SportsDirect refunds

[OilSheikh]

So, I bought gym trainers from one of their stores. I then saw cheaper ones on their website and took my bought ones back for a refund the very next day. Apparently, they don't give ca$h refunds but only do exchanges and refund can only be transferred to a giftcard in the form of credit, which can only be used instore! Nope, you can't use it on their website.

I thought all retailers were legally obliged to refund a customer within 14 days max if returned in original unworn and saleable condition ?

[b0redom]

Nope, only under distance selling regulations - and even then the actual length of time is defined as 'reasonable'.

Also worth noting that the website and stores seem to share nothing but the name. I bought a couple of pairs of shoes from the website as I have big feet and no real stores carry stock. The shoes were a bit tight, so I tried to return to one of the shops and was told the only way to get a refund was to post back (at my expense).

[jim]

No, there's no legal obligation at all for shops to take back non-faulty items unless it's under distance selling regs. It's just that so many retailers offer it as a courtesy, we've come to accept it as normal.

Sports Direct have never in my memory offered refunds for non-faulty merchandise, always exchanges.

[Agent]

SportsDirect are generally much cheaper than the likes of other sports shops on the high-street I find. The returns policy is probably just one of the ways they manage this.

It's not really fair to compare online shops to highstreet ones, even ones under the same label. They'll have a different overheads and departments in a lot of cases, and the price is going to reflect that.

[OilSheikh]

SportsDirect are generally much cheaper than the likes of other sports shops on the high-street I find. The returns policy is probably just one of the ways they manage this.

It's not really fair to compare online shops to highstreet ones, even ones under the same label. They'll have a different overheads and departments in a lot of cases, and the price is going to reflect that.

SportDirect's stores and their website are one company. You find somehting on their website and you got to a store and you can tell the, I want xxx and you will get it ( if its in stock )

[Saracen]

SportDirect's stores and their website are one company. You find somehting on their website and you got to a store and you can tell the, I want xxx and you will get it ( if its in stock )

Even so, the legal rights you have aren't the same. If you buy via a distance method, like a website, then within the limitations of that Act, you do have quite strong rights that you don't get if you buy from the same shop in person. The logic is that if you're there in person, you can (and should) inspect the goods before buying. The time period in the DSR is to give you an opportunity to do that once the goods arrive at your home.

[Saracen]

No, there's no legal obligation at all for shops to take back non-faulty items unless it's under distance selling regs. It's just that so many retailers offer it as a courtesy, we've come to accept it as normal.

.....

Well ...... more or less, yeah. I'd say about the only exception to that is where a shop has a policy of accepting returns and it was known to you and relied on by you. If they have such a policy, you can enforce it. They're just not obliged to have such a policy ... and so most don't.

Most reputable stores will do a credit note for goods in resalable condition, but that's about good customer relations, and they're not even obliged to do that for non-faulty goods.

In short, OilSheikh, I'd say there isn't much you can do to force them to do more.

[OilSheikh]

Thanks everyone for the explanations.

I still don't understand why their giftcards can't be used online?

[jackobyte]

just a bit of info on returning goods
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governme...ices/DG_182935

"Returning items to a shop
Keep your receipts

You will need 'proof of purchase' to return faulty items to a shop
You will need some ‘proof of purchase’ to return faulty items to a shop such as:

a receipt
a bank statement
the shop’s packaging
a witness – someone who saw you buy it
If there is nothing wrong with the item, you don’t have the legal right to return it. Some shops may let you return the item if you provide the proof of purchase that the shop wants, eg a receipt. Check the shop’s returns policy before you buy.
Your right to change your mind
You usually have seven working days to cancel your order and ask for your money back if you buy something:

online
over the phone
by mail order (eg from a catalogue)
on your doorstep (eg when a salesman visits your home)
You don’t have this right if your item is:

personalised or made to order
perishable, eg food or flowers
a newspaper or magazine
a financial product (eg a loan)
a CD, DVD or computer software where the security seal has been broken"

Also gift cannot be used online at Sportsdirect as they have no facilty on their payment system at moment for their use bit like Boots Advantage card cannot be used on Boots.com to pay for goods hmmmm weird.
I guess like Tesco you can use their coupons etc online as they have a specific code and the payment system is etup to accept it.It is a shame more online companies don't allow you to use gift vouchers at moment,as i would have thought the codes are unique to the card anyway

[Behemoth]

Even when goods are faulty they aren't much better in all fairness. I've never known any Sports Direct store give out a refund on faulty goods.