Powercity won't refund postage cost to return faulty item

jack of all

I purchased a portable radio from Powercity online and when it was delivered I discovered it was faulty straight out of the box- would only work by batteries and not by mains cord. I contacted Powercity and agreed to return the item. I had assumed they would cover the cost of return but apparently not, and when I checked out the law/ regulations on this it appears they are perfectly within their rights not to refund my cost to return the item. Powercity contacted after receiving the item to confirm it was faulty.

I'd be very reluctant to order online from them again, I would have expected them to arrange collection or issue a free delivery return label when there is a manufacturer fault with the item. It was only a small item this time but I paid out €9 in return postage and have nothing to show for it! Very disappointed with their policy.

I'll be more careful in future.....

DownByTheGarden

I had issues with a couple of Irish online retailers over the years with items that arrived faulty. You end uppaying the postage to get the item and the postage back to them if they will even take it back. Just too much hassle when things go wrong.

I only ever order from Amazon now. If items arrive faulty they dont quibble and just take them back and they pay for the postage back too.

jack of all

It's certainly opened my eyes, I order a fair bit online, but on the few ocassions I have had issues I was never stung for the cost of returning the items. This was always where the item was faulty or damaged in transit. I could understand a retailer refusing to pay the cost of return in the case of a "change of mind", but never in the case where the customer is not at fault.

rob316

That's ridiculous. I run an e-commerce business,

Faulty: we pay for courier to collect

Unwanted: customer pays return shipping

There is no way a customer should be out of pocket for a faulty item.

In the age of competing with Amazon you really need top notch service to survive.

elperello

Unacceptable.

I have had faulty items collected by a courier for delivery back to a seller in Germany free of charge when a fault developed after almost 12 months.

I have also had an Irish seller refund postage on a faulty item.

This is the law according to Citizens Information.

"Who pays for the cost of return?

You are responsible for returning the product to the seller. The seller does not have to refund you for return postage costs. Some sellers will cover the return costs but it depends on the seller’s return policy. The seller must tell you before you bought the product whether you will have to pay the return postage costs yourself.

If the seller did not tell you beforehand that you would be responsible for the return costs, then you can claim the costs back."

Your online shopping rights (citizensinformation.ie)

I suppose the best thing to do is ask them what their returns policy is and don't buy if they say you must pay the postage.

callaway92

Same for things like PoCo (in terms of clothing online)

A scumbag practice

Saudades

I was going to purchase a fridge from Powercity but this has put me off. I don't own a vehicle so if the fridge is faulty I would be out of pocket for the cost of returning it.

They state "If the goods, by their nature, cannot normally be returned by post, we can arrange for the goods to be collected from you." As their home delivery charge is €24.95, I assume it would cost the same for them to pick up the faulty product, and that would be non-refundable.

phormium

Had same situation recently with a pair of shoes, wrong size sent, luckily I paid with paypal so raised case with them when no solution from supplier who refused to pay for return, got the lot refunded by paypal, gave wrong size to charity shop. Non Irish supplier though.

DownByTheGarden

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120599233#Comment_120599233

It would probably cost more to return it. Avoid them until they change their ways.