Bed world and the distance selling act

[phoenix_151]

Wondering if anyone can offer any advice....

 

A good few weeks ago I was in need of a new mattress, so I had a look on the internet, one of the first sites that came up was bedworld.net, so I found what I quickly assumed was a standard mattress at a reasonable price and ordered it.

 

[EDIT]

 

Now I was most supprised when it got delivered, I receieved a cylinder 3foot long andperhaps between a foot and 18 inchs diameter, rather than the matress sized parcel I was expecting, so thinking this is some kind of travel mattress they have fobbed me off with... I didn't open it (knew it would be like getting the genie back in the bottle) and called them

 

I was told it was a standard mattress (I can't see how, seems a physical impossibility to me!) anyway, I told them its not was lead to believe I was ordering and I wanted to send it back... cue a little bit of discussion about misrepresentation... now I suppose I did order it in a bit of a rush etc, so perhaps they had a point (that its a 'real' basic one, rather than just the basic no frills I was aiming for), so I let that slide; by this time I was talking to the manager instead of the telephone girl. anyway, so wanting an easy life (yeah, right) I told him I wanted to return it under the distance selling act (thats what its there for?, right?)... unfortunatly he wanted to be awkward about this, told me there would be a £49 fee to cover their costs, and when I told him this was an excessive amount, he refused to justify how he arrived at this figure "thats what company policy says and I don't have to discuss it with you",. Anyway we go round in circles a bit and I eventually say I'll either bring it back meself, or arrange a courier myself... which he accepts and we leave it there.

 

I was at work at this time, so I phoned my father (who had a day off) to ask him if he could look into couriers for me, he did this, and contacted bedworld again for me via email to confirm it was comming back via courier and that the refund would be full (this took a bit of prompting though... they tried to go back on it)

 

Next day I send it back via DHL, and a few days later check that its been received and signed for, and hold on for my refund... none is forthcomming... after about a fortnight, I phone the company up to chase it, the woman puts me on hold, goes and checks they have had it back and then tells me they'll process the refund and it'll be 3-5 days... I thought this is the end

 

The following week the refund comes through... but *its for £49 less than I paid*, so I give them a call, phone women starts trying to tell me about the £49 fee for returns, I stop her, tell her it was couried at my own expense, and she goes off to have a look into it, then comes back and tries to tell me it was returned damaged... this seems suspect to me, I wasn't told of the damage when it supposedly arrived in that condition, nor when I chased my refund, and its only when I query them trying to charge the £49 that this comes up (seems a little too convenient to me!), anyway its about this time I request to speak to the manager again (who refuses to give me anything other than his first name!), He confirms what the phone woman said telling me it was damaged and I ask what the issue was "it was recieved back damaged"... I tell him that yes hes told me that, but I was enquiring as to the nature of the damage, and I am told that it was ripped and dirty, I inform him that this will not be an issue, and that if he forwards me photographs of the damage then I will take this up with the insurance cover with DHL, he then informs me that he has sent it back to manufacturer to be re-covered and has no photographs!

 

(so wait a moment, I am not informed that my return is supposedly damaged when it arrives back, they sign for it, send it back to manufacturer to be reconditioned, and dont even tell me there is an issue when I I chase the slow refund!)

 

Sorry for the long post... just not sure how to proceed other than filing a complaint with trading standards!

 

Adam

Edited November 22, 2009 by Rooster-UK
Unauthorised link removed.

[reallymadwoman]

Write a formal complaint to the company asking for your money back within 14 days.

If it doesn't arrive, send a further letter before action giving 7 days.

Send everything recorded.

If they don't pay after the second letter, start a small claims court action.