Am I being reasonable?

[Nigel R]

What do you chaps think?

Names and suchlike deliberately omitted...

I ordered two of item X via shop's website. Postage is significant (about 75% of cost of one X)

A day or two later, I receive phone call - sorry, website stock error. Would you like a Y instead? (one Y would replace one X). I says yes. Because one Y and one X exceeds original order via the website.

I am then slightly surprised to see via email, a refund of the value of one X (well, very nearly). Here I was expecting one X and one Y... and presumably a bill for the difference, or who knows, because the website was cocked up - perhaps the difference gratis (it's a minimal difference, live in hope).

I phone up and query.

Shop says, no, we're just sending the one Y. What would I like to do?

I say I left the phone call expecting one X and one Y. Shop says no, they explained it and I agreed. Customer isn't right.

I'm then told, no stock of X arriving, no dates possible. I could have a refund, providing I sent Y back, but I wouldn't get the original post refunded - so I'd be down two lots of postage with nothing to show for it. Er, no thanks. I asked if Y had been dispatched. Shop didn't know, apparently the guy on the phone would have to check with the warehouse. I asked if they could check and call back, shop agrees.

Surprise - no return phone call yet.

I'm betting the return call if it comes will conveniently be too late to cancel the order completely.

At no point during the first call to me was it re-iterated that I would receive just the one Y. Maybe I misheard the first and only time this was explained, and maybe not, but I'd expect at the least a double check to confirm.

Am I being unreasonable to expect a better resolution here?

[Don Fry]

At the end of the day, they accepted an order. Not your fault the website is useless. And one way or another, the problem is compounded in the error rectification phone call, rather than resolved.

A company can either see your point, or have an ex customer. I presume this is a credit or debit card transaction.

[Nigel R]

Paypal, for what its worth.

[Denis Watkins]

Paypal are great at this

Phone them

You will get all your money back Nigel

[Levanter]

Don't wait for them to call. Call them and say you will not accept being held to cancellation deadlines. Note time of attempted calls if you don't get through.

Stay reasonable like it seems you are. Make contemporary notes in case you end up having to unscramble everything.

Good luck

Levanter

[Nigel R]

Thanks for input gents.

Hmm.

On balance, as this was on the back of the first phone call, I will give the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps I did agree to exactly what has transpired. I do however stand by my statement of the resolution not being clearly reiterated before the call ended; the offered solution is simply not one I would expect (offer one of, cancel everything, or wait until all stock in, or send some now and some later but with single post charge). Hey ho.

I'm also feeling a bit of a "life's too short" moment coming on - it is not a high value order - but, for me that's likely to be first and last use of this shop.

Lesson learned, I think - I should have asked for a full refund during the first call, walked away, and made another proper order from scratch.