Page 13 | Aibu to think Dunelm are unreasonable?

LadyGodHelpUs · 2023-01-09T14:18:35+00:00

On Saturday I bought £217 worth of stuff from Dunelm. I paid £40 using a gift card given to me as a Christmas present. The rest I paid by card. Today I returned £97 worth of things. They insisted that £40 had to go back on the gift card. I wasn’t made aware of this or I would have carried out separate transactions. I didn’t sign anything and it didn’t mention this on the back of the receipt where it said refunds would be no problem within the set time period. AIBU that this is unfair practice?

ABBAsnumberonefan · 10/01/2023 13:07

Face2facet · 10/01/2023 09:35

I usually never look beyond John Lewis, and I have had this exact situation with them (part payment gift voucher, part payment card) and they didn’t refund we a gift voucher as they are not complete arseholes who have to force customers to use their shop.

John Lewis has its flaws, but they don’t go as far as indulging in this sort of nonsense (even though many say on here that what they are doing is illegal!).

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Aww that’s nice! Still no need for the dramatics was there 🙄

prescribingmum · 10/01/2023 13:13

@Dailydripfed Retail laws that are not relevant to the OP.

Honestly it is like banging your head on a brick wall with some people on MN.

It really isn't that difficult to comprehend. Especially when the maths have been calculated by multiple poster which makes it clear she was not asking for a cash alternative. Telling the OP the shop didn't need to be so generous when the OP has said multiple times she checked the returns policy before purchase to ensure she could get a refund is also pointless

This thread makes me despair for children if their parents can't comprehend basic English and Maths

Dailydripfed · 10/01/2023 13:13

prescribingmum · 10/01/2023 13:13

@Dailydripfed Retail laws that are not relevant to the OP.

Honestly it is like banging your head on a brick wall with some people on MN.

It really isn't that difficult to comprehend. Especially when the maths have been calculated by multiple poster which makes it clear she was not asking for a cash alternative. Telling the OP the shop didn't need to be so generous when the OP has said multiple times she checked the returns policy before purchase to ensure she could get a refund is also pointless

This thread makes me despair for children if their parents can't comprehend basic English and Maths

🥱

zingally · 10/01/2023 13:35

It's likely down to the amount spent. Plus to turn around less than 48 hours later and say "actually I don't want half of this stuff", smells a bit fishy tbh. I'm not in the least bit surprised you were given a gift card instead.

UncleQuentinsWife · 10/01/2023 14:08

I'm not in the least bit surprised you were given a gift card instead.
I am.

mewkins · 10/01/2023 14:11

zingally · 10/01/2023 13:35

It's likely down to the amount spent. Plus to turn around less than 48 hours later and say "actually I don't want half of this stuff", smells a bit fishy tbh. I'm not in the least bit surprised you were given a gift card instead.

Dunelm will deal with returns constantly. They have a policy for them so they will be totally used to someone returning a rug that doesn't fit their room. Nothing fishy about it. She had a receipt. She spent plenty of her own cash in the shop. She should get that back.

mewkins · 10/01/2023 14:13

prescribingmum · 10/01/2023 13:13

@Dailydripfed Retail laws that are not relevant to the OP.

Honestly it is like banging your head on a brick wall with some people on MN.

It really isn't that difficult to comprehend. Especially when the maths have been calculated by multiple poster which makes it clear she was not asking for a cash alternative. Telling the OP the shop didn't need to be so generous when the OP has said multiple times she checked the returns policy before purchase to ensure she could get a refund is also pointless

This thread makes me despair for children if their parents can't comprehend basic English and Maths

I'm always surprised by how people's brains work. I worked in a shop when I was 16 and managed to get my head round returns, stock levels, balancing the tills etc. I can't believe how illogical people can be.

Headabovetheparakeet · 10/01/2023 14:25

@Dailydripfed

You're asking @prescribingmum what's wrong with her and saying there was no need for her response. Meanwhile @Teddysbackyard66 has called her a bitch, a twat and joked about kicking sand in her vagina.

Looks like your handle on appropriate behaviour is just as bad as your reading comprehension.

Ripples2 · 10/01/2023 16:08

prescribingmum · 10/01/2023 13:13

@Dailydripfed Retail laws that are not relevant to the OP.

Honestly it is like banging your head on a brick wall with some people on MN.

