Sometimes businesses are alerted when a customer exhibits “unusual” activity, such as requesting what may be considered a disproportionate number of refunds, and may prevent them from making future purchases. Consumers can also be banned for making too many complaints if the retailer believes they are abusing the process. Nowhere in their terms and conditions does it say they ban you if you return a certain number of itemsNannette Herbert She says the ban – which has since been lifted – had caused “a lot of different problems”, including the self-published author being banned from her publishing account. “They said I had returned too many things, which is not true at all,” he says. “I’ve kept most of what I’ve ordered… and I’ve ordered a lot of things. It doesn’t say anywhere in their terms and conditions that they ban you if you return a certain number of items.” Waitrose also blocked Herbert’s online account in December last year after she repeatedly complained about the quality of food delivered, following “intense efforts to accommodate” her needs. “They were handing out outdated stuff,” says Herbert. “They expect me to pay full price and if I complain about it, they ban me. They blame me for their mistakes.” Waitrose says its staff are “trained to be as discerning as our customers and will choose products with the longest available date codes”. Photo: Waitrose/PA “We never make these decisions lightly, and if a customer believes we’ve made a mistake, we encourage them to contact us directly to review their account.” Waitrose told us that its associates (employees) “are trained to be as discerning as our customers and will choose products with the longest date codes available”. He adds: “We want all our customers to be happy when they shop with us and while we achieve this in the vast majority of cases, we are sorry when any customer is disappointed. “Despite our painstaking efforts to accommodate Miss Herbert, we were unable to meet her needs online and felt it would be best for her to choose her own food in our stores.”
Can I get banned just for returning too many items…?
Retailers can refuse to do business with a customer, so it doesn’t break any rules to ban repeat returners. “No business can be forced to have you as a customer if they don’t want to, and they don’t have to give a reason,” says Martyn James, an independent consumer expert. Lisa Webb, consumer law expert at Which?, says: “Retailers may be within their rights to ban customers who consistently return items or complain. However, they should only do this with a good reason. “There is an environmental cost to sending items back, so shoppers should keep this in mind when making their next purchase and try to buy sustainably.” Was your item as described? Photo: insta_photos/Alamy Even if a company decides to ban someone from making further purchases, they must honor refund requests if your product is damaged, doesn’t arrive, or isn’t as described. Online retailers also give you 14 days to change your mind – for example, if you want to try clothes on at home. If you owe a company, they should work with you to create a reasonable repayment plan before you close your account.
… or for many complaints?
The simple answer is that you should not be banned for genuine complaints or penalized for escalating issues to a mediator or dispute resolution service. If the retailer believes you are abusive or making “annoying” complaints, they may decide not to do business with you in the future. James adds: “As long as you’re not abusing the process or abusing staff, you absolutely shouldn’t be penalized as a result of making complaints.” Online retailers give you 14 days to change your mind. Photo: Elizaveta Galitckaia/Alamy
Is there a way to appeal a company’s decision?
Webb says that if you’ve been banned and think it’s unfair, “follow the company’s complaints process to find out why. If you receive an unsatisfactory response, consumers can escalate the matter to an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) system or the industry ombudsman.’ Check if the retailer is ADR registered on their website. If you can’t find information, contact the company to ask for details about the ADR program. If the retailer doesn’t use one, ask if they would be willing to do so in this case, advises Citizens Advice. If the company agrees, they should find one and then give you the details.
What steps can I take to avoid the ban?
It’s a tricky area – companies typically don’t disclose what the cutoff threshold is for, say, refunds, or what complaints they consider nuisance. There may be steps you can take to reduce the number of returns and refund requests you have to make If you’re experiencing a particular problem, there may be steps you can take to reduce the number of returns and refund requests you have to make. For example, if you’re having trouble with packages that have been stolen outside your home after the couriers have dropped them off, you can drop off your items at work or a local collection point. Ultimately, if you had a lot of reasons to complain, it might be best to try to use an alternative provider of the service you need.
