them up a different member of staff had no problem issuing a damaged goods return label without photos. So it is now sorted.