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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to expect a refund when returning an unworn item with tags within 7 days to the shop?

240 replies

MichKit · 22/08/2009 19:09

... sorry, a bit if a rant coming up. I had a wedding to attend yesterday, and so on Wednesday I went shopping for a dress to wear. I couldn't find anything I liked or in my size, so in a panic I went into an LK Bennett store (out of my price range, but I was panicking!) and paid £185 for a dress. I tried it on in the store.

Anyways, the next day, I went in to Debenhams and saw another dress that I had liked I had liked the day before, but they hadn't had it in my size then. I found it on Thursday on the sale rack in my size, so was delighted and bought it, intending to return the other one to the store. I wore the Debenhams dress to the wedding and had a great time.

Anyways, I took the LK Bennett dress back to the store today, and was told point blank that there was 'damage' to the dress, and they wouldn't refund the money. I was completely shocked, especially since it was still wrapped up. I hadn't even taken it out of the wrapping, and they said the dress was not unworn as it had marks on it. I pointed out that surely other people would have tried the dress on in store, and that could have also been the reason for the marks. Again, I was practically accused of lying, and that the dress would be sent to customer services for analysis (really???).

I realise that I should have checked the dress for any marks before I bought it, but I bloody well trusted the shop assistant who packed the dress for me!!! Plus, I know that she didn't check the dress for any damage either, and the shop assistant today is claiming that she did (the one that served me was off today) They are claiming that since the dress was 'damaged' in my care, they cannot offer me a refund.

Feeling very sick, stressed and worried now, close to tears and wondering if I have lost the money for good. Please can anyone tell me what I need to do? AIBU to expect better service from a high end store. I know I live in the Liverpool area but surely that's no excuse for treating a customer like this!!

OP posts:
hatwoman · 26/08/2009 15:30

best service I ever had was from Brabantia. our bin lid broke. dh tried to mend it and made it worse. I looked at the guarantee and it said that it was invalid if you try to mend it. bit annoying but it was there in black and white so fair enough, and our fault for mucking around with it, I thought. but I didn't want to buy a whole new bin, so I emailed them and asked if there was anywhere I could get a new lid from. One arrived in the post a few days later.

having said that, lovely as they are, brabantia bins don't make very good wedding outfits .

myredcardigan · 26/08/2009 16:38

I bought an LK bennett dress from John Lewis about 6mths ago. The dress was fine and I never had a need to take it back but what caught my eye at the till was a small note sellotaped to the till saying 'LK Bennett refunds must go through Margaret.' I now wonder if poor Margaret had to personally justify every LK Bennett refund she gave.

Good Luck.

expatinscotland · 26/08/2009 17:02

Good on you, MitchK, for fighting the good fight!

I can't believe they've been such arses!

And they'll be losing way more than £185 probably just from people on here alone who've read your thread.

I'm really on your behalf and hope you get your money back.

myredcardigan · 26/08/2009 17:19

Quite, Expat!
It will certainly make me think twice about buying another LK Bennett dress.

MissSunny · 26/08/2009 17:23

Message withdrawn

edinburger · 26/08/2009 17:55

mitchkit I hope you get a sensible outcome. In my long and varied career as I serial complainer you usually get what you want (and sometimes more!) in the end.

I have had cuase to complain to Clarks, Jones bootmakers and Alliance and Leicester among others.

With clarks it was my two year old's shoes that came apart - I tried to return them and was refused. It took several letters to head office and advise from consumer direct to get my money back and needless to say they have lost far more money now than the orignal £26 for the shoes.

With Jones I bought a pair of boots that leaked - when I took them back to complain they tried to sell me a waterproofind product!!!! They then said that they would "send them for analysis" ha ha, so I wrote to the head office and literally within minbutes they were back in touch to tell me to go the store for a full refund.

Alliance and Leicester mucked up my direct debits cuasing me to incur a £10 fee from virgin, when I wrote to complain they denied all knowledge and took ages and ages to respond. I complained to the ombudsman and got £50 plus the £10 I asked for!

As others have said complanies expect customers to just give up not to pursue the complaint. It is so short sighted as all of the companies that have tried to fleece me get slated to my friend and I am much less likely to ever buy stuff there again!

Hope you get your money back and soon

Miss sunny - so they reckoned that you took off a stitched in label but left on the tags

Original poster
MichKit · 26/08/2009 18:08

Hatwoman, lol 'brabantia bins don't make very good wedding outfits'.

I normally get my clothes from John Lewis too, and all my big purchases are from there as well. Have never had bad service from there!

The thing that really gets my goat is that they sold me a dress that was damaged, and then pointed it out to me, making it seem like it was my fault. So, like mentioned on the thread, shot themselves in the foot!

Well, I haven't heard back from them today, so its going to be another call from me tomorrow, as they are really taking the mick here now.

