Selfridges & DPD return dispute – £1,025 missing, no evidence provided

amyburg1985

Hi all,

I wanted to share my experience in case others have faced something similar with Selfridges returns via DPD.

In April 2025, I returned two pairs of Amina Muaddi shoes worth £2,050 in a single sealed parcel. DPD collected it from my home at 9:45am but didn’t log it at their depot until nearly 24 hours later. Selfridges later claimed only one pair was received, and bizarrely also suggested I had returned a large cabinet I’ve never owned.

Despite repeated requests, Selfridges have only provided a photo of the cabinet, not the box with the shoes — which would have shown the parcel had been tampered with. DPD refused to communicate with me because the booking was under Selfridges’ account.

I tried a chargeback, but Mastercard sided with Selfridges because I couldn’t “prove” what I’d put in the box or provide collection evidence. I’m now pursuing Subject Access Requests with DPD, Selfridges, and ZigZag Global, and Tesco are reviewing under Section 75, but I may end up stuck in the same position.

This has been hugely stressful (especially as the shoes were for my wedding and I was told of the issue of the missing shoes just hours before). I feel like consumers are left powerless — how can you prove what was in a sealed return when couriers and retailers refuse to release the data they hold?

Has anyone else experienced problems like this with Selfridges or DPD returns?

Thanks,
Amy

born_again

amyburg1985 said:

Hi all,

I wanted to share my experience in case others have faced something similar with Selfridges returns via DPD.

In April 2025, I returned two pairs of Amina Muaddi shoes worth £2,050 in a single sealed parcel. DPD collected it from my home at 9:45am but didn’t log it at their depot until nearly 24 hours later. Selfridges later claimed only one pair was received, and bizarrely also suggested I had returned a large cabinet I’ve never owned.

Despite repeated requests, Selfridges have only provided a photo of the cabinet, not the box with the shoes — which would have shown the parcel had been tampered with. DPD refused to communicate with me because the booking was under Selfridges’ account.

I tried a chargeback, but Mastercard sided with Selfridges because I couldn’t “prove” what I’d put in the box or provide collection evidence. I’m now pursuing Subject Access Requests with DPD, Selfridges, and ZigZag Global, and Tesco are reviewing under Section 75, but I may end up stuck in the same position.

This has been hugely stressful (especially as the shoes were for my wedding and I was told of the issue of the missing shoes just hours before). I feel like consumers are left powerless — how can you prove what was in a sealed return when couriers and retailers refuse to release the data they hold?

Has anyone else experienced problems like this with Selfridges or DPD returns?

Thanks,
Amy

Who paid for & arranged the return?

MyRealNameToo

born_again said:

amyburg1985 said:

Hi all,

I wanted to share my experience in case others have faced something similar with Selfridges returns via DPD.

In April 2025, I returned two pairs of Amina Muaddi shoes worth £2,050 in a single sealed parcel. DPD collected it from my home at 9:45am but didn’t log it at their depot until nearly 24 hours later. Selfridges later claimed only one pair was received, and bizarrely also suggested I had returned a large cabinet I’ve never owned.

Despite repeated requests, Selfridges have only provided a photo of the cabinet, not the box with the shoes — which would have shown the parcel had been tampered with. DPD refused to communicate with me because the booking was under Selfridges’ account.

I tried a chargeback, but Mastercard sided with Selfridges because I couldn’t “prove” what I’d put in the box or provide collection evidence. I’m now pursuing Subject Access Requests with DPD, Selfridges, and ZigZag Global, and Tesco are reviewing under Section 75, but I may end up stuck in the same position.

This has been hugely stressful (especially as the shoes were for my wedding and I was told of the issue of the missing shoes just hours before). I feel like consumers are left powerless — how can you prove what was in a sealed return when couriers and retailers refuse to release the data they hold?

Has anyone else experienced problems like this with Selfridges or DPD returns?

