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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To go back and cancel the cheque?

38 replies

NameChanged2022 · 30/04/2022 18:51

Oh Mumsnet I've done a daft thing.

Visited a shop two weeks ago. Saw something we liked (garden furniture set) but we weren't 100% sure. Took some time to think about it, went back today and bought it. Delivery on Wednesday, paid in full.

Sitting down just now gloating merrily about our new "set". Had a quick look online to see if it exists in the internetworld, without really thinking.

Bloody found it. At two thirds of the price. Delivery within 14 days. In fact we could buy it, buy protective covers for it and buy a blinking parasol which would shade it for the same bloody price off the internetworld.

What do I do? I paid in cash. We have a receipt obviously, but I'm embarrassed to go back and say "here's the thing....". It is not inexpensive. Please give me some courage oh wise ones. Do I return to the showroom tomorrow and cancel the (cash) cheque?

OP posts:
resipsa · 30/04/2022 18:53

Yes! If they are commercially astute, they will match the price and you win on all fronts.

GrazingSheep · 30/04/2022 18:54

Can you cancel it though? What is their policy ?

Original poster
NameChanged2022 · 30/04/2022 19:02

It's just a basic handwritten invoice marked "paid" detailing the set we bought. No cancellations or returns policy that I can see online and nothing on the receipt.

OP posts:
Chasingsquirrels · 30/04/2022 19:07

Buyer beware!
On what basis do you think you are entitled to cancel the purchase?

ouch12345 · 30/04/2022 19:09

@Chasingsquirrels
It's the law?

You must offer a refund to customers if they've told you within 14 days of receiving their goods that they want to cancel. They have another 14 days to return the goods once they've told you. You must refund the customer within 14 days of receiving the goods back. They do not have to provide a reason.

CapMarvel · 30/04/2022 19:11

You could try.

But it's pretty dickish, and the shop are not obligated to give you your money back.

BattenburgDonkey · 30/04/2022 19:14

ouch12345 · 30/04/2022 19:09

@Chasingsquirrels
It's the law?

You must offer a refund to customers if they've told you within 14 days of receiving their goods that they want to cancel. They have another 14 days to return the goods once they've told you. You must refund the customer within 14 days of receiving the goods back. They do not have to provide a reason.

When you click on that link it says that you don’t have to offer a refund under some circumstances including: no longer want an item (for example because it’s the wrong size or colour) unless they bought it without seeing it. So OP you probably need to check their returns policy first, I’d call them in the morning and ask. Maybe don’t give the real reason just say it doesn’t look right.

GrazingSheep · 30/04/2022 19:14

@ouch12345
That refers to distance or online selling.
The op bought in a physical shop. Distance selling regulations don’t apply.

Lincslady53 · 30/04/2022 19:16

That is the case for remote purchases ie online. If you buy instore then these rules do not apply. I would call the shop and talk to them, but they have no legal requirement to accept the cancellation, so be nice.

Mamiamamia · 30/04/2022 19:17

ouch12345 · 30/04/2022 19:09

@Chasingsquirrels
It's the law?

You must offer a refund to customers if they've told you within 14 days of receiving their goods that they want to cancel. They have another 14 days to return the goods once they've told you. You must refund the customer within 14 days of receiving the goods back. They do not have to provide a reason.

I believe this is only the law for when you make a purchase online. If you have purchased in store, there is no legal obligation to accept the return. www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/changed-your-mind/changing-your-mind-about-something-youve-bought/

Original poster
NameChanged2022 · 30/04/2022 19:18

Oh Lord I feel like such a plank. I will definitely call them in the morning. I've no idea what I'll say. I'm really cross, I should have carried on thinking about it and had a look online before taking the plunge.

OP posts:
purplecorkheart · 30/04/2022 19:18

The fact that you bought in stores gives you less rights than if you bought online.

You have changed your mind. You are not entitled to a refund. Most stores offer refund/exchange as a gesture of goodwill however they are not legally obliged to do so.

catstale · 30/04/2022 19:19

You should have done your research in the days between seeing it and going back to pay for it.

