Return delivery costs

DolphinFlipper1

Bought some goods online and needed to return some (bottles faulty). Requested this within 14 days. My understanding is that under the Consumer Contracts Regulations I was able to do so within 14 days of receipt of the items and that the return costs should be covered by the retailer if it was not made clear to me before checkout that I would be liable. Is that right?

They since came back to me and said they disclosed it in a link at the bottom of the website. (The link is called Returns and is not visible unless you scroll right down to the bottom. It also takes you to FAQs and the actual wording for returns is at the very bottom of this). The terms and conditions i agreed to at checkout made no mention or reference to it.

I made a complaint and gave them a bad review on trustpilot. This then promoted them to offer a partial refund on the return cost as goodwill if I removed the review. Again. Illegal? I stated I had found a courier who can do it for x (bit more than their offer) and if they cover this then I will remove review and consider it a good outcome. They agreed.

Since this, UPS (the courier) have charged me an extra £21 but not said why. It could be because there are costs added on. I know it was definitely within weight and volume limits but clicking through three links it says that they can add more if one dimension exceeds a certain length, which mine did. Is that legal? Do I need to fight them now, or the retailer, or the credit card company or bank??

I did contact the courier but have had no reply (no surprise there).

It is so unfair how companies hide fees which seem to be against the law? Surely it has to be clear and obvious and not just on their site somewhere where you will not usually go?

Anyone had success on this? Should I try chargeback with my bank?

DolphinFlipper1

Edit: should read 'not faulty' not 'bottles faulty'

born_again

Retailers can ask you to pay returns, but should refund once received.

Question is What was in the bottles & is this a UK company.

MyRealNameToo

born_again said:

Retailers can ask you to pay returns, but should refund once received.

Question is What was in the bottles & is this a UK company.

Not bottles and not faulty either. 

As a change of mind the vendor can have the buyer pay the return cost, and its the default position for things that can be reasonably posted back, however they have to have complied with the standard disclosures under the CCR Schedule 2, if they havent you can refuse to pay the return costs in principle. 

born_again

MyRealNameToo said:

born_again said:

Retailers can ask you to pay returns, but should refund once received.

Question is What was in the bottles & is this a UK company.

Not bottles and not faulty either. 

As a change of mind the vendor can have the buyer pay the return cost, and its the default position for things that can be reasonably posted back, however they have to have complied with the standard disclosures under the CCR Schedule 2, if they havent you can refuse to pay the return costs in principle. 

From OP

Bought some goods online and needed to return some (bottles faulty).

Renfrewman

born_again said:

MyRealNameToo said:

born_again said:

Retailers can ask you to pay returns, but should refund once received.

Question is What was in the bottles & is this a UK company.

Not bottles and not faulty either. 

As a change of mind the vendor can have the buyer pay the return cost, and its the default position for things that can be reasonably posted back, however they have to have complied with the standard disclosures under the CCR Schedule 2, if they havent you can refuse to pay the return costs in principle. 

From OP

Bought some goods online and needed to return some (bottles faulty).

See correction in post #2.

Aylesbury_Duck

Sounds like your dispute is now with UPS.  You reached agreement with the original retailer so that matter is closed, and you contracted with UPS yourself.

There's no point doing a chargeback, the item was delivered.  You need to check that you complied with all four dimensions.  There's nothing illegal about specifying dimensions which if exceeded, incur extra charges.

sonearandyetsofa

Returns costs need to be communicated via "durable medium" which generally means a PDF file, something in an email directly to you, something you can view on their website when logged into your account, or a physical copy. It has to be something that couldn't be edited after the fact, and that you can refer to later. Check the order confirmation email, if it includes your returns rights there then they've fulfilled that. If they haven't provided returns info in a durable medium you're entitled to free returns. This doesn't mean it has to written on the checkout page, just that the information has to be somewhere you will be able to refer to it in future.

Not illegal for them to offer you an incentive to remove your review. 

If you exceeded the size for delivery via UPS and their terms state they charge you extra for having an oversized item, you owe UPS that extra £21. You could ask the retailer to cover it but I don't think they would be obliged to do so unless, again, they failed to provide their ts and cs by durable medium. They've phrased their offer as a goodwill gesture, so while they want to keep you happy, they're not agreeing with you that they've done anything wrong and will probably fight against any attempt to make them cover the extra charge. Given you agreed to their partial refund initially I'm not sure you could come back to them later for more.

I can't imagine that UPS are not showing their terms and conditions of carriage to customers. That would mean your fight is with the retailer, again on the assumption that they haven't fulfilled their obligations. 

A chargeback won't help you as you've received the goods you paid for, and the service you're being charged for. If you've had your refund for the returned item,you cannot do a chargeback as the money has already been refunded.