Forgot to return purchases on time, retailer is charging me

[user120525]

I stupidly forgot to return £400(!!) worth of clothes within the retailer's 14 day returns eligibility window (perimenopause brain?). So I just posted the lot back to them and wrote them a nice email asking if I could please get a refund onto my original payment method (credit card).
They wrote back saying they've given me £400 credit onto my online account instead. I don't want this credit, I really need the money back.
I realise that I am entirely in the wrong here but was wondering if anyone knows or has ideas for recourse here so I can get actual real money refunded back to me?! TIA!

Do you deliberately buy hundreds of pounds worth of clothing which you intend to return? So, you’re maybe wanting one dress but you buy 10 to try one and then return the rest? Because you say you do this a lot and no one has ever said no. You’re the reason that shops are starting to say no. Stop buying hundreds of pounds of clothes when you know you’re planning to send most of it back.

Use the vouchers to buy some clothes, then sell them on eBay BNWTs? You'll get some of your money back at least.

Where did I say they should be shamed online? I said she could try SM. It is possible to be pleasant online you know.

Why does she need to turn to social media if they can communicate via email?

The only reason someone would turn to social media is to make the problem public and try and pressure the other side into getting what they want. So in order words, shame them.

It's a blackmail tactic even done politely.

E-commerce is well used to people going straight to social media, it does nothing to help the case unless they've actually done something wrong and you've gone through all the usual channels to no avail.

Sorry I have no sympathy you do this often. Don't used ADHD as an excuse. No reason you couldn't have put a reminder in your calendar. Suck it up, at least you got credit.

What difference does it make??
She returned the items late - doesn’t matter if it was Harrods or Shein

This!!!

Most companies will have terms and conditions that state returns outside x period will be credited not refunded. IF they accept them.

I think you were lucky to get the credit.

It's shit, I've been you multiple times forgetting to return stuff.

I hate it when people make excuses such as ‘peri brain’ or ‘adhd’ and then admit it’s something they do all the time.

if you’re aware that you keep ordering lots of stuff and return it late, then just stop doing it!

It’s because of customers doing this that retailers have these rules.
You had the items for over a month, in the world of “fast fashion” they’re almost out of season. It feels harsh but take it as a lesson

Why did you order 400 quids worth of stuff and then return it all? That is s lot of stuff!!
You could try email again and asking nicely, but at the end of the day you didn't follow their rules so it's hard luck. I don't think it's right to take this sort of thing to social media, the company haven't done anything wrong.

Wow you are very lucky that they have given you credit, most stores would not do that.

You cannot do anything about it because you were at fault.
I would just be thankful that you didn’t lose £400 completely.

If you don’t usually shop in that store could you ask that it’s put on gift cards and give them to people for Christmas presents (check the expiry date first).

But surely if they don't use a shop where you can try stuff on people will buy multiple items. Pictures don't show fit, thinest of material, even correct colour sometimes.

The store credit is their goodwill gesture. You're not entitled to a refund. Suck it up.

Exactly. And considerably enabled by social media.

Or put a reminder note into your smart phone!

The company was generous. What do you expect to achieve by taking to SM?

And please don’t blame “peri brain”. Late middle aged women have enough crap to deal with without it being assumed that none of them can perform a simple task on time.

However this is the first retailer ever who has not given me my money back...

If you mean here you usually do returns late then I have no sympathy, set a reminder on your phone or something 3 days before the last day you have to return.
Even if this was the first late return you’ve done, companies have their rules on returns easily to read so if you want your money back you follow the process

I have reminders in my smartphone for everything. Usually on repeat. My brain is more than capable of completely tuning these things out, so they don't always help in the way that they might help an NT person..

Those who are saying that the OP shouldn't blame her adhd probably don't understand adhd that well.

I'm not saying that the shop should refund her, by the way. In her shoes, I would accept that it was my fault and suck it up.

Adhd is just expensive, and I pay that "adhd tax" more often than I would care to admit. But to suggest that people with adhd could just turn off their difficulties if they made more effort is ridiculous.

Why take it to social media? They’ve followed their part of the process so why go social media. OP would look very foolish considering she is in the wrong

I have paid the adhd tax many times too! You can’t shame the company when it’s your fault! I put alarms on my phone for virtually everything, it really helps!

So if you struggle with returning things on time, why don't you put notifications in your calendar so that you'll be sent reminders on time? I don't see how this is anybody else's problem but yours.

Ah thanks OP!
You reminded me that I need to return a pair of school trousers that don't fit.
I am nearly outside the 14 day return period so I've sent them an email.
I really don't want credit for the school uniform website - he's sitting his GCSEs right now and my uniform days are nearly over!

I have neither ADHD or peri-brain, I just live life by the seat of my pants.

She might already do this.

I have adhd. I have reminders on my Google calendar on my phone. On my Alexa devices. And on my paper calendar. Sometimes, my brain tunes out all of them.

For stuff that is really important, I ask my dh or my dd to remind me, as I don't tune out real humans in the way I tune our automated reminders. But I only do that for the really important stuff because it isn't fair on them otherwise.