To think House of Fraser’s refund policy is another nail in their coffin

[Bearbehind]

I bought several expensive and heavy items online with the intention of choosing 1 and taking the others back to my local store for a refund

Turns out you can only exchange or get a credit note in store

If you want your money back you have to post it back at your own cost

Given the weight and value, I’m nearly £30 down for the pleasure.

Surely they can’t afford to piss customers off by refusing to refund in store - what difference does it make to them?

Very expensive lesson learned!

I will never buy from them again

I suspect that’s the legal requirement if the item isn’t damaged. They aren’t doing well financially are they?

why would you expect them to pay for postage on items you had no intention of keeping?

They aren’t doing well financially are they?

No - that’s exactly my point

If they are willing to refund if you post it back to them they why wouldn’t they do it if you take it to the store?

It doesn’t cost them any more or less

It just cost me a lot more, for no apparent reason

They have the same policy as Sports Direct, who now own House of Fraser.

Honestly, customers like you who buy too many and return are the reason high street stores are struggling.

I used to work in a concession in house of fraser, and a big return like that came off my sales figures for the day, many days we would be in a minus because of returns, its depressing

You have no legal right to a refund just cause you changed your mind, some stores offer it but don't have to.

why would you expect them to pay for postage on items you had no intention of keeping?

I don’t

I expect them to provide a refund if I go to the store to return it

They will exchange or give a credit note, but not a refund.

You have no legal right to a refund just cause you changed your mind, some stores offer it but don't have to.

Actually, under distance selling regulations I do

The whole exchange or credit note is quite old fashioned isn’t it? I’m sure it’s just them offering the bare-arsed minimum.

Oh dear- I can’t see them around too long if they are cutting back customer services like that.

Admin stuff. They probably don't have the staff in-store to deal with returns - and they probably don't have the staff because they can't afford them, if they're in trouble.

But they have to deal with it in their warehouse

That’s my point, they’re not refusing the refund as legally they can’t, but, in my case, they’re pissing customers off by inconveniencing them for no apparent reason, to the extent they won’t bother ordering from them in the first place.

You have rights to send back, but why did you order several heavy items, people may order clothes like that but it's not norm for other items.

Yes distance selling act means the consumer does have a legal right to a refund for goods purchased if their mind is changed within 14 days of receipt

It was clothes.

Missed the online bit!

Still yes you should have to post it back otherwise its twice as bad. The store didn't get your sale originally, but if you return it in the store they get the minus!

If you order online, you should send it back, otherwise why didn't you go and buy instore originally?

I’m with you, OP. I’d find this very offputting if I were considering ordering from HoF online. I don’t mind paying to send things back but it’s a bit shit you can’t return things in store instead.

If you order online, you should send it back, otherwise why didn't you go and buy instore originally?

Because they don’t stock all colours and sizes

I ordered 2 colours and 2 sizes - that’s not exactly excessive

They don’t do free delivery even on high value items so I ordered everything at once

Yanbu it's shit.

Dont use royal mail for returns.

Because there's a very good chance that whatever you wanted to take back wouldn't be in store, hence you wanting to order it. So either they have an item stuck in their stockroom until sale time, or they need to pay for the item to get back to the warehouse themselves. Either way would cost them.

diablo as others have said, every HOF I’ve been in lately is dead so the staff aren’t short of time

I understand the returns coming off the sales point, but that is an internal issue for them to resolve

Our local HoF has closed but before it did I'd often order stuff online, use click and collect and then return in store. I couldn't have actually bought most of it in store as the stock was generally shit.

I appreciate that it's annoying to deal with online refunds (and they sure as shit shouldn't be deducted from your sales targets, that's just piss poor management) but the ability to do this meant that I spent more with HoF than I otherwise would have.

It’s very clear on their website.

@Bearbehind honestly OP you say thats not excessive, but if you think 10 or 20 people did that everyday it adds up!

In truth, online returns were the reason my shop shut. We were averaging £15k of refunds a week from online, when we only managed to sell £20k of stock a week.

And these were people who bought a couple of sizes/colours and then returned unwanted. It crippled us anf olenty of other branches.