I am very annoyed - Online shopping related!

[CastleMouse]

Well I bought a tweed jacket about a week ago online, from what I always thought as a reputable company. When it arrived, it was brown tweed; not the colour I had ordered. I sent them a very polite e-mail Friday evening, explaining that they had sent me a different colour jacket from the one I had ordered, and what the procedure would be from here. I was expecting them to say that they will cover the postage costs for me to return it, as it was their error.

Basically what they said in their reply was that they are sorry that the colour of the jacket is not what I had hoped for. On the invoice I was e-mailed after buying from their site, and the one that was posted with my parcel, the jacket colour is 'olive/brown check' (which is the one I ordered and wanted), but the jacket I recieved is clearly a brown tweed, and it also states this on the tag.

They said that the postage is MY responsibility, even though it was their error. It's not the postage costs that I mind, but I'm very annoyed about the company basically putting the blame on me!

Am I just being silly and overreacting?

 

[Perrie]

Due to them making the 'mistake' it should be the company who pays for the postage not you.
Why should you be out of pocket for there mistake.
I would take it higher with the said company & tell them you are very dissatified with them & you won't be using them again or recommending them to anybody.

XxX

 

[MissTyc]

I think Distance selling regulations apply here and they should definitely cover your postage as it is their mistake, not you changing your mind.

 

[Annie0809]

Hi,

see this;

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10560466

The company are right, legally they do not have to pay your return postage.

Although as they'd sent the wrong item in the first place I woud have thought they ought to consider paying return costs out of goodwill. Send it back wth a letter complaining, write to the MD if you have to (usually works !).

Fergal

 

[Abbeygale]

I agree with Annie0809 I'm afraid - it does depend on what is in the T&C's for the company - but they are within their right to not have to pay your return postage - for whatever reason the goods are being returned. I work for a company that mainly deals with mail order, and we have the same policy.

However - I would also contact the MD and complain and see if you can't get your return postage money back that way. Best way to get a company to give you some money back is to write the letter so that you point out why you are not happy - but in a polite and "nice" a way as you can. That way you come across as not just a whingey customer, but trying to help them improve their customer service. Well - if I receive a "nice" complainy letter, rather than a whingey one when I'm at work, I usually feel more inclined to help the customer out

 

[night_mare]

Condition 3.8 (page 14) of the Distance Selling Regulations states: You (the business) must .. make it clear that you will meet the cost of returning any substitute goods if the consumer does not want them.

Condition 3.56 (page 27) also states "You (the business) can never require customers to pay the cost of returning substitute goods.

You can find a copy of the Distance Selling Regulations at http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/business_leaflets/general/oft698.pdf

As they sent you the wrong colour jacket, they did not send you the product ordered, so I would argue that they sent you a "substitute good" - as such they are bound to meet the cost of the return postage under the Distance Selling Regulations.

If you had ordered a product and it didn't fit, and returned it then they are not obliged to pay the return postage as they sent the product ordered, not a substitute item.