Boots Refusing Refund / Section 75 Claim Unsucessful

rubytuesday_8998

Hi, I bought a Dyson Airwrap on Boots.com for £479.99 on 29th September and once it arrived, I decided to return it on the 20th October which was inline with their return policy of 30 days. 

I received an email from Boots/Royal Mail Tracked Returns with a QR code and three options on how to return being that I could book a collection or drop the parcel off to a post office. I picked the collection option and Royal Mail collected the parcel the following day and it was marked as delivered to Boots in Nottingham on 23rd October.

I didn’t hear from Boots for a couple days and reached out who have said that they will not be refunding me as they cannot locate the parcel. I raised this as a complaint and investigation and Boots final response was that they will not be issuing me with a refund on this occasion and will not be sending the item back due to the fact that I sent it via collection which they do not accept as per the terms and conditions. 

This is only displayed on their webpage but the emails I received when I went to process the refund, it was a viable option supplied from themselves and Royal Mail.

In November, I raised a charge back on my John Lewis credit card / NewDay to raise a section 75 claim with Boots in the hope to get my £479.99 refund back but have received confirmation today from Newday, that I would still be liable for this amount and will NOT refund me.

What are my options now? I don’t understand how this is fair for any consumer when all I did was follow the email that was sent to me and I can vividly see that it was marked as delivered to Boots! 

Voyager2002

What excuse did your credit card company give for failing to refund you? Did they process it as section 75, or as a charge-back?

I have to agree with you that the T and Cs about not using a collection service to return your goods are unreasonable. I cannot imagine that they would be upheld by a court.

Ectophile

You can raise a formal complaint with your credit card provider.

haze23

Hi, on the face of it, you seem to be being given the run around and I feel that pain. I would try to avoid protracted debates with them over having it collected.

My takeaway is that you sent with a tracked service that shows delivery back to them. Now, do they have the item or not? Do you have clarity on their statements, because you've said they can't locate the item but also that they won't send it back because of the postage method.

Just because they can't locate it doesn't mean they didn't receive it. I can believe something like it's entered their returns process but they've misplaced it. Can you get them to acknowledge the delivery tracking, or are they disputing this? If you can get acknowledgement maybe that will help with the credit card company, or persuade Boots to act? As above, why was the credit card company refund denied?

I can understand Boots wanting to inspect an expensive item on return but obviously it's not your fault if they've lost it once delivered. Presumably you have proof of posting through the tracking, I don't see how they can deny that? I would have thought anything else is up to Boots to argue with Royal Mail as they (Boots) are the customer? They're a large enough company not to make this your problem.

By they won't be sending the item back, do they mean a replacement, i.e. no you can't have your money back and we won't send you another because we can't find the return? If they've actually got it then surely they need to explain why they won't issue the refund? I'd also highlight that they've given you contradictory information.

Good luck.
 

Okell

rubytuesday_8998 said:

... In November, I raised a charge back on my John Lewis credit card / NewDay to raise a section 75 claim with Boots in the hope to get my £479.99 refund back but have received confirmation today from Newday, that I would still be liable for this amount and will NOT refund me...

Can you clarify?

Did you ask for a chargeback or did you ask for a s75 claim to be processed?  They are two different things.

Unfortunately banks and credit card providers have a tendancy to take the default approach of doing a chargeback rather than a s75 claim in these circumstances - even if you ask for a s75.  This is because Boots will pay for a chargeback but the card provider has to pay a s75 claim.

I don't think a chargeback is possible here (they only apply in limited circumsatnces) but I don't see why a s75 claim should fail if you have proof of collection and proof of delivery.

Go back to JL/New Day and ask them if they processed a chargeback or a s75 claim.  If the former, tell them it should have been a s75 claim and tell them to process it again as a s75..  If they had processed it as a s75 in the first place, complian formally and ask why they've rejected it.

If JL/New Day won't cough up you can complain to FSO or sue them (jointly with boots if you like)

sheramber

Do you still have the email showing the ways to return an item.

born_again

If it was a chargeback, then proof of delivery trumps anything.

If it was S75 can't see why it would be rejected with proof of delivery. Unless there is something else we are not being told.
Maybe in terms of the near 1 month usage & condition of item.

Hoenir

rubytuesday_8998 said:

I received an email from Boots/Royal Mail Tracked Returns with a QR code and three options on how to return being that I could book a collection or drop the parcel off to a post office.

Presumably you provided a copy of this email when submitting your claim. What was their response when you did so. 

Your story is similar to one a few weeks ago. From someone who didn't follow the prescribed Boots returns policy. 

Ceztmcsrc

Hi,

Have you had any joy with your refund? I’m currently going through the same situation with boots. And now been told case closed.

My return was a Dyson straightener, so not cheap either. I followed the returns link they provided.

Kdog95

Ceztmcsrc said:

Hi,

Have you had any joy with your refund? I’m currently going through the same situation with boots. And now been told case closed.

My return was a Dyson straightener, so not cheap either. I followed the returns link they provided.

I am having the exact same issue, I returned my airstrait to boots on 21st Jan as it broke within 3 weeks of purchase, was delivered back to them on the 23rd and they’re rejecting my return despite me providing proof of postage and delivery, said their decision if final as apparently they didn’t receive it and my return is suspicious and not legitimate. They’ve provided no information as to why. I paid through Klarna so hoping they will help fight for my money back! 

gabiieve

Having the same problem but thankfully for a £30 item. I wonder when Boots' policy started rejecting returns through collection? That is unreasonable in my opinion