Coast/Debenhams warning

[DeepfriedPizza]

I posted this on shopping and it was suggested I post it here too

I ordered many dresses from coast for a wedding. I tried to return them and on the returns portal it was only giving me an option to refund to gift card. I contacted customer services and their response was it was a system issue and they can't correct it. Now I am stuck with a £360 gift card for coast/debenhams. I am going to try to escalate it because it is ridiculous but just wanted to warn people.

It says on their website that if you order from a concession you will only get store credit if you return items.

https://www.debenhams.com/pages/informational/returns

how did you pay? if credit card or paypal i would be disputing the payment.

I don't think that's legal though is it? Pretty sure distance selling rules gives you the right to 'cancel' within 14 days for a full refund. The boohoo group are a bunch of crooks and I would never order from one of their companies again.

Debenhams are awful now

Inofered chairs - courier delivered to wrong address - Debenhams wouldn’t refund as they say they were sold by an associate company and not Debenhams. Associate company denied it. I’d paid Debenhams so expected my refund. A year later and still going around in circles

I am noticing this more and more with online shopping.
Instead of offering a refund the system is pre-set to getting a gift card and you have to actually change the setting to get a refund.
Appreciate this isn't what happened in your circumstances OP but just saying as a warning to others.
OP don't mess about get the telephone number of the Chief Execs office at Debenhams, ring them and tell them you want a refund or you are going to trading standards, hopefully that will do the trick.
Debenhams must be in serious financial difficulty if they are behaving in this manner, the sooner you get your money back the better.
You don't need the stress OP it is a blooming nightmare but don't mess about either go straight to the top, good luck.

Where does it say that? That link for me just shows that there is an option for store credit, not that it's the only option.

I've stopped ordering from Debenhams only because it's a pita having to send returns back separately to different concessions. I've always got my money back though. The WhatsApp customer service is usually OK. Definitely wouldn't accept that much on a gift card, that's awful. I'd consider raising a dispute in my credit/debit card for refund not received

Try the Financial Ombudsman too if you don't have any joy. I had a terrible issue with The White Co and getting a refund. These were really good.

Just to clear some things up. I didn't order from Debenhams. I ordered from Coast so no concessions involved. Debenhams customer services are the ones answering the messages hence why I put it in my title.

They only received my return yesterday so I haven't had the refund yet. I will give it a few days and I will raise a dispute through my credit card.

I ordered some flip-flops for holiday from debenhams in july, they sent 2 in different coloured flipflops. The absolute aggro I went through to get a refund was ridiculous, I almost gave up. I requested the returns label when I was on holiday to be within the 2 week window but I was away and the shoes were at home, when I tried to use the label on my return over a week later (but still well within the 28 day returns window) it wouldn't scan. I had to message their chat function (a bot initially) went around in circles, when it was finally passed to a human they'd start to reply and then disappear for 24 hours before carrying on the conversation like there hadn't been a 24 hour delay, it took days of having half a conversation and then 24 hours of silence. It look ages for them to return my money too. The amount of hassle I will never buy from there again. I have bought makeup with free next day delivery much cheaper than anywhere else but I refuse to buy anything from there now on principle (I'm sure they care 🤣).

Why does coast use debenhams customer services if you bought direct from coast?

They should offer you a full refund if you requested the return within 14 days anyway whether it's coast or debenhams you bought the items as unseen in terms of the consumer laws, if you paid on credit card I'd contact them and get a refund that way, they are a complete nightmare to contact.

I'd suggest you use next if you want to order lots to try on and return, I am yet to have an issue with next (and I order lots!). Well they did actually send 2 completely different shoes a few months ago but I went into the store and they sorted it within 30 seconds.

I did use Next for some dresses but they didn't suit.

I am in dispute with Silkfred too as I ordered some dresses from them and returned, they received them then went into administration. I have raised that one through my cc company already.

I am just so jaded. I would happily shop the high street and always have but now there is very few places to go.

Honestly I wouldn't be surprised if the boohoo group were to go into.administration too. They've had to refinance a load of debt I think which is supposedly made them ok for.a but but the cost cutting on customer service is a false saving. They're losing customers left right and centre. I was a Karen Millen customer for 20 odd years. Didn't realise they'd been taken over by Boohoo (or Debenhams as they're rebounding themselves) I will never buy from any of their companies again.

Debenhams are a nightmare! I ordered a Christmas present for my DS (play kitchen) from them because it was a good deal, and I foolishly thought they had just moved to an online platform but would still be reliable Debenhams. A day later got an email telling me my refund was being processed as I had cancelled my order - I hadn’t - and I still had to pay the shipping fee! Granted it’s a much smaller cost than £360 but still annoyed me. I emailed them and was told the item was out of stock so they’d refunded me, I asked why I had still been charged for shipping a non existent item and never got a response. Will be avoiding them for good now I know it’s actually boohoo in disguise.

I ordered a few dresses from Coast back in June for a wedding. Took about 6 weeks to get my refund. I kept contacting them through their FB messenger and was told the refund had been 'issued' but that didnt' actually mean the refund had been made.

Will honestly never order from them again.

Kept one of the dresses, went off it and didn't end up even wearing it to the wedding anyway!

OMG no. What a disaster.

Could not agree more OP, there is nowhere left to shop in my home town and so I have no choice but online.
I need a dress for a special occasion and I cannot tell you the number I have ordered and sent back but easily into double figures.
I think a lot of the time the dresses on the website are prototypes and what is received often bears no resemblance.
If I had the time and the energy I would take a day off work and travel to the nearest city to go shopping but I have neither!
Good luck OP x

Also meant to say have a look at Mac Duggal dresses, they have a lot of 'statement' dresses in their day dress section and they are around the price point you are looking at and also north of!

I’ve just sent some stuff back to another retailer and the option for account credit was MASSIVE and it was hard to find ‘refund to original payment method’. I don’t even have an account with that brand - but it’s a deliberate trap / misdirection IMO.

Be careful out there, people!

Today I got my refund... onto a gift card.

Not only that, it is £43.99 less than I originally paid. I have sent another message and got an auto bot response.

The rage I am feeling today is unreal.

I've opened a dispute with my credit card co

What? Why have they deducted £43? Did they email you? Honestly they are a bunch of crooks. Im sure your credit card will find in your favour. PayPal dod for me.within about 2 hours.

They have e mailed saying that they have my return. On that is the list of dresses with the cost next to each which adds up to £340 then they have refunded £294 something without any further explanation.

I’ve had good results going through Resolver when I’ve had problems that customer services can’t seem to sort out. I’ve just checked and Debenhams is on there

Massive thanks to @SlothMama14 for the e mail address

Resolver hasn't replied but I have the response below from the Boohoo e mail address

Thanks for getting back in touch. I’ve taken a proper look into this for you, and I can confirm the voucher has now been fully cancelled. All of the items on your order have been refunded as they should be.

You’ll see part of that refund already, and the remaining amount will land back in your bank account within 3–5 working days. If it drags on any longer than that, just give me a shout and I’ll chase it up straight away.

such a relief!

No more ordering from any of the Debenhams group

Wow that's great. Well done.