Product not as described?

Miss_mash

Hi, I live in the UK and I bought a hairpiece from Australia.

It arrived today and I’m extremely disappointed with the quality of the hair which is coarse and tangled (I’ve used the brush provided several times but I’m struggling to get it smooth) and not the colour they matched for me (too dark). 

I know it’s fresh out of the box and will need styling but it seems to look much thicker and less realistic than the pictures.

I was wondering if this means that I could get a refund as the product is not as described? 

As the product is from Australia which laws would apply with me being in the UK? 

I haven’t contacted this company yet because I wanted to know what my rights were before proceeding. 

powerful_Rogue

Miss_mash said:

Hi, I live in the UK and I bought a hairpiece from Australia. I chose this particular company because of their social media presence and positive customer reviews. I’ve had androgenic alopecia for nearly a decade and I did a lot of research before picking this company as their products are extremely expensive. 

It arrived today and I’m extremely disappointed with the quality of the hair which is coarse and tangled (I’ve used the brush provided several times but I’m struggling to get it smooth) and not the colour they matched for me (too dark). 

I know it’s fresh out of the box and will need styling but it seems to look much thicker and less realistic than the pictures of the pieces on the website and the instagram videos. 

Unfortunately I had a custom cut and thinning to the piece (not that you’d know) which means it can’t be returned, however, I ordered an 8x8 inch cap and they sent me a 7x7 inch instead, which I find uncomfortable. The clips are near the most sensitive areas of my scalp and tug on my hair, hence why I wanted a larger cap. The details of my order are on their site which clearly states 8x8 inch cap. I screenshot that for future reference and I’ve taken pictures of the cap. 

I was wondering if this means that I could get a refund as the product is not as described? 

As the product is from Australia which laws would apply with me being in the UK? 

I haven’t contacted this company yet because I wanted to know what my rights were before proceeding. 

I have a sinking feeling that I’ve made a horrendously expensive mistake 😔

I will all depend on Australian Law if that is where you purchased it from. You also have to remember that if you do have rights under their law, it will be very difficult to enforce you unless you take a trip out there.

How did you pay? You might have some redress if you paid via debit or credit card.

Miss_mash

I used Apple Pay. There’s no chance I could afford to go over there, it took me a long time to save up for the piece. It’s really upsetting because they didn’t give me what I ordered. 

powerful_Rogue

Miss_mash said:

I used Apple Pay. There’s no chance I could afford to go over there, it took me a long time to save up for the piece. It’s really upsetting because they didn’t give me what I ordered. 

I'm not to aufait with Apple Pay, but presume it's similar to Google Pay - The transaction still shows on your bank statement from the retailer?

Maybe @b@born_again might be able to advise?

born_again

Could be chargeback for not as described given the wrong size cap.
No idea on hair pieces, but take it that is a integral part of the piece & not a separate item that could be exchanged.

Was the style from a drop down box? or was it something that you had to specify.

Miss_mash

Thanks for the replies. One of my friends lives in Australia and said she’d look into consumer law over there. I just panicked a bit. 

Grumpy_chap

The OP really needs to contact the vendor.
They might be pleasantly surprised by the response.

Does the website say whether UK or Australian law applies?
Regardless, this will come down to the supplier doing the right thing as enforcing rights so far away is difficult.
I assume the purchase was direct from the Australian manufacturer and not a UK-based subsidiary or agent.

RefluentBeans

Grumpy_chap said:

The OP really needs to contact the vendor.
They might be pleasantly surprised by the response.

Does the website say whether UK or Australian law applies?
Regardless, this will come down to the supplier doing the right thing as enforcing rights so far away is difficult.
I assume the purchase was direct from the Australian manufacturer and not a UK-based subsidiary or agent.

Agree with this - before going down the chargeback route, contacting the retailer is the best option. 

I’d also imagine Australian Law would also have the equivalent to consumer rights act - or at least ‘the product you buy should match the description of the product’. The worst case scenario is they just ignore you and you’re in no worse position. 

PHK

Australian Law is a different but a little more generous than UK law. 

If an item is faulty or not as described then you are entitled to a remedy and you can choose whether to pursue the retailer OR the manufacturer for the remedy. 

What remedy you are entitled to depends on the issue. If it’s a major issue (which is defined as something that means a reasonable consumer wouldn’t have bought the item if they’d known) then you can have a refund. 

If it’s a minor issue then you can have a repair or replacement.