SCAN refusing to refund return postage on faulty item

[u101573]

Hi, I'm new to the forum so apologies if I am not posting this in the right place. I recently returned a faulty D-LINK Powerline to SCAN. I spoke to their Customer Service team who gave me an RMA number and said that an email would follow with address and packaging instructions on how to return the item. He did not say that I must return the item using their courier service. He also did not say that I would receive several emails and that I needed to look very carefully at all of them before taking any action. Anyway, the email was received promptly and said that if the item was not received by 11th January the RMA would expire. I immediately packaged up and returned the item via Royal Mail at the cost of £4.41. When I returned from the Post Office I noticed that I had received a second email from SCAN containing information about returning the item to them using their courier. I didn't think there would be an issue as the cost of £4.41 was less than the cost I had originally paid for delivery and much less than the £15 plus VAT SCAN quote if you return an item by courier which they then assess as not being faulty. Anyhow after a fruitless exchange of emails SCAN have flatly refused to refund the return postage as they say they offered a free of charge collection when the RMA was raised. This is not true as I have explained above. If SCAN are insistent on implementing this somewhat dubious policy of refusing to refund return postage on faulty items they should make it crystal clear to customers when they speak to them. Their policy also begs the question as to how they can justify saying that they will charge you £15 plus VAT if they find that the item is faulty, implying that this is the cost of getting the goods back to them when as in my case they are refusing to refund £4.41. By my reckoning I have saved them over £13 by returning the item via Royal Mail. Apologies if this has been a rather long winded entry over the relatively small sum of £4.41 but I think this is a practise which SCAN ought to review their procedures on (and refund my £4.41).

[DavidM]

Please post your invoice number so we can look into this further.

[dave87]

I've hidden the post with the invoice number in it for you. The Scan guys can still see it, but it saves it being on public display.

[Chris P]

u101573

From reading through the OLQ we offered a free collection via DPD, the reason we do this via a tracked courier is for the same reason we dispatch goods out via this method; as it is a fully tracked courier service.

We cannot stop a customer from returning goods back via their own method but we would suggest a tracked courier. The problem is it's possible the cheapest untracked method could be used and then we may experience all of the issues when sending goods via this method, which is why we have this policy in place and offer free collections and as it was on your own accord to return via an alternative method we are unable to refund the charges you paid to return the product to us.

The collection e-mail was confirmed on the 28/12/11, requesting your details for us to arrange this collection. We received no response to this e-mail, just confirmation the product has been returned via Royal Mail.

I have forwarded this thread to the Returns Manager to see if there is anything we can do.

Best Regards

[Mark@SCAN]

u101573,

I have e-mailed you directly via our query system.

Please respond so that we can take the required action.

Regards

[u101573]

u101573,

I have e-mailed you directly via our query system.

Please respond so that we can take the required action.

Regards

Hi Mark,

I have responded to your proposal which I am happy with.

I have a suggestion for your consideration. That customers are advised when speaking to your returns team that they must use your courier service and if they choose to do otherwise they will have to pay for the return themselves. When I spoke to your team on then the phone I was not told this. Also it would be helpful for customers to be advised that they will receive several emails detailing the returns process and they need to read them all. I was expecting just one email and I followed the instructions on this (first) email. The details regarding the return courier service were sent separately on a second email which I wasn't expecting and didn't read until after I had already sent the package back. Adopting this process would help avoid any unfortunate misunderstandings and keep the customer happy, which I'm sure is what you want.
Kind regards.

[u101573]

Mark,
Further to your email to me of 13th January advising that you would refund my return postage there has unfortunately been little progress. You advised me that for some reason the credit card refund would not go through and that I had to call you to arrange an alternative method. I tried to call but after holding on for about 5 minutes I terminated the call. This is because SCAN uses an 0871 number and if the call had lasted much longer it could quite easily have exceeded the cost of the return postage which you had said you would refund. I have subsequently sent SCAN 3 further emails asking you to let me know what additional details you need to process a refund. You have had the option of replying to me by email or phone but I have heard nothing from you. If you are genuinely intending refunding this money can you please contact me and tell me what details you require from me.

[Mark@SCAN]

Hi,

I have informed a member of staff in our accounts team who I believe has just e-mailed you directly.

If you could please respond to that so that we can take the appropriate action.

Regards