Struggling to get a refund from Sanderson’s Boutique

Canaryjock

Apologies as this is very long…

My husband ordered a pair of shoes online from Sandersons Boutique on the 1st of July 2025. These were a gift for my birthday.

The shoes were finally received on 15 July 2025. Unfortunately they were too small. I checked their website for information on returns and discovered that so time after he placed the order they had closed their online store due to cyber attacks. The holding page asked customers to email their info@ address therefore I emailed to ask how to make a return. I did not receive a response.

I was out of the country for a couple of weeks but when I returned I emailed again on the 4th of August and received an auto response advising that returns should be sent to their Stroud store and these would be processed within 14 days.

I posted the return to their Stroud store on 4 August 2025 using Royal Mail tracked delivery. From the tracking, I know that the Stroud store received the return on 6 August 2025.

My husband has not received acknowledgement that they received the return and more importantly, 35 days after they received it, he has still not received a refund.

I have emailed them four times since they received the return and have not received any response. They have closed their phone line so I cannot call them. I am nowhere near their store in Stroud otherwise I would go there in person.

My husband tried to do a chargeback via his bank but they told him they couldn’t do anything so, does anyone have any idea how we can get the refund my husband is owed?

marcia_

Canaryjock said:

Apologies as this is very long…

My husband ordered a pair of shoes online from Sandersons Boutique on the 1st of July 2025. These were a gift for my birthday.

The shoes were finally received on 15 July 2025. Unfortunately they were too small. I checked their website for information on returns and discovered that so time after he placed the order they had closed their online store due to cyber attacks. The holding page asked customers to email their info@ address therefore I emailed to ask how to make a return. I did not receive a response.

I was out of the country for a couple of weeks but when I returned I emailed again on the 4th of August and received an auto response advising that returns should be sent to their Stroud store and these would be processed within 14 days.

I posted the return to their Stroud store on 4 August 2025 using Royal Mail tracked delivery. From the tracking, I know that the Stroud store received the return on 6 August 2025.

My husband has not received acknowledgement that they received the return and more importantly, 35 days after they received it, he has still not received a refund.

I have emailed them four times since they received the return and have not received any response. They have closed their phone line so I cannot call them. I am nowhere near their store in Stroud otherwise I would go there in person.

My husband tried to do a chargeback via his bank but they told him they couldn’t do anything so, does anyone have any idea how we can get the refund my husband is owed?

 What did the bank say? Did you explain your situation properly and give evidence of the return. 

born_again

Strange they could not do a chargeback, given proof of return.

As to no replies from company. Look how many months it took M/S to get over their hack. So return could be sat there waiting to be resolved with the rest. Especially if they have been returned to a store.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

born_again said:

Strange they could not do a chargeback, given proof of return.

As to no replies from company. Look how many months it took M/S to get over their hack. So return could be sat there waiting to be resolved with the rest. Especially if they have been returned to a store.

Is this because it's change of mind? 

OP assume it was a debit card, not credit? 

Ergates

born_again said:

Strange they could not do a chargeback, given proof of return.

As to no replies from company. Look how many months it took M/S to get over their hack. So return could be sat there waiting to be resolved with the rest. Especially if they have been returned to a store.

My concern would be insolvency - wouldn't be the first company to go under as a result of a cyber-attack.

They had to close one of their physical stores in January of this year due to financial difficulties - saying they would instead expand their online services, and now that's gone too which doesn't bode well.

@Canaryjock - if they go under, then unfortunately your husband will join a queue of other creditors and he'll be lucky to get pennies on the pound back.   It might be an idea to escalate rapidly at this point, go straight to a letter before action.

m0bov

Try phoning store, Def active quickly and get an lba to them now 

Canaryjock

Thanks for the replies. The bank said they couldn’t help because the shoes were paid for by debit card.

The store and online phone number are the same so it’s not possible to call them. 

I was hoping to avoid escalating but I guess that is the next step.

eskbanker

Canaryjock said:

The bank said they couldn’t help because the shoes were paid for by debit card.

Chargeback can be used for either debit or credit card transactions (whereas section 75 is only the latter), so something has been lost in translation somewhere along the way here....

sheramber

I don’t think chargeback covers change of mind.

The shoes weren’t faulty so the bank may be considering it as a change of mind. 

born_again

sheramber said:

I don’t think chargeback covers change of mind.

The shoes weren’t faulty so the bank may be considering it as a change of mind. 

It does not👍 ,
but OP could look at non receipt of refund now. Although given the situation of the hack. This will be causing massive delays in refunds via retailer. Same as replies to emails. 
The more people keep sending the longer replies take.