Returns scam

[Shakingitoff]

I ordered a top and skirt co-ord which arrived this week. It’s from a shop I haven’t heard of before but I was looking for something quite specific and this came up on google.

I tried it on the day it arrived and it didn’t fit so the next day I went on their website to start the returns process. There was a message on their returns section which said a refund will only be give if the external red tags are still in tact. There were no external red tags on my items, only a white tag attached to the label with a safety pin.

I made the refund request and then emailed them to explain that it had arrived without any external red tag to ensure there were no issues when they received it back. They replied to say their warehouse had confirmed that there were external tags and I then received another email saying my refund request had been declined due to “loss of tags”.

It’s obvious I haven’t worn the item as it arrived mid-week in the afternoon and I contacted them to return it by the next morning. Is this a scam and an excuse not to refund me? It cost £500 so I can’t afford to just write it off!

Who is the company?

They’re called “Blaiz”.

Have they got the item back? They can't have the item back and keep your money!!

How did you pay? If paypal or credit card just dispute it with them instead.

If you paid via PayPal you can escalate with them?

They have 3 Google reviews which are all 1 star - their companies house page also fills me with no confidence that they're a real business - report them to trading standards
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/09738088/filing-history

Their Trustpilot rating is superficially okay but read the comments, esp about returns: https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.blaiz.co.uk

I haven’t sent it back as they say not to send it back if the “return request” isn’t accepted because it won’t be registered as a return, the item will be lost and no refund will be given so I’m worried about ending up with neither!

It basically means a “no returns” policy since they can just reject any returns request but it cost £500 and is too small! I’m sure legally if it’s bought online they have to provide a refund.

It’s still only been two days since it arrived so I could send it back but I’m not sure whether to risk it - I’m worried they’ll just say they never received it.

I bought it on a debit card so I don’t think I’d be able to get it back through my bank.

If I've looked at the right website it says red tags or white circular ones, do you have the white ones?

The only tags are tags with the brand of the outfit (not Blaiz) which are attached to the inside label with a safety pin.

I’ve bought things from brands like Sister Jane which have an extra tag in an obvious place saying “no returns if removed” to stop people wearing it and then returning it but this doesn’t have anything like that.

Did you find the company through a facebook advert out of interest? This is the kind of scam that is rife on here. Always Trustpilot check a company you don't recognise the name of, although this a habit I think people only pick up after being scammed personally so I do feel for you (mine was cheap knock off copies of the pictures, but thankfully a lower hit price wise).

You have some protections on a debit card so its worth talking to your bank, although credit cards have more.

£500!!!

I'm surprised a company charging so much would try and pull this scam.

Usually it would be cheaper stuff that people would just write off, but nobody is going to just write off £500.

I'd email them again, send photos, say it will be being sent back and you will send my recorded delivery to have proof of receipt.

Those five star reviews scream fake to me. Lots of them are written in the same style with multiple exclamation marks. And they’re so ott about how amazing their experience was.

Yeah they look quite fake to me as well @SBHon . A lot of reviewers with very low numbers of reviews.

I'm so angry for you!
Personally I'd send it back recorded and go to the small claims court with it (caveat: I am not a lawyer! )
The onus would seem to be on them to prove the red labels were on when they sent it and they the labels are so irrelevant to the product you are buying, especially for the cost.

You must return the item within 14 days for the ‘distance selling’ rules to apply. There’s also protection if you bought with your credit card (sometimes with your debit card too, but it’s trickier. I eventually got my bank to refund me on my debit card for an item which was not as described and would have cost me a fortune to return to China! ).
Call Citizens Advice Consumer helpline for advice- I hope you get through to someone who knows what they’re talking about.
I wouldn’t really recommend going to court - even if you get a CCJ against them, are you going to go through the hassle of trying to enforce it if they don’t pay? Your best bet is your credit or debit card company - they allow the business to use them for their transactions so they have to share responsibility

Trust pilot reviews are easy to fake, don't fall for companies that use those. It's a scam, report them.