QVC No Quibble Money Back Guarantee .... as long as you don't send too much back

[Administrator]

<a href="http://www.shoppingtelly.com/images/qvc/QVC_THELETTER_LARGE.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.shoppingtelly.com/images/qvc/QVC_THELETTER_SMALL.jpg" border="0" alt="Click to Enlarge" hspace="5" vspace="5" width="165" height="232" align="right" /></a>The QVC "No Quibble" money back guarantee is no such thing. A long standing customer of QVC has recently received a letter from QVC's Finance Manger Martin Spencer, he say's "Upon review of your account the number of orders being returned has not decreased as requested in our previous correspondence. Thefore we hav no choice but to close your membership with QVC"<br /><br />"No Choice" .. I think QVC has plenty of choices, during every sell the presenter tells it's customers to buy and try, we are even allowed to use the items and send them back, even an empty pot of the latest miracle cream.<br /><br />Speaking with ShoppingTelly.com the former QVC customer said: <br /><br />"I have been a very long standing and loyal customer of QVC for 15 years and I am shocked and disgusted that my account has been arbitrarily closed due to my returns. I have spent a great deal of money with QVC over the years and I feel this action is extremely unfair, especially when QVC's presenters constantly urge its customers to buy on the promise that they offer a no quibble 30 day money back guarantee if the item is not suitable for any reason. It would appear that this is just not true or very very selective to say the least."<br /><br />QVC quote that you may return an item if you "Changed mind", "Did not match expectations", "Item received damaged or faulty", "Wrong item or size received", "Item did not fit"or "Item has developed a fault (within warranty)", I understand that in the Ts & Cs there is a mention of "over use", but as a ShoppingTelly.com member said: "If you don't know what it is, how do you know you've breached it?".<br /><br />I am personally currently unable to check the Ts & Cs as the link just takes me back to the QVC Home page.<br /><br />So with QVC, for Quality Value and Convienence you can buy and try a bit, but not too much, and we are not going to tell you how much before we close your membership.<br /><br />If you have had you membership with QVC terminated email: <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a> and let us know.

 

[Boycie]

This is disgraceful. I have seen so many fashion shows and jewellery shows where the presenter has actually encouraged us to order one in every colour, get them home, pick your favourite, and send back the ones you don't want!
Surely they have no right to call it a No Quibble guarantee?
I don't know what their problem is - they must make a fortune on p&p alone.

 

[livelovelaugh]

Appalling, absolutely appalling...it comes across as a bully tactic and QVC should know better.

Does anyone know if this is a policy that all of QVC employ or if it is just us lucky ones who use QVC UK?

I hope QVC are shamed into doing the right thing and reverse this pronto...

Just a suggestion, but I think we should all point back to this thread on any other forums etc....QVC deserve to get as much bad publicity on this matter as possible, imo....

 

[Claudia]

According to distance selling regulations (QVC fall under this) you can return the item for whatever reason, within a certain time frame, you have seven working days to let QVC know that you are returning the item & an additional seven working days to return the item. You should be able to buy as much as you like and return as much as you like without penalty within this time frame, I guess within reason.

QVC do go above and beyond the distance selling regulations where you get the 30 day money back guarantee.

I'm in retail & have an online shop & I do have a 14 day no quibble returns period.....and if I had a customer who returned over 50% of items repeatedly, to be honest that would be a major pain (but I am a very small company) and I might be tempted to refuse further custom, so I can see QVC's viewpoint (but maybe they should have the resources to handle a high returns rate), companies can refuse service.

I think the question is are QVC doing anything illegal? I think probably they have their bases covered....but their terms should be easily accessible and very clear on the return rate & policy....returns for dirty/faulty stuff or returns within the distance selling regulations time frame shouldn't be included in QVC high returns rate calculation.

So i understand what you're saying we should be free to return as many items as we like 50% or over and it shouldn't matter...but realistically retail businesses are not really going to like such a high returns rate and will act accordingly.

 

[Pinkpussycat]

I can see your pov Claudia but then you are biased as a retailer yourself. I have no problem with QVC taking this view either but my point is that they should make it clear on air that they exercise this policy instead of making it sound that returns are perfectly acceptable and used as a hook to persuade us to buy from them.

