Amazon changed the return date

lb364

I can’t believe what’s happening with Amazon today and wonder if anyone has been through similar.

I ordered two handbags a while ago and arranged to return them the other week. I haven’t been well since so kept an eye on the date and it said send by 23rd September so I took them to the post office today.

Im pretty sure I had selected the option where the post office packages them for you as usual so just took the bags but when I got there the post office said they should be packaged. I went on my account and it said if I wanted to change the return method to cancel the return and redo it. I cancelled one bag and tried to redo but it immediately changed the return window to end on 22nd September.

I contacted them on live chat and was told the bag was a non returnable product so it couldn’t be returned! I then went to buy packaging and sent the second bag back using the QR code but by the time I returned home after sending, Amazon had changed that one to say the return window closed on 22nd September too! So they’re now saying I can’t return either even though one is already sent!

I’m now getting nowhere as they keep saying either it’s not eligible for a refund or that the window closed yesterday. I have screenshots proving otherwise but they won’t even look at them. Will I have any luck claiming this through my credit card or will Amazon just get away with it?

To complicate matters even further the bag that isn’t sent is also faulty, they asked for photos proving it then said it didn’t matter it was faulty as it’s one day late for the return!

Aylesbury_Duck

lb364 said:

I can’t believe what’s happening with Amazon today and wonder if anyone has been through similar.

I ordered two handbags a while ago and arranged to return them the other week. I haven’t been well since so kept an eye on the date and it said send by 23rd September so I took them to the post office today.

Im pretty sure I had selected the option where the post office packages them for you as usual so just took the bags but when I got there the post office said they should be packaged. I went on my account and it said if I wanted to change the return method to cancel the return and redo it. I cancelled one bag and tried to redo but it immediately changed the return window to end on 22nd September.

I contacted them on live chat and was told the bag was a non returnable product so it couldn’t be returned! I then went to buy packaging and sent the second bag back using the QR code but by the time I returned home after sending, Amazon had changed that one to say the return window closed on 22nd September too! So they’re now saying I can’t return either even though one is already sent!

I’m now getting nowhere as they keep saying either it’s not eligible for a refund or that the window closed yesterday. I have screenshots proving otherwise but they won’t even look at them. Will I have any luck claiming this through my credit card or will Amazon just get away with it?

To complicate matters even further the bag that isn’t sent is also faulty, they asked for photos proving it then said it didn’t matter it was faulty as it’s one day late for the return!

"Send by 23rd September" surely means they needed to have been sent before close of business prior to 23rd?  That's how I'd interpret it.  If I ask you to do something by 11am, that means you need to have done it before 11am, you don't get the extra hour before 12 noon.  I think the returns window did close on the 22nd, as they are saying.

I can't see your credit card intervening while you still have the bags, anyway.

A_Geordie

Aylesbury_Duck said:

"Send by 23rd September" surely means they needed to have been sent before close of business prior to 23rd?  That's how I'd interpret it.  If I ask you to do something by 11am, that means you need to have done it before 11am, you don't get the extra hour before 12 noon.  I think the returns window did close on the 22nd, as they are saying.

I would argue the opposite and your suggested example isn't a great one. If you said to do something by 11am on 23rd September you still have time on the 23rd to complete the request, or you would say by 11am on 22nd September. 

If the correct understanding was that the 22nd September was the cut off, then it should have been clearly stated as sending it no later than 22nd September or before 23rd September, both of which would indicate 22nd September being the cut off date. As Amazon says to send by 23rd September, I would argue that this is inclusive of that date also and if we take a day running midnight to midnight, the OP would have until 23:59 on 23rd September to send the parcel back.

Either way, it's ambiguous and in any event I would also argue that section 69 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 applies where a contract term, notice or similar can have different meanings, then it should be construed in favour of the consumer. Pretty certain there's legal authority on the use of the word 'by' in relation to dates and how it can be potentially ambiguous.

All that aside, if the product is faulty, the law does not specify a specific time period that a faulty product must be returned and certainly Amazon cannot be the arbitrator of that return period. If I recall, the faulty goods have to be returned within a reasonable time but that's obviously fact specific to each scenario. If the OP has been ill and unable to return the product then that should be taken into account. 

OP can pursue pointless complaints with Amazon or if they really wanted to go somewhere, start the legal process of sending a letter before action to Amazon's UK office address (assuming Amazon was the seller) with a view to issuing legal proceedings for the value of the faulty goods. I'm sure Amazon would cough up relatively quickly. 

Edit: Suggest pursuing the credit card company also as a joint defendant in your letter before action if you qualify for a s.75 claim. 

Aylesbury_Duck

A_Geordie said:

Aylesbury_Duck said:

"Send by 23rd September" surely means they needed to have been sent before close of business prior to 23rd?  That's how I'd interpret it.  If I ask you to do something by 11am, that means you need to have done it before 11am, you don't get the extra hour before 12 noon.  I think the returns window did close on the 22nd, as they are saying.

I would argue the opposite and your suggested example isn't a great one. If you said to do something by 11am on 23rd September you still have time on the 23rd to complete the request, or you would say by 11am on 22nd September. 

