30 Day MBG

[Pinkpussycat]

I am affraid it does. You are meant to read ( seriously, stop laughing!) all the small print of the terms and conditions, even the 673 pages full of stuff when you subscribe to any service offered on the internet, eg installing a different webbrowser of downloading smilies to use for your use. No one ever does, me included, but you are clicking to abide by their terms and conditions and sadly that then applies.
Incidentially I know that in the days of catalogues they had a similar policy and if you exceeded their return rate they also declined your custom. (I never had a catalogue, but a friend did)

Okay so being pedantic here, what if somebody is blind or has seriously impaired sight, or even cannot read that well?? Most T&C's are pretty standard and won't bother most people but the returns rule is relevant to everyone who buys from QVC and although I know the examples I've given will be a very small minority of customers they are just two examples of why their returns policy should be pointed out on air.

 

[BusyMum]

[COLOR="Magenta"]The reason I have responded to this thread is because QVC arbitrarily closed my account 2 days ago without so much as a phone call to discuss my returns and I await with interest for Mr Boyd's response and I shall post it on here.

[/COLOR]
that's disgusting! I wish you good luck and look forward to seeing what kind of reply you receive from the CEO.

I didn't know about "the letter" until I joined this forum and as everyone says, they don't tell you about this returns limit on-air, which imo is totally wrong and misleading the customer. For myself, not much chance of them contacting me as I'm purchasing so little - I think I'm almost cured!

 

[LE lover]

I didn't know about the letter until i started using this forum and was stunned at some of the tales forumites had to tell about the phone call or letter.

We are actively encouraged to try things out at home before deciding if we want to keep the items. It's mentioned several times during each presentation.

I have sent numerous things back because they're sizing is so erratic that something i bought expecting to fit doesn't.If it's beauty or skin care because it simply doesn't do what it promised or jewellery because it looks nothing like it did on screen. I have also kept, more than I care to admit, because it's exactly what i wanted. Surely this is the scenario that they must expect if you have a 30 day MBG

IMO you either have a 30 day no quibble MBG as advertised and mean it, or you make viewers aware on screen of the terms and conditions.

Good luck PPC

 

[lawrenson]

Hi,

not everyone has access to the Internet.

Its possible a relatively high proportion of QVCs customers don't.

I don't think Trading Standards would be amused by the fact that on their TV programmes they never mention their Ts&Cs. And when you ring up to order something on the phone they are never explained either.

Have to admit, tho I don't return much stuff, I think they are in the wrong with this.

Cheers,
Karen

 

[barbedwire]

Blimey PPC that's awful - I hope that you get it sorted out, they need a rocket up their delicate little bumholes and no mistaking.

I am sure they are actresses in that ad that Klarion pointed out - in fact, one of them - the blonde Yorkshirewoman in the kitchen, is she not that pal of Glen Campbells who was in the other ad for a Silver Day yonks ago banging on about how fantastic QVC were?...

Answers on a postcard - Yes, I'm bored - no, I don't have anything better to do...:bandit:

 

[klarionthewitchboy]

I am affraid it does. You are meant to read ( seriously, stop laughing!) all the small print of the terms and conditions, even the 673 pages full of stuff when you subscribe to any service offered on the internet, eg installing a different webbrowser of downloading smilies to use for your use. No one ever does, me included, but you are clicking to abide by their terms and conditions and sadly that then applies.
Incidentially I know that in the days of catalogues they had a similar policy and if you exceeded their return rate they also declined your custom. (I never had a catalogue, but a friend did)

Nope -that won't wash.

You see, it is wrong for a seller of any product (be it a dress, broadband service or a bank account), to get you to part with your cash by stipulating rules work one particular way, then notify you after you've entered into a contract that the terms and conditions are rather different than you were led to believe. This was one of the criticisms the OFT made in 2008/2009 about banks arbitrarily changing fees rules without notifying their customers in advance to give them the opportunity to move accounts to a different bank if they didn't agree.

If you bought an item from QVC and they doubled the advertised price as soon as you gave them your debit/credit card info you wouldn't stand for it, would you? Well, I hope you wouldn't.

So by them banging on that they have a 30 day MBG that does not appear to have any limitations so you make your purchase, then telling you after you paid for your item(s) that they had effectively lied to you to get you to part with your cash, that's tantamount to the same thing.

