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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

WWYD- accidentally refunded

53 replies

Accidentalrefund · 30/08/2023 13:47

Not so much AIBU but more a WWYD.

A few weeks ago I ordered some items online from a big clothing retailer, to pick up using Click and Collect. When I went to collect the woman who worked there found my package but struggled to get the barcode to scan. She tried for a while but I think it had been stuck on a bit wonky and the machine wouldn’t recognise it. In the end a queue had built up and she said I could just take it, she could see I had the confirmation email with my name and order number etc which matched the package. Took the items home and liked them.

A few days later I got an email reminding me to collect my order and they only hold it for a week. A few more days later I got another email saying my order had been cancelled and would be refunded to me- I guess because according to their records I never collected it. I have now received the refund in my bank account. For information the order was under £40 and it was a big national retailer.

So WWYD?
YANBU- keep quiet and keep the refund
YABU- contact the company and explain that I did collect the items (and may be asked to repay refund)

OP posts:
Thementalloadisreal · 30/08/2023 13:50

I’d email them, personally. If they ask to pay then that’s just put you back to square one. But I’m not sure they can charge you now, I doubt they can reverse a refund if it’s in your account already. It’s likely they’ll just say not your fault, appreciate your honesty etc.

dooneyousmugelf · 30/08/2023 14:08

I'd do bugger all about it and think no more of it tbh

paradoxicalfrog · 30/08/2023 14:19

I'd email them. I was recently sent two parcels of rat bait when I had only ordered one. I was told to keep it.

Mammyloveswine · 30/08/2023 14:39

dooneyousmugelf · 30/08/2023 14:08

I'd do bugger all about it and think no more of it tbh

This!

uncomfortablydumb53 · 30/08/2023 14:41

I'd also keep it with a clear conscience
Their system wouldn't recognise the item if you tried to pay it back, I don't think

ActDottie · 30/08/2023 14:49

I’d just take the £40 given it’s a big retailer.

FluffyRabbitGal · 30/08/2023 14:53

I’d pay it forward. The assistant chose to not to follow the correct procedure which resulted in you getting a refund and by the sounds of it you were happy to pay. I’m sure a local charity or food bank would appreciate the donation that a large multinational could afford to lose.

LakeTiticaca · 30/08/2023 14:53

Dont worry about it. They can afford the odd blip . It will just end up as a missing parcel on the system.
Enjoy your free items 😉

DrManhattan · 30/08/2023 14:54

Depends how honest you are

DingDongDenny · 30/08/2023 14:54

If you want to keep a clear conscience then you could email their customer service. I doubt they will reply

Magenta65 · 30/08/2023 14:55

Similarly has happened today for me for £150, I’m not saying a word. There’s no way to repay it anyway and it’s their error. I have made the payment once successfully anything after is their fault

Hollyppp · 30/08/2023 15:00

I would contact the company and let them know their mistake. I used to work in a retailer head office and honestly loads of these companies are almost at their knees eg Marks Spencer, John Lewis. They are experiencing super high volumes of theft from stores at the moment too, so they are losing money quite a bit. Personally I want them to be still around in a few years time. So I would want to pay for my items fair and square.

CremeEggThief · 30/08/2023 15:02

Enjoy it and see it as a bit of payback for all the times you've been probably been overcharged in the past, of course!

HB1974 · 30/08/2023 15:03

That happened to me when a parcel was delivered to the wrong address. I was refunded and then a couple of days later the person who received my parcel brought it round!

She and I had both tried and failed to sort it out with the company by phoning so I gave up and kept it.

£60 worth of underwear and vest tops. 😀

VeridicalVagabond · 30/08/2023 15:03

I'd contact them personally. Having worked in retail I imagine an error like this would be more of a faff to correct than it's worth and they'll not do anything about it anyway.

Caterina99 · 30/08/2023 15:06

I’d do nothing and donate £40 to foodbank/charity.

If it was a small shop then yes I’d contact them to explain it, but a large retailer can afford to lose £40 and their systems will probably make the whole process so confusing for everyone that it’s likely they will just tell you not to worry about it anyway.

DinoMummsy · 30/08/2023 15:11

Defo keep it - it's their mistake

KaarijasBowlCut · 30/08/2023 15:18

I also received a refund in error recently. It was from a medium sized online clothing company and came about due to them sending me the wrong items 3 times and the resulting returned parcels/replacements.

It had been a real mess - though they were lovely to deal with! - so I was conflicted. I left it a couple of days in case they were unpicking the midden behind the scenes and I would eventually be charged for the items I'd received, but there was no contact. I emailed them and said I'd received about £90 I shouldn't have. They thanked me for my honesty and admitted they didn't have a way of recouping it.

I bought a couple more items from them with some of the £90 and it went some way to assuaging my guilt.

ichifanny · 30/08/2023 15:20

Don’t tell them the employee will get in trouble

Alargeoneplease89 · 30/08/2023 15:21

Keep quiet or if you feel some weird guilt donate it to charity .... my PayPal is ... 😂

WonderingWanda · 30/08/2023 15:23

You can try and contact them but often errors like that don't get corrected. I was once sent double the order for some expensive curtains. When I went online to do a return it was trying to refund me so I rang the company and explained that I needed a return but not a refund as they'd accidentally sent too many. Nice chap emailed me a return label. Send them back and then got a refund anyway. I gave up at that point.

Sarvanga38 · 30/08/2023 15:29

In my experience with John Lewis, phoning to tell them that they have made a mistake and refunded you too much/twice flummoxes them so much that they don't know what to do with themselves.

I would phone or email, but I would also expect that they won't succeed in re-taking the payment as their systems won't cope with it. However, your conscience will be clear.

SquirrelFeeder · 30/08/2023 15:30

ActDottie · 30/08/2023 14:49

I’d just take the £40 given it’s a big retailer.

This is why prices go up!

Imsureitsprobablymebut · 30/08/2023 15:31

I was refunded £350 for a ‘lost clothes parcel’. I let them know.
I reasoned that I wanted it and thought it was worth the money, plus you can’t put a price on having a clean conscience 😇
I also didn’t want them to come knocking when/if they realised and I didn’t have the money then!

They were so grateful and sent me out a lovely gift !

SquirrelFeeder · 30/08/2023 15:32

Accidentalrefund · 30/08/2023 13:47

Not so much AIBU but more a WWYD.

A few weeks ago I ordered some items online from a big clothing retailer, to pick up using Click and Collect. When I went to collect the woman who worked there found my package but struggled to get the barcode to scan. She tried for a while but I think it had been stuck on a bit wonky and the machine wouldn’t recognise it. In the end a queue had built up and she said I could just take it, she could see I had the confirmation email with my name and order number etc which matched the package. Took the items home and liked them.

A few days later I got an email reminding me to collect my order and they only hold it for a week. A few more days later I got another email saying my order had been cancelled and would be refunded to me- I guess because according to their records I never collected it. I have now received the refund in my bank account. For information the order was under £40 and it was a big national retailer.

So WWYD?
YANBU- keep quiet and keep the refund
YABU- contact the company and explain that I did collect the items (and may be asked to repay refund)

OP, if somebody (even your employer) puts money in your account which is not meant for you/not owed to you and you spend it, you can be prosecuted for theft. Yes I know you're unlikely to be prosecuted for keeping an accidental refund but I personally don't see how this is any different