Intermarche Returns...

Rivesaltes Johnny · Post by **Rivesaltes Johnny** » Sun 17 Aug 2008 19:07

Does anyone know what the legal rights are for returning goods with the above supermarket.

I recently purchased a set of jump leads from the Intermarche Store in Rivesaltes, as we had mislaid our set from the UK. We then promptly found the originals!. So then three days later took the new ones back to the store intact still in packaging with receipt.

Manager was extremely rude and said they had a policy of only giving refunds in a 48 hour period. we were 24 hours to late!!! this seems absurd as talking to locals and also the local police they told me at least two weeks to return goods. I also requested a credit note but even this was refused.

I would not make such an issue of this but the jump leads purchased were in excess of 40 euros so not cheap.

Has anybody got any experience of the time limit for refunds. The Tourist Office have also said 15 days but even a call from our local police station straight to the store has had no effect as the lady at the Intermarche Store said that we had been told 48 hours and it was tough!!

It seems she is well known to the local constabulary!!! and obviously above the law.!!!

Is anyone aware of my rights and also would a different Intermarche take the goods back?

I only have limited internet access whilst in France so please PM me as well as posting here

Merci...

polremy · Post by **polremy** » Sun 17 Aug 2008 19:26

wow.
in England you would get instant refund and no questions asked I think.
sorry - you're not meant to say anything starting with "in England.." over here I know.
I'm doubly scared now as I have volunteered to take back some glue that Mr Polremy bought about two weeks ago.
He has tried it on a few projects and it just doesn't do what it says on the tin.
Doesn't seem to stick anything to anything.
Amazingly, we still have the receipt so I will have a go and let you know what happens.
Mind you, this is Leroy Merlin and a brand new shop where the smiles have been stuck on all the asistants at the moment.
(Wonder what they used)
Will let you know how we - sorry, I mean "I" - get on.

PaddyFrog · Post by **PaddyFrog** » Sun 17 Aug 2008 19:40

Johnny, the most you can expect is a credit note.

There was nothing faulty with the goods.

Intermarché is an umbrella organisation where each store is Independent.

I took some Ballast and cement back to Brico and got a 2 month Credit note.

You could try the Group Head quarters they may intercede.

Here is their Web in English.

http://www.intermarche.com/englishpage.aspx

Sorry cannot be more hopeful

Roger O · Post by **Roger O** » Sun 17 Aug 2008 20:01

Intermarché is much less accommodating than Carrefour or Auchan - mainly because of its infrastructure - not being an outlet of a single chain but an affiliated independant store.

I've had similar problems. The way I managed to get an article refunded was to give the article to a kind neighbour who went to the store explaining very apologetically that he had bought a duplicate, not knowing that his friend had already bought the same. I got a credit note. Needs "diplomacy, though.. acting the poor innocent is much more effective (usually) than blustering or threatening to go elsewhere etc. helps also if you have a fidelity card.

edann42 · Post by **edann42** » Mon 01 Sep 2008 00:46

I recently bought a beach chair from Gifi, to have one of the resin armrest snap 16 days after purchase. On returning the chair to Gifi, I was told that their returns policy was limited to 14 days, irrespective of reason for the chair breaking!

Couldn' t get a refund or a credit note! Needless to say, they have lost a good customer, not that they were bothered when told this.

polremy · Post by **polremy** » Mon 01 Sep 2008 10:41

just realised i forgot to report the outcome of the glue saga at Leroy Merlin.

at first the girl at the enquiry desk just told me to go and get another tube.
when i insisted that mr polremy didnt want an exchange it all went very quiet.
she telephoned the chap at the glue rayon who came over.
he treated me like some silly woman who didn't know how to follow glue instructions.
I then attempted to convince him that mr. polremy was an absolute expert on glue and had used it correctly but it just didn't work.
the poor chap seemed to take it all so personally, did a lot of shrugging and at one stage i thought he was going to throw a tantrum or burst into tears.
he seemed so upset that i began to feel quite sorry for him.

mind you, i didn't get where i am today by giving up when the going gets tough.
i just stood my ground and kept saying
"the glue just doesnt work" and
"maybe it was stored somewhere too hot".

in the end the girl on the enquiry had had enough and quietly printed out a credit note.

now, what shall i spend it on?

Rivesaltes Johnny · Post by **Rivesaltes Johnny** » Mon 01 Sep 2008 11:30

I too am now able to report the outcome of our bid to get a refund out of Intermarche in Rivesaltes.

We then took a trip into the equivalent office of "Trading Standards" for the region in Perpignan. The kind gent looked at us and duly explained in French law once you purchase something the contract stands and the only grounds a commercial enterprise is obliged to refund you is if the goods are faulty.

He informed us the store was quite within its rights to refuse a refund. He did state he thought the policy a bit harsh by Intermarche and other groups were happy to offer refunds but the only course open was to try another Intermarche store as they are Franchises and another store might adopt another policy.

This we did and we were duly refunded our 40+ euros with no problem. I think it might have helped my good lady went into the store with the goods in her wheelchair and looked a bit bemused.

Suffice to say we have now blacklisted the Rivesaltes Intermarche and will never use them again for a shop, petrol or gas bottle...we have also learnt a lesson that if you buy anything in France do not expect a refund if you change your mind. It seems the only way to get a refund/credit note is to break it damage it and then say does not work!!!

