What should I do?

[bikepacker]

I have no intention of naming the store as I do not want any comeback against a staff member. Whilst in London to watch my daughter run the marathon I took the opportunity to visit a store to look at an item priced £289 I was thinking of getting. A very nice assistant told me it was out of store stock but could have one delivered on Tuesday with a free return if I was not happy. I told him that it was my intention if I liked the item to ask for a price match as it was cheaper elsewhere. His manager quickly agreed to the lower price of £229 and I paid by debit card.

The item duly arrived and I didn’t like it, so I returned it with their prepaid label. Three days later on last Friday I got an email saying they had received the item and would do a refund. Monday I got another email saying there was a difficulty in making a refund and could I phone them on a 0800 number. Not being certain about the email I did a check on the number and it came up as belonging to the store, so I phoned. A lady gave me her name which I noted and told me because I had purchased in store but returned the item as an online purchase their system would not let them give me a refund.

To get around the problem she said if I gave her my debit card number she would do the refund. I was very wary at this time but as she did not ask for the expiry date or the code, I gave it. Because I was wary on Wednesday I checked my online banking and the refund was there but not for the £229 I had paid but £289 the original price.

I phoned the same young lady and told her I owed them £60 and could she just take the money back. She said that was impossible unless it was against a purchase. Apparently their store sales systems do not interact with the online sales. With that she went to talk to her supervisor who came on the phone. His first words were; “you think we owe you £60” I told him it was the other way. He could not comprehend this and said trying to take the £60 back would cause a lot of problems. To cut the next 5 minutes conversation short his only solution was: Forget the matter and next time in London spend the £60 having a meal in their restaurant.

Would you think that is a good solution?

[reohn2]

You did your best to do what was right,it's not your fault they won't let you give them what you owe them.Why worry?

[Psamathe]

You did your best to do what was right,it's not your fault they won't let you give them what you owe them.Why worry?

+1. You've tried, they've decided on what they wish to do about it (nothing). Their choice, you've made the offer.

Ian

[mercalia]

lucky you. pls tell us the store so I can make some easy money

[661-Pete]

Something a bit like that happened a few years ago when I hired ("rented"?) a car in the USA.

Arriving at the car-rental desk, I was a bit ****ed off because the flight had been seriously delayed and it was now after 11pm local time, hence about 4am by my body-clock - and we had a long-ish drive ahead. So, not surprisingly, I was even more annoyed when they told me they didn't have the car I'd reserved, they offered me either a van (which I refused) or an upgrade to a superior model (for which I'd have to pay extra). Reluctantly, I took the upgrade.

Later, when I got back to UK and checked my credit card balance, I found they'd charged me not only for the upgrade, but also for the "difference" between my down payment and the actual rental cost, in the mistaken belief that I'd pre-paid 'x' amount in dollars: I hadn't, I'd paid the same 'x' amount in pounds. So sent them an E-mail explaining the error, and also mentioning that I'd been forced to take an upgrade "under protest". Eventually they refunded me the erroneous surcharge - but at the same time they also refunded me the upgrade charge.

Still, I thought to myself - was I entitled to that second refund - seeing as I did get the use of a higher grade of car into the bargain? I have to admit, I kept the money. After all, I didn't ask for the upgrade.