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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Store refunded me then sent the goods ....

259 replies

veredd · 21/11/2021 15:49

I ordered some Christmas presents from a well known online retailer.
It cost £150
The parcel was meant to be here last Monday and it didn't arrive.
They said it was lost and refunded me £150 (it's back in my bank ) so I re ordered the items.
Now the first parcel has turned up that I've been refunded for.
What would you do?
Do I tell them?
Or do I return the second order and get a refund and keep this order that's already been refunded
Or is that awful ?

OP posts:
TractorAndHeadphones · 21/11/2021 21:16

[quote girlmom21]@TractorAndHeadphones but they've refunded their original error. OP chose to place a second order. She's now expecting a refund on the second order which is completely legitimate and was fulfilled correctly. [/quote]
But you can return orders for any reason!
This is actually the bit I'm confused about.
Trying to get item for free - fair enough. I don't think it's completely above board although it can be justified. Like telling a white lie. It's in my category of 'things I might do in certain situations'. I wouldn't put it in the same category as actively stealing (e.g. taking someone else's lunch from the office fridge), which I would never do.

However - people seem more het up about her returning the second item. This is the bit I don't understand. People return things for a multitude of reasons. They don't like it, decide they don't want it anymore etc etc. So what if the second order was legitimate and fulfilled correctly? Returning it puts the OP in the EXACT same situation as if she had never made the second order and decided to buy elsewhere.

Also a lot of people are getting confused saying that returning the second order would flag up fraud etc. Again there's no basis for this. People can return orders for any reason and receive a full refund within 28 days if the items are unused. So if she never received the first there's no reason to suspect something wrong if she returns the second.

Maybe I'm being nitpicky but I wonder what the responses would be if OP had never mentioned the second order at all and just asked if she should keep the first. But then again I find all of the responses very interesting

TractorAndHeadphones · 21/11/2021 21:18

@TuftyMarmoset

This happened to me with some stuff from Dunelm - I had a refund for missing stuff which eventually turned up (but I hadn’t reordered, their customer service just resent it I think). I just kept it because they claimed it off the delivery company.
Also this is another point - it could be claimed off the delivery company. If this keeps happening it's on them to improve operations which would be a win win anyway. Of course assuming that's whay they do and not just hike prices up until people get fed up
SusieBob · 21/11/2021 21:18

" I wouldn't put it in the same category as actively stealing (e.g. taking someone else's lunch from the office fridge), which I would never do. "

It's exactly the same, morally.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 21/11/2021 21:19

@Mondaymanic

I'd absolutely keep it if it was a big retailer. No guilt. If it was a small retailer I'd return it without question.
The big retailer won’t take the hit on their profit line - a percentage of the price their customers pay is to cover overheads - staff, utilities, overheads - and shrinkage, which is loss due to theft, re aka gel or spoilage, loss in the post etc.

So you wouldn't be sticking it to a big corporation - that money comes directly from ordinary customers.

Amillionnc · 21/11/2021 21:26

@Mondaymanic

I'd absolutely keep it if it was a big retailer. No guilt. If it was a small retailer I'd return it without question.
Small local businesses do sell on Amazon though.

Echoing other posters, I’m not sure why the OP has posted. It doesn’t seem like she has any intention of of being honest and truthful. I’m still surprised why if she only had £250 she spent £150 of that on presents.

Noseylittlemoo · 21/11/2021 21:29

I work in a store but during the lock down I worked for the online returns department. I was surprised at the amount of "lost " orders. Esp with Hermes deliveries which showed photos of the parcel being delivered and ppl saying not me /not my house etc,( even when Google maps showed identical looking house)
90% of people requested a refund rather than a replacement sent and I wondered whether some of those people were asking for a refund for something that they did actually get...

Concestor · 21/11/2021 21:38

OP you are a scuzzy thief if you do what you're proposing. There's not justification for you doing this, it's vile behaviour.

Iamanicepersonreally · 21/11/2021 22:12

I think you've had a really hard time OP. Calling you a scuzzy thief is way over the top.

When it's happened to me in the past, I've contacted the retailer, but it's up to you

TractorAndHeadphones · 21/11/2021 22:29

@Noseylittlemoo

I work in a store but during the lock down I worked for the online returns department. I was surprised at the amount of "lost " orders. Esp with Hermes deliveries which showed photos of the parcel being delivered and ppl saying not me /not my house etc,( even when Google maps showed identical looking house) 90% of people requested a refund rather than a replacement sent and I wondered whether some of those people were asking for a refund for something that they did actually get...
I've never gotten a refund straightaway. I've always been told to wait while they check with the courier. Or advised that delivery has been delayed and call again to check in X weeks. By the time they agree to give a refund I've bought the item elsewhere and therefore don't want a replacement. If there's a photo it's an instant rejection - company says 'it was delivered here's photo as proof' and washes their hands of the matter.

