Return Unwanted Items UK Postage Fee

[englishman]

UK Only - return of unwanted items - Distance Selling Regulations
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I notice the fee Apple charges to return an unwanted item is £60 in the UK. This is obviously out of all proportion to the actual cost.

Anyone could use Royal Mail and do it for less than £20.

Under the distance selling regulations I cannot see how Apple UK can get away with this as surely the inflated fee represents a restocking fee which is illegal in the UK.

All they can reasonably charge is return postage costs - and I would prefer to use my own if theirs is £60.

Any advice appreciated.

 

[omarjk]

Hi englishman,

I would think that a predominantly US online technocracy is not the place you will be likely to succeed with a discussion of the finer points of the English return of unwanted goods legislation.

Try your local Citizen's Advice Bureau or Trading Standards Office in the first instance. You can find CAB contact numbers at saynoto0870.com. My starting point would be Trading Standards.

 

[englishman]

Thanks Omar - but there are quite a few Brits here - and anyway it would be interesting to know the US experience - and perhaps get some moral support.

I did think of posting in the Apple discussions but as you know they have heavy censorship.

It was also just a virtual moan, really.

 

[northy014]

As another Brit using the forum, there are definitely a lot of us using it - hence one of the biggest threads on the macbook section about Aluminium (!!!) Macbook shipping times.

Secondly:

(5) Subject to paragraphs (6) and (7), the supplier may make a charge,
not exceeding the direct costs of recovering any goods supplied under
the contract, where a term of the contract provides that the consumer
must return any goods supplied if he cancels the contract under
regulation 10 but the consumer does not comply with this provision or
returns the goods at the expense of the supplier.

 

[northy014]

Sorry, didn't make that clear. Restocking fee is illegal, as are charges out of proportion with the cost it actually takes.

I also advise contacting Apple. Let them know what you think, and they will usually do the right thing.

 

[Applespider]

But Apple don't use Royal Mail. They use couriers to come to your location at a 'fixed' time to pick up the unwanted item and pass that charge onto you. I'm not entirely convinced Royal Mail allow for insured deliveries of items over 10kg (eg. iMacs/PowerMacs) so I'd suspect Apple would argue that using a courier is best practice for them as a business and in terms of customer service since the customer doesn't have to lug a heavy box to the Post Office and pay for delivery to have it refunded.

Incidentally, I thought the £60 only applied to Macs and that there was a sliding scale but I may be wrong. Unless you're using an edu discount, building your own or want an iPod engraved, you're better off using a good quality reseller who has better policies.

Should you not want to pay the charge, then either tell the courier when they deliver it that you are refusing the delivery or take it back to an Apple store.

 

[englishman]

But Apple don't use Royal Mail. They use couriers to come to your location at a 'fixed' time to pick up the unwanted item and pass that charge onto you. I'm not entirely convinced Royal Mail allow for insured deliveries of items over 10kg (eg. iMacs/PowerMacs) so I'd suspect Apple would argue that using a courier is best practice for them as a business and in terms of customer service since the customer doesn't have to lug a heavy box to the Post Office and pay for delivery to have it refunded.

Parcelforce 24/48 will do this - but it doesn't cost anywhere near £60 - and anyway Apple would get a discount - just as an ordinary person it would cost of the order of £20 - £30 fully insured.

Other companies eg Dabs.com charge £10 for return - and I could quote others that charge nothing.

Apple really do try to take the ****