Online purchase challenging return.

ILoveDoggos

Hi all,

I've recently bought some cameras and an NVR from Reolink. Their website has a UK section, you can pay in GBP and they ship them from local warehouses as stated on their website with free delivery. They use Evri in the UK to fulfill their orders and that's where the products are kept.

The issue I have is that I've placed a duplicate order because the website gave me an error. I only realised this when two parcels appeared on the day and I've contacted them for a return. In addition to returning one of the orders, I also want to return part of the order I made because I ordered the wrong cameras.

After much back and forth they have approved my return, but they're asking me to ship them to the USA. Is this a reasonable ask from them? They ship from within the UK and the return would cost £100 to the USA on a refund of about £400. What are my options here?

born_again

FLAT/RM 705 7/F, Fa Yuen Commercial Building 75-77, Fa Yuen Street, Mong KoK, KL, Hong Kong

So not even a US company. Suspect a drop shipper. Also possible grey imports.

Sounds like the items have to be returned to the supplier. Who could be US based.

While the site knows you are in the UK & charges in GBP. They are not UK based.

ILoveDoggos

Indeed. Do I have any recourse? Is chargeback an option for the return fees?

Alderbank

They are a Hong Kong company, address FLAT/RM 705 7/F, Fa Yuen Commercial Building 75-77, Fa Yuen Street, Mong KoK, KL, Hong Kong.

They don't have a registered UK address. 

Their business model is that they like to cosy up via partnerships and affiliate programmes with companies who have something to sell, and to help those companies advertise and deliver their products. Partner companies include manufacturers in China and other far east countries, and dealers in bankrupt stock and ends-of-line products world wide but many in USA.

I say "they" but I get the impression it is a very small company, maybe one guy in his bedroom. On the wall are pictures of his heroes Jeff Bezos, Alan Sugar, Richard Branson, Jack Ma...

born_again

georgechiorescu said:

Indeed. Do I have any recourse? Is chargeback an option for the return fees?

No.
Chargebacks do not cover any costs. Only the item price as per your statement.

Given this order error (duplicate), it is not covered by chargebacks anyway. Same if you ordered the wrong camera's.

So chargebacks are not going to help, neither work S75 if you used a CC.

ILoveDoggos

So there's no recourse? Someone can say they follow the 14 day return law, but then make returns so expensive that there's no point in trying to do that?

Alderbank

georgechiorescu said:

So there's no recourse? Someone can say they follow the 14 day return law, but then make returns so expensive that there's no point in trying to do that?

Who is your contract actually with?

Is it with the guy in Hong Kong or with the shipper in USA?

tightauldgit

georgechiorescu said:

So there's no recourse? Someone can say they follow the 14 day return law, but then make returns so expensive that there's no point in trying to do that?

In this case there's no 14 day return law for HK or US companies selling in the UK anyway so what they've offered you is probably a better outcome than you would be legally entitled to.

I appreciate that these things can be misleading sometimes but the basic rule is that if you buy something from overseas then you're on the hook for the costs of returning it. Just because it ships from a local warehouse doesn't mean that warehouse is set up to accept returns on their behalf. 

Annoying? Definitely. But there's limits to what UK consumer law can protect you against. 

If you don't want to return them is it something that you could sell on Ebay to recover your outlay?  

WhiskersTheWonderCat

You really have to be more careful when making expensive purchases from unknown websites. Not only did you make a duplicate order, you ordered the wrong items, and didn't find out where they are located.