 

[Claudia]

PPC I've just come onto the forum and read the top sticky....I didn't realise you had your account closed. QVC have gone around this the wrong way, for sure. I totally agree that QVC have got to be more transparent with their terms..

..I've often thought it's what QVC DON'T say is the thing you have to look out for, especially with their on air descriptions. It obviously also like that within their terms/conditions.

Maybe write to QVC and get them to clarify their returns policy/returns rate...it really should be written on the website somewhere.

 

[donna255]

I do read the QVC US community board and the Letter comes up and very long threads too. So it seems they do the same in the US as well.

 

[Claudia]

Not to you PPC....but to anyone else reading my posts, try not to bash me too much, lol...I thought very carefully about my post and I'm trying to discuss it in a thoughtful way. :sun:

 

[Ruthmay]

QVC No Quibble Money back guarangee, as long as you don't send too much back

I am so glad you are taking this up Graham. I had the letter a few years ago and I did stop returning things - due to the fact that I stopped buying for a long time. Still purchase very little, will only buy if I cannot get it elsewhere. talking of shooting and feet! they are just outrageous in the way they treat their customers.

 

[livelovelaugh]

I do not understand this at all. Since being a member of this site I have seen a few people start threads when the threat has been made but never believed that anyone would actually have their account closed. It has raised the following questions:
1. What happens if your returns are due to faulty/used/incorrect goods? This has happened to me on numerous occasions, so must happen to others but all of these returns which are not the customer's fault must count, I guess?

2. Even if what QVC are doing is legal (I am guessing they are basically closing their little club to members who are said to break house rules) the fact that they flaunt the 30 MBG and then penalise people for using it should surely go against trades description, distance selling or guarantees provided through banking....

 

[minnietheminx]

Well this is certainly an eye-opener!

First off, thank God for the 30 Day MBG. I agree that QVC go above and beyond the distance selling regulations. They are not the only ones to do this. (Lakeland springs to mind.) Perhaps there needs to be some sort of disclaimer that sits alongside the 30 Day MBG that states explicitly that it is subject to fair usage and specify what this is exactly.

There is a world of difference between purchasing and returning items on a whim, and experiencing difficulties either with quality, or with the wrong items being received. Also, shouldn't there be less of an issue if the item is returned in a condition that would enable it to be resold as QVC are not losing money in this instance. Numerous returns of almost completely used products/unsellable products, I can see their point. That would be taking the absolute p!ss. Bottom line is that each case should be looked at individually.

QVC's actions do seem to be arbitrary. Okay, they are based on return rates and I guess something flags up on a computer screen when a threshold has been reached and then there's some sort of automated process to close the account once the letter(s) are issued.

At any stage, is there a human on the other end talking to the customer about the specific returns and the reasons why they were returned? It appears not. I know that in the past people have had phone calls, but I got the feeling that these were confrontational rather than QVC trying to establish the merits of individual cases, or otherwise. And I know all of this takes time and money, but it's a huge part of customer relations. Without your customers, you are nothing.

It would be courteous of QVC to inform the customer before pulling the plug on an account.

 

[frou-frou]

Like many others have said my main concern with this is that they are not considering the reasons items are being returned. Without doing so I am guessing they will be open to more challenge ie it is their quality control that is causing many returns.

Speaking for my own returns, and I have not had 'the letter' over half of these are down to sizing, quality, poor description etc and I would be definitely be challenging them on this should it be raised with me.

The fact that returns all state 'returned' on account page of website says it all. Items returned under DSR are technically cancellation of an order which is slightly different, IMO!

 

[klarionthewitchboy]

I'm really glad this has been taken up - take a look at the threads about accounts closing and the 30 day MBG as people have raised good points there.

 

[lilylurknomore]

Having shopped with them for several years it's always amazed me how they play on the 30 day MBG, even to the point of saying, buy it, use it, if you don't like it send it back. I have taken them at their word and bought a lot of stuff I really didn't want or need, just because of their 30 day MBG. I would imagine a huge part of their customer base do exactly the same thing. I know people that once they have received the item they didn't particularly want in the first place, keep hold of it because it's a hassle to get to the post office to return it! QVC are playing on that!

