BAD experience with Sophie Jane on Ruby Lane.com ..HELP!

[Taylorbug!]

Anyone purchased from them? I bought an item before Christmas for a gift. I am fully aware of the return policy of Ruby Lane so I specifically asked the seller what her policy was. She responded "3 days to return". With that I decided to make the purchase. When it arrived i knew it wasn't what i wanted for the gift. I immediately contacted the seller asking for return instructions. This is when i was told "THERE IS A 20% RESTOCKING FEE"!!! WTH....I specifically asked her return policy and was only told "3 days". What can I do? Is there anyway to avoid this fee? Her response was "it's on my site and that is your responsibility to read it"......I ask what her policy was and I feel it was very dishonest to not disclose to me, "3 days AND a 20% restocking fee". What would you do?

 

[denverappraiser]

I believe the advertisers on Ruby Lane are required to file their terms and conditions, including their return policy, in advance, with the RL management. Contact RL with your concerns if you think she out of compliance with her stated policies. The first question will be: *IS* it on her site? What exactly does it say? She's right, it's your duty as a shopper to read the T&C as listed and if you don't like them, don't shop there. By clicking the 'buy it now' button you are agreeing to the terms as stated.

The Ruby Lane general terms pretty clearly allow the individual merchants to charge a restocking fee if they want, as long as it's part of the terms and conditions at the time of purchase. Was it there? That may be a reason not to shop with a particular merchant, in fact, in my opinion it IS, but it looks to me like you did get the disclosure.

http://www.rubylane.com/relax/rladvantage

 

[distracts]

Well... to be fair... it is EASILY findable under that shop's terms of sale.

 

[Taylorbug!]

Yes, it is on her site. (I didn't look until after I had purchased). I have purchased from several sellers on Ruby Lane and since I did know the policy of Ruby Lane, I thought it was best to ask her directly what her return policy was. I think it was very dishonest to only tell me 3 days. She could have just referred me to her return policy. But by telling me 3 days. I thought that was the "return policy. Obviously it wasn't the WHOLE return policy.

 

[distracts]

Yes, it is on her site. (I didn't look until after I had purchased). I have purchased from several sellers on Ruby Lane and since I did know the policy of Ruby Lane, I thought it was best to ask her directly what her return policy was. I think it was very dishonest to only tell me 3 days. She could have just referred me to her return policy. But by telling me 3 days. I thought that was the "return policy. Obviously it wasn't the WHOLE return policy.

Well but all Ruby Lane sellers have their terms of sale posted on RL, and "return policy" and "restocking fee" are two separate categories, so on RL it's not surprising to me that they are dealt with differently and that she thought the answer was complete. Sellers without a restocking fee have "none" or "no restocking fee" or similar listed under the "restocking fee" category in their terms of sale.

 

[denverappraiser]

Sorry, I'm with Sophie here. Her terms suck, and I would never buy anything from her for that reason, but this was not deceptive marketing.

 

[marymm]

Yes, it is on her site. (I didn't look until after I had purchased). I have purchased from several sellers on Ruby Lane and since I did know the policy of Ruby Lane, I thought it was best to ask her directly what her return policy was. I think it was very dishonest to only tell me 3 days. She could have just referred me to her return policy. But by telling me 3 days. I thought that was the "return policy. Obviously it wasn't the WHOLE return policy.

Well but all Ruby Lane sellers have their terms of sale posted on RL, and "return policy" and "restocking fee" are two separate categories, so on RL it's not surprising to me that they are dealt with differently and that she thought the answer was complete. Sellers without a restocking fee have "none" or "no restocking fee" or similar listed under the "restocking fee" category in their terms of sale.

I agree completely with distract's post above - the terms of sale are clearly posted on the website and you as purchaser failed to read the policies. Additionally, as a purchaser your protection lies in both parties being held to the written terms of sale. Sorry you had to learn this way, but to me bashing Sophie Jane is unfair when you chose to buy without reading the vendor's policies.

 

[Evilsports]

I've been in a similar situation before, albeit not purchasing jewelery.

In the end I had to make the tough admission that I could only blame myself, and most of the irritation that I was feeling could be laid at my own feet.

It's our job to figure things like this out prior to sending our money.

