Received duplicate order

Posted 7th Apr 2020

I ordered some bullion from royal mint and received my order yesterday to my surprise there was two boxes and they had sent a duplicate order (value over £2000) so I contacted them explained the situation and asked them to collect the items.

Today they got back in touch and thanked me for notifying them and asked me to post it back to them through the post office I replied to this email stating what days I’m off from work and that can they send a courier to collect on one of those days they have responding to this saying they need me to post it back then they will refund me the postage once they get it.

I’ve replied stating they need to collect as I don’t drive and I’m not walking into town with valueable goods.

Have any of you been in similar situations? Or do you know my rights on this matter.
I believe I’m being flexible by giving all my available dates for collection and packaging the parcel back up however I’m not willing to pay anything and then try and get money off them

28 Comments

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7th Apr 2020
To your question, I wouldn’t back down from what you’re asking. It is not unreasonable to not want to walk around in the current situation, let alone with over £2000 worth of goods. Stick to your original request
7th Apr 2020
I’ll collect it off you and drop it off at the post office on your behalf

Seriously though, that’s some honesty shown by you
7th Apr 2020
Some legislation somewhere saying that if the owner of notified unsolicited / abandoned goods does not make arrangement and collect within xx days then the recipient can legitimately dispose of goods as they wish. Not sure about interim storage costs. (edited)
7th Apr 2020
You don't say whether they charged you for both orders.
7th Apr 2020
AndyRoyd07/04/2020 18:14
Some legislation somewhere saying that if the owner of notified unordered …Some legislation somewhere saying that if the owner of notified unordered / abandoned goods does make arrangement and collect within xx days then the recipient can legitimately dispose of goods as they wish. Not sure about interim storage costs.

Just keep the "unconditional gift" until collected, or keep the gift permanently. Check if qualiftying conditions within Unsolicited Goods and Services Act 1971 Section 1 P2b have been met to permit recipient to keep after 30 days of come&collect notification. If so, the recipient can:
"deal with or dispose of them as if they were an unconditional gift to him, and any right of the sender to the goods shall be extinguished... not less than thirty days before the expiration of the period aforesaid the recipient gave notice to the sender in accordance with the following subsection, and that during the period of thirty days beginning with the day on which the notice was given the sender did not take possession of the goods and the recipient did not unreasonably refuse to permit the sender to do so."
legislation.gov.uk/ukp…ted
7th Apr 2020
That's not unreasonable at all. I refunded an eBay item that I sold just before lockdown as I didn't consider the trip to the Post Office a necessary journey (too big for post box, too small to justify the cost of arranging collection). Your journey to the PO would definitely be unnecessary.
7th Apr 2020
I've had duplicate items sent in the past, not £2000 worth though, I've usually found it far too much hassle to return the items and wondered why I bothered contacting the seller but that's what us honest folk have to endure I guess

I think it's up to them to arrange collection now that you've told them about their error and leave it at that. (edited)
7th Apr 2020
hoodr4007/04/2020 18:37
...not to sure where I would stand if I was to get robbed or house burnt …...not to sure where I would stand if I was to get robbed or house burnt down etc

Not your goods so up to the goods' owner to ensure/insure the safety of his/her goods prior to the owner collecting goods, or not collecting.
7th Apr 2020

I honestly think your been perfectly reasonable and they should be thankful you were honest and informed them of their mistake.

Now of all times you shouldn’t be having to make a trip out it to the post office it certainly isn’t essential.

If they had any sense they would work with you and arrange a courier for the next available convent time for yourself and offer you a discount on your next purchase as a thank you for your honestly and apologise for the inconvenience (edited)
7th Apr 2020
maddogb07/04/2020 19:34
Just one point that they are not "unsolicited goods" merely a shipping …Just one point that they are not "unsolicited goods" merely a shipping error so the law is not quite so clear cuthttps://www.saga.co.uk/magazine/money/spending/consumer-rights/can-i-keep-goods-delivered-to-me-by-mistake

Not a challenge, but until credibly shown otherwise by some other dot gov dot uk reference rather than some unqualified web ramble, the definition of "unsolictied goods":
"...means, in relation to goods sent to any person, that they are sent without any prior request made by him or on his behalf..."
and as OP did not order two sets(?) of whatever was ordered, the second set may be interpreted by a reasonable layperson as "unsolicited" as defined at legislation.gov.uk/ukp…ted
The semantics may not matter as the OP has already notified the supplier and received a direct response to that notification so OP can show that the recipient has satisfied any obligation for the recipient to tell the sender to get off their Rs and collect theirs hit.
7th Apr 2020
I’m not sure about the rights, but it’s their product so surely it’s their duty to collect it, not yours
7th Apr 2020
Completely understand you.
Tell them to wait to lockdown is over now otherwise they can do one. Royal Mail is a rip off but you also need to insure the parcel too
7th Apr 2020
Dam they wouldn’t be getting it back of me .

