Faulty product, returned, Boots refusing a refund!

aliwatts

Hi,

to try & cut a long story short, I bought a Babylis straightener from Boots.com February 2023. It stopped working properly in September 2023. ConAir (Babylis) repaired it twice but it still didn’t work properly. I asked them to refund it and they referred me to Boots. Boots provided a postage paid label & I returned it in October 2023, tracked and received by them on 1st November. I never heard anything from them so after contacting them a number of times to be told my refund was being sent to their digital operations team for approval & would take 30 days. I never heard anything so contacted them again to be told they would refer it again! And another 30 days lapsed so I tweeted them, sent proof of postage as requested only to be told that the refund had been refused as the parcel didn’t weigh the same as it did when they sent it to me originally. I explained it wouldn’t as it was in a box provided by ConAir not the original packing. I called Boots to be advised that this wasn’t right and they would send it for a refund again which would take another 30 days. I wasn’t happy about this so I sent an email giving full details of my complaint to their executive office. 

I then got an email saying I wouldn’t be refunded as “a full investigation was conducted with Royal Mail and based on the findings, our Digital Operations Team are not in a position to proceed with your return. Unfortunately, I am unable to share the details of the investigation as this is business sensitive information”. 

I have no idea what this even means, they won’t give me any other information, they won’t have a phone call with me as said “this would not be productive” and have now said “as you feel we cannot resolve the complaint to your satisfaction, under the Alternative Dispute Resolution Regulations 2015 we are obliged to give details of an ADR provider should you wish to contact one. Here are the details of Ombudsman Service:Official name of ADR body: Retail ADR.”

When I’ve gone on the ADR website Boots are not even registered with them? And now they’re not responding to my emails? 

What to do next?? Any advice would be so greatly appreciated, thank you.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Hello OP

It sounds as if Boots are implying you've either returned something else or an empty box. 

Sadly you are out of time for a chargeback AFAIK, if you paid on a credit card and the item was over £100 you'd likely have cover under S75. 

Failing that there are 3 things to do

1) Google CEO email, search that site for Boots and send an email to the contact listed there to see if a higher level of CS can be more helpful.

2) Send a letter before action (templates available on Google) to their head office to see if that gives them a nudge

3) Decide whether you wish to go down the route of small claims, not an expect on Babylis straighteners but a 2 second Google suggests they are about £45 from Boots so I doubt Boots want to spend good money on such a small claim and hopefully they'd resolve this for you by steps 1 or 2  

aliwatts

Thanks. 

I should have been clearer, the straightener was £72 🙄 I have emailed the CEO already and the replies I’ve had are from their executive office. I have proof of postage showing the weight of the item but it sounds like I haven’t got a leg to stand on and Boots just get away with it!

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

It's a shame that' the response you are getting from their executive office.

If they are not going to refund they need to return whatever it is they think you sent back. 

Letter before action is the next step. 

I don't know how such things go in court, they'd obviously have to provide some evidence of whatever it is they think has happened.

I guess any retailer could claim anything sent back is not the right item or is damaged and I guess a court would have to decide what is what. 

One thought, when you returned with Royal Mail did you book a collection with their bring a label option? If so it's possible the wrong label was applied to your parcel. 

Beyond that it's difficult as they aren't giving you any information other than the box weight (what you've said explaining this sounds perfectly reasonable to me). 

aliwatts

Thanks again. Amazingly, out of the blue today, they have agreed to refund me fully and gave me 2500 advantage points for my inconvenience! They said they’ve had further information from their warehouse, whatever that means? But happy days, thanks for your advice too 👍

born_again

At a guess they have found the item, or someone has been caught doing something they should not have been...

Tyreece122

aliwatts said:

Please could you send me the email you contacted boots on am having the same problem for 2 months now

Tyreece122

I have had the same problem I ordered a fitbit only the box and spare wristbands came not he actual fitbit I contacted them returned the empty box to store and was promised a refund all for it to be turned down being told by executive office they won't correspond further its unacceptable I've lost 224 

Aylesbury_Duck

Tyreece122 said:

I have had the same problem I ordered a fitbit only the box and spare wristbands came not he actual fitbit I contacted them returned the empty box to store and was promised a refund all for it to be turned down being told by executive office they won't correspond further its unacceptable I've lost 224 

How did you pay?  If you've got correspondence where they've promised a refund, speak to your card provider.

gutoffowc69

We are getting refused a replacement or refund on an Philips electric toothbrush we returned when it started needing charging every day. We filled in the returns form, followed the link to Royal Mail and booked a free return and asked Royal Mail to collect. This was done, the tracking showed it was delivered a couple of days later, but no response from Boots so we emailed them. Their reply was they don't accept returns unless there's proof of postage from a Post Office. It said nothing about this on the form! We are 9 miles away from the nearest post office, and COVID vulnerable.
We have emails to show; the Royal Mail tracked collection was booked, collected, the next day, and a tracking reference which I printed off to show it had been delivered.
It would have the same tracking info we had taken it to a post office.
The terms and conditions they refer to are there on a web page, somewhere, but not on the form (which I think came with th e goods we ordered, but I can't be sure.)
Any suggestions as to how to get a refund or replacement.
And why isn't a Royal Mail collection acceptable?

born_again

gutoffowc69 said:

We are getting refused a replacement or refund on an Philips electric toothbrush we returned when it started needing charging every day. We filled in the returns form, followed the link to Royal Mail and booked a free return and asked Royal Mail to collect. This was done, the tracking showed it was delivered a couple of days later, but no response from Boots so we emailed them. Their reply was they don't accept returns unless there's proof of postage from a Post Office. It said nothing about this on the form! We are 9 miles away from the nearest post office, and COVID vulnerable.
We have emails to show; the Royal Mail tracked collection was booked, collected, the next day, and a tracking reference which I printed off to show it had been delivered.
It would have the same tracking info we had taken it to a post office.
The terms and conditions they refer to are there on a web page, somewhere, but not on the form (which I think came with th e goods we ordered, but I can't be sure.)
Any suggestions as to how to get a refund or replacement.
And why isn't a Royal Mail collection acceptable?

H
When was the item purchased?