Faulty goods and returns without packaging

[ineedadollar]

When I sell items I try to tell customers to keep the box in case there are any problems with the item they can return. However I'm not 100% sure of the legalities. can a customer return an item without the box? I require the box as they have the serial number on the side to prove authenticity when I send them back to my suppliers. My suppliers won't accept returns without the box. so by law does the customer have to have the box. There are a lot of fakes on the market and i fear that without the box customers can return items i haven't sold them and say i have. as the recipts dont state which colour of item they got

 

[Jessica A.]

Almost all online sellers that I know of inform their customers to keep the packaging intact so that in case they need to return the product, there wouldn't be any problem tagging the item once it's been returned. It is also written on their exchange and return policy that the items must be returned within __ days upon receipt of the order and in their original condition and complete packaging. Unless that is met, there wouldn't be a refund or exchange.

 

[Mr D]

When I sell items I try to tell customers to keep the box in case there are any problems with the item they can return. However I'm not 100% sure of the legalities. can a customer return an item without the box? I require the box as they have the serial number on the side to prove authenticity when I send them back to my suppliers. My suppliers won't accept returns without the box. so by law does the customer have to have the box. There are a lot of fakes on the market and i fear that without the box customers can return items i haven't sold them and say i have. as the recipts dont state which colour of item they got

The requirements your supplier has with you are not relevant to your customers. They deal with you.

So long as you meet the legal requirements regarding returns and properly inform customers you should only have chargebacks to fear.

 

[ineedadollar]

The requirements your supplier has with you are not relevant to your customers. They deal with you.

So long as you meet the legal requirements regarding returns and properly inform customers you should only have chargebacks to fear.

What are the legal requirements. I always try to tell the customers but think i will have to have it written on the recipts also

 

[lesliedocherty]

I (think) you can only demand the box if they are returning the item in htefirst few weeks under distance selling, they need to return it intact.

After this, if it develops a fault, most customers wont' keep a box and i don't think you can demand it.

 

[cjd]

Legally you can't insist that returned unwanted goods have their original packaging. You can ask and you can make it look as though it's a requirement of sale but you can't refuse a refund because of it.

Obviously if goods go faulty 6 months after purchase you can't even do that.

“The DSRs (Distance Selling Regulations) allow consumers to examine goods they have ordered as they would in a shop. If that requires opening the packaging and trying out the goods then they have not breached their duty to take reasonable care of the goods. In these circumstances you cannot insist that consumers return the goods as new or in their original packaging. You may ask consumers to return goods with the original packaging, but you cannot insist on this.”

 

[Scott Smith]

There no rules related to this. So, make your own set of rules and be stringent to that, then customers will surely follow the same.

 

[alan1302]

There no rules related to this. So, make your own set of rules and be stringent to that, then customers will surely follow the same.

Except as shown above there are rules about this and you can't simply doo what you want

 

[DontAsk]

There no rules related to this. So, make your own set of rules and be stringent to that, then customers will surely follow the same.

I do hope you are not in the distance selling business.

 

[ineedadollar]

Sorry this is for shop customers not the online ones

 

[DontAsk]

Sorry this is for shop customers not the online ones

In which case the DSR don't apply and there is no automatic right to a return other than the usual faulty goods, etc,

Under what conditions do you allow returns?

 

[ineedadollar]

only allow return on faulty goods. as i sell vapes so if they used it once to try cant be resold.
But for me to send faulty goods back to suppliers i need the box. I do tell my customers this but sometimes they dont have the box on which i usually take a replacement out a new box and give them that and keep the box and send the faulty one in that.
However if i dont have the same colour one in stock i cant send it back to the supplier.
So if a customer was to come in with a faulty item with no box do i have to accept it

 

[cjd]

So if a customer was to come in with a faulty item with no box do i have to accept it

Of course you do! Do you keep the box that everything comes in until the guarantee expires?

Faulty good don't need the box. You need to find a more reasonable supplier.

 

[obscure]

But for me to send faulty goods back to suppliers i need the box.

Unfortunately this is your problem, not your customers. Why would your supplier need the box for a faulty product? Are they planning to resell it? Sounds like they are just trying to make it harder for you to return items.

Your supplier is required to provide you with product that works and to take back returns that don't. Pretty sure they can't legally require that the product be in the same box any more than you can.

 

[alexsmith2709]

Faulty goods do not need to be in the original box, or indeed any packaging.
Some of my suppliers recommend sending faulty items back in the original box, but that is only a preference to minimise the possibility of any shipping damage.
One supplier instructions me not not include any original packaging!