It really isn't that difficult to comprehend. Especially when the maths have been calculated by multiple poster which makes it clear she was not asking for a cash alternative. Telling the OP the shop didn't need to be so generous when the OP has said multiple times she checked the returns policy before purchase to ensure she could get a refund is also pointless

This thread makes me despair for children if their parents can't comprehend basic English and Maths

I’m with you. It’s depressing to see the lack of comprehension.

So to illustrate:
£20- nice lamp
£20- fancy hot water bottle (these 2 items covered by gift card)
£80- mirror (these 2 items paid for by cash)
£97- red rug
OP returns the £97 red rug and is told that she can have a £40 gift card and £57 cash back.

She’s already spent the gift card but now some of her own money is being converted to a gift card. Does this make sense to anyone who’s struggling? (and before anyone says anything this is an ILLUSTRATIVE example)

mewkins · 10/01/2023 16:33

Ripples2 · 10/01/2023 16:08

I’m with you. It’s depressing to see the lack of comprehension.

So to illustrate:
£20- nice lamp
£20- fancy hot water bottle (these 2 items covered by gift card)
£80- mirror (these 2 items paid for by cash)
£97- red rug
OP returns the £97 red rug and is told that she can have a £40 gift card and £57 cash back.

She’s already spent the gift card but now some of her own money is being converted to a gift card. Does this make sense to anyone who’s struggling? (and before anyone says anything this is an ILLUSTRATIVE example)

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Brace yourself for someone asking why a hot water bottle would cost £20 😄

Needmorelego · 10/01/2023 16:38

Conclusion about this thread...
Many customers find retailers returns policies annoying.
Many retailers find customers that buy and then return stuff annoying.
@LadyGodHelpUs you could advertise the gift card for sale on local Facebook. You see it a lot this time of year. Unwanted christmas gifts and all that. Then you will have your £40 in cash.
🙂

Needmorelego · 10/01/2023 16:39

Oh and..
Many retail workers also find the refund policies annoying but unfortunately they have to just follow them.

Wonnle · 10/01/2023 16:54

mogsrus · 09/01/2023 23:01

40£ on a gift card would need to be returned to the card used. We had this a lot when working in Argos yrs ago. 50£ on card 50£ on visa. They would return stuff & try to get it all back on visa. Nope, that is not happening. 50 on each card or walk away

Read the OP for gods sake !

ABBAsnumberonefan · 10/01/2023 17:59

Ripples2 · 10/01/2023 16:08

I’m with you. It’s depressing to see the lack of comprehension.

So to illustrate:
£20- nice lamp
£20- fancy hot water bottle (these 2 items covered by gift card)
£80- mirror (these 2 items paid for by cash)
£97- red rug
OP returns the £97 red rug and is told that she can have a £40 gift card and £57 cash back.

She’s already spent the gift card but now some of her own money is being converted to a gift card. Does this make sense to anyone who’s struggling? (and before anyone says anything this is an ILLUSTRATIVE example)

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She paid £40 on a gift card and £40 was refunded on the gift card - where has her own money been put onto the gift card? She’s not lost out. She went in with a £40 gift card, used it, returned some bits, had £40 put back on the gift card.

It’s depressing to see your lack of comprehension and lack of thinking.

Ripples2 · 10/01/2023 18:08

ABBAsnumberonefan · 10/01/2023 17:59

She paid £40 on a gift card and £40 was refunded on the gift card - where has her own money been put onto the gift card? She’s not lost out. She went in with a £40 gift card, used it, returned some bits, had £40 put back on the gift card.

It’s depressing to see your lack of comprehension and lack of thinking.

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The retailer made that choice not the customer. They decided to weigh it in their favour. That’s the point 🙈
In that example whatever the customer returned was the items that the retailer has deemed to have been paid with the gift card.

LittleBrenda · 10/01/2023 18:20

Sartre · 10/01/2023 13:03

As others have said, it’s because people will buy stuff using the gift card then return the stuff for a cash refund.

Could you explain what you mean? Really delve into the numbers and see if if your argument makes any sense,

mewkins · 10/01/2023 18:50

ABBAsnumberonefan · 10/01/2023 17:59

She paid £40 on a gift card and £40 was refunded on the gift card - where has her own money been put onto the gift card? She’s not lost out. She went in with a £40 gift card, used it, returned some bits, had £40 put back on the gift card.

