The. Stores no longer cope with the influx of orders: customer complaints have flowed

Unable to contact stores

Delphi In 2006 a letter came from the reader stating that in the last few days it has not been possible to contact any clothing store operated by LPP Lithuania through the customer service communication platforms: Reserved, Housebrand, Sinsay and Mohito.

“Calls are not answered, email. Emails and Facebook messages too. Is it done deliberately or is it a serious reason that has not been addressed for a long time?” He asks.

According to the reader, it is possible to buy goods, but there are several obstacles to returning them. Similar complaints can be found in Rekvizitai.lt feedback. Most buyers who do not receive a response from the company are preparing to request consumer rights.

“From what I understand, during the quarantine, it has already become the norm that several companies make fun of their customers and cover themselves with an increase in shipments. I have always liked to buy from Reserved, but now I don’t know if it is. I will buy because it is impossible to return to a mission. The order was received at the end of January, I filled out a return form at the beginning of February. The courier, as you know, has not arrived yet, although it has been exactly a week. I also wrote to the service customer service, will also benefit zero. Well, we will see the rights of consumers, how to stop otherwise such arbitrariness of the seller “, writes Gintarė.

After ordering the “Home” and “Reserved” product and they did not match the size, I requested a return by courier. He did not come, I am waiting a week, but without knowledge. You are in the email. emails do not respond, very angry. Even if you call all day, you don’t bother picking up the phone. Please contact me as soon as possible, because I will ask for consumer rights, “Rasa said indignantly.

Waiting for a refund for a whole month

There are also buyers who do not return merchandise for two weeks or even a whole month.

“January 13th. I received the item that I wanted to return. I filled out the return form the next day, and the closest possible arrival date from the courier was January 19, so I chose it. A few days later, without getting a courier, I called customer service, but the answering machine only said the phone line hours and the call ended. After a while, I wrote an online application. I received an automatic response that the request was accepted and will be answered as soon as possible.

He was asked to be patient and not to repeat the requests. 20 days after completing the refund request, I wrote again without any knowledge, asking when the situation would begin to be resolved. Today is the 26th and I do not receive a response. The deadline for reimbursement is coming to an end and patience has already expired, so I see no other way than to contact the Consumer Rights Protection Service, ”says Žydrė.

“The customer service system is a real tragedy! I want to return the products received from the Reserved store, but the courier has not appeared for 4 weeks. No communication with the customer by email. By mail, phone – impossible. It is understandable that you have some flaws, but at least contact the customers! You will have to submit a request to the Service for the Protection of Consumer Rights, “says Miglė.

LPP Lithuania: the period of the pandemic is difficult for all companies

Irina Gromova, executive director of LPP Lithuania, points out that the Covid-19 period is difficult for all companies, not only for LPP, as the pandemic affected the entire business. However, it ensures that no one threatens the continuity of the company.

“From the beginning, we have focused our efforts on mitigating the impact of the pandemic restrictions that have been imposed on physical retail stores in all countries. Despite these aggravating circumstances, we can assure you that the LPP Group has coped well with this global crisis. Due to our action strategy, LPP’s financial position is good, despite the lost opportunity to trade in physical stores for most of the past year ”, comments I. Gromova.

The interlocutor points out that the temporary ban on buying in physical stores has affected the clothing industry, and that the growing interest of customers to buy in physical stores in the face of the pandemic has contributed to the enormous growth of electronic commerce. This change in shopping habits, he said, means that the need for online commerce has exceeded the company’s expectations and the ability to serve customers quickly.

“We are currently seeing a significant increase in e-commerce. The number of inquiries sent to our Customer Service Department has grown significantly. There has also been a sharp increase in online orders. Of course, this can cause temporary delays in delivery. of products purchased by our customers and may lead to staff shortages. We apologize for that.

This situation has led us to take serious actions to digitize the business and implement solutions that support multi-channel sales. These are large investments that require time and the implementation of new technological solutions that will allow us to increase the flexibility of online services ”, says the head of LPP Lithuania.

According to her, the Customer Service Department strives to answer all inquiries as soon as possible, and all customers will receive the answers they ensure.

If the refund request was completed in the electronic store before the 30th day, the merchandise may be returned in physical stores within 30 days. after its opening. Currently, they can be returned in the following ways: through an ATM; to return the acceptance points operating in Vilnius and Kaunas or by courier.

During the year – 15 complaints about company activities

This year, the State Service for the Protection of Consumer Rights (SCRPA) received 12 requests from consumers regarding the activities of LPP Lithuania, last year only 3.

According to Consumer Rights, buyers often request the return of quality products when the seller does not return the money paid by consumers or does not recover the returned products as promised. Consumers also complain about the quality of clothing: dresses, jackets.

8 consumer requests were resolved amicably, with the consent of the consumer and the seller, 1 consumer request, by decision of the SCRPA Commission, was satisfied and the seller was forced to return the money, currently 6 requests are being processed of consumers.

In addition, SCRPA contacted the company for clarification on the consumer’s breach of obligations. Once the requested clarifications have been received, the Service will consider the possibility of initiating a procedure; SCRPA may impose a fine on business entities that violate the relevant articles of the Civil Code.

Property disputes are more common during quarantine

The director of LPP Lithuania points out that other retail companies are also facing similar difficulties, which is a natural consequence of the current situation and the global crisis.
According to the SCRPA, during the quarantine period, disputes with consumers are typically related to electrical items (computers, mobile phones, televisions, appliances), footwear, clothing, and furniture.

Consumers complain more frequently about the quality of the products, incorrect information about the product, neglect of the remedy chosen by the consumer, non-delivery of the purchased products, restrictions to return the products purchased remotely, that is, there is no refund for products returned to the seller, there is no response. to inquiries not from the delivery of the goods, but from the placing of the order, taxes not provided for in legal acts, attribution of costs to consumers, that is, consumers do not want to be reimbursed for shipping costs based on that the service provided has been paid for.

A consumer who considers that his rights and legitimate interests have been infringed, must first contact the merchant in writing and state his claim. The trader must examine the consumer’s request free of charge and, no later than 14 days from the date of receipt of the consumer’s request, provide the consumer with a detailed and reasoned written response based on documents. The consumer, if he does not agree with the response received, has the right to request from the SCRPA an alternative resolution (out of court) of the consumer’s dispute.