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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

What to do about this Christmas gift: refund processed and now it's turned up

27 replies

TInselaffe · 10/12/2014 15:20

WIBU to contact the seller and offer the money back?

Story: Bought a bag that I desperately wanted for DSis through a seller on NotOnTheHighStreet four weeks ago. Waited two weeks, it didn't arrive and everything else (other sellers) had so I contacted them. Received a terse one line answer saying "Resent it" and waited another week with no joy.

Last Friday I emailed and said if it didn't turn up by next Wednesday (today) I would pursue a refund with NOTHS.

On Monday morning (7am) I received a notification, with no personal message, that the refund had been processed. Was very annoyed as it's unique but thought at least I have my money back with no quibble!

Bag arrived today, postmark is Monday. Now I'm completely confused.

My opinion: they are probably a small seller, it was £15 plus £1.24 postage, I should contact and offer payment via PayPal or similar. It's Christmas.

Bad TInselaffe thought: maybe it was a goodwill gesture bloody unlikely. That's £17 I could keep. I have already spent an obscene amount on Christmas as it's the first Christmas ever that I have had proper disposable income and I have spoiled everyone rotten. I will rein it in next year but the old penny-pinching part of me that never had any money wants me to keep it, even though I can afford to send it back. If I was still on a very low income I would keep it, no question.

I think I should contact them but would I be being a mug by doing so? I tend to think that if one person doesn't do the 'right' thing then sooner or later than snowballs into society not doing the right thing. And that if I were them I would want payment. But then I have been accused of being both a mug and gullible in the past.

WWYD/AIBU to contact and offer the money back?

OP posts:
pootlebug · 10/12/2014 15:22

Islabikes sent me 4 bikes instead of 2. And invoiced me for 2. I sent the other two back straight away. I don't think that makes me a mug…

BreconBeBuggered · 10/12/2014 15:23

Don't indulge Bad TInselaffe. You know what you have to do, and it's not worth provoking your conscience into attacking you over Christmas for less than £17.

iwantavuvezela · 10/12/2014 15:26

You ordered a bag, you got it, just pay for it. The person who made it will also probably want the money that they have outlawed for this.

I can't understand why you thinking paying for something you received make you a mig, surely it would be the other way around?

PurpleSwift · 10/12/2014 15:29

Either return the item or pay. Not sure why you need to ask tbh.

Original poster
TInselaffe · 10/12/2014 15:34

not sure why you need to ask tbh

Because a couple of people (offline) have told me to keep it and that made me doubt myself. Also I'm on pretty strong painkillers at the moment so can't be trusted to make my own decisions as I keep messing stuff like this up Grin Long story!

OP posts:
Original poster
TInselaffe · 10/12/2014 15:35

Right. IWBU to keep it and not pay - will contact them and ask to send the money again, thanks for confirming I was right.

OP posts:
keely79 · 10/12/2014 15:37

Call up and offer to return bag (if you don't want it) or pay money. Similar thing happened to me with childrens' goggles (for some reason seller sent 2 pairs, not one) - I called up and they told me to keep the extra pair. Similar thing also happened with a rabbit hutch which had arrived broken but seller told me wasn't being delivered at all as damaged in transit and they sent a new one. They also suggested I could keep it (but I asked them to take it away as was huge and I didn't need two hutches). However, in both cases, my conscience is clean.

HedgehogsDontBite · 10/12/2014 15:40

Keeping it without paying for it is theft, even if you are on a very a low income.

CakeAndWineAreAFoodGroup · 10/12/2014 15:56

You know the right thing to do.

MaxPepsi · 10/12/2014 15:58

I'd check the refund is correct first. You might end up paying for it twice otherwise!

Osmiornica · 10/12/2014 16:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

JT05 · 10/12/2014 16:10

same thin happened to me with a shop on ebay. They refunded me and goods turned up a few weeks later. I contacted them to repay, but they did not want me to. I suspect they had claimed on their insurance. At least I had a clear conscience.