As a result, I am now probably that annoying customer who asks way too many questions before buying. I'd rather be "that guy", than the guy who is kicking himself for missing an important stipulation.

If I were you and I was dead set on returning the piece, I suppose I'd use the 20% as a strong motivation to make certain that I never found myself in that situation again.

I'm not trying to downplay the sour taste in your mouth, I understand that. At this point though, a person has to look forward. The longer you look backwards, the longer you are annoyed.

Good luck.

 

[Taylorbug!]

I have already sent the item back. I may have to pay the 20%.....but I Will NEVER purchase anything from her again!!! i just hope others don't get caught in her "so called return policy".

 

[pyramid]

Taylorbug, it is not her 'so called return policy' but your failure to read the terms and conditions. This is something people
need to take on board when buying anything.

I have seen it mentioned on Pricescope many times about Ruby Lane having a re-stocking fee. I have never thought to buy from them ever but that has stuck in my mind.

Sorry this has been the outcome of your purchase but we live and learn as they say. Put it down to experience and do better next time.

 

[denverappraiser]

Taylorbug, it is not her 'so called return policy' but your failure to read the terms and conditions. This is something people
need to take on board when buying anything.

I have seen it mentioned on Pricescope many times about Ruby Lane having a re-stocking fee. I have never thought to buy from them ever but that has stuck in my mind.

Sorry this has been the outcome of your purchase but we live and learn as they say. Put it down to experience and do better next time.

Ruby Lane doesn't have a restocking fee. Ruby Lane is an advertising venue not so different from Pricescope. They sell nothing but advertising. When you shop there you are shopping with individual merchants, not with RL themselves. They have a minimum standard for a return policy, and it's pretty low, but the individual merchants who advertise there set their own rules. Ruby Lane allows a restocking fee, just like Pricescope would allow a restocking fee if a dealer wanted to try it (good luck with how that would play out in the forum). Something tells me a dealer here with her terms and conditions probably wouldn't last long. I don't have a clue how long this seller has been there or how it's working out for her but it sure looks to me like she's completely in compliance with the RL rules. To me, holding this against Ruby Lane is sort of like finding a store in the yellow pages, having a bad experience there, and holding against the phone company. I'm a bit sensitive to this because it's such a common issue and I've had half a dozen clients in the last week or so with similar problems. People tell me regularly that they buy things from eBay. You are not buying from eBay, you are buying from someone who advertises on eBay. These are decidedly different things. You absolutely MUST do your due diligence or you are setting yourself up for a fall.

 

[msop04]

Taylorbug, it is not her 'so called return policy' but your failure to read the terms and conditions. This is something people
need to take on board when buying anything.

I have seen it mentioned on Pricescope many times about Ruby Lane having a re-stocking fee. I have never thought to buy from them ever but that has stuck in my mind.

Sorry this has been the outcome of your purchase but we live and learn as they say. Put it down to experience and do better next time.

OP, I'm really sorry about your experience... but I have to agree with Pyramid here. Regardless of what a representative told you on the phone, it's always best to have something more official (in writing or evidenced on the site). I know how you feel -- I've been in the same boat with an ebay vendor... but it really was my fault for not reading all the info. Since then, I have a rule that if it's not documented, then it didn't happen, wasn't said, isn't so, [fill in the anything else you'd like]...

 

[tyty333]

I agree Taylorbug that if you asked what the return policy was that she/he should have
Told you 3 days plus 20% restocking fee. Unfortunately, me agreeing doesn't get you much.
It would have been wiser if they had directed you towards their written return policy.

You have my sympathy .

 

[pyramid]

I didn't realise that Ruby Lane was an advertising venue, but I have read here more than once people saying to check on the refund/restocking fee there, so more people must have come across this problem with the different vendors on there.

 

[TC1987]

Does that seller accept PayPal? With ebay there's no partial refund capability in PayPal. Or at least that's what I think I saw. If the buyer returns the item, I think the seller has to refund the total that the buyer paid, including the shipping. The only way the seller can not lose money with a policy like that is to charge a restocking fee high enough to cover the shipping cost paid to ship the item out to the buyer. 15%-20% restocking fee for items that cost a lot to ship might not be extreme.