If the correct understanding was that the 22nd September was the cut off, then it should have been clearly stated as sending it no later than 22nd September or before 23rd September, both of which would indicate 22nd September being the cut off date. As Amazon says to send by 23rd September, I would argue that this is inclusive of that date also and if we take a day running midnight to midnight, the OP would have until 23:59 on 23rd September to send the parcel back.

Either way, it's ambiguous and in any event I would also argue that section 69 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 applies where a contract term, notice or similar can have different meanings, then it should be construed in favour of the consumer. Pretty certain there's legal authority on the use of the word 'by' in relation to dates and how it can be potentially ambiguous.

All that aside, if the product is faulty, the law does not specify a specific time period that a faulty product must be returned and certainly Amazon cannot be the arbitrator of that return period. If I recall, the faulty goods have to be returned within a reasonable time but that's obviously fact specific to each scenario. If the OP has been ill and unable to return the product then that should be taken into account. 

OP can pursue pointless complaints with Amazon or if they really wanted to go somewhere, start the legal process of sending a letter before action to Amazon's UK office address (assuming Amazon was the seller) with a view to issuing legal proceedings for the value of the faulty goods. I'm sure Amazon would cough up relatively quickly. 

Edit: Suggest pursuing the credit card company also as a joint defendant in your letter before action if you qualify for a s.75 claim. 

That's not what I meant.  My example took the day in an isolated, unconnected way, I.e. if tomorrow I ask you to do something by 11am you don't have until 11.59am to complete it.

But I agree, it is ambigious, because you and I have clearly interpreted it differently.

A_Geordie

and I respect your views, I just felt comparing deadlines between hours vs days was not the best comparison. Either way, the OP still has a remedy if the product is faulty and this prescribed deadline may be argued as an attempt to contract out of the OP's statutory rights to a refund or a repair/replacement.

HillStreetBlues

lb364 said:

I ordered two handbags a while ago and arranged to return them the other week. I haven’t been well since so kept an eye on the date and it said send by 23rd September so I took them to the post office today.

Im pretty sure I had selected the option where the post office packages them for you as usual so just took the bags but when I got there the post office said they should be packaged. I went on my account and it said if I wanted to change the return method to cancel the return and redo it. I cancelled one bag and tried to redo but it immediately changed the return window to end on 22nd September.

You are talking about two different things.
When you create a label or QR code it gives you a date that it has to be sent/used by, this date can be after the returns period has finished.

I expect what has happened is you created a code that expired on the 23rd Sep, but the return window ended before the 23rd, When you cancelled the return you were then unable to reopen it as it was past the time-frame.

lb364 said:

To complicate matters even further the bag that isn’t sent is also faulty, they asked for photos proving it then said it didn’t matter it was faulty as it’s one day late for the return!

If you have faulty goods then the time-frame above doesn't apply.

 

Arunmor

Define "a while ago"?

soolin

‘Im pretty sure I had selected the option where the post office packages them for you as usual so just took the bags but when I got there the post office said they should be packaged. I went on my account and it said if I wanted to change the return method to cancel the return and redo it. I cancelled one bag and tried to redo but it immediately changed the return window to end on 22nd September.’

I’ve not come across a return where the post office packages a return for you usually if I return something to Amazon and opt for RM I only have the choice of a label or a QR option that I can take to the PO for a label to be printed, never a wrapping option as well. 

A_Geordie

soolin said:

‘Im pretty sure I had selected the option where the post office packages them for you as usual so just took the bags but when I got there the post office said they should be packaged. I went on my account and it said if I wanted to change the return method to cancel the return and redo it. I cancelled one bag and tried to redo but it immediately changed the return window to end on 22nd September.’

I’ve not come across a return where the post office packages a return for you usually if I return something to Amazon and opt for RM I only have the choice of a label or a QR option that I can take to the PO for a label to be printed, never a wrapping option as well. 

I can vouch for the OP, see screenshot below.

lb364

Thank you for all the replies. I think the last day to return (if not faulty) was the 22nd and the system may have changed it to the 23rd as the 22nd was a Sunday? Either way, I was just following the date given by Amazon. The thing I couldn’t understand was how they had the audacity to change it for the second bag after I had sent it but they have now said I will be refunded for it.

I eventually argued my case for the second bag by pointing out the label was cancelled by me yesterday and therefore was still live yesterday proving the 23rd was the correct date. Also realised it was on the original return email! They have now sent a new label so going to get rid asap!

soolin

A_Geordie said:

soolin said:

‘Im pretty sure I had selected the option where the post office packages them for you as usual so just took the bags but when I got there the post office said they should be packaged. I went on my account and it said if I wanted to change the return method to cancel the return and redo it. I cancelled one bag and tried to redo but it immediately changed the return window to end on 22nd September.’

I’ve not come across a return where the post office packages a return for you usually if I return something to Amazon and opt for RM I only have the choice of a label or a QR option that I can take to the PO for a label to be printed, never a wrapping option as well. 

I can vouch for the OP, see screenshot below.

That doesn’t say anything at all about not packaging the item though, OP said they had expected the Post office to pack it for them. That just says to keep in original packaging, no need to box.