A Bournemouth mother's heart-wrenching request for a £435 wheelchair refund has been denied by Lifestyle & Mobility, despite her daughter tragically passing away just two days after the purchase. The bereaved mother, JS, bought the wheelchair intending to use it with her 46-year-old daughter once she was discharged from hospital – but her daughter's condition rapidly deteriorated, leading to her untimely death before the chair had even been unpacked.
JS explained that the wheelchair remained in her car boot since purchase and never left the indoor shopping centre car park. Despite these exceptional circumstances, Lifestyle & Mobility refused a refund, citing their policy of only issuing refunds for faulty or mis-sold products. A spokesperson acknowledged the difficulties such situations pose, stating: "Given our business's nature, we're sadly familiar with cases like this. We take no pleasure in applying our criteria in such instances."
The mother had hoped for some leniency, especially as the money would help her grandchild – a teenage single parent. The unused wheelchair serves as a painful reminder of her loss, and attempts to sell it online privately for three months were unsuccessful.
This situation highlights the disparity in consumer protection between in-store and online purchases, with the latter typically benefiting from a 14-day cooling-off period not applicable to items bought directly from physical shops. Lifestyle & Mobility's terms and conditions suggest that goodwill variations to their refund policy are at the company's discretion – but they have reportedly declined to use this discretion in this case.
The emotional and financial burden on families navigating such tragic circumstances is immense, underscoring the importance of being aware of individual retailer refund policies, especially for significant purchases made in-store. These can differ significantly from the statutory rights associated with online or distance sales.