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AIBU?

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Original poster

HELP!!!! LK Bennett refund policy!!!!!!

86 replies

WhatTheHellJustHappened · 22/06/2012 23:56

I already know I am being unreasonable to freak out so badly over this but I desperately need help.

I wanted to give my sister a nice gift for her birthday and I decided to buy something from LK Bennett. She loves brown so I decided on a brown Anna Bag! I confirmed with the sales assistant twice if I could refund the item in case I changed my mind and she said I could do so within 7 days.

Well, I bought the bag today and when I came home and saw it, I changed my mind. I don't think it looks all that great.

Now the trouble is I paid in cash and it turns out the receipt reads "We regret that we don't offer cash refunds". Shouldn't the salesgirl have told me this when I paying her £300 in cash???????

Has anyone heard of this policy before? That you can't return an item if you pay in cash but you can if you pay by card??? This is so unfair.

I can't afford to lose £300 at this point. An exchange or credit not will be worthless since I've already done my share of shopping for this season.

I'm going back tomorrow to return the bag. What shall I do if she refuses:(:(

OP posts:
LaurieFairyCake · 23/06/2012 00:37

It doesn't matter to you but stores aren't keen on cash because of the possibility for forgery.

I imagine they also may not have 300 in cash tomorrow if they've banked.

Hopefully you can get it refunded to your card.

MrsMoosickle · 23/06/2012 00:38

I would just send her the bag, she may love it! It's a brown 300 quid bag, what's not to like?

Simples!

squeakytoy · 23/06/2012 00:41

I doubt they would refund it to a card if it was paid by cash, as that could come under money laundering, and would also be a headache to reconcile for the accounts department.

As there are branches in NY anyway ask if she could use a credit note issued in the UK in NY and post it to her.

Original poster
WhatTheHellJustHappened · 23/06/2012 00:43

squeakytoy

How can I judge what pair of shoes will be comfortable for her?! Shoe sizes often vary by brand, and I cannot say which size she will fit into. She has to try the shoes on for herself and see what fits and feels comfortable. If she were in town this would not be a problem.

There is a vast difference between spending money on something one will get use out of, and spending it on something that one was forced to buy.

Anything I get in exchange for the bag will be something i buy for the sake of it. And I can't spend £300 something nobody is really going to use can I?

In any case, what is your problem with me? You come across as needlessly preachy and antagonistic. Haven't you ever bought something and then decided it wasn't right?

OP posts:
NanaASH · 23/06/2012 00:44

Did you get 'gift receipt ' they d'not show the price or how you paid, cash, credit or debit card. They not aloud by law to give cash back if you paid by credit card. How you can get your money back I d'not know sorry!
Hope the girl rememders you, you may be lucky.

FoxyRoxy · 23/06/2012 00:45

You don't know yet what they'll say, they may refund you the cash if you explain. If its not clearly in writing by the till point you may have a case for complaint as you'd only find out after you've paid that you can't get a cash refund.

Original poster
WhatTheHellJustHappened · 23/06/2012 00:45

I have already checked their website. Credit notes issues in UK cannot be used in USA.

OP posts:
Original poster
WhatTheHellJustHappened · 23/06/2012 00:47

NanaASH
No it isn't a gift receipt. It's a proper cash receipt which I still have safe with me.
There was no point in getting a gift receipt since the recipient of the gift lives overseas.

FoxyRoxy
No it was not in writing by the till and the salesgirl did not tell me either despite my asking her if I could return the bag.

OP posts:
Original poster
WhatTheHellJustHappened · 23/06/2012 00:48

VonHerrBurton

Thanks! I will surely try first thing tomorrow morning. I don't think I will sleep tonight.

OP posts:
squeakytoy · 23/06/2012 00:54

I am not trying to be antagonistic, but I just dont understand your logic.

You decided to spend £300 on a birthday present. You get home and decide that the bag is wrong. Fair enough. But you set out to spend £300 anyway, so I cannot see the problem with finding something else to that value in store. It is a huge shop with bags, clothes, shoes etc.

Is is possible that your mother could return the gift that she has got, and get something different so that your gifts are not similar?

And in answer to your last question, no, if I was spending that much money on a bag, I would make absolutely sure that I wanted it before I paid for it.

VerityBrulee · 23/06/2012 01:07

OP I'm sure that they will refund your money, if not in cash then onto a card. If you go back tomorrow I'm sure it will be sorted out.