Good news is that the credit card company is going to investigate as well, hopefully this will be a kick in the behind! Like I mentioned before, I am a bit on the meek side, and without the support from MN probably wouldn't have had the guts to pursue this, so big to you all!

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 26/08/2009 18:13

I worked with an academic who also had Jones boots that fell apart, edinburgher!

They cost her £200 and the heel broke off one after only 2 wearings. They tried to tell her it was her fault for walking on uneven pavements and cobbled streets - it was in Edinburgh, fgs! I wrote a complaint letter for her and she got a refund - and took me to lunch .

I've written tons of complaint letters. I got £880 worth of charges back from Bank of Scotland, £13 from PayPal after a rogue buyer on Ebay tried to fleece me, £6000 of WTC the TCO said they overpaid me after they failed to correct their own errors for three years (I had no less than 8 letters I'd written them via Recorded Delivery over the years in my files), £600 Scottish Power said I owed them off their crap readings (little did they realise I took photos of our metre with my digital camera, all dated and timed).

Goods cost a lot in the UK, don't let people rip you off when they're shoddy!

They don't deserve your money, or anyone else's!

edinburger · 26/08/2009 18:17

Totally agree with you expat

Well done for the letter to Jones - it was the edinburgh branch I dealt with and they were awful!

some people think I am a bit nutty for taking my complaints further but I just cannot bear crap service. I have limited cash and want to get the best deal with it.

Original poster
MichKit · 26/08/2009 18:17

Expat, you're my new hero

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 26/08/2009 18:19

Mitch, you're telling the truth here. They are the ones who sold you a crap dress they shouldn't have even had out for people to buy and ripped you off.

Original poster
MichKit · 26/08/2009 18:19

Edinburger, that's precisely my point. I have very limited cash too, and there's no harm in wanting the best deal. And rude/bad service makes me !! Especially since I am a loyal customer to anyone who treats me with respect.

OP posts:
Original poster
MichKit · 26/08/2009 18:24

Though, again, I wouldn't have been so assertive, without the support of you guys! It makes a huge difference to know that I am not being completely unreasonable in expecting a better class of service, and a refund on damaged goods.

OP posts:
Morloth · 26/08/2009 18:37

Its the squeaky wheel thing, if you don't make a fuss about it no-one will.

fanjolina · 26/08/2009 18:41

Good luck Mich.

Hey - maybe your quest will be the thread published in the Daily Mail this week? That'll teach them!

Squishabelle · 26/08/2009 18:44

Oooooohhh - I do hope so. I wonder if anyone from LK Bennett is aware of this thread yet?

Original poster
MichKit · 26/08/2009 18:44

Ooooh, I love the Daily Mail (not)

OP posts:
yada · 26/08/2009 19:03

a friend and i were actually looking at dresses in lkb for a function we have coming up, no way will i be going there now.

Original poster
MichKit · 26/08/2009 19:51

That's the thing. We have another wedding coming up and the bride was thinking of going to LKB with the bridesmaids (am maid of honour, so will be wearing my Debenhams dress again) but now they've all said no way they are going there. We are all off to John Lewis or Debenhams now. So they've lost loads more already than if they'd just refunded me in the first place! And I darn well am going to make sure I get my money off them anyway!

And Yada, if you do go there (god forbid!) make sure you get a written assurance from them regarding returns, plus check the dresses with a hawk's eye before buying, amkign sure they are well aware of any damage. Also buy with credit cards, so at least you have a litle more protection!!

OP posts:
Original poster
MichKit · 26/08/2009 19:52

** making, even

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 26/08/2009 20:01

That's the spirit, Mitch.

I'd never in my life be able to afford a £185 dress BUT that is entirely beside the point.

They're taking the proverbial piss and being arsey to you about it and it shouldn't have been on the rack at all.

spicemonster · 26/08/2009 20:04

I have nothing much to add except good for you and that I shall no longer be darkening LK Bennett's doors. I have spent £££ in there over the years and I can't believe they treat people so badly who return clothing which is still wrapped, not just with its tags on. I am really and disgusted at that.

spicemonster · 26/08/2009 20:04

Oops - I mean , not obviously!

expatinscotland · 26/08/2009 20:04

It's a recession. And just by coming on this thread people have already learned that there are other retailers out there who don't need to hand out written documents to their customers in order to deliver good service.

So guess who will be getting the custom?

There are too many good retailers out there to waste time with shops who aren't.

Original poster
MichKit · 26/08/2009 20:06

Expat, yeah I know what you mean about the £185. I've never bought a dress that cost so much, and this was my first time in LKB. DH has no idea how much I paid for it, he'd throw a major wobbly if he ever found out, bless him! And the dress I wore from Debenhams cost me £24 in the end anyway.

Its just that panic I had about having to go to the wedding and having nothing to wear, especially since all my dresses were bought pre-DD [my excuse for having keeping the extra pounds around the tum ]

OP posts: