Returning item but told it needs to be sent back to manufacturer in China

born_again

OK, could be a UK co, unable to confirm via companies house.


https://retrosoft.tech/

Domain only registered on 30-09-24.

Office is run out of a FlexiOffices site, offering Newly refurbished office available for rent from £100 to £250 per week. So clearly do not ship products out of there.
https://open.endole.co.uk/explorer/postcode/ss14-3jj/25
1862 companies listed at the offices. Good luck going through them to see if they are actually there. 

So at best a UK drop shipper. Other side a non UK co simply (fill in the blanks)

Yet another Shopify site.
Love the refund policy. No attention to altering std shopify wording, given mention of perishable goods, personal care goods. 

Okell

Datamunky said:

Is there any recourse if they’re not a UK company because the item is counterfeit/clone/not genuine? 

Did you pay directly by credit card and did it cost over £100?

If yes to both you can make a s75* claim against your card provider under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 on the basis that the item is "not as described".

If you used a credit card but paid via PayPal or Klarna etc you may not have a claim.

If you paid by debit card you might be able to ask your bank for a chargeback, but they might want you to return the item first.

So how did you pay?


*s75 Consumer Credit Act 1974

Okell

ThumbRemote said:

Mark_d said:

What did their returns policy say when you bought the item?

sheramber said:

Who is the company?  Having .co.uk does not mean itis a UK company.

That 'office' will have no facility to receive or process returns.

born_again said:

Which website?

You wont be able to post a link, just add some spaces.

Did it say something - London or such?

Jenni_D said:

Unless we can see their T&Cs then we have no chance of answering your question with any certainty. And we can't see their T&Cs unless we know who they are. 🤷‍♀️

Pollycat said:

So what is the name of the company?

Oh good grief, what does it matter? The OP has posted a straightforward question: "can a UK company insist on return abroad?" 

T&Cs can't override UK legislation. 
By all means caution the OP that they may not have bought from a UK company, but it's hardly a necessary piece of information. 

I know what you mean, but I think on balance it is more helpful for OPs to name the company as posters here can quickly verify whether it's likely to be non-UK or not, and that is central to the OP's question.

It's no good telling the OP "No - a UK based company can't do that" if the OP doesn't realise he's bought from a Chinese seller, not a UK one.

TELLIT01

Any company which will only provide return information when/if you need to return an item needs to be treated with great suspicion to put it politely.  My wife was interested in an item which has been advertised supposedly by several different vendors.  I checked and none of them provided any contact information other than a form to complete.  No phone number, no address.  I've told her not to touch them with a bargepole.

TELLIT01

ThumbRemote said:

Oh good grief, what does it matter? The OP has posted a straightforward question: "can a UK company insist on return abroad?" 

T&Cs can't override UK legislation. 
By all means caution the OP that they may not have bought from a UK company, but it's hardly a necessary piece of information. 

It matters because the OP believed it to be a UK based company, and further questions confirmed that it is not.  Without that additional information the OP could have spent pointless hours trying to insist on returning the item to a UK address.

powerful_Rogue

ThumbRemote said:

Mark_d said:

What did their returns policy say when you bought the item?

sheramber said:

Who is the company?  Having .co.uk does not mean itis a UK company.

That 'office' will have no facility to receive or process returns.

born_again said:

Which website?

You wont be able to post a link, just add some spaces.

Did it say something - London or such?

Jenni_D said:

Unless we can see their T&Cs then we have no chance of answering your question with any certainty. And we can't see their T&Cs unless we know who they are. 🤷‍♀️

Pollycat said:

So what is the name of the company?

Oh good grief, what does it matter? The OP has posted a straightforward question: "can a UK company insist on return abroad?" 

T&Cs can't override UK legislation. 
By all means caution the OP that they may not have bought from a UK company, but it's hardly a necessary piece of information. 

If you post on a free forum asking people for advice, people are going to ask questions to ensure the best possible advice is given.

Ectophile

Datamunky said:

Pollycat said:

FTR, the now-named company have copy-pasted information from other companies on their website.
They refer to items being unworn, flowers etc. 
All wording that we've seen on scam websites and Asian based companies.

I wouldn’t necessarily call them a scam company, they are a well-respected company in the community with hundreds if not thousands of satisfied customers. The trouble I have is with what’s been sent, which is a clone, and their ridiculous return policy to China. 

If they were a legitimate company, then they would actually tell you who they are on their web site.

For a UK company, they are required by law to give their company name, registered address and company registration number.

Alderbank

born_again said:

OK, could be a UK co, unable to confirm via companies house.


https://retrosoft.tech/

Domain only registered on 30-09-24.

Office is run out of a FlexiOffices site, offering Newly refurbished office available for rent from £100 to £250 per week. So clearly do not ship products out of there.
https://open.endole.co.uk/explorer/postcode/ss14-3jj/25
1862 companies listed at the offices. Good luck going through them to see if they are actually there. 

So at best a UK drop shipper. Other side a non UK co simply (fill in the blanks)

Yet another Shopify site.
Love the refund policy. No attention to altering std shopify wording, given mention of perishable goods, personal care goods. 

Companies House lists RETROSOFT LIMITED Company number 09606573, Nature of business - Ready-made interactive leisure and entertainment software development.

Unfortunately it was dissolved 3 months ago, a couple of weeks before the above domain was registered. So seems to be the usual Shopify rubbish trading under the name of a recently defunct business.

Pollycat

Datamunky said:

Pollycat said:

FTR, the now-named company have copy-pasted information from other companies on their website.
They refer to items being unworn, flowers etc. 
All wording that we've seen on scam websites and Asian based companies.

I wouldn’t necessarily call them a scam company, they are a well-respected company in the community with hundreds if not thousands of satisfied customers. The trouble I have is with what’s been sent, which is a clone, and their ridiculous return policy to China. 

I didn't say they were a scam company. 
I said I've seen wording on their website on scam companies websites e.g. fake UGGs, Doc Marts etc.

However, from the post above, it seems the company you thought you were doing business with is no longer in business.

born_again

Alderbank said:

born_again said:

OK, could be a UK co, unable to confirm via companies house.


https://retrosoft.tech/

Domain only registered on 30-09-24.

Office is run out of a FlexiOffices site, offering Newly refurbished office available for rent from £100 to £250 per week. So clearly do not ship products out of there.
https://open.endole.co.uk/explorer/postcode/ss14-3jj/25
1862 companies listed at the offices. Good luck going through them to see if they are actually there. 

So at best a UK drop shipper. Other side a non UK co simply (fill in the blanks)

Yet another Shopify site.
Love the refund policy. No attention to altering std shopify wording, given mention of perishable goods, personal care goods. 

Companies House lists RETROSOFT LIMITED Company number 09606573, Nature of business - Ready-made interactive leisure and entertainment software development.

Unfortunately it was dissolved 3 months ago, a couple of weeks before the above domain was registered. So seems to be the usual Shopify rubbish trading under the name of a recently defunct business.

Saw that, but was wrong address. Been a dormant company since formed really. So dismissed it. Maybe should not have done. 🤷‍♀️

Wonder if OP has rung the 0800 number on their site?