Now go to sleep
Smile

Original poster
WhatTheHellJustHappened · 23/06/2012 01:15

VerityBrulee

Thank you! :)

OP posts:
Original poster
WhatTheHellJustHappened · 23/06/2012 01:18

squeakytoy

You clearly don't understand my logic.

I set out to buy my sister a gift for her 30th birthday and I had set aside some cash specifically for that. If they don't refund the money, there is nothing I can buy her from there (as I have already explained a hundred times). So not only will that £300 be blocked on a credit note I'll probably never use, I will have to spend MORE at some other store to get her a suitable gift. Clear now?

OP posts:
jaydenmummylovesyou · 23/06/2012 01:24

A lot of the replies you're getting sound jealous that you're able to spend £300 just like that.

I have paid in cash many a times in LK and there has never been a problem returning items.

Call their Head Office if you run into any problems.

Original poster
WhatTheHellJustHappened · 23/06/2012 01:29

OK, I called up the store in Chicago (they are still open) and asked if they offer refunds to customers who pay by cash. They said they would put the money back onto a debit card.

Can't imagine the UK policy being all that different?

OP posts:
Original poster
WhatTheHellJustHappened · 23/06/2012 01:32

jadenmummylovesyou

What a relief! thanks very much for the advice.

I couldn't spend it just like that though:) I tend to save up for months for my sister and mother's birthday. That is why the money was in cash and was set aside for a specific purpose.

OP posts:
Mummy2FE · 23/06/2012 07:58

On occasion that i have returned something to a shop and originally paid cash, I have had money reimbursed to a card before.

I think it might mean that refunds are not given in cash.

JumpingThroughHoops · 23/06/2012 08:02

www.adviceguide.org.uk/england/consumer_e/consumer_common_problems_with_products_e/consumer_you_have_changed_your_mind_about_what_you_have_bought_e.htm

and quote: If you bought something in a shop and then just change your mind about it, you do not have any legal right to return the goods. However, many shops have a returns policy which lets you to take your items back to the shop for any reason and get a refund.

Get the gist yet?

SaraBellumHertz · 23/06/2012 08:06

There is something really weird about this thread...

If they don't put the money back on your card then exchange for something else- there is loads of choice and TBH a gift is a gift how hard can it be to find something your sister would like?

OlympicFlame · 23/06/2012 08:08

How odd, as it's a gift anyway, ask them to exchange in vouchers/gift card and give that to your sister.

kensingtonkat · 23/06/2012 08:12

In future, if you're shopping at LK Bennett, (or All Saints who have a similarly customer-unfriendly policy towards non-faulty returns), buy from the concessions in Selfridge's. They'll refund using the original method of payment, not just a credit note.

At the time of sale, many, many shop assistants will pretend that you can of course have a full refund, whilst knowing full well this is untrue.

This is because they're often paid commission on the transaction, and by the time you've got home and read the small print, it will be too late for you to do anything about their dishonesty.

I have lost count of the number of shops who have misled me in this way - though I return the favour by never, ever shopping there again.

kensingtonkat · 23/06/2012 08:16

The OP has bought something expensive, been unsure about it and therefore asked at the point of sale if she can have a refund if she changes her mind.

She's changed her mind, but now discovers she's been lied to by the shop assistant.

She can't have a refund, only a credit note. As a result, she has to buy something else from LK Bennett, which she doesn't want to do as they have nothing in stock that's suitable.

She doesn't want to send her sister a gift card because that's a pretty naff present for a sister, no?

It's irrelevant that she paid cash; she just wants to be refunded in the same way she paid, which is fair enough.

Nothing odd I can see here?

movelikejagger · 23/06/2012 08:22

OP go back to the shop and ask for a cash refund.

I'll think you will get it. If you have a problem then mention what the shop assistant said to you.

They won't want you to alienate other customers surely and I'm sure it will be obvious that you've just made an error of judgement.

I bought some silly leather trousers once from karen millen - at first they said no to my cash refund but I just kept asking.

You sound like you are trying to treat your sister which is lovely.

I don't shop at LK Bennett - just too expensive.

dexter73 · 23/06/2012 08:22

LK Bennett are notorious for being awkward about returns and having bad customer service.

LilBlondePessimist · 23/06/2012 08:24

And she can't send her sister a gift card/credit note anyway, as ones issued in the uk aren't valid in the US, where the OP's sister lives. Straightforward to me too :)

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