Planter

Sarah69

Hi,
I bought a rusted planter from Dunelm almost a year ago. I only opened it today and it was’nt the rusted planter I ordered but just a plain steel one. I didn’t open it until now because I wasn’t going to use until this year. I have been in touch with them today but what do you think my chances are for a refund? It wasn’t cheap either at £125.

elsien

None whatsoever after 12 months.

ladruid

Dunelm have a time limit of 28 days for returns or exchanges that are not faulty. The onus would have been on you to check the item once you received it. As you did not do this within the 28 days, your chances are pretty slim, you might get lucky, but it's unusual with big stores.

I've heard stories of some people who will buy another item (if the store still sells the item) and then return the incorrect item in the new items packaging within the 28 days.

marcia_

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6663327/planter

this is why you should always open parcels as soon as they arrive then store them if not needed for a long period

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

There’s no time limit to seek a remedy and they should replace, if not they should refund, normally a deduction for use is permitted after 6 months but no use means a full refund.

Burden of proof is upon yourself at this point but it’s unlikely in my view that someone would make up such a story and either way they aren’t likely to go to court over a planter.

OP have a look on the CEO email website and use the contact there, the higher up level of customer service at Dunelm is pretty good, normal CS may very well give you the policy answer.

Grumpy_chap

I've heard stories of some people who will buy another item (if the store still sells the item) and then return the incorrect item in the new items packaging within the 28 days.

That would be fraud.

Can the OP link to which rusted planter they purchased from Dunelm?

I just looked at one example on their website and it is described as "designed to weather gracefully over time". Maybe if the item had been unpacked and left in the garden for the year rather than remaining boxed up it would now be exactly as the OP desires.

This is important as it has a bearing on the "item not as described" tack alluded to by @the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

GrubbyGirl_2

Just looking at the dunelm web site there is no rusty planters on the site at all at over £100 so I think your chances are zero of getting an exchange. Are you sure it's not supposed to rust when it's outside?

Lorian

They seem to have sold corten steel planters at around that price and the descriptions mention needing to leave them outside for 6 months+ for the rust to set up. Perhaps that's what OP has.

Renfrewman

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81955534#Comment_81955534

Steel rusts when left outside to weather as per instructions.

teaselMay

If you stick it outside it'll soon be rusty. If you want to hasten that roughen the surface slightly with fine sandpaper and spray with salt water. Whatever you do if you leave it outside it'll go rusty

Ergates

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81955543#Comment_81955543

All the examples I could find on their website mention weathering over time. There are other sites that sell "pre-rusted" planters though - so without being able to see the actual listing for the specific planter in question it's impossible to say for sure.

However, unless the planter in question is stainless steel or galvanised then it will rust if left outside, which seems the simplest and easiest solution.