And just because another organisation has operated in that way in the past does not make it a good and legal practise.

Also, they rush to tell you in depth just how many ways you can buy their goods without you having to go trawl through rules and regulations, don't they?

So why should their returns policy be any different?

 

[LE lover]

I've just had a thought can anyone who knows how to use facebook post this thread on the QVC facebook page.
I would do it myself,but i don't have facebook and haven't got a bloomin clue how to use it.

 

[klarionthewitchboy]

The reason I have responded to this thread is because QVC arbitrarily closed my account 2 days ago without so much as a phone call to discuss my returns and I await with interest for Mr Boyd's response and I shall post it on here.

****** Hell! That's DISGUSTING. :angry:

I'm glad you've written to QVC's CEO about this - I'd be VERY interested to see what he has to say about his company's actions.

But if he thinks that their actions were perfectly acceptable, I'd definitely look at seeking advice from the OFT.

 

[Pinkpussycat]

****** Hell! That's DISGUSTING. :angry:

I'm glad you've written to QVC's CEO about this - I'd be VERY interested to see what he has to say about his company's actions.

But if he thinks that their actions were perfectly acceptable, I'd definitely look at seeking advice from the OFT.

Yes that will be my next move if Mr Boyd upholds this decision and I urge everybody else who has received THE LETTER to do the same before their account gets closed as well.

 

[Akimbo]

The words "No Quibble" when used on air should be qualifed with text on screen along the lines of "subject to reasonable return levels". Years ago when I started shopping I used the phone to order before the website went live. Not sure where those shoppers without internet access are supposed to read the fine print.

Hope you get a sensible response Sue, but it'll maybe save you a fortune in the meantime.
Jude xx

 

[floozie]

The reason I have responded to this thread is because QVC arbitrarily closed my account 2 days ago without so much as a phone call to discuss my returns and I await with interest for Mr Boyd's response and I shall post it on here.

Sounds like the broke their own Ts & Cs in that case as they say (copied from their website):

"It is our policy to contact and work with customers whose level of returns is very high. This is to ensure that our prices are not negatively impacted by the cost to QVC of dealing with an extremely high number of returns by a small minority of customers. If a customer continues to return an extremely high number of products to us, we reserve the right to close their account."

If you get no joy then I'd recommend Trading Standards. Do you remember that YK tart warmer thing I bought which caught light ? Trading Standards were just brilliant when QVC wouldn't accept a return on it. They got it sorted within days and with an apology from QVC too.

Trading Standards are on the web and are very easy to contact and deal with either by phone or email. Hope you get it sorted to your satisfaction, PPC.

 

[Daisygirl]

What's that thing as well about distance selling (or something like that) where you are not actually handling/looking at the goods in front of you, then there is an extra sort of allowance for you to send something back? A bit like ordering through a catalogue (Avon or clothes catalogues), I'm probably totally wrong but it's something that popped into my head!

That's totally amazing and wrong for them to close accounts like that! As for not even contacting you beforehand - wow.

I for one didn't read anything about returning conditions or anything when I 'joined', it's really weird that they have any sort of limit for returning stuff :wonder:

 

[Pinkpussycat]

As I mentioned in a different thread about THE LETTER, I have received two of them previously but nobody has ever been interested enough to call me and find out the reasons for my returns. You'd think they'd at least go through the motions of implementing their own T&C policy wouldn't you??

 

[LE lover]

It makes you wonder why they have reason for return section on the return slip.They obviously never read them.

 

[floozie]

So they might argue they did the 'contact' bit but I don't see how they can say they did the 'work with you' bit if they never called or requested a reply. Just sending letters doesn't sound like working with someone to me.

Irrespective, that whole T&C is pretty vague. I mean what is a "very high level / extremely high number" anyway ? And if it's too vague I don't how it can be considered fair trading. It would be interesting to hear what Trading Standards take on it is.

 

[BusyMum]

As I mentioned in a different thread about THE LETTER, I have received two of them previously but nobody has ever been interested enough to call me and find out the reasons for my returns. You'd think they'd at least go through the motions of implementing their own T&C policy wouldn't you??

You would indeed...have you made a few returns recently, if you don't mind me asking? Just picking up on the fact that you've had two letters before...are they operating a sort of three-strikes-and-you're-out policy I wonder...they certainly don't hang about do they - you'd think at the very least someone could call you and try to sort something out. This is the less-friendly face of QVC.