I received the phone-call a couple of years ago, before I knew about it, so it really caught me unaware when someone was asking me why I was returning stuff! At the time I just explained it was multiple reasons which were stated on the returns slip, didn't fit, was faulty, changed my mind etc etc. Afterwards I was furious to be questioned like that and wrote to them but it didn't get me anywhere.

QVC really SHOULD make it clear that it's NOT a 30 day no quibble MBG, it's subject to how many returns you make!

If anyone has been to the US and seen those adverts for things like tablets where they then have a voiceover guy speaking really quickly at the end saying 'excessive use could cause impotence, heart disease, malaria, rabies, your legs to drop off'.... etc I think QVC should do a similar thing with the no quibble guarantee they peddle!

 

[concordia]

Sorry, should have read this first, but went to other thread on account closing. Posted there.

 

[attica]

Do people think this is happening more often - the phone call, the letter, the account closing - a result of hard financial times? I haven't had a major reprimand yet, I did get called and questioned as to why I had returned a particular item earlier this year, when in previous years I'd returned the odd item with no questions asked! Perhaps it's a case of....'no quibble when profits are good...'. At any rate, all rather unclear and unsettling.

A x

 

[livelovelaugh]

Do people think this is happening more often - the phone call, the letter, the account closing - a result of hard financial times? I haven't had a major reprimand yet, I did get called and questioned as to why I had returned a particular item earlier this year, when in previous years I'd returned the odd item with no questions asked! Perhaps it's a case of....'no quibble when profits are good...'. At any rate, all rather unclear and unsettling.

A x

i suspect there is a threshold that has been sent by numbers boffins who have worked out a point at which a customer becomes profitable and when to let them go....or more to the point, kick them out....

i am like many many others....have shopped for years with qvc and cannot tell you how much stuff i have bought, much of it good, but a ridiculous percentage has not been and i have discarded it later or given it charity etc. however, recently i have a number of faulty items, items that had bits missing, had the wrong item sent, and an item used. i bet they look at each customer on a six-month or year-long basis as the overall shopping history is not of interest to qvc - they are only bothered about how profitable you are to them now, whether it has been your fault or not.

 

[boffy]

qvc quality control

qvc need to up their quality control practices. the amount of items that come incomplete/damaged or just cheap looking is very high. some of the items are totally missold as being something they clearly are not on arrival.

i am very fussy so now only buy brands that i know and trust. some of the qvc own brands the quality leaves a lot to be desired.:angry:

 

[Akimbo]

and another thing...

QVC don't bear the cost of returned items; the vendors do. Most of the time we pay over cost for delivery and pay return postage. QVC loses potential profit...I have no sympathy with QVC. They resell a proportion of returns at full price or reduced at Shrewsbury/Warrington outlets.

The pull of the MBG to draw in new buyers must outweigh the cost of returns or they'd change it.

Jude xx

 

[lilian]

I posted this on another thread but think its more appropriate here. I think they have covered their backs very well. Basically they can do what they like even though it is totally disgraceful & appalling treatment. Maybe if enough of us kick up about it they would have to rethink their policies. I would imagine they have checked out the legal aspect of this thoroughly.

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Oh look ! Heres their get out of jail card in the T&C

2.2 All orders placed by you are subject to acceptance by us. We may choose not to accept your order for any reason and will not be liable to you or to anyone else in those circumstances. We may also close your account for any reason including the reasons detailed in clause 9.3 and will not be liable to you or to anyone else in those circumstances.

I'm amazed they haven't shut me down. I have had some right old hum dingers over the years with them & thought they would want to get rid.

The question is. Where do they draw the line in all this?

Sadly I fear there is little that can be done. They make the rules up as they go along.

1.7 We reserve the right to change these Terms and Conditions from time to time without prior notice, provided that any such change will not affect any purchases you have made before the change is implemented. Your continued use of the Services shall signify your acceptance to be bound by the latest Terms and Conditions. Our most up to date Terms and Conditions are available at www.qvcuk.com and on QVC Active.