Retailers are keen to get us into their sales and seem to have forgotten about the items we paid good money for before Christmas. Faulty items are a nuisance so are the customers who bought them. We all need to tough it out. Yes it is worth taking things back for a refund.
A very small example has caused disgruntlement in Money Fight Club Towers. A pair of cashmere socks bought as a gift were wrapped up by the sales assistant with the security device still attached. First of all we were annoyed that the retailer thought so little of its customers that it thought we would steal the socks, but then the way the store wanted to deal with faulty goods fell short of expectations.
The retailer’s helpline expected us to make a return visit to London to take them back. OK if it was not a Christmas gift but had it not heard about the problems and expense of travelling on Southern trains just to change a pair of socks?
Retailers should try harder to help with faulty goods
The security device could not be removed without wrecking the socks and the store would not send a new pair for the original ones to be returned later. An extra shopping trip had to be organised. A week later a returns label has arrived, but the helpline assistant did not make any notes or listen to what she was told as the company requests that we fill in a form about why the socks are being returned. There was no form and the letter asks for the item to be placed in the original postal packaging and dispatch note, which does not exist.
Having scanned the till receipt we will package the socks and return them and hope that the refund arrives without problems.
Customers are refused help when they seek refunds from retailers
Citizens Advice reports that 25% of customers have difficulty returning items that are faulty. One refusal and many give up. We must remember that we have 30 days to take back faulty goods and get a refund. We may have to accept a repair or replacement after that. But remember it is the retailer who should resolve the problem.