Thanks,
Amy

Who paid for & arranged the return?

amyburg1985 said:

DPD refused to communicate with me because the booking was under Selfridges’ account.

Based on the above, the merchant

amyburg1985

Correct - it was returned using a Selfridges portal and they paid and arranged the free return. 

Okell

I presume they've refunded you for one pair of shoes but not for the pair that they claim they haven't received back from you?

For £1k, if you have no joy with a s75 claim from your credit card provider, I'd suggest it was worth your while considering court action.

You only need to persuade a court "on the balance of probabilities" that you are telling the truth when you say you returned two pairs of shoes.

It comes down to whether a judge thinks you are more likely than not (1) to be telling the truth and that one pair of shoes got "lost" between the package being collected by DPD and it being accounted for at Selfridges, or (2) that you are a dishonest and brazen liar who is trying to defraud Selfridges of a thousand quid.

I've never met you but I think I have a pretty good idea of which of these is more likely to be true.

But I'm a notoriously bad judge of character and I'm not a lawyer, so don't take what I say as Gospel...


[Edit:  Of course the fact that Selfridges wrongly think you had returned a "large cabinet" is additional ammo for your argument as it clearly demonstrates what chaos there must be at their delivery point.  If they've "found" something that you never returned it must be equally easy to lose a very expansive pair of shoes -  or to attribute them to being returned by someoen else]

amyburg1985

Thank you, this is really useful. Presume that would be through the small claim courts?

Yes, that is correct - they refunded me for that pair but wouldn't provide any photos of the box that they arrived in or it's condition or even their complaints procedure. They would only provide photos of a large metal cabinet to my credit card company, which I have never seen before and can barely carry.

I'm also very surprised that they wouldn't investigate at all with DPD as the driver took a photo of the one parcel he collected from me. 

Boohoo

Okell said:

I presume they've refunded you for one pair of shoes but not for the pair that they claim they haven't received back from you?

For £1k, if you have no joy with a s75 claim from your credit card provider, I'd suggest it was worth your while considering court action.

You only need to persuade a court "on the balance of probabilities" that you are telling the truth when you say you returned two pairs of shoes.

It comes down to whether a judge thinks you are more likely than not (1) to be telling the truth and that one pair of shoes got "lost" between the package being collected by DPD and it being accounted for at Selfridges, or (2) that you are a dishonest and brazen liar who is trying to defraud Selfridges of a thousand quid.

I've never met you but I think I have a pretty good idea of which of these is more likely to be true.

But I'm a notoriously bad judge of character and I'm not a lawyer, so don't take what I say as Gospel...


[Edit:  Of course the fact that Selfridges wrongly think you had returned a "large cabinet" is additional ammo for your argument as it clearly demonstrates what chaos there must be at their delivery point.  If they've "found" something that you never returned it must be equally easy to lose a very expansive pair of shoes -  or to attribute them to being returned by someoen else]

If I was going to spend over a grand on foot wear or any clothing I would go to the store and try them on for size if I was able to get that store that is and not everyone can.

I read on MSE every week about expensive items going missing from delivery or returns but hardly anybody comes to MSE and starts a thread with "£1 of tat has gone missing from my delivery parcel and somebody must have stolen it" do they?.

saajan_12

Boohoo said:

Okell said:

I presume they've refunded you for one pair of shoes but not for the pair that they claim they haven't received back from you?

For £1k, if you have no joy with a s75 claim from your credit card provider, I'd suggest it was worth your while considering court action.

You only need to persuade a court "on the balance of probabilities" that you are telling the truth when you say you returned two pairs of shoes.

It comes down to whether a judge thinks you are more likely than not (1) to be telling the truth and that one pair of shoes got "lost" between the package being collected by DPD and it being accounted for at Selfridges, or (2) that you are a dishonest and brazen liar who is trying to defraud Selfridges of a thousand quid.

I've never met you but I think I have a pretty good idea of which of these is more likely to be true.

But I'm a notoriously bad judge of character and I'm not a lawyer, so don't take what I say as Gospel...


