20% Restocking Fees for Online Purchase (April 2018)

stevlav · 16 April 2018 at 2:48PM

Hi, I was recently charged a 20% restocking fee and further £20 handling fee for returning a fibreglass roofing kit purchased fromibreglassroofingkits.co
Basically they refunded me £150 from a £250 purchase

I ]decided to challenge this and contacted Citizens Advice Consumer Advice Helpline on 03454040506
They were very clear that restocking fees were not valid for online purchases and that you have 14 days from receiving the item to request a return and a further 14 days to return the item for a full refund.

So I'm posting this because when I searched online I could not find a clear answer.
It does not matter what the terms and conditions of the website say, they cannot charge a restock fee on items returned within 14 days.
This is according to Consumer contract regulations 2013 and if they will not give you a full refund then contact citizens advice on the number above.

Companies like fibre glass roofing kits try to fool you into thinking what they are doing is legal, but if you press them on it then they should refund. Certainly they have now refunded me anyway !

I also contacted Co-Op Bank Visa Credit card and they told me the opposite and that I could not get a refund as it was on the websites terms and conditions, but that is incorrect.

Hope this is useful to anyone with a similar issue as companies like this are breaking the law and trying to con people out of a full refund.

Thanks

Head_The_Ball · 16 April 2018 at 3:29PM

stevlav wrote: »

Hi, I was recently charged a 20% restocking fee and further £20 handling fee for returning a fibreglass roofing kit purchased fromibreglassroofingkits.co
Basically they refunded me £150 from a £250 purchase....

20% of £250 = £50

Add £20 handling fee = £70

£250 - £70 = £180

Even by their rules they should have refunded you £180.

Did the two refunds total £250?

RFW · 16 April 2018 at 4:31PM

If a company has acted illegally and/or has illegal terms then you can report them to Trading Standards via your local council. As for credit card company you should contact them in writing to their registered address.

The opening post has errors but it also doesn't say if the full refund was ever received. There are also caveats on the law, if the item was custom made, for example. A little more detail of why the item was returned and what it was would be of help if you wanted any advice.

theonlywayisup · 16 April 2018 at 7:10PM

I can't work out who you bought from. Are the company in this country?

If they are and you purchased online, you have 14 days "change of mind". Legislation dictates that the buyer must pay the return costs but gain a full refund (original postage cost). However, it's not entirely that simple and if the item is somewhat out of the ordinary and may need special transport, if the company hasn't advised you of the cost of return, they may have to pay.

It's vague, I'm afraid as I can't see the company or their T&C and I would be all night giving you different scenarios.

If you post those, perhaps people can take a closer look for you.

With due respect to the posters on this board, you might want to ask the board guide to move this to the Consumer Rights board.

ballisticbrian · 16 April 2018 at 7:21PM

https://www.fibreglassroofingkits.co.uk/terms-and-conditions

theonlywayisup · 16 April 2018 at 8:57PM

ballisticbrian wrote: »

https://www.fibreglassroofingkits.co.uk/terms-and-conditions

Thank you. It seems they are in the UK.

OP.

Was this a business purchase.

What did you purchase - was the item custom made.

For a C2B site they have many incorrect and unlawful terms. But this piece of string is so long, we need to know more about your particular purchase.

ballisticbrian · 16 April 2018 at 10:46PM

Companies like fibre glass roofing kits try to fool you into thinking what they are doing is legal

They sell a lot of materials cut to measure. Even their standard kits, say you can call them to have them tailored to your needs. I can understand why this company needs a lot of terms and conditions about returns to be honest. Add to that a lot of this is materials sold to the trade, things you've failed to mention in the initial post.

kangoora · 16 April 2018 at 11:08PM

My wife recently bought some replacement blinds. We had to specify the length for them.

They were very clear on their communications that they were providing 'custom made items made to the customers specification'. I wondered what that was all about but now I see why.

Anyway, the blinds fit so all was OK, I bet if I tried to return them I'd be in a similar position to the OP.

RFW · 16 April 2018 at 11:12PM

theonlywayisup wrote: »

Was this a business purchase.

What did you purchase - was the item custom made.

It's a good point. If it's a business purchase all consumer law is irrelevant. That said the seller often won't know if it's a business transaction or not, it's largely down to the buyer's word, unless they're a company.

20% Restocking Fees for Online Purchase (April 2018)

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