Money Moral Dilemma: Should I give back the 'accidental' refund for an item I wanted to return?

MSE_Kelvin

This week's MoneySaver who wants advice asks...

I bought a footstool from China for £250 on an online marketplace. When it arrived, it wasn't at all the same as the one listed, so I requested a refund. Because returning it would cost the seller a lot, after much negotiation I very reluctantly agreed to keep it and be refunded 25%. Two days later, I was automatically refunded the other 75%. The seller then contacted me to say this was an error and asked me to return the money. As the listing was misleading and I wanted a refund in the first place (and it's my right to a full refund), should I keep it? Or since I agreed to 25% and have kept the footstool, should I return the extra cash?

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the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Tell them you are happy with the refund and they can collect the footstool. 

Jemma01

I would return the stool if they pay the shipping, not the money, since false advertisement shouldn't happen in the first place 

CapeTown

Thin end of the wedge here. How honest are you. 

confusedgranny

Whyever did you agree to 25% if it wasn't what you wanted.
They expected you to stick out for a full discount and probably would have let you keep the stool

ripongrammargirl

You should not have agreed to a proportional discount if it was mis-described and not what you wanted. Under distance selling laws the item should have been returned for the full refund, at their cost if this is what was advertised. As you now have the full refund you are not entitled to keep the stool as well so this must be returned to the seller, as you originally requested, as soon as possible. A good lesson not to buy anything from China (usually made at a fraction of the item price) and support British businesses/the high street instead. 

Shell1989

You should have a full refund, and it shouldn’t cost you anything to return it. Tell them you’re willing to return the footstool if they arrange a courier to collect the item from your address.

Ed264

I suppose technically now that you've had a full refund, the item should be returned (costs paid by the seller). It's puzzling how they made such an error in giving you the full refund. Again, you will have differing views about this.

bikaga

Look up the marketplace rules and where you can stick to them. If the deal isn't within the usage T&Cs then it's neither here nor there what any of us think anyway. 

Fenny_42

I have had similar experiences more than once with online sellers from China. Many of them act as though they are UK sellers, when they are really just drop shippers who push orders in the way of Chinese suppliers. I have returned items at high postage prices to China and had to fight for a refund and I have had "sellers" give me the sob story that they are just hardworking people trying to make ends meet and a return will cause them major hardship, so offer a partial refund and tell you to keep the item. 

In each case, they are ignoring all the distance selling regulations and consumer rights that should apply in the UK. By agreeing to a partial refund, you are not enforcing the rules that most sellers work to.

The fact that their system gave you a full refund is not your problem. Tell them you have accepted the refund and they can arrange to collect their goods from you any time within the next month at their expense, and if they don't do this, you will take that as an indicator that they do not want the item.returned. This was the advice given to Reader's Digest customers many years ago, who received books they hadn't ordered.

As long as sellers get. Away with these tactics, they will continue to use them on others. The goods you receive should be as described. If not, you should get a full refund. If they don't want to pay the return costs, they can collect the item.

Katecooks

If you are happy enough with the stool, (rather than donating to a charity shop because it is so different to what you wanted) you should refund at least some of money - doesn't have to be the entire 75%, so that the seller hasn't incurred a complete loss. Some Chinese sellers are on the poverty line and working horrendous hours in horrible conditions (of course you don't know if that's the case here). Do the decent thing and refund the amount you think the stool is worth to you; then you can enjoy sitting on the stool knowing morally you've done the right thing. Or, sell the stool and refund the seller 50% of the sale price.