I'm surprised that your company is so nice as to unquestioningly give people refunds... what company is this can I shop there please

BridgetGetTheGin · 21/11/2021 22:35

They will get refunded anyway from the delivery company.

underneaththeash · 21/11/2021 22:47

I had a duplicate order from Amazon a couple of years ago - called them and they apologised and sent me another! The Indian call centre could not understand that I'd received 3 orders and only paid for one. Then they blocked me........4 weeks before Christmas.
Luckily the UK phoneline re-instated me.

TractorAndHeadphones · 21/11/2021 22:47

Also to add if it isn’t clear I’m always directed to the delivery company themselves if the item status is shipped, not the company!

SusieBob · 21/11/2021 23:15

@Iamanicepersonreally

I think you've had a really hard time OP. Calling you a scuzzy thief is way over the top. When it's happened to me in the past, I've contacted the retailer, but it's up to you
Pretty spot on if you ask me.
phishy · 21/11/2021 23:52

What goes around comes around, I guarantee you’ll lose more than £150 some time and it couldn’t happen to a nicer person.

Enjoy your ill gotten gains.

FlickerBeat · 21/11/2021 23:58

@phishy

What goes around comes around, I guarantee you’ll lose more than £150 some time and it couldn’t happen to a nicer person.

Enjoy your ill gotten gains.

Oh, the hysteria.
girlmom21 · 22/11/2021 07:24

@Noseylittlemoo

I work in a store but during the lock down I worked for the online returns department. I was surprised at the amount of "lost " orders. Esp with Hermes deliveries which showed photos of the parcel being delivered and ppl saying not me /not my house etc,( even when Google maps showed identical looking house) 90% of people requested a refund rather than a replacement sent and I wondered whether some of those people were asking for a refund for something that they did actually get...
I used to work for a courier company and we could check the delivery coordinates. If they matched the consignees home address we wouldn't process any kind of claim.

However, claims always had to come through the seller regardless, as they were our customer. And our drivers always had to get delivery name and signatures.

girlmom21 · 22/11/2021 07:28

@TractorAndHeadphones practically, you're right. It's morally questionable and that's the issue really. It's still theft. I'd still have suggested she contact the company if item 1 turned up after she'd got the refund.
If they said to keep it after that then fine, it's a gift.

SunshineCake1 · 22/11/2021 07:51

@veredd

I will see if they contact me within 28 days and go from there
So still" planning to keep it.

And @girlmom21 you were right. One free parcel and two refunds.

J3oo · 22/11/2021 07:56

I've had this happen a couple of times, I always contact them straight away, they sometimes say to keep it or organise a courier pick up, I wouldn't just wait it out.

Somanysocks · 22/11/2021 07:57

Nasty dishonest thieving behaviour.

FestiveMayo · 22/11/2021 08:03

What's the point of asking. You're just wanting to see if you can get away with it really. You might do. But you could just tell them and then they'll tell you to keep it anyway I expect.

Original poster
veredd · 22/11/2021 08:56

Do you really think the company is going to miss £150 after they wrote it off so quick
Imagine how many missing parcels they deal with per week.

OP posts:
DrSbaitso · 22/11/2021 09:11

@veredd

Do you really think the company is going to miss £150 after they wrote it off so quick Imagine how many missing parcels they deal with per week.
They wrote it off because they had to make a business decision based on the information they had been given. They probably figured it wasn't worth the time, hassle, additional expense and potentially angry customer and bad press if they didn't just sort it out immediately.

I doubt the loss is going to fold the business, but that isn't the point. It's the same as walking out of a bricks and mortar store with £150 worth of stock that you didn't pay for.

SusieBob · 22/11/2021 09:14

@veredd

Do you really think the company is going to miss £150 after they wrote it off so quick Imagine how many missing parcels they deal with per week.
Why do people think that just because its a big business that's it's ok to steal from them?

Big businesses still go under. It's not like countless chains which at one point would have thought too big to fail (BHS, Debenhams, Top Shop/Man, Laura Ashley...) have gone, taking thousands of jobs with them.

videovixen · 22/11/2021 09:32

@veredd

Do you really think the company is going to miss £150 after they wrote it off so quick Imagine how many missing parcels they deal with per week.
Just return the parcel and keep the money for both. No point going back and forth with people on here or trying to justify your actions. Enjoy the second refundWink