Poor customer experience

G_Dog · 9 July at 2:39PM

Has anyone else been caught out by a retailer withholding a refund for an online order, advising tags weren’t attached to a product when they received it back? Item was sent back with tags after trying on. What are my rights where this high end retailer wants me to take the goods back, and they hold all the cards, as I can’t prove what happened to the item after it started its merry journey back to them?

Alderbank · 9 July at 2:41PM

G_Dog said:

Has anyone else been caught out by a retailer withholding a refund for an online order, advising tags weren’t attached to a product when they received it back? Item was sent back with tags after trying on. What are my rights where this high end retailer wants me to take the goods back, and they hold all the cards, as I can’t prove what happened to the item after it started its merry journey back to them?

Welcome to the forum.

Was this a bag from Selfridges?

Okell · 9 July at 3:51PM

G_Dog · 9 July at 4:35PM

Yes, Selfridges!

It was two jackets, same style, different sizes. Both went back with tags, surprisingly took them a week to advise they wouldn’t refund one of them because tags weren’t one of them.

SpectralNova · 9 July at 4:42PM

That’s really frustrating. Unfortunately, unless you have photo evidence of the tags still attached when sending it back, it does come down to your word against theirs. If you paid by credit card or PayPal, you could try opening a chargeback or dispute citing that the return was complete and in good condition. Some banks are more helpful than others in these situations.

Hoenir · 9 July at 4:47PM

G_Dog said:

I can’t prove what happened to the item after it started its merry journey back to them?

What do you think might have happened? Returns departments have proceedures to cover themselves once the package is processed internally.

G_Dog · 9 July at 5:02PM

I’m sure they would find a way to dispute photo evidence!

The response I received implies I removed the tags which is not the case. All follow up has to be done by email, I advised of reason for return when sending items back but still they wanted to verify again, and to say after a week it’s because tags are missing I don’t believe - does not take a week to advise of this.

i have raised a dispute with PayPal, though I don’t hold out much hope. Next time I will pay with Amex, their chargeback process tends to be more straight forward and backs the consumer rather than the retailer.

Okell · 9 July at 5:43PM

Did you advise the seller within 14 days of delivery to you that you were exercising your statutory right under The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 to cancel a distance contract, and did you return the goods within the next 14 days?

See this thread: Refund rights - disagreement with Selfridges — MoneySavingExpert Forum

How much is at stake here?

G_Dog · 9 July at 7:41PM

All done correctly in timeframe via sellers returns portal, only has items for 4 days, £200

Okell · 9 July at 9:49PM

G_Dog said:

All done correctly in timeframe via sellers returns portal, only has items for 4 days, £200

But did you...

Okell said:

... advise the seller within 14 days of delivery to you that you were exercising your statutory right under The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 to cancel a distance contract, and did you return the goods within the next 14 days?...

Whether you did it "correctly" under the seller's own returns policy is a different question from the specific one I asked. ie Did you clearly tell them you were cancelling the contract or did you just send the goods back?