Selfridges refusing to give me a refund or replacement

mulledwine43

Hi there,

I ordered a large candle from Selfridges last week, which was dispatched promptly. However, when the parcel arrived, the box was sealed with no damage from the courier but was completely empty—no candle, no invoice, just Selfridges tissue.

I raised this with the customer service team, but they insist the candle was sent and refuse to provide a refund, despite the fact that I shared an image of the box showing the weight, which was far lighter than the candle I ordered.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Okell

All you can really do is refer them to s29 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 which makes the seller legally responsible for the goods until they are delivered into your "physical possession".  As the candle was never delivered to you the seller must replace or refund.

Whether it's worth pursuing further depends on how much you paid for it - or whether you want to fight them "on principle"

What did it cost and how did you pay?

eskbanker

How did you pay?  You may be able to pursue a 'goods not as described' claim from a card or other payment services provider, but failing that, it would be CEO escalation and/or letter before action and then small claims.

mulledwine43

Thanks so much for the advice. I really appreciate it. It cost over £150 (I know, a lot for a candle), but it was a present for a close friend, and I paid via PayPal, annoyingly.

eskbanker

mulledwine43 said:

I paid via PayPal, annoyingly.

Why annoyingly - they have a buyer protection policy that you can invoke in such circumstances?

mulledwine43

Oh, I didn’t know that thanks. I thought that only covered credit cards. Thanks for letting me know.

elsien

That is the difference between PayPals own terms and conditions which would apply and the section 75 protection for credit cards which would not apply in these circumstances.
you need to be very clear about the weight discrepancy though otherwise they will just use the proof of delivery and shut it down without any extra consideration. 

Okell

mulledwine43 said:

... It cost over £150... 

Puts a different slant on the phrase "not worth the candle"...

eskbanker

Companies trying to deny consumers their statutory rights really get on my wick....

mulledwine43

Thanks for your advice. I referred them to Section 29 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and also raised the issue with PayPal, providing proof of the weight discrepancy. Selfridges have now confirmed that they will proceed with a refund. Thanks!