 

[ineedadollar]

While I understand that a lot of people throw the box away. The industry im in has a lot of fake goods so they have individual scratch codes on the box which the manufactures require for them to process returns as well as prove authenticity . I have had customers come to me in the past with products that are a different colour to the one on the box. And fake items. which they expected me to exchange. Our receipts don't state the item colour, but the boxes do. Also the boxes have the importers address so we know who to send the items back to as we use a couple of suppliers. But without the box we cant send them back as it could be from either.
We used to import the items ourselfs and when we had returns we have to send a video of the faulty item and the code from the box. so is there any way i can make it a requirement for them to bring the box with the item

 

[cjd]

While I understand that a lot of people throw the box away. The industry im in has a lot of fake goods so they have individual scratch codes on the box which the manufactures require for them to process returns as well as prove authenticity . I have had customers come to me in the past with products that are a different colour to the one on the box. And fake items. which they expected me to exchange. Our receipts don't state the item colour, but the boxes do. Also the boxes have the importers address so we know who to send the items back to as we use a couple of suppliers. But without the box we cant send them back as it could be from either.
We used to import the items ourselfs and when we had returns we have to send a video of the faulty item and the code from the box. so is there any way i can make it a requirement for them to bring the box with the item

Your problem is that all that is your problem, not your customers.

You can try to insist on having the box - lots of people don't know their rights so it might work for some - but the bent ones always do.

 

[obscure]

.....they have individual scratch codes on the box which the manufactures require for them to process returns.....

......Our receipts don't state the item colour, but the boxes do. Also the boxes have the importers address so we know who to send the items back to as we use a couple of suppliers.

So you have a badly designed process..... guess what. Still your problem, not your customers.

If there is information that you need then it is up to you to ensure it is on the receipt. Adding a colour and a 2 or 3 letter supplier code should be simple with any half way decent system.

 

[Ashley_Price]

What are the legal requirements. I always try to tell the customers but think i will have to have it written on the recipts also

On this point, you can write it everywhere you like and you will still have customers who will tell you they weren't made aware of it.

There is only so much you can (and be expected to do), but as others have pointed out, if the item is faulty, you have to take it back, box or not, and so has your supplier.

 

[Noah]

if the item is faulty, you have to take it back, box or not, and so has your supplier

Only if your supplier chooses to be governed by the rules of this country. One of the risks of dealing with foreign suppliers.

 

[ineedadollar]

Yeah its shocking the rules the suppliers impose, But it saves them money and they are based in china so can get away with it. Looks like ill be pocketing the losses.

 

[Mr D]

Yeah its shocking the rules the suppliers impose, But it saves them money and they are based in china so can get away with it. Looks like ill be pocketing the losses.

Or you could do what you already do with your costs. Get your buyers to pay.
Its so much less problematic than pocketing the losses yourself.

 

[ineedadollar]

Or you could do what you already do with your costs. Get your buyers to pay.
Its so much less problematic than pocketing the losses yourself.

Problem is the online sellers from home which disappear after 6 months, items they sell for £40 i sell for £50 but they cost us both £35. Also the ability to buy directly from China for the customers makes it hard to compete on prices cant really put my prices up

 

[Mr D]

Problem is the online sellers from home which disappear after 6 months, items they sell for £40 i sell for £50 but they cost us both £35. Also the ability to buy directly from China for the customers makes it hard to compete on prices cant really put my prices up

So change your product.

How do you cope when other costs go up? How do you cope when items are found to be faulty?
You presumably do have plans to cope with either one of those common issues?

 

[Elliott Coleman]

Legally you can not insist a customer returns faulty goods in the original box. Can you imagine if you had to keep the box for every item you purchased just in case it failed at some point. The only thing a customer needs to provide is proof of purchase (and that does not necessarily mean the receipt)

Most houses in this country would be bulging at the seams with empty boxes.

Can you not keep hold of a few boxes for issues like this. Then just put the faulty item in a box and return it. It seems that there is no serial number on the product so how would they know.

 

[ineedadollar]

Legally you can not insist a customer returns faulty goods in the original box. Can you imagine if you had to keep the box for every item you purchased just in case it failed at some point. The only thing a customer needs to provide is proof of purchase (and that does not necessarily mean the receipt)

Most houses in this country would be bulging at the seams with empty boxes.

Can you not keep hold of a few boxes for issues like this. Then just put the faulty item in a box and return it. It seems that there is no serial number on the product so how would they know.

cheers thats a great idea, Ill be keeping boxes in future where i can