Mica Lighting is a Melbourne Based Wholesaler, Selling Direct to the Public Worldwide. Buy online today, and save up to 70% off retail prices on over 10,000 products including downlights, wall lights, garden lighting, chandeliers and so much more.
I recently bought two lamps from a company called Mica Lighting
http://micalighting.com.au/
I quickly realised that I did not like the quality of the lamps (supposed to be $150 each but reduced to $89 and more like a quality of a $20 lamp in my opinion) so I decided to return them.
On their web site I had originally read a large statement that says “5 STAR RETURN POLICY”. Admittedly I did not actually read this in detail as I have never ever bought anything from an on-line shop that does not allow a refund (minus postage and handling of course) for goods purchase over the internet and in reading they had a “5 STAR RETURN POLICY” I was re-assured that it would be “business as usual” from an on-line shop.
I have found that many on-line stores state “returns” when they offer “return and refund”
Also from their website: MICALighting Product Returns Guarantee - 100% NO Nonsense!
However as soon as I looked into the matter in more detail I discovered that their “5 STAR REURN POLICY” is very misleading to say the least.
Basically there is a NO REFUND allowed policy and only returns for a credit note. I know this is ultimately my own fault for not reading the small print but I strongly believe that their statements were miss leading and I honestly did not realise that ANY on-line purchase (except eBay and even they refund!) would not allow a refund. They also have some VERY strict rules for returns even to get credit note that include:
• Items must be returned to us in their original unopened condition.
How on earth would you know if you liked the product if you have not been able to open the package?
• All associated materials that were purchased as part of an individual item must also be returned in their original packaging and in an unopened state.
• You will be offered a store voucher (can only be used @ www.micalighting.com.au) for the full item purchase price (not including shipping charges), less 20%. This is to cover administration charges.
Obviously I am not happy with the fact that they only offer a store voucher but surely adding a 20% handling fee PLUS postage charges could not be deemed as a “5 STAR RETURNS” Policy?
Then to make matters worse they state on their website that:
To exercise the "Product Returns Guarantee Offer" please contact our office via the Contact Page and include the following: Your Order Number. Reason for Return.
You will then be issued with a returns code. Once you have been issued with a returns code, items must be returned to our office within 7days.
• If no returns code has been issued within the 7days return period, then our Standard Terms & Conditions will apply.
• Any violation of the above mentioned points, will deem the goods unreturnable under this Risk Free Returns Policy
Just by opening the product you immediately violate their returns policy.
Anyway I was about to leave on a trip for 3 weeks, so I rang the Mica Lighting office as soon as they opened at 8.00 am in the morning so that I could get the required returns number. I explained that I needed to get the item in the post today as I was leaving for an overseas trip and I was then told that I had to fill in the form on the website and someone would get back to me.
I then did that but by lunchtime no one had contacted me. So I called the office and was told that someone would be sending me an email with the returns number, so again I explained that I had to send it back today and they said they would call me back in 1 hour.
By 4.00pm I had no email or call back so I called them again explaining that I only had one hour to go before the post office shut and if I missed that I was away for 3 weeks.
I asked if I could send it back without the returns number and was told no as it wouldn’t qualify under their terms and conditions even though i suggested i could enclose a letter and the invoice. They said I would have an email before the close of business that day but when i pointed out the post office would then be closed they just kept repeating that I would sent an invoice (incidentally three days later they still have not emailed the returns number)
I was not impressed and asked to speak to someone else to see if I could resolve the matter and I was then put through to a man. I explained my situation AGAIN and he told me that if I hadn’t been so annoying then they would have supplied me with the returns number!!!!! I asked if that was how he thought a 5 STAR RETURNS policy was handled by insulting his customers and he said that it was his 5 STAR opinion that I was extremely annoying and that lots of people must have told me that before!!!
Buyer BEWARE of this company!
Buyer beware of this company!
Store Representative
Hi shopper. If you can kindly provide your order number, i can definitely look further into this for you. This is not the way we operate at MICA Lighting, seeing that we serve well over 200 people every day.
