A customer and a retailer were poles apart for a while over the return of damaged curtain fittings, but just in time before the nights draw in, there has been a refund with PayPal doing much to help.
Part of a home renovation Zoe Sanders bought the £140 rail in June from online furnishings supplier Interior Goods Ltd, trading as Poles Direct. Packed in bubble wrap, at first it seemed ok. “I had a quick look, but when the builder unwrapped it fully, it was so bent it couldn’t be installed,” she told Crusader.
This was 30 days after the item had been dispatched, so just within the timeframe for a refund rather than a replacement or repair.
“I emailed the company immediately and sent images. A few days later I did that again, then logged an online chat when I didn’t hear, and called again with no answer,” Zoe added.
++ If you’ve been affected by this issue or feel you’ve been a victim of injustice, please contact consumer champion Maisha Frost on maisha.frost@express.co.uk
She had paid with her debit card through PayPal but, with the time she had spent, it judged she was over the time limit. “I wanted to give the company the benefit of the doubt,” Zoe explained, then reflected “but I came unstuck by waiting”.
While timing was fine in this case, Crusader contacted PayPal to see if it could organise a refund, her preferred option. As that was being considered Poles Direct did contact her offering a replacement. But this foundered when the company said it could take the issue no further while a dispute was active, but if she stopped this it would act.
PayPal then confirmed it would refund Zoe who responded “I am so relieved as this is what I wanted and had rather lost confidence in any other option. I’ve got my £140 back and, though I lost out on the postage, I’m very happy. I’ve also learned a lesson: always unpack anything you buy fully and immediately.”
Poles Direct did respond to Crusader’s inquiry about the delay and resolution. Customer services manager Andy Farr said: “We pride ourselves on our service at every level. We actively monitor feedback. We have tried to locate the emails [Zoe] sent but we cannot find any. The spam folder is deleted periodically so, unfortunately, we have not been able to search for the order as it was placed on June 18. I have contacted Zoe directly and apologised and offered her a future discount should our conversation have restored her faith in us as a company.” [name has been changed]
Timing tip: Buyers have 30 days from taking ownership of a product (either the date of purchase or the date it was delivered – whichever is later) to claim a refund if it is faulty. After this you have to give the retailer an opportunity to repair or replace. [name has been changed]