On another note I am glad to report the customer service I received from one of my local optical shops was exemplary. A lens fell out or my reading glasses, I luckily still had the loose screw and the shop took two minutes to put it all back together clean the glasses handed them back and would not accept payment for the service.

carol sheridan · Post by **carol sheridan** » Mon 01 Sep 2008 11:35

I am quite good at returning goods in the UK, because I understand the law. A shop does not have to take back goods just because you change your mind, but most do to preserve good-will, if you have the receipt and preferably if they are in the original packaging. After all, they have to try to sell it again or they will lose money.
Any item has to be 'fit for purpose' and a chair arm that breaks in such a short time would obviously not meet that criterion. In England, I just mention the Sale of Goods Act or my consumer association, if I get any grief, and once the shop sees that your are an informed consumer they usually cave in. I once bought a pair of shoes at Bata in the UK and the sole fell off after a week. When I took them back, the assistant said accusingly 'You have worn these in the rain'. I pointed out that rain was not an unforeseen eventuality in November in England. She then said she would send them back to the manufacturers (they often try this ). The reply had to be 'You do that and try to get them to refund you, but my contract is with YOU so you must reimburse me'.
I have only had to return a couple of items in France and I found quiet persistence paid off.

Roger O · Post by **Roger O** » Mon 01 Sep 2008 13:26

Just don't try shouting at the shop manager:
"Vous vous prenez pour qui, éspèce de connard prétentieux !!" as I once heard a choleric red faced local customer facing off to a chef de rayon in Auchan! All that got the "client" was a call by the chef de rayon to his chief manager who came out in a big hurry and threated the "client" with a "procès pour diffamation" (libel suit), at which he backed down immediately and just left the shop!!

Certain people may escalate instead of backing down, but they would have to be in a position of enough "influence" to ensure "justice" went in their favour!!

Course anyone can try it (the above is the masculin version) - I mean, hearing that from a Brit could possibly so surprise the guy that he may be rendered speechless and give up without further ado, but don't come crying to us about the results if it turns bad - just make sure you know a good lawyer and that your case merits the epithet!! Anyway, the above sentence in French is not that bad, really, I've heard much worse! It's the kind of thing Dépardieu would be likely to come out with in one of his films!

carol sheridan · Post by **carol sheridan** » Mon 01 Sep 2008 14:29

Roger, you may be surprised to hear that 'connard' is not in my large French dictionary!

polremy · Post by **polremy** » Mon 01 Sep 2008 14:39

not even with trois etoiles?

carol sheridan · Post by **carol sheridan** » Mon 01 Sep 2008 15:40

Not even then............but I think I do know what it means!
Funny that we use the words for the organs that give so much pleasure in such a derogatory way!

Roger O · Post by **Roger O** » Mon 01 Sep 2008 16:13

No Caroline, in US parlance you would say something like "you poor pretentious jerk, or idiot (which is more "con" as in "soyez pas con = don't be an idiot") or "non-brain".. no sexual connotation - more belittling one's intelligence.. but in a very derogatory manner!!

(You were perhaps thinking of couilles = a vulgar term for testicles - in which case your "we" hardly applies?)

carol sheridan · Post by **carol sheridan** » Mon 01 Sep 2008 17:11

Roger, you have obviously moved in politer circles than I have! In case they get filtered, I will leave out the vowels, but common terms of abuse amongst the children I taught were 'd*ckhead' and 'pr*ck'. I won't mention the most unpleasant term of all because it is so misogynistic.

Owens88 · Post by **Owens88** » Tue 02 Sep 2008 01:44

No shop in the UK is required to give you a refund because you change your mind (think about it, would you run a shop on that basis ?).
Some do. Makro for instance. But that is their choice and their marketing policy.

I am with the trading office (the retailer was harsh) but I also think you are being harsh. There is a cost to the retailer of returning goods to stock and creditting you yet you are treating it as a consumer right that they should do it. They are not a lending library.

Sorry if that seems harsh. In my shop (if I had one) you would have been offered an immediate credit for other goods.

John

Rivesaltes Johnny · Post by **Rivesaltes Johnny** » Thu 04 Sep 2008 21:41

I was not looking for a refund initially and would have been happy with a credit note. In this instance the manager/franchisee was just downright rude and totally hissed me off.

A full refund was then the mission...

Still the outcome was more than I expected and a lesson was well learnt and it was an interesting diversion from yet another morning on the beach topping up the tan...

polremy · Post by **polremy** » Thu 04 Sep 2008 21:45

you must get really hot in that uniform!

Rivesaltes Johnny · Post by **Rivesaltes Johnny** » Thu 04 Sep 2008 21:52

Standards must be adhered to dear boy...

Roger O · Post by **Roger O** » Thu 04 Sep 2008 23:49

Rivesaltes Johnny wrote:Standards must be adhered to dear boy...

... er... girl!!

Rivesaltes Johnny · Post by **Rivesaltes Johnny** » Fri 05 Sep 2008 07:17

Ah my apologies...I do hope I have not offended...

polremy · Post by **polremy** » Fri 05 Sep 2008 09:56

think nothing of it, old chap.
some of us aren't easily offended.

i suppose you are used to getting up early from your days in the services.

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