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!

@LittleBitofBread Too late. OP's already returned the items and received a credit note. If she'd notified the retailer of her intention to cancel the order within 14 days of receiving it, she could then have taken a further 14 days to return the order, but unfortunately she didn't do this.

And she'd still have been late by a few days.

Many businesses use 28 days terminology which covers the two periods to the max extent of the legal requirements. Saves the legal explanation and a lot of businesses don't fully understand their legal obligations anyway, they generally look at what others are doing which is legally silly. I also contract as an e-commerce specialist so have had this discussion at various times

It doesn't cover the OP situation they were returned outside the legal requirements.

I'd still ask if money really is tight, they might do it just this once but they don't have to.

Also if you don't use the credit it will be lost and it's unlikely you will be refunded if you make returns on those products bought with it.

Except OP has already been in touch with them. So what would posting on social media achieve, unless trying to make it public so that she can pressure the company into getting what she wants.

This is why I hate shopping for clothes online. You need to spend a fortune just to havr a range of things to choose from in a couple of sizes, just in case. It's not hard to clock up 400 quid even if you only intend to keep two items. Then you have all the faff of having to take them back in the time slot and wait ages to get your money credited back to your account.

As annoying as this is, you have to take it on the chin. You knew the terms and you didn't abide by them.

This is convoluted and rather unethical, but what is the returns policy on items purchased using the store credit they’ve given you? Could you use the credit to purchase £400 worth of items and then return those? Would you get store credit again or would you get a refund?

In my expierence you get re credited.
It didn't bother me when it happened as it was a store I use a lot, but the shop owners haven't fallen of the turnip truck, they know people try to find looped.

If they say yes then the company gets good publicity. If they say no there shouldn't be any "shame" on them for sticking to their guns if they give a factual and polite response like "unfortunately we make our 14 day return period very clear, we might occasionally make an exception if something is receive a day or so late due to postal delays but looking at your account you returned the items over a month after receipt."
If they say yes once they have set a precedent.
As others said the company is not in the wrong.
As a tip it maybe useful or not, but when I order on line and need to send stuff back I post an alarm for when I'm going to be going past the post office, in post locker, evri store as a reminder to send stuff back.

@Ilikeadrink14 Eh?! WTF?! I have the option of accessing hundreds of items of clothing which will suit my 5 ft 1 frame from a screen in my own living room in 5 seconds or I have the option of trudging miles around shops for hours in a depressing town centre to find a fraction of the clothes and paying to park. I would also only be able to go in the evening or weekends meaning I missed out on time with my child or had to drag her along with me. It's my hard earned money I'm spending. Businesses give me the option of online shopping because there's a demand for it and it makes them money. You can f right off if you think I'm going to stop using a service that's offered to me by a business and makes my life exponentially easier because some mumsnet priest tells me to 🤣

You’ve been lucky so far if you often forget to return things on time. Suck it up and remember to return things on time.

Nothing to add but I just wanted to sympathise because I have been in your shoes many times!

Buy £400 of stuff from them again; return it promptly and get your money back.

Thisisittheapocalypse

Buy £400 of stuff from them again; return it promptly and get your money back,

I dont understand this.
Op will still be in the same position, she will have a £400 credit note wouldn't she?

You don't get money back from credit notes or vouchers

If bought your refund its retuned via your form of payment so this case will be a credit note

"making something public" and even "pressure" aren't the same as "shame" though

You can't just make up your own definitions of words!

You snooze you lose.

Take the win.

Yep! ADHD tax!

I don’t think there is anything you can do.

You can try selling the credit note, you won’t get full value for it. Or buy items with it that you can then sell BNWT.

Next time you do an online order, put the return deadline in your diary (in fact a day or two early) as soon as the items arrive. I do this, it has saved me several times.

If you genuinely think that you are being treated unfairly (ADHD tax) due to a disability (diagnosed ADHD) then I'm sure the company would have to work with you to find a better solution.

You might be right, but lots of people with adhd probably lack the execution function to negotiate any kind of solution with these companies in any case.

My adhd definitely costs me a lot in multiple ways, but I just accept it tbh. Like most people with adhd, I tend to blame myself for my struggles in any case, even though I know rationally that they're part of the adhd.

Nope. Her statuatory rights are the same as everyone else’s. Reasonable adjustments apply to employees, not customers.

Thanks. Interesting. What rules/laws apply when shops have to provide access for disabled customers? That's the sort of thing I was thinking of.

Don't be ridiculous, where does it end. OP is perfectly capable, she just thought she'd get away with it because she's always managed before. I'm sure she won't forget again.

I was challenging the term “ADHD tax.”

Well what would be the purpose of contacting them on a public forum then?