 

[Moth]

As a Legal Executive *ducks flying tomatoes* I studied contract law as a component of my overall training. It's quite clear in Law, that if the terms of a contract you are signing up for are not made clear before you actually agree to them, then they cannot be enforced. As far as I'm concerned then, if QVC don't tell you to check T&Cs before you buy then they cannot do anything about the number of returns you make. However, having said that, when we first received The Letter here, we took it straight to the ASA and Trading Standards, and, frankly, neither of them were interested in the complaint we raised. The ASA contacted QVC and it seems QVC agreed to stop using the term "no quibble" on air, but no one seemed interested in the fact that they never tell you that T&Cs apply to the return policy. We made that clear to both the ASA and Trading Standards who both said that they were satisfied that QVC were operating properly in that respect. I still disgree with that response. They may not be breaking any laws but it's decidedly unfair on customers and decidedly misleading too. They should say "you can send things back.... subject to our terms and conditions", or have "terms and conditions apply" appear on screen when they mention it. Every other commercial you see on TV has similar small print appear when necessary.

With regard to making our complaint directly to QVC, they really do only look at the number of returns you make, not why you make them. They make no allowance for the fact that you might have kept several hundred pounds worth of goods and returned several cheap items. This was the matter that caused us to write to the, then, CEO, who really didn't give a stuff. They answered the questions that had some legal application and that was it. The fact is, QVC don't appear to care much about customers. They just want to keep getting new people on their books and keeping the share holders happy. One lost customer here and there doesn't seem to cause them any lost sleep.

 

[Pinkpussycat]

You would indeed...have you made a few returns recently, if you don't mind me asking? Just picking up on the fact that you've had two letters before...are they operating a sort of three-strikes-and-you're-out policy I wonder...they certainly don't hang about do they - you'd think at the very least someone could call you and try to sort something out. This is the less-friendly face of QVC.

Yes I accept I've exercised my right to return a fair number of items but then I've kept a fair amount as well and my keepers usually tend to be more expensive purchases anyway so QVC would be quids in, and I NEVER abuse the system by using something and then sending it back even though they urge you to do it.

 

[Pinkpussycat]

As a Legal Executive *ducks flying tomatoes* I studied contract law as a component of my overall training. It's quite clear in Law, that if the terms of a contract you are signing up for are not made clear before you actually agree to them, then they cannot be enforced. As far as I'm concerned then, if QVC don't tell you to check T&Cs before you buy then they cannot do anything about the number of returns you make. However, having said that, when we first received The Letter here, we took it straight to the ASA and Trading Standards, and, frankly, neither of them were interested in the complaint we raised. The ASA contacted QVC and it seems QVC agreed to stop using the term "no quibble" on air, but no one seemed interested in the fact that they never tell you that T&Cs apply to the return policy. We made that clear to both the ASA and Trading Standards who both said that they were satisfied that QVC were operating properly in that respect. I still disgree with that response. They may not be breaking any laws but it's decidedly unfair on customers and decidedly misleading too. They should say "you can send things back.... subject to our terms and conditions", or have "terms and conditions apply" appear on screen when they mention it. Every other commercial you see on TV has similar small print appear when necessary.

With regard to making our complaint directly to QVC, they really do only look at the number of returns you make, not why you make them. They make no allowance for the fact that you might have kept several hundred pounds worth of goods and returned several cheap items. This was the matter that caused us to write to the, then, CEO, who really didn't give a stuff. They answered the questions that had some legal application and that was it. The fact is, QVC don't appear to care much about customers. They just want to keep getting new people on their books and keeping the share holders happy. One lost customer here and there doesn't seem to cause them any lost sleep.

Thanks Moth, this is exactly what I expect to get back as a response. However, maybe the CEO (if he is a different one now) may be more magnanimous or less punitive in his approach to the customers who keep him and all his minions employed. Let's hope so anyway.

 

[LE lover]

I've just had the october newsletter E mail. It ends with the following statements:

Expert advice before you buy (Well that's debatable)

A 30 day MBG on all products ( No mention of the returns limit)

Award winning customer care 24 hrs a day. (Didn't mention it was so caring that they ring people or send them letters about their returns and threaten to close their accounts)

The glossy facade of the truth