[Edit:  Of course the fact that Selfridges wrongly think you had returned a "large cabinet" is additional ammo for your argument as it clearly demonstrates what chaos there must be at their delivery point.  If they've "found" something that you never returned it must be equally easy to lose a very expansive pair of shoes -  or to attribute them to being returned by someoen else]

If I was going to spend over a grand on foot wear or any clothing I would go to the store and try them on for size if I was able to get that store that is and not everyone can.

I read on MSE every week about expensive items going missing from delivery or returns but hardly anybody comes to MSE and starts a thread with "£1 of tat has gone missing from my delivery parcel and somebody must have stolen it" do they?.

Well that's one approach, the other which some people employ is buying more expensive things online specifically due to the enhanced consumer rights. Deliveries should be appropriately insured. 

More expensive items being reported may be just reporting bias - perhaps for £1 items the buyer takes the hit and throws the item away or vendor just refunds without checking the return more often than for £1000 items. Doesn't mean when they are returned they get lost any less. 

MyRealNameToo

amyburg1985 said:

Thank you, this is really useful. Presume that would be through the small claim courts?

Yes, that is correct - they refunded me for that pair but wouldn't provide any photos of the box that they arrived in or it's condition or even their complaints procedure. They would only provide photos of a large metal cabinet to my credit card company, which I have never seen before and can barely carry.

I'm also very surprised that they wouldn't investigate at all with DPD as the driver took a photo of the one parcel he collected from me. 

You issue proceedings in the County Court, its part of the process after that determines which track it goes into (Small, Fast, Intermediate or Multi) which is based on how long the judge considers the case will take. This is generally proxied by the value of claim, generally anything under £10k for non-injuries will end up in Small Track but nothing is ever guaranteed 

amyburg1985

Boohoo said:

Okell said:

I presume they've refunded you for one pair of shoes but not for the pair that they claim they haven't received back from you?

For £1k, if you have no joy with a s75 claim from your credit card provider, I'd suggest it was worth your while considering court action.

You only need to persuade a court "on the balance of probabilities" that you are telling the truth when you say you returned two pairs of shoes.

It comes down to whether a judge thinks you are more likely than not (1) to be telling the truth and that one pair of shoes got "lost" between the package being collected by DPD and it being accounted for at Selfridges, or (2) that you are a dishonest and brazen liar who is trying to defraud Selfridges of a thousand quid.

I've never met you but I think I have a pretty good idea of which of these is more likely to be true.

But I'm a notoriously bad judge of character and I'm not a lawyer, so don't take what I say as Gospel...


[Edit:  Of course the fact that Selfridges wrongly think you had returned a "large cabinet" is additional ammo for your argument as it clearly demonstrates what chaos there must be at their delivery point.  If they've "found" something that you never returned it must be equally easy to lose a very expansive pair of shoes -  or to attribute them to being returned by someoen else]

If I was going to spend over a grand on foot wear or any clothing I would go to the store and try them on for size if I was able to get that store that is and not everyone can.

I read on MSE every week about expensive items going missing from delivery or returns but hardly anybody comes to MSE and starts a thread with "£1 of tat has gone missing from my delivery parcel and somebody must have stolen it" do they?.

Appreciate that but I couldn't get to store as I was caring for a bedbound family member, and they also don't hold this item in stores near to me. I don't normally spend money like this on shoes by the way, they were an option for my wedding

Okell

@amyburg1985 -  wait and see how your s75 claim against Tesco goes.

If it doesn't go in your favour come back here and we'll explain what you need to do to make a court claim.

While you're waiting you might want (1) to google "Letter Before Claim" and "Letter Before Action" and (2) have a look at Make a court claim for money: What a court claim is - GOV.UK

[Edit: re the comment by @Boohoo - I think most posters on here start from the premise that whoever is asking for advice is telling the truth.  If they aren't telling the truth then obviously none of the advice given will help them...]