Scan RMA not issued full refund / Customer Neglect

[blackcurrant]

I made a query on an exchange the same day my item arrived as i didn't realise my motherboard was mislabeled in terms of ATX form factor. My query was responded to in the same day with no conversation just a simple imgur/auRfZwn because there was no interaction i had to find out what an RMA was (No i have never had faulty parts, ever). I would also like to mention that the return terms does not state anything in relation to RMA i could simply not find that word on the terms page for help on what on earth it was. Most of my computer parts come from Amazon and now it's pretty obvious why, and why they will continue to. So i have made a little diagram for you to get to grips with the amount of time it took for replies to and from scan: imgur /wYJJzPy As you can see, the replies are quite long. My queries were simple queries that could have been answered easily with yes or no and i was expecting that after the initial response was just simply automated with this is your RMA number we expect you to know what to do with it....now the reason it took so long for the item to actually be sent back was because of my understandings towards what was an RMA. Now you would expect a company such as scan to realise when a customer is new, especially when their form of payment has never been used successfully before on their website. In hindsight of all of this i do realise to qualify for refunds on postage costs it has to be within the 7 days, but because my queries took so long to get replied to,I'd just like to know why postage wasn't refunded it cost me next day to have it delivered then £12.92 to return it...

[blackcurrant]

Also where ever the refund was made to i can't find it.

[Mark@SCAN]

blackcurrant,

Please provide your RMA/Invoice number so I can look into this for you.

Regards

[blackcurrant]

324605

[Mark@SCAN]

Ok so,

We replied back to your question of whether we could collect and exchange the case for you I have copied out response below:

"Unfortunately we would not be able to collect this item from you.

You would need to return the case for a full refund and then place a new order as required.

Regards,"

We received the following reply:

"So no such thing as an exchange exists with Scan? Just a lengthy process
which would actually be faster to buy a new case elsewhere and get it
within a day rather than wait 10 days (Minimum) for the refund to be
processed?
Seems like a whole boat load of hassle..."

There than began a lengthy exchange of e-mails as to why we couldn't do what you were asking and the reasons behind this.

I don't understand why if you were going to purchase the case elsewhere and and pay for it would have been any different to order it from SCAN? as you would have to pay the other company for the case anyway? and if you had ordered it from SCAN you would have received it next day also...

[blackcurrant]

Yes, because as a new customer i had no exact idea of how Scan handled their returns or exchanges. Being used to Amazon i thought it would be similar, however i was incorrect and the "Lengthy" exchange could have actually been avoided if the initial response was not an automated system message. Perhaps a message such as, "Hi we realise you are a new customer to our website at Scan our returns processes requires us to issue an RMA, a brief description of an RMA involves you returning the product to us in no different condition than it arrived within 7 days to qualify for a refund, do you wish to proceed with this". The understanding towards ordering a case from a different supplier was simple, i would order a new case from XXX and send the case that scan sent me back doing so i would recieve an item i wanted with a more flexible returns procedure whilst waiting the time it took to issue the refund.

[Mark@SCAN]

I would suggest the e-mails sent are clear, concise and advise exactly of what you need to do:

This email is to confirm that RMA 324605 has been issued for the following items:

CM Elite 120Adv Wht RC120AWWN1 - 6718796976

** PLEASE NOTE **

YOUR RMA WILL BE REJECTED IF YOU DO NOT ENSURE IT IS VERY CAREFULLY AND ADEQUATELY PACKAGED, USING SIMILAR METHODS TO THE ONES WE USED ORIGINALLY IE. Use plenty of bubble wrap and external boxes to protect the product(s) from being damaged on the return courier journey.

Please do not mark the original items with any RMA information as items received back at Scan not in original condition will be rejected. A loose sheet of paper with the RMA information on is more than adequate.

Please download the following Returns label and fill in the appropriate fields; you can then attach this to your returns parcel and return the item/s to the address marked, please be aware that proof of delivery may be required.

http://www.scan.co.uk/downloads/rma-label.pdf

RMA 324605 will expire if the items are not received by 21 January 2014. Items failing to reach Scan by the deadline cannot be processed and may require you to obtain a new RMA number. You can track the progress of your RMA on the Scan site at https://secure.scan.co.uk/aspnet/Sup...sTracking.aspx with your invoice number and RMA number.

Please note that all Scan Terms and Conditions apply on returned items, these may be viewed at http://www.scan.co.uk/Terms.aspx

This email is automatically generated, please do not reply as the mailbox is not manned, however, please use the OLQ system via the following link:
https://secure.scan.co.uk/aspnet/Sup...px?QueryType=R


This was followed immediately by this e-mail

Your item/s has been raised under RMA 324605 and has been placed for refund. As long as it is returned to us in the same condition as sold it will go through the Returns Process and will take on average 10 working days from being booked in to the refund being completed.

Regards,


As per my previous message this was followed up by a further e-mail to make clear that as you were returning an item ordered incorrectly under the distance selling regulations you would be required to return the item to us for a full refund and place a new order.

You would not be entitled to a refund for your postage costs to return the item to us please see below:

http://dshub.tradingstandards.gov.uk/dsrexplained

Your customers’ rights on refunds and returning goods

Return and collection of goods

Under the DSRs, when a customer cancels a contract but has already received the goods, they are under a duty to take reasonable care of the goods and to return them to you. However, this only means that they have to make them available for collection by you from their premises, following a request from you in writing or on a durable medium available and accessible to the customer.

If you want your customers to return the goods to you and to pay for returns when they cancel a contract under the DSRs, you must include this in your terms and conditions. This information must also be given to the customer as written information (see The information you must provide once the customer has decided to buy under the DSRs).

The DSRs do not require the customer to return the goods but if the contract says the customer must return them and they do not, you can charge them for the direct cost of recovery.

SCAN's T&C's make it clear that you are required to cover the shipping costs for the return of unwanted item(s)

http://www.scan.co.uk/terms.aspx

Part II

c) Your right of cancellation

If you cancel the agreement :

3. you are responsible for the cost of returning the goods to us at the address given above ;

I do not dispute that our returns processes may differ from Amazon however I think it is unfair for you to automatically assume the other companies processes are all similar.