So I ordered a bottom bracket. The item that came was fine, except for the axle length and shell size.

I’ve been in touch, the shop has simply said “send it back and we’ll refund”. No returns label/freepost address/offer of covering the post.

So currently I’ve had the cranks off a bike for no reason, and not happy to have the hassle or cost of posting it back (they haven’t even said they’ll refund the cost, in fact they said it needed to be in “perfect” condition – well considering it’s the wrong part if I had tried to fit it and **** it it’s hardly my fault!). To be honest I’m not going to bother with the shop again given their attitude to this. Clearly they couldn’t give a toss about sending the part people actually need.

My instinct says this isn’t on, keep pestering them for a refund/shipping label but essentially I have a useless lump of metal not the item I ordered, they can give me a refund and/or send the correct part out, but the part I have is up to them to recover (perhaps to the point that going to the post office with a prepaid return label would be doing them a favour, and certainly to the point that it arriving back with them in perfect condition isn’t my responsibility).

So, plan is (unless they respond a bit more positively) to just raise it with the CC company and get a refund this way. Is this realistic/reasonable?

Did you use PayPal? If you did then they will cover the return post if the item was sent out wrong.

Did you use PayPal?

No, it was through Amazon, couldn’t find it in the usual channels (Octalink so getting a bit rare). Can’t see anything on Amazon to get a prepaid label.

Amazon are usually excellent with this sort of thing, talk to their text chat service.

If you look at the order on your Amazon a/c, there should be a return/refund option. Fill that in, normally there’s a free returns option via Myherpes or somewhere else on the High St. Sometimes you’ll get your money back straight away.

It has to have been sold by amazon to get the return post covered.

If you look at the order on your Amazon a/c, there should be a return/refund option. Fill that in, normally there’s a free returns option via Myherpes or somewhere else on the High St. Sometimes you’ll get your money back straight away.

Checked, there isn’t.

Guess I just get it charged back and tell them I’m only hanging on to their lump of scrap metal for another few days but they’re welcome to collect it.

I think I have 3 different octalink bb’s in the garage. What size do you need, you can have it for postage if I have the right one.

Thanks ads678, so do I, all the wrong size (I’ve ordered 2 of the right size from SJSC now, but thanks anyway).

So, plan is (unless they respond a bit more positively) to just raise it with the CC company and get a refund this way. Is this realistic/reasonable?

Think its gotta be over a hundred quid for the CC company to get involved.

I’m assuming you ordered the correct width and they’ve sent you the incorrect one? If so then they really should cover return costs.

Have you actually asked them if they’ll refund the postage?

I’m assuming you ordered the correct width and they’ve sent you the incorrect one? If so then they really should cover return costs.

Correct. My thoughts exactly. If I order the wrong thing, fair enough, but otherwise it just takes the piss to be asked to pay for postage back to them, and to be told I must ensure it’s in perfect condition when it gets back.

Another totally different example, I got a top from a small sole trader outfit for my gf for xmas, she didn’t like it, I sent it back (totally my fault) and the trader was ready to pay me the item plus postage back, I told her to make sure she took off the postage from her end as well as paying the postage back quite happily, as it was totally my issue that my gf didn’t like it and I hadn’t bought/returned it in person.

And whoever said about the >100 thing, you’re correct unfortunately.

I’ll just see what I can do.

I get that they haven’t offered to refund post, but have they explicitly said they won’t? I’d send it back and explain that I expected the cost of the item and the cost of postage refunded. If they didn’t, I’d chalk it up to experience and never use them again.

I certainly wouldn’t waste my time thinking of clever ways of getting my, what, less than a fiver?, back.

Legally they have to cover return post costs if they have supplied an incorrect item.  Quibbling about whether that’s via prepaid label or later refund is absolutely pointless – you’ve got a trip to the post office either way.

thepurist

Subscriber

Legally they have to cover return post costs if they have supplied an incorrect item.

What happens when the item (I assume) has the information written on it yet the buyer fits it anyway?

I certainly wouldn’t waste my time thinking of clever ways of getting my, what, less than a fiver?, back.

To be honest, I’m certainly not going to be using them again regardless, it’s the attitude more than the fiver. I don’t think it would be unreasonable to expect them to maybe say “Oh terribly sorry send us a pic and we’ll sort you out ASAP” which would strike a reasonable balance between not getting ripped off by chancers and keeping people from suffering unduly from your crap admin. And the fact that the whole point of getting stuff mail order is to avoid having to go to the shops when they’re open, which can be difficult for me and is not particularly easy with post office hours.