Being charged to refund?

Eric777 · 5 October 2019 at 3:45PM

Can this be legal? My wife bought a garment online from Gudrun Sjoden. It is a poor fit but more importantly the colours are much duller than illustrated online and in their paper catalogue. She chose the garment BECAUSE of the appealing colour. The day it was received (today) she was repackaging it for return when she saw in small print that any refund would be LESS £10! Unless it was an exchange. I thought there were distance selling regulations about garments bought online because the buyer cannot SEE the real thing until it arrives? Or does the small print mean that she is bound by their terms and conditions and has to lose £10 because she is returning it? Any advice would be appreciated. We have searched online for an answer but can only find things related to FAULTY items being returned. This is NOT faulty.

molerat · 5 October 2019 at 5:41PM

The £10 is the cost of return if you use their label.

The simplest way of returning items to us is by using the pre-paid return label. For exchanges, we pay the postage, provided that you use the pre-paid return label and return by UPS. You can of course still return items for refund or exchange using another method, but then it is up to you to pay the return postage direct (see Returning via another method below). If you are returning items, the £10 cost of return postage will be deducted during the refunding process except in the case of exchange or complaint.

You can return it by your own chosen method and not incur the charge.

Returning via another method – You cannot use the UPS pre-paid return label and it is up to you to pay the return postage direct. You may not return your parcel using COD. Remember that it is you, the customer, who is responsible for ensuring that your returns reach us, so please remember to keep your proof of posting when you are returning items.

Eric777 · 5 October 2019 at 9:20PM

Thank you. Your reply is confusing. There used to be something called 'Distance Selling Regulations' but I know the title has since changed and I can't trace it. It meant that particularity with clothes, because you couldn't try them on or see them in real life, you could return them free of charge. QVC has recently been exposed as illegally charging for returns. Your reply seems to be saying that if i don't want a £10 charge I must pay for the return? If Gudrun Sjoden take £10 from my wife they have lost a customer. I know some customers order several sizes of a garment and return all but the one that fits. But in my wife's case she just ordered the one item.

molerat · 5 October 2019 at 9:40PM

As long as they inform you that there is a charge then it is all above board. The Consumer Contract Regulations 2013 had this change from the old distance selling regs, too many were taking the mick and costing companies a fortune. You can of course send it back by whichever method you choose at your cost and risk.

sarah1972 · 6 October 2019 at 8:16AM

Eric777 wrote: »

Thank you. Your reply is confusing. There used to be something called 'Distance Selling Regulations' but I know the title has since changed and I can't trace it. It meant that particularity with clothes, because you couldn't try them on or see them in real life, you could return them free of charge. QVC has recently been exposed as illegally charging for returns. Your reply seems to be saying that if i don't want a £10 charge I must pay for the return? If Gudrun Sjoden take £10 from my wife they have lost a customer. I know some customers order several sizes of a garment and return all but the one that fits. But in my wife's case she just ordered the one item.

Its all above board, a few companies charge for returns and as long as its in the t&c's its totally above board.

Cotton Traders for example take £2.95 https://www.cottontraders.com/returns.html

If I was your wife I would send it back via Royal Mail as it will be cheaper than £10. Although you also need to make sure you are covered in case of parcel loss.

soolin · 6 October 2019 at 8:50AM

Eric777 wrote: »

Thank you. Your reply is confusing. There used to be something called 'Distance Selling Regulations' but I know the title has since changed and I can't trace it. It meant that particularity with clothes, because you couldn't try them on or see them in real life, you could return them free of charge. QVC has recently been exposed as illegally charging for returns. Your reply seems to be saying that if i don't want a £10 charge I must pay for the return? If Gudrun Sjoden take £10 from my wife they have lost a customer. I know some customers order several sizes of a garment and return all but the one that fits. But in my wife's case she just ordered the one item.

There has never been a free right to return for change of mind, although many retailers do offer it as a good will gesture.

Check out the cost of returning it yourself, Royal Mail signed for will cover up to £50 if item is lost, for items more expensive than that you would neeed to use special delivery.

November2 · 9 October 2019 at 10:00AM

As you mention the colours are not right why are you not returning as a 'complaint' rather than just as a 'change of mind'? You will have to pay for the return if you just don't want the item, ie it doesn't fit. However if the item does not match the description then you are returning as a 'complaint' and you do not have to pay the postage. Full details should be on the returns note issued with your order.

Mistral001 · 9 October 2019 at 10:23AM

The argument here seems to whether the goods are the same as advertised. It might be difficult to win that argument. Colours in photographs often are a little different to the colour of the real thing.

Being charged to refund?

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