It’s depressing to see your lack of comprehension and lack of thinking.

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Dear god. The op got a 40 gift card. Spent it plus her own cash. And then got another £40 giftcard back that she needs to spend in their shop. So she has to now spend 80 in their shop rather than just the original 40.

mewkins · 10/01/2023 18:53

Sartre · 10/01/2023 13:03

As others have said, it’s because people will buy stuff using the gift card then return the stuff for a cash refund.

Easily solved. Refund back to credit card for any value over the gift card's original value and write it on the receipt.

mewkins · 10/01/2023 18:57

pigsDOfly · 09/01/2023 23:45

How was the shop supposed to know that the £40 gift card was to pay specifically for the rug the OP kept? Are they supposed to read her mind, because she doesn't say she told them that that was her intention.

She bought other things as well, maybe they thought she had wanted to use the gift card for the things she returned.

Anyway, that's not how gift cards work, the refund would have gone back onto gift card as a matter of course.

It's not unethical or sharp practice. It's how these things work. If you return something bought with a gift card they will put the refund back onto the gift card. Even if you spend more than the gift card's value the refund will always go back onto the gift card first.

Why are people finding that so difficult to understand?

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Do you know how shops and transactions work?

And no it doesn't always happen as a matter of course because plenty of other poster on this thread (as both customers and sales assistants) have said that other shops do things differently eg. The fairer way.

Desertbarncat · 10/01/2023 19:01

it’s a loss prevention thing. If someone returns items without a receipt, they are given a gift card and not cash back.

jtaeapa · 10/01/2023 19:02

I think it’s crappy. I’d not spend money there again.

mewkins · 10/01/2023 19:10

Desertbarncat · 10/01/2023 19:01

it’s a loss prevention thing. If someone returns items without a receipt, they are given a gift card and not cash back.

She had a receipt.🤦‍♀️

QuillBill · 10/01/2023 20:09

Desertbarncat · 10/01/2023 19:01

it’s a loss prevention thing. If someone returns items without a receipt, they are given a gift card and not cash back.

I can't believe someone has managed to come up with a new mythical scenario. Well done

DustyDood · 10/01/2023 21:56

Sorry if this has already been said, I got as far as about page 8 and it was doing my head in trying to work out whether this was fair or not.

I wrote it out for myself in the explanation below, using round numbers to make it as simple as possible. I may have got this wrong and please correct me if I have but as far as I can tell, as things stand (Scenario 1 below) the only ones benefitting are Dunelm, who currently have an extra £40 in their coffers, above the value of the goods that have actually been sold. That will only only change if OP remembers to use her gift card to purchase another £40 worth of items, then things will be all square.

The refund only has to be above or equal to the value the gift card was sold for, for Dunelm to be able to refund in cash and not be out of pocket. Of course they don’t follow that policy though, they’d much rather have the £40 in their coffers, waiting to potentially be claimed against OPs currently unused gift card.

Gift card bought by gift giver for 40 cash.
Goods bought by OP value: 200
OP paid 160 cash
OP paid 40 gift card

For the total transactions above Dunelm received 200 cash. Goods sold value: 200. All square.

Scenario 1:
100 worth of goods returned
Dunelm refund 40 gift card 60 cash
Dunelm has therefore received 140 cash
for goods sold of value 100
If OP remembers to use gift card in future then goods sold value is 140. Cash received 140. All square. If OP forgets to use gift card, Dunelm are £40 up.

Scenario 2:
100 worth of goods returned
Dunelm refund 100 cash
Dunelm has therefore received 100 cash for goods sold with value of 100.

Ripples2 · 10/01/2023 22:46

Yeah pretty much. Although they currently have £160 of cash (£120 from OP by the time we take the cash portion of the refund in to account & the £40 originally paid in cash by her friend) in exchange for £120 worth of stock and a £40 gift card which can be redeemed at a later date.

So now they’ve guaranteed a £160 total spend with Dunelm.

If Dunelm had given the OP the entirety of her refund in cash they’d have £80 from OP and £40 from her friend= £120 total spend with Dunelm.

(Again before anyone says anything- I’m sure OP can can choose to redeem the whole lot (minus the £40 gift card)). For a total spend of £40 with Dunelm, but it’s a bit underhanded from them.