My order number was 100010396. I actually keep this invoice to hand JUST IN CASE I am ever tempted to accidentally shop your site again.
I actually threw your products away! I never received a returns number and I didn't want to throw good money after bad by paying for postage back and then your re-stocking fee.
I have honestly NEVER IN MY LIFE been treated like that and every word in that review is 100% true.
Horrible customer service by their National Sales manager!
Very Very poor! Will never use them again! I placed an order for deck lights on their web site which shows the lights were in stock. After payment they call back and say they only have 11 of the 15 lights in stock. The National Sales Manager acts like a reasonable salesman, but he was harsh and not willing to listen to the issue with our Order. Had a couple of arguments on the phone which didn't end too well.
If you are after lighting options there are plenty of other suppliers out there who offer the same deals with better customer service e.g. online lighting or call up the wholesalers who will provide you with a list of retailers who sell their products. Avoid as much as possible if you are after decent customer service experience.
Bad Service and Refusal to refund money for unusable lights
I ordered 20 downlight kits. I could not fit them together and after numerous phone calls and emails and confirmation by an electrician they admitted they had sent the wrong frames. They suggested I return them and they would send the correct frames. The project was now well behind schedule and I could not wait that long. The second remedy suggested was for me to pay for the correct frames to be sent and they would give me a refund for the ones they sent by mistake. I refused as I had already paid for what I had ordered and asked for a full refund as I would need to buy them locally (at additional cost) I received similar treatment from the National Sales Manager as a previous reviewer and have been accused of causing the problem. Still no refund
Purchased lights over $500 while they were on holidays which is fine however no email to say nothing would be sent till they return two weeks later after i follow up I receive an email to say what I have ordered is out of stock and will take further two weeks. They did offer to send me larger light of course I have to pay the difference! After agreeing to this cause I've been waiting so long I try to call placed on hold over 10 mins and when I say I have no time process the payment and just post them out they hang up. No reply to emails after letting them no I want a refund and when i call back again placed on hold! i own a business so I know what customer service should be about. There are no apologies no care!
Avoid - terrible customer service: rude and inept to the point of illegal
I ordered a series of pendants and paid for Mica to include globes and transformers. The pendants arrived, but with no globes or transformers. Contacted Mica, who said 'look in the box again'. We pulled the box apart, emptied and unfolded, but there was nothing in the box except padding. Contacted Mica again who then said, 'send us photos of the packaging'. Well! Obviously we couldn't, as we'd destroyed it in the hunt for the missing components. They then wave me away stating 'you've read our conditions and warranty information - there's nothing we can do - we consider the matter closed.' Nothing in the T&Cs relate to incomplete arrivals, and warranties are hardly relevant when the item doesn't arrive! Mica has even provoked me directly to take the issue to VCAT! Unbelievably rude, unhelpful, and heartless. Save yourself the pain and shop somewhere else.
I bought this touch lamp 1 week ago it does not work by touch or switch, I want to send this lamp back and get a refund, Mica Lighting do not give refunds only replacement, the item has to be sent back (at my cost) within 7 days unopened, how would I know it did not work if I didn't open it, other people have had the same problem with refunds at this company, they are ok until you want a refund then be aware YOU WONT GET ONE. DON'T BUY FROM MICA LIGHTING.
Store Representative
Hi Lynny. We can definitely fix this issue for you. Please supply an order number, so that i can resolve this issue.
I purchased this lamp last July, you informed me that it was too late to receive a refund, you would only replace item and I was to send lamp back at my expense. I purchased another lamp at Wayfair Australia, a very good company, I threw your lamp in the garbage bin.
Their so called "7 Day No Questions Asked Product Returns Guarantee!" is a joke.
When I tried to return an item they told me it was a "Custom Item" and therefore did not qualify for return or refund. Yes the Product Specification did say it was a Custom Item, but it didn't say that that meant you couldn't return it and there was nothing on the "Returns Guarantee" page that said anything about "Custom Items" being ineligible for return or refund either nor was there any sort of statement suggesting you refer to their "Terms and Conditions" for more information.
