Hello,
So, I'm in an interesting position...
Recently I purchased a laptop online. Unfortunately, the optical drive broke, and I had to request an RMA, and send it back. Recognising that it was faulty, they accepted my RMA request and gave me a refund...
...but the interesting thing is, they refunded me 5x the amount they actually were supposed to credit to my account.
They were supposed to refund me £388.93, but instead they refunded me £1944.65.
I'm in an ethical and possibly legal dilemma. I've researched on the net to find out the legalities of 'companies overcrediting' customers accidentally, and 'overpayments', but my research has drawn vague and contradictory information. I suppose that's how law is.
What I want to know is, does the company have the right to demand that I pay the amount back? And what can the company do if they discover that they have overcredited a customer? What are the legal implications, if any?
The way I understand it, if a till operater gave you too much change at the checkout of a supermarket, and it's already in your possession, the cashier does not have the right to demand for you to give the overcredited amount, if and when he/she identifies the mistake. Much the same way that a customer, when underchanged at a till, cannot return to the till and demand for the correct amount of change be given when the transaction has ended and the customer has already left the till. However, information suggests that by law, one who has mistakenly made an overpayment has the right to recover that amount.
Some appropriate law material I've been reading:
Restitution: Restitution - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Unjust Enrichment: Unjust enrichment - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Overpayment (Lemon & Co Solicitors): Overpayment – Can I Keep the Payment?
I'd also like to know what you think should be done.
So, I'm in an interesting position...
Recently I purchased a laptop online. Unfortunately, the optical drive broke, and I had to request an RMA, and send it back. Recognising that it was faulty, they accepted my RMA request and gave me a refund...
...but the interesting thing is, they refunded me 5x the amount they actually were supposed to credit to my account.
They were supposed to refund me £388.93, but instead they refunded me £1944.65.
I'm in an ethical and possibly legal dilemma. I've researched on the net to find out the legalities of 'companies overcrediting' customers accidentally, and 'overpayments', but my research has drawn vague and contradictory information. I suppose that's how law is.
What I want to know is, does the company have the right to demand that I pay the amount back? And what can the company do if they discover that they have overcredited a customer? What are the legal implications, if any?
The way I understand it, if a till operater gave you too much change at the checkout of a supermarket, and it's already in your possession, the cashier does not have the right to demand for you to give the overcredited amount, if and when he/she identifies the mistake. Much the same way that a customer, when underchanged at a till, cannot return to the till and demand for the correct amount of change be given when the transaction has ended and the customer has already left the till. However, information suggests that by law, one who has mistakenly made an overpayment has the right to recover that amount.
Some appropriate law material I've been reading:
Restitution: Restitution - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Unjust Enrichment: Unjust enrichment - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Overpayment (Lemon & Co Solicitors): Overpayment – Can I Keep the Payment?
I'd also like to know what you think should be done.
