Earrings refund

Newhere2024

This week I have purchased earrings from Warren James. The next day I went back as I wanted to replace them with smaller ones. They refused due to their policy which states: "in the interest of hygiene and for your protection, earrings and pierced jewellery are excluded from our exchange policy" I commented the fact that the earrings were sold with no seal, no protection, handled with their hands and given to me in a small plastic bag. I understand the hygiene issue but I believe that the hygiene should be from both parts. Their reply was that customer safety is protected by the exclusion policy regarding these items. I still don't understand how can they sell these items like that and talk about hygiene. Can anyone help me with this? How can I fight this?

Peter999_2

You have no rights to return the earrings due to a change of mind as you bought it in the shop unless, they are faulty.

HampshireH

Newhere2024 said:

This week I have purchased earrings from Warren James. The next day I went back as I wanted to replace them with smaller ones. They refused due to their policy which states: "in the interest of hygiene and for your protection, earrings and pierced jewellery are excluded from our exchange policy" I commented the fact that the earrings were sold with no seal, no protection, handled with their hands and given to me in a small plastic bag. I understand the hygiene issue but I believe that the hygiene should be from both parts. Their reply was that customer safety is protected by the exclusion policy regarding these items. I still don't understand how can they sell these items like that and talk about hygiene. Can anyone help me with this? How can I fight this?

There is a difference between them handling them and you potentially putting them in your ears (which they can never know whether you have or havent)

It's quite a common policy

DullGreyGuy

Newhere2024 said:

This week I have purchased earrings from Warren James. The next day I went back as I wanted to replace them with smaller ones. They refused due to their policy which states: "in the interest of hygiene and for your protection, earrings and pierced jewellery are excluded from our exchange policy" I commented the fact that the earrings were sold with no seal, no protection, handled with their hands and given to me in a small plastic bag. I understand the hygiene issue but I believe that the hygiene should be from both parts. Their reply was that customer safety is protected by the exclusion policy regarding these items. I still don't understand how can they sell these items like that and talk about hygiene. Can anyone help me with this? How can I fight this?

You bought them in store? It sounds like it in which case you have no legal rights to return anything unless it's faulty. Many retailers do allow some returns from in store purchases but they are free to set any rules they want around them. 

Had you bought them online then you'd have a statutory right of return. The right of return can be removed on the basis of hygiene but ironically its exactly as you say... for hygiene to be a reason for declining there must be a clear "hygiene seal" with the warning that breaking/removing the seal invalidates the right of return. 

elsien

As above, you don’t have a right to return if bought in store unless the item is faulty. And exchange or refund over above your statutory rights are down to store goodwill and if they choose not to allow that for hygiene reasons that is their prerogative. 

Emmia

I think it's universal (or nearly universal) that earrings are excluded from returns on the basis of hygiene, and it's been that way for probably at least a couple of decades. 

You'd only have the right to return if they were faulty. Although you might be able to return an online purchase depending 

I've returned earrings purchased in John Lewis for that reason, I bought them, tried to put them on a few minutes later to discover the post to go through the ear wasn't really attached to the rest of the earring - the authorisation needed for that return though was cumbersome as it seems the till system was set up to make returning difficult.

I've also returned earrings (in sealed, tamper proof packaging) to Amazon which my husband bought me, and were (I think he'll agree) a poor choice.