Boohoo return to gift card not bank

kh90

I made a £300+ order with Boohoo for holiday clothes as my weight changed a lot and I need a new summer wardrobe. I sent a lot back (weight issues, again!) and requested my refund. I've now been sent the refund on gift cards, which they claim I requested. I definitely didn't - I don't ever choose gift card options and need to repay Klarna. Do I have any rights? Boohoo have said its tough, basically, and they won't do anything about it, but that now puts me £300 in debt with Klarna and gives me £300 of gift vouchers I'll never use. Boohoo also only reply on social media and take 3-5 days for answer from a human, so no way to ring and get help. 

A_Geordie

How did you request a refund?

There have been a few threads recently posing the same issue where the individual has used Boohoo's returns portal online and the default option (according to Boohoo) is set to refund by gift card and not to back to the original method of payment. 

Either Boohoo are committing fraudulent activities or you were caught out during the returns process, unless you requested a return by another method and were not asked to accept a refund by gift card.

If Boohoo are not budging, then maybe legal action is your only solution to resolve it, though I would expect Boohoo to argue that you agreed to a refund by gift card. The onus is on your to prove otherwise and perhaps the only way of doing that is to do a test purchase and then initiate the returns process and video record that process. If process doesn't suggest anything about refunding to a gift card, then your video evidence will be pretty concrete to support your claim. 

kh90

A_Geordie said:

How did you request a refund?

There have been a few threads recently posing the same issue where the individual has used Boohoo's returns portal online and the default option (according to Boohoo) is set to refund by gift card and not to back to the original method of payment. 

Either Boohoo are committing fraudulent activities or you were caught out during the returns process, unless you requested a return by another method and were not asked to accept a refund by gift card.

If Boohoo are not budging, then maybe legal action is your only solution to resolve it, though I would expect Boohoo to argue that you agreed to a refund by gift card. The onus is on your to prove otherwise and perhaps the only way of doing that is to do a test purchase and then initiate the returns process and video record that process. If process doesn't suggest anything about refunding to a gift card, then your video evidence will be pretty concrete to support your claim. 

Thanks. I've seen a lot of people making the same complaint, so I'm starting to think there may be a bug in their system which states people select that option when they don't. I have emails stating that my refund will be made to my original payment method, so I know I chose that option. 

A_Geordie

Well in that case it looks like you have the solid evidence to show the refund was not processed according to your instructions. A bug would imply a defect in the software used by Boohoo but in my experience, there is a high chance this is someone has configured it that way, whether human error or deliberately, and then pleading ignorance. 

As I said however, if Boohoo are not moving their position despite you providing evidence, then legal action may still only be the way forward. At that point you would at least get someone who has common sense to review your claim and likely that they will settle up once the mistake has been realised. It does mean you fronting the cost. I would also suggest you aim to pay off the £300 from Klarna as soon as possible and any interest added by Klarna should be part of your overall claim against Boohoo. 

TELLIT01

kh90 said:

Thanks. I've seen a lot of people making the same complaint, so I'm starting to think there may be a bug in their system which states people select that option when they don't. I have emails stating that my refund will be made to my original payment method, so I know I chose that option. 

I very much doubt it's a bug in the system.  Far more likely that they have deliberately set 'gift card' as the default repayment method, in the hope that people won't realise as they go through the process.  There's nothing illegal in what they are doing, although somewhat sneaky.

lissydubai

I have also been informed that I requested a gift card refund on a Klarna purchase. Why would we do that I didn’t even know there was an option. The gift card they sent is for a higher amount than the purchase!! I am currently constantly sending emails and messages through messenger and have threatened them with legal action. The return on my account states the correct amount! 

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

TELLIT01 said:

I very much doubt it's a bug in the system.  Far more likely that they have deliberately set 'gift card' as the default repayment method, in the hope that people won't realise as they go through the process.  There's nothing illegal in what they are doing, although somewhat sneaky.

Indeed, likely this. 

I imagine this is something (auto selection of store credit) that will end up prohibited, although probably not any time soon as action on these things seems slow.

OP anyone is free to raise a concern regarding a consumer issue to the CMA

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/tell-the-cma-about-a-competition-or-market-problem

The more people who do, the more likely they'll look at at. You need to be clear that you are complaining about a market practice and not your one off situation.