Sorry
Author
7th Apr 2020
Cheers for answers guys
To answer some questions I was only charged once with royalmintbullion you have to put the money in your account before you can purchase.

I would also class a journey to the post office as non essential so I'm not to sure what the police would say to me in that situation (in the event they stopped me)

In my last email I've stated for them to collect it within 30 days which I think is fair I don't actually like having goods that aren't legally mine in my house not to sure where I would stand if I was to get robbed or house burnt down etc
7th Apr 2020
Just one point that they are not "unsolicited goods" merely a shipping error so the law is not quite so clear cut

saga.co.uk/mag…ake
7th Apr 2020
I can’t speak from personal experience but I don’t think you’re being unreasonable at all, also postage would be expensive as well as you’d have to send it insured so I think it’s pretty cheeky of them to ask you up pay upfront postage costs as well. Stand your ground, they’re lucky you’ve been honest enough to tell them in the first place!
8th Apr 2020
Nice punctuation placement in your final line, Andy.

I like it a lot.
8th Apr 2020
Might be worth a post over at moneysavingexpert?
8th Apr 2020
Don’t see how this is your problem to solve. You’ve set out your terms, they should collect at you convenience not theirs.
8th Apr 2020
Bit of a thought but I don't know of any couriers that will carry bullion in their network so post office might be the only option.

Doesnt mean you have to go down to the post office because of this, especially these days and if you don't drive, but I have a feeling you'll be left with an extra £2k worth of bullion.
8th Apr 2020
There are specialist couriers for most things. I remember one used for delivering firearms who wanted proof of id and address before handing over the items. More like meeting a very firm and friendly and pragmatic law official.
8th Apr 2020
AndyRoyd07/04/2020 20:46
Not a challenge, but until credibly shown otherwise by some other dot gov …Not a challenge, but until credibly shown otherwise by some other dot gov dot uk reference rather than some unqualified web ramble, the definition of "unsolictied goods": "...means, in relation to goods sent to any person, that they are sent without any prior request made by him or on his behalf..."and as OP did not order two sets(?) of whatever was ordered, the second set may be interpreted by a reasonable layperson as "unsolicited" as defined at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1971/30/section/6/enactedThe semantics may not matter as the OP has already notified the supplier and received a direct response to that notification so OP can show that the recipient has satisfied any obligation for the recipient to tell the sender to get off their Rs and collect theirs hit.

As you say, a moot point for this OP, but any future person stumbling across this might need it clarifying.

Often the case with law it is not what is said but what is not said and I am not going to wade through all the amendments to that act but as far as i can see there is no need, your own quote "without any prior request made by him or on his behalf.."

Clearly this is not the case as the OP did place an order for those goods.
Having actually discussed this issue with a CC judge many years ago, that is the way most of them would go without specific statute to the contrary.
8th Apr 2020
Some people are wayyyy to honest!

Just keep it !! Im sure they can afford the loss.
8th Apr 2020
The unsolicited goods and services act only covers when you get an item out of the blue, it doesn't count mistakes fulfilling orders.

It's designed to stop scams where someone sends you an item and then turns up at the door days later demanding an inflated payment for it. Often the item would be perishable or something that you wouldn't be able to return if it was 'used'. These scams are almost non-existent now thanks to the law but in cases where the line between what is a mistake and what is unsolicited is vague, judges are likely to fall back to the intent of the law and rule with the store.

That aside, in the case of a mistake returns should not impose any significant inconvenience on the person on the receiving end so if getting to a post office is difficult, they should send a courier.
8th Apr 2020
What a fabulous dilemma. Great advice already given. You have done the right thing by letting them know. It's up to them to arrange collection. Let's hope it's too much trouble for them, and you get to keep it.
8th Apr 2020
Kudos for your honesty. Agree with the above. The onus is entirely on them to arrange return in a mutually acceptable manner. Daft that they're being awkward - I'd be there on my push bike for £2k worth of bullion
8th Apr 2020
I remember my Father, now sadly no longer here, saying '....always think of the staff member - they might lose their job..' when a pub or restaurant forgot to add drinks to the bill or an item of shopping missed on the supermarket conveyor belt.
8th Apr 2020
I looked into buying gold a while back - it's easy for them to post to you but very difficult for us to send via post office or Courier, good luck.