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?

This. Its well known that people try this. Its the same as money going back on the bank card instead of them giving you the cash instead.

Same in Marks and Spencer. And then it took them ages to post me another giftcard so it was quite annoying, but I can see why it's done.

Wtaf? You would make a really bad money launderer.😄

Surely that’s only the case if she’d returned everything. She didn’t return ALL the stuff, she returned less than half the total value.

Well you're wrong and it did. I've also done it mixing a debit card and gift card. They refund to card first and then any extra to gift card.

This is normal practice across the uk to prevent money laundering - although it’s inconvenient it’s not then being unreasonable

I'm actually so surprised the amount of people who just don't get it😂

The op is not swapping her gift card for cash.

The op has spent the gift card.

And then paid for extra bits using cash.

Returned part of order which was paid with cash.

Then received another gift card instead of cash meaning the OP now has to shop at dunelm with her refund rather than receiving the cash back to chose where they spend it.

Shops do this so you are forced to use the refund amount to shop in said store.

@Everanewbie @Headabovetheparakeet in my experience of working in retail, refunds will always go back onto the gift card first. Generally gift cards are exempt from normal refund policies - the terms and conditions of the gift card will have been agreed to by whoever purchased the the gift card.

not sure if Dunelm will be the same, but OP can check the t&cs with gift card

To me, the policy clearly means "If you paid by gift card, you'll get refunded to gift card", but I accept not everyone reads it that way.

I also don't think (legally speaking) they need to explain online that money goes back onto gift cards before it goes back onto debit cards.

Both of those things can be true.

If the majority of the amount was giftcard then I would think it normal but as the bulk is card/cash then I would have dug my heels in
You are not being unreasonable

Me too! It is such a simple concept in my head yet the endless replies about money laundering just show how clueless so many are🙄 Likewise the constant replies that she’s ‘lucky’ they’re taking it back and not legally entitled to return. Actually no, if you’ve checked the returns policy before buying something in case you want to return, there’s no luck involved!

OP if you can deal with the hassle, return £40 worth of goods that you intended to keep, get a refund and buy it back with your new gift card. It is then used and you never have to use Dunelm again.

Agree strongly with PP that stores with good customer service will make it easy for you to shop there again, not force it in this way

Yep, that was my first thought. Then I had another thought 🤔and I wondered if they would insist on reimbursing on another gift card as they were originally bought on one??

YANBU.

Money laundering my arse!

@whataboutsecondbreakfast

So it's clear to you that is says something that it absolutely doesn't say?

The t&cs you posted don't mention types of payment method so or what happens if multiple methods are used, so it's really not relevant to op's issue.

And yes, of course they need to have these t&cs somewhere.

These threads always wind me up. There are people out there who think that taking something unused back for a refund (when the shop clearly advertises its returns policy) is immoral. I imagine that there are people with piles of unused crap in their homes of goods they were duty bound to keep.

The threads usually end up with someone piping up that returned goods can't be resold and will go to landfill which is BS in the majority of shops.

@prescribingmum @TreacsPotNoodle

I know. I've actually had to reread the op twice to check I'm not the one misunderstanding.

217 worth of stuff from Dunelm. I paid £40 using a gift card. Today I returned £97 worth of things. They insisted that £40 had to go back on the gift card.

Perhaps my maths is all wrong here its not my strong point tbf.

£217 spent, £97 returned equals £20 only is actually spent. So a £40 giftcard has been used to purchased £20 worth of items...most retailers won't let you partially use a gift card, its all or nothing. Thats probably the reason they returned the full amount onto another gift card. I think you were taking the piss here, but well done for trying 😂

Gift cards are not exchangeable for their monetary value - YABU

you kept (over) £40 worth of stuff so i agree it doesn’t make sense.
if you’d returned it all I could understand - but they should just consider that you used the gift card on the items you brought and kept, surely

Your reading comprehension is atrocious - YABU

You need to work on your maths I’m afraid.

@Pixiedust1234 you're right...

Maths isn't your strong suit.

Yes, maths is clearly not your strong point.

Can’t understand why people cant understand this OP - You spent £217 and only £40 on a giftcard

So the refund as long as no more than £177 should be refunded by cash or the card you paid with

£217 spent, £97 returned equals £20 only is actually spent. So a £40 giftcard has been used to purchased £20 worth of items...most retailers won't let you partially use a gift card, its all or nothing. Thats probably the reason they returned the full amount onto another gift card. I think you were taking the piss here, but well done for trying

What? I've read this three or four times but I don't understand your point at all.

217-97 does not equal 20

Also
most retailers won't let you partially use a gift card, its all or nothing.
which ones? Even the dreaded one4all or whatever it's called let you.

Which retailers don't allow it?