Zara They failed to process a refund for clothing I sent back (in pristine condition)

This happened five or six months ago, but I'm still livid about Zara's theft & incompetence, so I'm going to share my experience.  If nothing else, it'll warn others so they can avoid bitter experiences of their own. 

 I placed an order (#51561555769), of which I kept some items and returned the rest for varying reasons.  When I received the return acceptance e-mail (return #93572798) some time later, I noticed that it was partial.   None of the five t-shirts I sent back were included in the e-mail or refund amount.

Puzzled, I rang Zara's customer service line.  I explained that the t-shirts were missing and asked that they correct it, adding that the odds of a mistake on my end were ZERO - I packed everything myself, was supremely methodical, triple-counted, then sealing and delivered it myself.  I was told it would be investigated, which was fine by me.  I told them that the fact that JUST THE T-SHIRTS were missing was probably a clue that they may have been sorted by category, or set aside for some reason.

On March 20th, I got a voicemail from a "Sandrine", giving me case number 35699932.   I rang back and was told that regrettably, they couldn't assist me.  I said, very politely, that this news was unacceptable.  I spent time repeating everything.  I told her that she could not expect me to tell her what's wrong with THEIR operation - I have no way of knowing if it was theft from one of their employees, if the t-shirts had been misplaced by their staffers, if their supply chain systems were broken, or what in the world had happened. 

It was their responsibility to find out, not mine.  I had done my part and sent the items.  The person said that my issue would be escalated further, and I thanked her.   Surely they would investigate properly and I would get good news, right?

Well, guess again.   On March 23rd, I got a voicemail from a "Raquel" calling from 855-635-9272.  She referenced a new case number: 35858550.  More stonewalling, their "investigation" had turned up nothing.  I said that I failed to see how that was my problem.  What, exactly, did this so-called "investigation" entail?  Didn't they have cameras in their warehouses to check such things?   How was it my responsibility to tell her what had gone wrong on their end?

The onus was on Zara to figure out why and how they misplaced five t-shirts I sent back (packed with the items they did refund).  How are any of us otherwise supposed to prove what we sent back?!?  Even if I had taken photos of everything packed neatly on its way back, that proves nothing.  And it frankly feels offensive - not only are they implying that I'm either a thief or didn't send what I know I packed, but they're keeping my money too!  It's beyond the pale.

The person I spoke to suggested that, to avoid this, returns can be done in store too.  I told her that I'm not going to drive an hour and a half into the closest Zara store, with the fuel and parking fees and toll fees that entails, just to avoid their incompetence with online returns.  

Four of the returned t-shirts that Zara lost/misplaced/miscounted were $17.90 each and the fifth was $9.90.  That's $81.50...let's say about $88 with tax.  Am I going to sue Zara for $88-ish bucks?  Of course not, I'm not going to cut off my nose to spite my face, and end up wasting more time and money than this is worth.  And past a certain point of spending hours on the phone, with zero assistance from Zara's people, I'm not going to spend days arguing pointlessly til I'm blue in the face.   After a certain point, my time is worth more.  
I was left with no real solution except to let Zara steal from me.  And make no mistake - it's theft, it's fraud, and it's outrageous.  Whether it happened because of bad business processes, employee theft, warehouse incompetence, or miscommunication doesn't change that fact (and is not my problem).  THIS COULD BE YOU TOO - Zara is not accountable to its customers, no matter what their policies say.   

I cannot force Zara to pay what they rightfully owe me, and it's a relatively small amount.  You know when you feel like you've been taken advantage of and are powerless to change it?   It stings, right?  The principle bothers me a lot more than the amount involved.  This happened months ago, but now I've decided to do something about it.

I believe in accountability.  So here's what I'm doing to hold Zara responsible for failing to refund the rest of the order I sent, hiding behind their supposed "investigation":

1.  I resolved to never, ever buy a single thing from Zara again, unless this is repaid to me (which it won't be).  I've been purchasing their clothing all over the world for 20 years now.  No more.  I've likewise advised my friends & family to avoid them as well.  I mean, would YOU trust them again? 

There are far too many great clothing brands to go back to someone who stole your money when they're at fault.  I now buy from Bonobos (which costs a bit more, but have great discounts), Club Monaco, and on the cheaper end, Uniqlo and H&M.  

Zara may have kept my $88, but over the long-term, they will lose thousands of dollars in profit from me and my family because of their mistake.  Being a giant conglomerate, they won't care, but I care that I'm holding them accountable.  Long term, I win and Zara loses.

2.  I'm going to disseminate my story everywhere I can: Yelp, Resolver, the Better Business Bureau, the FTC, Google reviews, and on and on.  If you steal my money, you better believe I'm going to spread the word.  

So long, Zara.  You got the better of me, but I'm going to hold you responsible before I forget you.