25% restocking charge !

[RichC]

Having received items on friday from a wellknown lotus parts supplier I was shocked to hear i will encounter a 25% restocking charge for items returned unused . Reason for my return was that they were surplus to requirements ... nothing wrong with them per se. ( but i didn't like the look of them )
Has anyone else had similar experience?
Rich

[Craven]

Check the UK distant seller regulations! I believe you are entitled to a full refund (not postage), you have no need to give a reason for the return.
Ron.

[theelanman]

who was it?........SJSportscars?......
I think anyone charging that wont be at the top of my supplier list........
does that include when they send you the wrong part?

[KevJ+2]

From SJ's Ts & Cs...it's even worse

"Our returns policy is that, all correctly supplied, returned parts will be subject to a 35% re-stocking charge. Electrical components cannot be returned in any circumstances, if they have been removed from their packaging. The cost of returning any parts, for whatever reason, shall be the responsibility of the purchaser."

[Elanintheforest]

That sounds about right. You try and buy a new car, and take it back a week later. I'll bet you get 25% less for it than you paid!!
Mark

[TeeJay]

Interesting.

My experience on Friday with Steve from SJ, was,
?You can return the part and I will give you a full refund.?

My problem was with the exhaust mounting straps. One was 11mm thick; the other was 14mm thick. As my silencer mounting bolts were encapsulated (cannot easily be changed for longer bolts), the 14mm thk strap only allowed the nut (6mm thk) to engage on 2mm of the bolt.

He even checked the thickness of the remaining stock to see if he had another one at 11mm, unfortunately they were around the 14mm.

I did get round the problem by flatting the metal parts in the strap down to 12mm.

Just my experience, but the part could be classed as defective.

[RichC]

thank you Ron,
I've dropped the vendors a polite note to that effect . Let's see what happens

[elanfan1]

35% you are having an effing laugh! Our community is small most of us will be long term repeat customers. I certainly wouldn't use anyone using those terms and conditions and I'd encourage everyone else to boycott them too!

Appalling!

[S3FHC]

I can understand if there's a small % charge if the part was either a special order or heavy/bulky and that any charge was made clear at the time that it was ordered.
You should be permitted to return a regular part (no matter what the reason) free of charge.

Mark

[billwill]

It seems clear to me that those of you who expect a zero returns fee have never tried runniung a small business of your own.

Do you not expect to pay for the shop owner/assistant's time?

They have had all the bother of finding packing and sending the item, plus the accounting person making the entry only to have it returned for no reason so unpacking and reshelving and the accountiung person doing a refund; all for nothing!

Packing materials and postage are generally not recovered either. Do you think the small business owner should go to the Royal Mail and say " Oh that person didn't want it and sent it back; can I have my postage money back please?".

[SimonH]

I think people are used to the modern age with the large shop chains that let anything be taken back whenever no questions asked.

They seem to forget that its a perk not a right to return stuff when you ordered it by mistake/wrong size/ too many etc.

Some places wont entertain returns on special orders at all if its something they don't stock normally and its only fair to pay to return if its your error.

If it is faulty or they sent the wrong part then that's different.

[john.p.clegg]

Marks and Spencer have a no quibble returns policy....maybe that's why their profits are down by 80% and are closing 60 stores....

John

[elanfan1]

It seems clear to me that those of you who expect a zero returns fee have never tried runniung a small business of your own.

Do you not expect to pay for the shop owner/assistant's time?

They have had all the bother of finding packing and sending the item, plus the accounting person making the entry only to have it returned for no reason so unpacking and reshelving and the accountiung person doing a refund; all for nothing!

Packing materials and postage are generally not recovered either. Do you think the small business owner should go to the Royal Mail and say " Oh that person didn't want it and sent it back; can I have my postage money back please?".

Firstly no one is quibbling about postage if you send something back then you should pay the return postage (unless it is a sender error then they should suck it up).

With regard to packaging of course it can be reused - would you honestly complain if the box had already been sent somewhere else first? A bit of fresh packing tape and another sticky label over the previous one, a few more bits of polystyrene doesn't make for a lot of extra work nor write off the box for reuse. The box would doubtless be the same whether sending out a door handle or fuel pump.

As to the cost for putting it back on a shelf and reversing a sales entry if the computer system is any good it should take seconds. The cost to the business would be minimal and should be built in anyway to the profit margins. It's not as if it's an unusual matter to have parts returned it's a normal part of trading.

Let's say you buy a pair of seat covers and send them back - they are approx. ?700 a pair. Would you be happy to pay ?210 for restocking? I'd be furious. (Not talking about stuff specially ordered in but parts that would normally be on the shelf). 35% is an absolute pisstake. If anyone has real world experience of this please let us all know so we can place our business elsewhere.

The Distance Selling Regulations are not something I am overly familiar with but I believe do offer some protections depending on how you ordered. Pay for stuff on credit card and that offers you additional protection too. Pretty sure it rightly only covers the goods not the postage.

I do wonder if most of the usual culprits offer a no quibble returns policy but hold their T&C's in reserve for people who may be serial returners - not that I'm suggesting you are OP it's a small world we operate in and I think it's in the suppliers own interest to within reason take things back without charge.

[Spyder fan]

Sorry Bill, I'm totally with you on the sentiment regarding your consumer rights regarding returning goods, but you are very out of touch with current UK consumer law.


Here are the current regulations explained in full regarding consumer contracts distance sales https://www.businesscompanion.info/prin ... ance-sales

Pages 9, 10 & 11 are the ones to read regarding returning goods (cancelling a contract).

In brief
You have up to 14 days from the day that the goods came into your possession to change your mind. You then have up to 14 days to return the goods. The retailer must refund "in full" and also refund the basic postage cost you were charged for the goods to be sent out in the first place. You must pay the return postage, but only if the retailer has stated this in their terms. Restocking charges written into the retailers terms and conditions are contrary to the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and will be deemed an "unfair contract term".

[elanfan1]

There's your answer RichC 'restocking fees are illegal under Consumer Right legislation'

Give them a chance to change their terms and if they don't then name and shame.