Yes, buried deep in the "Terms and Conditions" (section 9, point 21) it does state that you cannot return "Custom Items" but hiding it there and not including such important information in either the Product Specification or the "Returns Guarantee" page is simply deceitful.
http://micalighting.com.au/
I quickly realised that I did not like the quality of the lamps (supposed to be $150 each but reduced to $89 and more like a quality of a $20 lamp in my opinion) so I decided to return them.
On their web site I had originally read a large statement that says “5 STAR RETURN POLICY”. Admittedly I did not actually read this in detail as I have never ever bought anything from an on-line shop that does not allow a refund (minus postage and handling of course) for goods purchase over the internet and in reading they had a “5 STAR RETURN POLICY” I was re-assured that it would be “business as usual” from an on-line shop.
I have found that many on-line stores state “returns” when they offer “return and refund”
Also from their website:
MICALighting Product Returns Guarantee - 100% NO Nonsense!
However as soon as I looked into the matter in more detail I discovered that their “5 STAR REURN POLICY” is very misleading to say the least.
Basically there is a NO REFUND allowed policy and only returns for a credit note. I know this is ultimately my own fault for not reading the small print but I strongly believe that their statements were miss leading and I honestly did not realise that ANY on-line purchase (except eBay and even they refund!) would not allow a refund.
They also have some VERY strict rules for returns even to get credit note that include:
• Items must be returned to us in their original unopened condition.
How on earth would you know if you liked the product if you have not been able to open the package?
• All associated materials that were purchased as part of an individual item must also be returned in their original packaging and in an unopened state.
• You will be offered a store voucher (can only be used @ www.micalighting.com.au) for the full item purchase price (not including shipping charges), less 20%. This is to cover administration charges.
Obviously I am not happy with the fact that they only offer a store voucher but surely adding a 20% handling fee PLUS postage charges could not be deemed as a “5 STAR RETURNS” Policy?
Then to make matters worse they state on their website that:
To exercise the "Product Returns Guarantee Offer" please contact our office via the Contact Page and include the following:
Your Order Number.
Reason for Return.
You will then be issued with a returns code. Once you have been issued with a returns code, items must be returned to our office within 7days.
• If no returns code has been issued within the 7days return period, then our Standard Terms & Conditions will apply.
• Any violation of the above mentioned points, will deem the goods unreturnable under this Risk Free Returns Policy
Just by opening the product you immediately violate their returns policy.
Anyway I was about to leave on a trip for 3 weeks, so I rang the Mica Lighting office as soon as they opened at 8.00 am in the morning so that I could get the required returns number. I explained that I needed to get the item in the post today as I was leaving for an overseas trip and I was then told that I had to fill in the form on the website and someone would get back to me.
I then did that but by lunchtime no one had contacted me. So I called the office and was told that someone would be sending me an email with the returns number, so again I explained that I had to send it back today and they said they would call me back in 1 hour.
By 4.00pm I had no email or call back so I called them again explaining that I only had one hour to go before the post office shut and if I missed that I was away for 3 weeks.
I asked if I could send it back without the returns number and was told no as it wouldn’t qualify under their terms and conditions even though i suggested i could enclose a letter and the invoice. They said I would have an email before the close of business that day but when i pointed out the post office would then be closed they just kept repeating that I would sent an invoice (incidentally three days later they still have not emailed the returns number)
I was not impressed and asked to speak to someone else to see if I could resolve the matter and I was then put through to a man. I explained my situation AGAIN and he told me that if I hadn’t been so annoying then they would have supplied me with the returns number!!!!! I asked if that was how he thought a 5 STAR RETURNS policy was handled by insulting his customers and he said that it was his 5 STAR opinion that I was extremely annoying and that lots of people must have told me that before!!!
Buyer BEWARE of this company!
Buyer beware of this company!
My order number was 100010396. I actually keep this invoice to hand JUST IN CASE I am ever tempted to accidentally shop your site again.
I actually threw your products away! I never received a returns number and I didn't want to throw good money after bad by paying for postage back and then your re-stocking fee.
I have honestly NEVER IN MY LIFE been treated like that and every word in that review is 100% true.