To stand my ground with Estée Lauder customer services…

[Uffizi1]

i bought a 500ml decanter of perfume at ridiculous expense, but I love it and it works out hugely cheaper than buying 50ml bottles. The shop posted it to me and on receipt I found it was leaking. Unfortunately I discovered this after it’d been sitting in my kitchen table, the surface of which it’s wrecked. I was v grumpy and called the store who just gave me the Estée Lauder customer services number and washed their hands of me. Estée Lauder won’t do anything at all unless I post it to them, but I can’t, it’s leaking and because it’s alcohol classed as a flammable hazardous material. They won’t collect it. Do I have any redress here? Or do I just accept 500 quid slowly seeping away down my drain? I haven’t opened the box. Thank you!

And take photos of the packaging as is, your table etc.

@PAFMO it’s a Tom Ford perfume. The Private Blends come in 500ml decanters.

Ah, ok.
Still back to the store.
Good luck.

This is terrible of them. Name and shame on their social media channels? Tweet them? Use their Facebook page? Trustpilot?

Is it John Lewis by any chance? Regardless of how hard you try they will not accept any responsibility and will just send you to the supplier. I would go down the credit card route if you can will be easier.

Do you have a plastic Tupperware box or similar it will fit in? Then they'll also see the leakage when they open the main outer packaging.
Good luck🤞

I used to work for M&S customer service dealing with damage to property. Package it up best you can, in the box, a plastic bag, some kitchen roll and send it registered post (if you don't abd it's lost, your stuffed) Enclose pictures of the damage, how much the table cost, how old etc.

If it's seemed faulty they should send a company out to fix your table and refund/replace your perfume.

Don't give in, stand your ground!

@ChilliBandit Not true for me. John Lewis were excellent last week when only 5 out of six v.expensive forks arrived.

They apologised, gave me a full refund and sent a 6th fork.

So we got 6 forks entirely free!

@WhosafraidofVirginiaWoolf - that’s fantastic, hopefully they have listened in the past few years then! Three years ago I had a fridge from them with no internal shelves, took 4 months of piling my food up inside the bloody thing whilst arguing with John Lewis whilst they kept sending me to the supplier who kept sending the wrong parts. I also had a washing machine from them break down after 4 washes and they refused to help and made me go through the supplier. I haven’t bought anything from them since.

Not a lawyer but I would think of you purchased from the shop it’s for the shop to sort. It might be different if it was a concession though

Ex-Estee Lauder employee here.

Unless you bought an item through John Lewis you used to be able to return any faulty items in to any store. Hope that helps :)

Yes - I’d do something like this. Seal up the whole thing in plastic or another box, and post it back.

You take it back to the shop that sold it to you. That’s who your ‘contract’ is with, it’s not with EL.

Obviously leave the packaging sealed.

It’s disgusting customer service from wherever you bought it and I hope you’ll share that with us once you’ve got it exchanged.

It's wrecked your table!? 😭😭

Contact Trading Standards, I found them very helpful, they will explain what you need to put in a letter, in fact they even have letter templates that you can use.

Just send it back fuck fire hazard it’s in them if owt happens

Make sure you send it as 'signed for' and take photos of it packaged up .