Aibu to think Dunelm are unreasonable?

[LadyGodHelpUs]

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?

But she spend the gift card and then a lot more it's not as though she then returned it all she still kept way over the gift card amount. Also the cash/ gift card argument doesn't make sense as someone paid dunelm with cash for the gift card before they gave it to OP ?

@QuiltedHippo it might say Dunelm on the box but they don't know if you just picked it up off the shelf or bought it from a charity shop/car boot sale.

How???!

OP buys £217 worth of goods. Pays £40 on gift card and £177 credit card
Returns goods worth £97

Therefore total spend at Dunelm after returned goods is £120.
Gift card was just £40 therefore full value has still been spent at the shop and NOT exchanged for cash

It sounds like an inefficient way to money launder. Spending all of that the 'clean' money to launder a small amount.

It sounds more like it's what's more beneficial to them, as the gift card will need to be spent with them again.

Good idea @prescribingmum

I think it’s totally unreasonable and I wouldn’t accept it.

Are people who are saying it’s reasonable of them not reading it properly? If you spend £200 including a £40 gift voucher and then take £100 of the stuff back, you have still spent the £40 voucher plus £60 of your own money. There is no reason why the £100 shouldn’t all go back to you as cash/debit card refund as appropriate.

It sounds more like it's what's more beneficial to them, as the gift card will need to be spent with them again.

100% this as @Befanadi suggested.
There is no way this could be laundering money as OP has kept goods costing the full value of the giftcard plus another £80 worth of goods on top

@LadyGodHelpUs by the way I expect you will be able to use the gift card online so you don't have to go into the store if you don't have time.
I know it seems annoying to you what they did but as someone who worked retail for years the amount of scams people would try and pull to get money, retailers unfortunately had to bring in rules like this.
Blame the con artists - not the shop.

I have used some of the things (other rug is on the floor). I accepted the gift card. Just wondering what happens now if I return another portion of this stuff? Like something goes wrong with the other rug.. are they going to attempt to palm me off with a second £40 gift card?

I’ve seen this (and been stung by!) with loads of retailers - they will refund to their gift card first so that you have to go back and spend the money with them again. I don’t like it but I get why they do it. I now only buy something with a gift card if I know I will be keeping the item.

It's unreasonable to put the full £40 back on a gift card if the goods were faulty, they can insist on the 40% or whatever of the refund going on the card. Because you returned unfaulty goods to them, they are entitled to give you all of the money back on a credit note, as they don't have to accept the return of goods at all.

Not if you've already been refunded on a gift card, no.

Standard practice. You get refund the same method as you paid.
Debit card=debit card
Cash= cash
Gift card=gift card
The cashier acted correctly

@LadyGodHelpUs if something goes 'wrong' with the rug - ie it's faulty or not as described then under your statutory rights you would be entitled to a cash refund.
If you just decide you don't want the rug then they don't actually have to give you any kind of refund (but 99% of retailers of course will give a refund with proof of purchase).

This is the norm in all retailers.

Thanks everyone. I bought a house not long ago on my own and wanted to pay off my credit card debt with as much cash as possible. I’m working really hard to get the balance reduced and it didn’t occur that I would get caught out like this.

Someone bought you a gift card, therefore giving Dunelm £40. If they give it back as cash, you can spend it elsewhere, the £40 has disappeared from their books. On the card, they get to keep it.

So it's in their interest to do it that way, plus as a PP says money laundering also a consideration. If you buy something on a debit/credit card and return it the refund has to go on the same card.

I see what you're saying. Which payment type covered that particular item?!?!? I'm not a big fan of people buying things to see how they look, or buying 2 sizes knowing that at least 1 is going back, plus I'm pretty sure they don't have to offer you a refund unless the item is faulty or unfit for purpose.

I still feel that they should have this info on the back of the receipt or somewhere prominent, so that people are clear on the T&C when they buy.

They didn’t even need to give you a refund at all so just be thankful they did.

Exactly this. If OP had spent £240 (£200 cash and £40 gift card) and returned £220 with receipts I would say she should get back £200 cash and £20 gift card. In this cash she returned less than £200 so should get all cash back. Most companies give you a refund in the means for which you paid for the goods.

Dunelm have gone down in my estimation for this OP. I thought they were a decent company, now I’m not so sure.

@LadyGodHelpUs · Today 14:29
I’ve a single mum with a child who has complex needs & I work full time. I don’t get to go out shopping often. I flew there in my lunch break.

Where did you fly from?😀

But I have spent way more than this.. £177 in cash.

Well they do have a returns policy, so you are buying knowing that you can return the unused product within the set timeframe so you are wrong here.

But their t&c say they will on the back of the receipt! They couldn’t just change that policy on the drop of a hat. I wouldn’t shop anywhere which would not allow me to exchange.

@DoNotGetADog might not want to accept it, but in reality all she'd be able to do is stomp her feet and say how unfair it is. If the product isn't faulty you're not entitled to the money back.