dowzer - 9:07 am on May 19, 2009 (gmt 0)

Under UK Distance Selling Regulations a customer has the right to cancel their contract and return goods up to seven working days after receipt beginning the day after they receive their goods.

The problem is I sell lingerie and every return I get has to then be sold as a used item at quite a loss by me as no way can I or would I sell worn items as new and this is when they can even be sold as sometimes they come back with labels removed or without packaging.

As an example a customer has just emailed me to say she wants to return £200 of goods as she "doesnt like them" and I have to accept the return and then maybe sell them for £40 total meaning I have lost over £100 and thats just in one order.

I understand the logic behind DSR but I cant keep doing this - due to competition I cant raise my prices to account for losses in returns otherwise I wont make a sale and Im legally bound to comply with the legislation but there really should be an exception for lingerie and other intimate items which cant be resold as new.

A lot of my competitors have in their terms and conditions that they dont accept returns unless faulty in blatant disregard of the law (not to mention not clearly showing shipping prices and not showing a company address and so on) but I choose to comply and end up losing out and potentially going out of business as a direct result. Fair, huh?

Sorry, rant over :(