What do yo do if you receive outside return specified period?

[Bumps & Beyond]

Hi

i just wanted to pick your brains please. I have a returns policy in place which states I accept returns with in 10 days of receipt for refund. (I allow a few extra days though). Out side this period up to 30 days I issue a gift voucher to the value of the returns.

What do you do with returns that are sent back 2 months after being despatched !! I am getting a few from people that most probably have had their babies and then are sending the unworn items back for a refund!

Thanks in advance


Julie

[paul]

its a tough one isnt it. if its used then of course no way. if not then its a balance based on whether they are a good customer and how you think it will affect repeat business?

personally to send back after 2 months i think theyre trying it on.i dont think youre unreasonable in standing behind your T&Cs.

how about adding a restocking fee to your T&Cs. ive seen this on a number of sites. then you can present that to the customer and let them decide.

[Bumps & Beyond]

Yes I could add a restocking fee-I'll look into that. I don't think this will be a returning customer. As I sell maternity wear the customers only have short time when they require my garments, and by the time they need them again (if ever) it would be several months or years away.

[entertaintoday]

Unless they keep eating those pies :) haha

If I were you I would just simply refuse to take it back and explain that they've had the goods too long to return them now. Used or not.

If they get really arsy then just take it back this once, and add restocking fees for future purchases. (You can also put notes by customers, so if they do come back you can see from before that this one is a complete ****) :D

[Dave]

I would e-mail your customer pointing them to your T&C page. You might want to also add a re-stocking charge before doing so ;)

Ask them if they would like you to return the goods to them or issue a partial refund.

[Bumps & Beyond]

Ok next question! lol I've beenlooking around for companies adding a restocking fee andcan't find any! What have you seen or suggest is a suitable amount?

[Dave]

Ok next question! lol I've beenlooking around for companies adding a restocking fee andcan't find any! What have you seen or suggest is a suitable amount?

Well for us its 25%. This is because our supplier charges us 20% so we have to add a bit more on for all the hassle.

There is no fixed rules but sites I have seen seem to charge anything between 15% to 25%

[Bumps & Beyond]

Thanks Dave, I see you aren't far from me, we're in Hinckley

[Dave]

Thanks Dave, I see you aren't far from me, we're in Hinckley

Hi Julie,

Yes we are practically neighbours !

What with Pete @ Bananna Feet, Llynda @ Bigdogstuff and us perhaps we should start a Bluepark user group :)

[needundies]

Be careful, as far as I am aware under current Distance Selling regulations Traders are not allowed to deduct a restocking charge or administration fee for returned goods.

See following link re consumer rights http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/business_leaflets/general/oft913.pdf

Andy

[paul]

the no restocking fee is included in the section on customers returning goods and i therefore understand this as relating to returns. the right to cancel and therefore return goods is set out in the document. i think what Julie is asking is outside of the customers right and therefore a discretionary return.

i read the no restocking fee to relate to cancellation rights and not what effectively becomes a sale back to the merchant. i think a discretionary return could include a restocking fee if set out in the T&Cs.

from common sense logic, if you dont have to accept a return outside of the legal time limit why should you not be able to charge a restocking fee?

but im no lawyer.....other thoughts?

useful document.

[paul]

in fact reading this again. i dont even think you would need to include the restocking fee in the t&cs for a discretionary return if the customer agrees to it pre returning the item

[Adva Trading]

Instead of Restocking fees, I would deduct the Shipping Costs and refund (If the items are as new, you lost nothing).

[Gillf]

Hi,

We've had this problem as well. In one case it was 3 months after the order! Another wanted to return a made to measure item two months after delivery. The 3 month one just arrived out of the blue with no warning so we accepted it but sent a fairly sharp email and pointed them to our returns info on the website. With the made to measure we accepted it because they are a very good (high spending customer) but again made it clear that they were outside the time limit and we would not normally have accepted a return on a bespoke item. We then added a summary of our returns policy to the Invoice/Despatch Note with a link to the web site for further info and beefed up the message on the web site. We extended the returns period to 31 days which is longer than the statutory time and state on the web site that as the time allowed is very generous it is not negotiable. In "how to return an item" we now ask them to email us prior to the return, which if they do this will allow us to reject returns that outside our terms.

Since we took these actions we have had no returns. However, we don't have a very high returns level so it might be a while before we know whether the changes have worked.

Hope this helps.

Gillf
www.ever-so-sexy.com

[Bumps & Beyond]

Just to update you all

I offered the customer her goods back which she didn't want, so I offered her a credit note which she didn't want so I contacted the OFT and they advised me that she has no comeback on me as purchases should be returned within 7 days of delivery.

I wouldn't refund the full amonut as I have a fixed postage charge of £3.95 and this parcel had cost me more to send, so if I had refunded her minus the postage charge I would have lost money on the whole deal!

So I have the goods sat here and no more communication from the customer I don't expect she will be shopping with me again, but to be honest I don't want the trouble .

Thanks for your answers though!

[Dave]

Thanks for the update Julie.

[petad]

I contacted the OFT and they advised me that she has no comeback on me as purchases should be returned within 7 days of delivery.
Good to know that - thanks Julie

Pete