Cheeky return!!!

[sparklyscotty]

Just a bit of a rant really, I just had a customer return jewellery to be exchanged but she didn't return my branded boxes! Wrapped in a napkin and stuffed in an envelope! So now unfortunately, to take the higher ground and remain professional I have to hand over the replacement jewellery in more boxes. The cheek of some people!

[Claire B]

Sparkly, can you not impose condtions such as 'all items returned, must be in original packaging' etc etc, then they would have to send the boxes back?

[Faith28]

That is cheeky. Although not a product I sent out free cards games to a particular school who offered 13 teachers to play them. Along with the cards (total 36 decks) I sent out feedback forms in 13 plastic wallets.
I received only 5 feedback forms with no plastic wallets and I even had to collect them from the post office because the school did not place the right amount of postage.

Completely different but I now know to include a self addressed envelope with all packs.

Small learning experience I suppose.

[coxadmin]

Sparkly, can you not impose condtions such as 'all items returned, must be in original packaging' etc etc, then they would have to send the boxes back?

That's exactly what a lot of online and offline shops request, along with all labels must be intact where clothes are concerned. I would certainly consider it.

[davenny]

I like what Claire said, however if you are a high end jeweler like Tiffany's, you have to shrug because it really is a back handed complement that they love your boxes and want to use them.

Look at it as cheap advertising, because those boxes are going to go our into the work and I hope they have all been engraved or screen printed with your name and logo.


Erik
http://www.usspin.com
SPiN - Super Powerful Networking has decided to Open Source its system; it is complete free to anyone who wants to start their own mastermind group. (Manuals, Materials, Website, Web-links etc.)

[Claire B]

I have to admit that i treated myself to a really nice top once from Boden but it was too big, so it had to go back, but I was absolutely mesmerised by the spotty tissue paper that it was wrapped in and i just had to keep it :oops:

I'm not one for being overly sentimental (have't kept my children's first lock of hair for example) but I have treasured that piece of spotty tissue paper :?

[sparklyscotty]

LOL, I don't think I would mind losing tissue paper Claire, and yes I should probably add a note about returns in my small print from now on.

[SillyJokes]

We send out some free stickers with every order. It always puzzles me why people return them when they return the goods - don't they like them?

But Sparkly I know what you feel. Cheeky returns really annoy you. We had a costume back once and it had clearly been worn to a party and a good time had been had by all judging by the stain on the back of it. It smelt so strongly of perfume it knocked me sick everytime I walked near it. Eventually I burnt it but it really annoyed me that someone would invent a crumby excuse to return a costume having had the use of it.

Actually costumes often smell of smoke or perfume when they are returned just from being tried on or hung in a smoker's house. It's horrid.

[Joanne_UK]

Sparkly, I was looking for your terms & conditions on your website but could not find them (maybe if you have some they should be obvious) !!

New UK regulations state it is essential business practice to display clear terms and conditions and privacy policies on your web site.

Make sure you are up to date and make it easy to find them on your website !!

I also noticed that you do not specify the length/size for your jewellery which can be a reason why they could return the goods.


Joanne

[caroline]

I know just what you mean..we used to sell Pistachio jewellery when we had our retail shop and I got so fed up of people taking the pee I stopped selling it! It was so obvious it had been worn and then they regretted paying so much for it, and brought it back. I would never, never do that!
And don't get me started on the ones that would put something on deposit and come back a year later amazed we hadn't kept it for them!

kind regards

Caroline

[Claire B]

LOL, I don't think I would mind losing tissue paper Claire,

Ahhh but this wasn't just any old tissue paper, this was spotty Boden tissue paper! :D :D :D

[SillyJokes]

LOL, I don't think I would mind losing tissue paper Claire,

Ahhh but this wasn't just any old tissue paper, this was spotty Boden tissue paper! :D :D :D

I like that paper too, in fact I bought a towelling beach dress for my daughter becasue it had the same spots - it is gorgeous. I'm sure they don't want the paper back once it is crumpled.

[sparklyscotty]

Joanne, thanks for the heads up on the t and c's. The website right now is for retail customers, and trade customers use it just for reference. This is going to change though, so I better start on my terms and conditions.
And now I am going to HAVE to buy something from Boden just to see this fantastic tissue paper! :)
-Angel-

[The Resolver]

T&Cs are vital. Under the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000, the buyer does not even need to return the goods when he exercises his right to cancel and becomes entitled to his money back (I know your case was an agreed exchange but this fall back risk remains) unless the T&Cs state that he must do so.

He has a statutory duty to take care of the product so returning without the box risks liability for damage.

"The website right now is for retail customers, and trade customers use it just for reference. "

Mixed visitors can be a problem. If trade customers are clever they can increase their statutory rights by claiming to be retail customers, although they might lose the VAT invoice dependent on how your trolley operates. To reverse this effect, good navigation/content can reduce your cancellation risk from consumers by encouraging them to claim to be business users (eg by discounted pricing). This policy exploits the fact that the statutory definition of a 'consumer sale' is subjective -ie what was that particular buyer's purpose in buying the item. So if he says it was 'business' its going to be hard for him to subsequently deny that in order to exercise consumer rights. Many products have joint use eg did the dentist buy the digital camera to occasionally photograph his patients' teeth or as the family camera?

It does seem that a number of people are doing business T&C-less so look out for an offer from me on UKBF that you are welcome to take me up on

[shopfrontuk]

I think distant selling reg state that returned goods must be in AS NEW CONDITIONS - basically they need to be resellable.

If they dont return correct packaging then it isnt resellable or in as new condition, I would inform them that to replace you require the origional packaging to be returned

[KateCB]

We state that the goods must be returned in the original, undamaged packaging AND that if the packaging isn't returned or is damaged we will charge for re-packing......

In your case, if you were exchanging, I would have wrapped the exchanges in bubble wrap, then used the customers tissue paper and sent it back like that - a little note saying ' we have wrapped these carefully so that you can place them in your original boxes when you receive them......'

Also have a look at distance selling regulations - they are tough on internet sites.....all in our terms and conditions of sale on our site.

Regards

Kate
martialdesign.co.uk