A customer ordered a card at short notice and I went to the bother of getting up early in the morning to do it and posted it that day (1st class) It should have arrived day before she needed it but it didnt , it arrived 2 days after the birthday. Now she wants a refund
Its not my fault its late and she still has the card which wont be any good to anyone else
Do I refund to keep her happy ?
Did you list it as a custom order, which states no refunds unless faulty?
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Personally I would refund postage but not for the card. It’s not your fault, but it’s not hers either.
I think going forward it’s prudent to tell customers that whilst you can do their item you can’t guarantee delivery in time if short notice. Maybe state a cut off date? With my listings I state that whilst 1st class should be next day, it can take up to 4 days (this info was given on the Royal Mail website).
I think the answer to this depends on the communication you had with the customer when they placed their order. If the customer told you that it was a rush order and you explained that you could dispatch ASAP, that it would be sent 1st class, so it should arrive in 1-2 days after dispatch, though this isn’t a guaranteed delivery service, then I don’t think you should refund anything, as the customer should have understood that it may not arrive on time.
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I think the customer in this instance was taking the gamble that it would arrive on time, you did everything possible at your end to ensure this, but everyone knows the delays which happen with Royal Mail.
She could save the card for next year. I would negotiate what she wants for her to be satisfied. It’s better to keep customers happy, for a few pounds it’s not worth risking your good reputation. Hope all works out OK.
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thanks everyone for your advice. The customer ordered it and then asked for it to be personalised and asked if it would arrive for friday . I told her it should arrive the day before but couldnt guarantee it.
She wont be able to use it again as the age is printed on it.
I will certainly in future state I cant guarantee any cards to arrive in time especially at short notice.
I wonder if I should offer her a generous discount if she orders from me again .
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In that case @dianesdecoupage you advised that delivery was not guaranteed so in my opinion the customer took the risk and therefore you should not offer anything
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you wonder why people leave it so late to order things. I t was her granddaughters birthday!
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I’d ask for it to be returned first, then once it had arrived I’d refund everything. Then I’d put into place strategies to avoid it happening again and move on.
As it’s been customized then what’s the point of offering a refund for a return. The seller will still be out of pocket as they’ll not be able to resell it.
The customer was told it might take not get there on time but she choose to go ahead. The Seller did not guarantee a the delivery date therefore the seller has fulfilled the order and therefore as the card is as described, not damaged there’s no need for the seller to refund.
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If it was personalised, then you’re under no obligation to refund. If you choose to anyway (in the interests of good customer service) I agree with @plumporridge that you should ask for it to be returned, at the buyer’s expense, and then offer a refund or partial refund.
It’s annoying when buyers take a gamble but expect the seller to take the loss when it doesn’t work out - it’s always worth making your terms clear before shipping.
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In future, if someone is insistent that it is needed quickly, for a particular date, offer them the option of sending it Special delivery for an extra cost. If they choose not to then make sure they know that you will do your best but there is no guarantee it will get there in time.
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I would ask for it to be returned just to make sure the customer has not used it anyway and gets to keep the card and the refund. If you ask for it to be returned you may find that she backs off.
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I have told my customer that sorry her card didnt arrive in time but I wouldnt be refunding as told I couldnt guarantee card to arrive in time.
I didnt offer any discount or refund and I havent heard from her again
But In future when I send my confirmation email of sale with details when I am likely to send it, I will state I cant guarantee royal mail to deliver in time . I will offer special delivery at extra cost.
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