A shop has overheads that the 'internetworld' Confused doesn't have. You were happy to pay the price at the time. They will likely give you a refund but it's bloody cheeky of you and rather silly not to have checked out the price beforehand.

Original poster
NameChanged2022 · 30/04/2022 19:21

One thing which might work in our favour is that we haven't actually seen the product - we have bought a version of it - say the one in the shop is grey and we bought the black version. I did hesitate over the colour and the salesperson will remember this, because I asked if there was anywhere I could actually see the item before purchase. The answer was no - I just had to go with the "there's a similar one here, it's this sort of colour".

OP posts:
CapMarvel · 30/04/2022 19:22

NameChanged2022 · 30/04/2022 19:18

Oh Lord I feel like such a plank. I will definitely call them in the morning. I've no idea what I'll say. I'm really cross, I should have carried on thinking about it and had a look online before taking the plunge.

"I really appreciated the advantage of being able to see the item in store, but I've found the same thing online so sod the fact that you have the additional overheads of having a physical store, I now expect you to return my money with no right to request it, even though before I saw the product online I was perfectly happy to pay the asking price?"

Try that.

parietal · 30/04/2022 19:26

is the online version from a completely different shop?

then no, you can't go back & demand money off. the online shop could be fraudulent or fail to deliver. And the physical shop where you can see the size & shape of the furniture & talk to the nice salesperson obviously has much more overhead.

Don't be a CF and try to cheat the shop by asking for a discount.

ChocBloc · 30/04/2022 19:28

They have to charge more to pay for the member of staff etc. You were happy enough to pay the price at the time. Its your own fault for googling afterwards.

Original poster
NameChanged2022 · 30/04/2022 19:31

@CapMarvel you are totally right. We had the opportunity to sit on it and ruminate which we wouldn't have had if we had bought online. In fact the reason we returned is because I simply didn't want to take a punt on an online set and be disappointed. The showroom we visited had many many sets all of which will suit somebody somewhere, and being able to properly see the items and try them out has been invaluable.

I shall swallow the extra cost and enjoy the garden even more in the knowledge it'll arrive on the day they've booked it to arrive, which will inevitably be way ahead of the online schedule.

Thanks for giving my head the shake it needed.

OP posts:
BattenburgDonkey · 30/04/2022 19:38

Wait has it not actually arrived yet? I thought you meant you’d been sitting on it for 3 days already.

Badbadbunny · 30/04/2022 19:45

ouch12345 · 30/04/2022 19:09

@Chasingsquirrels
It's the law?

You must offer a refund to customers if they've told you within 14 days of receiving their goods that they want to cancel. They have another 14 days to return the goods once they've told you. You must refund the customer within 14 days of receiving the goods back. They do not have to provide a reason.

That only applies to online purchases.

BeforeGodAndAllTheFish · 30/04/2022 19:49

@ouch12345

That's only for online/over the phone purchases.

When you buy something in a shop after seeing it, you have no legal right to a refund unless it is faulty. Shops offering reuth policies do so as a goodwill gesture. It is not the law.

OP, you went in and saw it and you bought it. That's it. Check.their returns policy just incase but they have no legal obligation to give you a refund.

GrazingSheep · 30/04/2022 19:50

@BattenburgDonkey
The op says she bought it today
It is being delivered on Wednesday.

BattenburgDonkey · 30/04/2022 19:52

GrazingSheep · 30/04/2022 19:50

@BattenburgDonkey
The op says she bought it today
It is being delivered on Wednesday.

I misread it somehow. They may be slightly more lenient about a refund given it’s not even been 24 hours since it was ordered and you don’t have it yet.

Invisimamma · 30/04/2022 19:56

Was it a chain store or an independent? If it's a large chain you can probably get your money back.

Don't pay over the odds just because they mark the prices up to have a nice showroom. Say you've changed your mind and as you haven't seen the set you're buying you are within cooling off period for a refund.

I often return things after finding them cheaper elsewhere or if they go on sale at a later date. Most places have a 28 day money back policy and I only buy from stores that have good refund policies.

ICancelledTheCheque · 30/04/2022 19:57

Well, you know what I’d do 😂