Pc Games - Return For Store Credit Denied

[Stethomas]

Hi everyone

Christmas Eve I bought my girlfriend a couple of games for her PC, Sims 2 Christmas edition £32.99 and Sims Hot Date £9.99. As it turned out these games were unsuitable and therefore never opened. We had just moved house and these games went missing for a while. 5 months later, having no recipt I took them back to PC world in exchange for a store credit and was refused.

Is there anything I can do about this or I am just stuck with the games now, please advise.

[demon_x_slash]

Unless the items were faulty, the retailer has no obligation to either refund or exchange. Sorry



EDIT: Why were they unsuitable, btw? Sims is a great game, though version 1 is a little outdated now (dedicated Simmer)

[maximus0983]

If you can provide a proof of purchase eg card statement, then you are entitled to store credit if the products are in a saleable condition. a manager cannot tell you otherwise.

[jampot]

Originally Posted by maximus0983

If you can provide a proof of purchase eg card statement, then you are entitled to store credit if the products are in a saleable condition. a manager cannot tell you otherwise.

No, I disagree.

A retailer is under no obligation to take anything back unless it is faulty or was mis-sold, not as described etc.

Changing your mind (even about a gift) does not give you any legal entitlement to a refund, store credit, or swap whatsoever.

This doesn't apply to mail order purchases, however, where the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations *do* allow you to return (almost) anything for any reason, providing you let the retailer know within 7 days.

A store may have a policy which goes beyond this. Game, for instance, allow you to return a Game within 10 days if you don't like it, presumably whether it is played or not - but this is over and above your statutory rights, and is down to the individual retailer(s) to set policy on.

PCW may have a policy which "entitles" you to a store credit - but even so, I think "5 months and no receipt" is probably stretching the boundaries even of that.

[maximus0983]

I wasnt quoting any law as such. If you can provide proof of purchase and have the items that are unopened, im sure you can get yourself a credit voucher from PCW.

Sorry for the misunderstanding, didnt mean it to sound like a legal thing at all. Just ive faced the same thing before and its a grey area really. Customer has bought something and hasnt opened it, and its still in saleable condition...should you take it back? generally i do to give good customer service.

[MrShed]

After that period of time I would doubt any store would even give a credit, especially without proof of purchase. Perhaps take them to game or similar to trade in, you may get an element of your money back? Are they still sealed in cellophane?

[jampot]

Originally Posted by maximus0983

I wasnt quoting any law as such. If you can provide proof of purchase and have the items that are unopened, im sure you can get yourself a credit voucher from PCW.

Sorry for the misunderstanding, didnt mean it to sound like a legal thing at all. Just ive faced the same thing before and its a grey area really. Customer has bought something and hasnt opened it, and its still in saleable condition...should you take it back? generally i do to give good customer service.

I see where you are coming from, but if you word something to say "you are entitled to", it reads that you have a God-given legal right to something, and in this case it patently isn't true.

It is down to the discretion of the store, or even the exact person you deal with, sometimes.

It is good that you do - but in a market where goods decrease in value (eg technology) you'd go out of business quite quickly if you allowed people to return anything they liked for whatever reason after 5-6 months. A piece of hardware or game costing ~£50 can be worth 50% of this in a short space of time, as it gets replaced by something newer and better quite quickly. If you allow your customers to return these things and get a credit at their initial purchase price, what on earth do you do to recover the difference between the products original and current value?

[maximus0983]

thats where there is a thin line between business ethics and good customer service.

for example pc world who's flagship stores have targets of 100k a day on saturdays and sundays - they can afford to take a hit of £5 - £10 on a product if they are issuing gift vouchers which have to be spent within the company and also re-issuing the product onto the shop floor at the correct price. they get a returning customer, and hopefully a happy customer which is better than an unhappy customer and loss of trade!

[blitz]

There is usually a certain amount of leeway but defiantly not 5 months, most retailers will tell you to take a hike after that amount of time. Its also the product thats being returned, pc games. When it comes to pc software even sealed its a little iffy, especially over a lengthy period of time, I know argos will only accept back software sealed within 10 days when its brought off its website/phone ONLY.
Different company I know, if you can find some for of proof or purchase you can try emailing there customer services line, however they don't have to offer you anything, and they know it.

[MrShed]

Blitz I'm sure you are me 5 years ago - I too was a CS student whilst working at Argos! only just actually read your signature lol!

[jampot]

"on a product".

Yes, on a single product.

But if word got around that this was now "policy" (or worse still, law) and everyone started taking stuff back "just because they felt like it", the stores would start taking losing money hand over fist.

I'd be straight into the stores at the start of the clothing season, buying anything that I kinda like the look of, then take back all the stuff 5 months later that I didn't fancy wearing.

[Stethomas]

Thanks for the advise, i'll email them and see how I go on... Fingers crossed.

[maximus0983]

Originally Posted by jampot

"on a product".

Yes, on a single product.

But if word got around that this was now "policy" (or worse still, law) and everyone started taking stuff back "just because they felt like it", the stores would start taking losing money hand over fist.

I'd be straight into the stores at the start of the clothing season, buying anything that I kinda like the look of, then take back all the stuff 5 months later that I didn't fancy wearing.

no no it will never be policy or law but thats the way i think managers will look at these issues...if they can get the customer to spend again in the store what harm is that at the cost of a fiver or so. again its down to the discretion of the manager in this case but if it was me and i was serving Stethomas then i would probably tell him to come back with proof of purchase and i would issue vouchers..no probs....when you come to PC's and expensive items ...then obviously the cost factor comes into mind...

[Stethomas]

Good morning, please help.

I have only found the receipt, it dates back to the 24/12/2006. Will PC now have to issue me with a store credit by law or is it down to the decision of the person who serves me.

Thank you again everyone, this site and the people who use it are so helpful.

Steve

[demon_x_slash]

No, as I said to you above - the store has no obligation whatsoever to give you anything, refund or store credit, for these games. They're not faulty. It is completely up to the manager whether or not he gives you credit, and frankly, after five months, even if the software is unopened, I doubt he would. I'm sorry - it's just not in the business' interest to do so, and unfortunately most managers think of the business first.

[gyzmo]

The only hop you have is if there is a contractual agreement - i.e, a specifi refund policy that allows you to take goods back for whatever reason stated and within the timeframe given.

Failing that, and failing that there is nothing wrong with the goods (i.e, they conform to the contract) then you really have no leg to stand on. It will be the generosity of the store that you are relying on, and frankly, they would be rather generous in allowing a refund or even exchange.

If you really do not want it, why not use it as a present for someone or sell it? AT least something will come of it.

[mortis]

thats where there is a thin line between business ethics and good customer service.

wish people would stop using the words customer service in instances like this it is this sort of attitude that makes people think the are entitled to stuff like this.

for all the manager or the store knows the product was just stolen from another "games software" store and now being returned to his store, with no proof of purchase u dont know where it came from, when it was bought, how much was paid for it etc.

refunding it is not good customer service, if the manager did it it would be outstanding ridiculous over the top ludicrous customer service.

people encouraging things like this is whats wrong with the world soon we will british will be like the americans and trying to sue MaccyDs for making us fat rather than realising that we are fat coz we decided to eat all the pies not beacuse someone made us grrr...