TooMuchCantBreathe · 10/12/2014 16:32

This happened to me except the item turned up 8 months after I purchased it! I contacted the seller who told me royal mail had refunded her already so not to worry, I then called royal mail who acted like I was some kind of loon and couldn't work out wtf I was trying to do. ..... in the end I had no one to give the money to but at least I tried!

I agree with pp. You have the item so therefore you pay for it. Maybe send the seller an email explaining you have a bag and a refund and go from there ?

Greengrow · 10/12/2014 16:58

Depends if you want a prosecution for theft or not.

TiggerLillies · 10/12/2014 17:06

If you had to come on a public forum to ask, I don't think your conscience could core with keeping it. I know mine couldn't.

HamPortCourt · 10/12/2014 17:10

I complained about not receiving two toy gifts I had ordered and they sent me replacements which arrived about 5 days later - followed two days later by another two.

I have to admit I didn't tell them (incredibly large retailer) but I did send the extra two to our local Womens Refuge.

Does this make me a Bad Hampton?

I think you will feel better if you just pay up OP cos you probably aren't a criminal mastermind like me Xmas Grin

ILovedYouYesterday · 10/12/2014 17:11

Well, going by the postmark, it appears she didn't actually bother sending it at all until after you'd been refunded.

But I'd still pay for it now.

I had something similar happen once with eBay. The seller had lots of excuses as to why she hadn't been able to get to the post office but, funnily enough, managed to get herself there once I opened a case and paypal froze the money in her account. I then received a tracking number (she was in another country) and she wanted me to close the case as she needed the money. I said I was waiting until I had the items (in case of damage or whatever as I would not have been able to open another case if I closed the first one) and paypal refunded me in the meantime but, once they finally arrived, and in good condition, I paid her again.

StepAwayFromTheEcclesCakes · 10/12/2014 17:18

yup e mail the seller saying it has arrived and ask them what you need to do about it, they will either say pay again, keep it or ignore it whatever you have made the right move. but first check your bank statement to be sure the refund was processed.

Original poster
TInselaffe · 10/12/2014 17:32

All done. Have emailed and explained that I need to check my account first but want to pay her. I have asked why the postmark is the same day as the refund - ILoved that was my thought too and why I was confused as to what has gone on given that I ordered and paid for it four weeks ago. Whatever the circumstances I haven't had the service I paid for on top - at least I haven't had the chance to replace one gift with another else I'd be fuming.

Still getting comments in real life about why am I bothering to offer her the money back!

OP posts:
SecretRed · 10/12/2014 17:44

Hmmm don't think she's going to be prosecuted greengrow.

Give them a ring and tell them what's happened, balls in their court then although I'd be tempted to say nothing if I'd had bad customer service. It wouldn't sit right with me thought iykwim.

LetticeKnollys · 10/12/2014 21:00

PP make it sound like the police are going to come barging through your door over an unwanted item which has been sent to you, which is ridiculous.

I think that if she accidentally sends you something then the responsibility is on her to contact you and rearrange a courier to collect it, not yours to be chasing her up on your time over her mistake. I certainly don't think you should feel obliged to pay for something you told her you no longer wanted and told her not to send but then she did by mistake.

Bulbasaur · 10/12/2014 21:15

You know if you don't pay, you'll just get coal in your stocking. Xmas Wink

Personally, I'd be on the fence. It was bad customer service, why should I have to follow up and chase them down about their disorganization?

Ilovehamabeads · 10/12/2014 21:30

I'm in a similar situation and also dithering. I ordered and paid for something. It arrived quickly and I'm a happy customer. 2 days later another one turned up. Checked PayPal and definitely only paid for 1. My conscience says contact them and arrange return. My lazy side says not my fault and I CBA trekking to the PO and queuing for half an hour to send something back that possibly nobody knows anything about.

thursday · 10/12/2014 23:29

Nah, I'd keep it as payment for shit customer service. If they'd spared a moment to actually write a reply either time you'd contacted I'd feel bad and contact them.

WhaddayWant · 10/12/2014 23:42

Please Let us know what happens. Smile

I would have repaid too.