PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT BE CROSS WITH US BUT WE HAVE TO CONFESS ............
As we are trying to cut some overheads in these economic times, we have generated this list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
THE GOOD NEWS.............
We find that 90% of enquiries we receive fall into a select number of groups and so we have outlined the answers to these below.
Please identify your query and then scroll to the relevant section.
- Store Locations
Please refer to our website (www.rivers.com.au) for a list of our stores which are currently trading and then click on the 'Find a Rivers Store' link. Alternatively, please click on the following link:
www.rivers.com.au/stores/find.asp
Select which type of stores you wish to view, if not 'Both' then either Retail and Clearance Stores and then select the relevant state for the store you wish to locate.
This should also state the stores location, contact phone number and the stores trading hours.
- Stock enquiry
Unfortunately we are unable to investigate the availability of any items that you may be looking for.
You might like to check your closest Rivers Retail or Clearance Store and/or the Online Clearance Store at www.rivers.com.au.
The Online Store, like our Clearance Stores, only carries limited stock, such as items that are over stocked or have only limited sizes or colours remaining. So if you are unable to view an item online, it is currently unavailable.
The stock is updated regularly and stores are replenished as stock becomes available, so you may like to check back every now and then.
Alternatively, you may like to sign up to our Mailing List (by following the link on the Rivers homepage) to receive notification of special offers and promotions.
- Lack of advertised stock in store
This is a very, very difficult area we encounter in running our business, and whilst you may have been disappointed, the steps we take to try to appease our customers are the most extensive in the industry, for example:
- Try to have as much stock to sell for customers of our specials, and
- Warn customers of the possibility that we may sell out (you may have noticed the advertisement stated; "Limited Stock and Sizes. Your local store may have lots or may have none" or something of the like) and
- Limit sales of our specials such as is appropriate for private consumption of any one family or customer, so there are more of them to go around, and
- The product clear outs we promote on TV or catalogues are chosen with the expectation of selling about 50% of our stockholding (the vast majority of products we clear out as markdowns do not make it to TV or catalogues) typically in fact we sell only about 30% of our stockholdings - i.e. plenty of stock left right to the end of the promotion.
It may also help you to know that our subscribed Rivers Card members (who have joined our Mailing List www.rivers.com.au) in most cases, receive notification of up and coming promotions we have. You too may like to join our Rivers Card Program via our website and receive notifications of promotions.
In saying that, a lot of our shops and our Internet site are "Clearance" stores, which we are always communicating very strongly. We also have sales and specials in our full price Retail Stores.
The nature of sales and specials in our full price stores, and the purpose of a clearance store is to clear out stock: end of season, oddments, etc. The very nature of this type of clearance is such that there are always going to be missing sizes and colours. It is also typical for some stores to have huge quantities, and others very little (rather than paying the massive costs of moving stock from one store to another, we pass on discounts to our customers to clear the stock out). We really go out of our way to an extent we have never seen any other retailer do, to make sure the public are aware of all of this.
In our company your feedback is read by all members of Senior Management, our Marketing Team and our Stock Control Team. They are all very, very conscious of this type of issue and are already doing absolutely everything possible to try to have as many happy customers as possible.
The extent of the efforts we take to try to appease all our customers cannot be exceeded, the simple fact of life is that if a promotion catches us by surprise by generating more sales than expected, or there are stores somewhere that have sold out of particular sizes or colours there is nothing we can do about it.
- Price Discrepancy Policy
Errors of this nature do occur from time to time, in spite of our best efforts to the contrary. For that reason, Rivers have implemented a Price Discrepancy Policy that is both customer focussed and internally focussed.
Where item/s have had a price label applied to them, or not removed from them, which is incorrect, our Price Discrepancy Policy only allows staff to sell the item at the ticketed price in some instances (which is totally at the staff members discretion), principally where the price difference is less than $20. The staff in store are instructed to record the full details of any discrepancy as part of our policy in order to prevent issues such as staff fraud or sticker tampering (to name a few) in order to process the sale. Thus, where the discrepancy is of a significant amount, withdrawing the product from sale and processing the issue internally allows the company to determine if the problem is of a more serious nature than an isolated error.
Where the price discrepancy is greater than $20, as far as customers are concerned, we remove the article from sale. You are, of course, at liberty to buy the same article from the shop (where it is available) at the correct price.
If the staff member did not process the price error but removed the article from sale (due to the incorrect price sticker), then the staff member has followed the Company Policy and will not reoffer it until they have corrected the price sticker.
If this has happened to you we apologise for the inconvenience it may have caused you.
- Why do you need to provide your personal details for refund transactions and the like?
To provide the best possible services to you, we may ask for personal details such as your name, address, telephone number or e-mail address. We use these details for price discrepancies refunds, gift vouchers and Internet online clearance store orders.
Privacy law allows Rivers to collect personal information about you directly from you if it is reasonable and practical to do so. All of the personal information that we ask for is generally used for the specific purpose of providing a service to you. We do not use or share personal information for any purpose other than for the purpose for which it was disclosed.
You have no obligation to provide any information requested by Rivers. If you choose to withhold requested information however, we may not be able to provide you with the service you require.
- Do you find our TV Ads annoying?
We are sure that you will appreciate that Rivers services over 3 million customers. As a ratio of total customers, the amount of negative feedback received regarding the advertisements is relatively low.
Rest assured that your feedback does get circulated to all members of Senior Management, however, any feedback originating from talkback radio is what they pay particular attention to. To this point in time, we have heard no such negative comments on talkback radio and thus have no immediate plans to cease the current TV campaign.
You may be surprised to know that we actually receive positive feedback on our in store DVDs and we even have customers wanting to buy a copy!
- Online order enquiries
If you have received a confirmation receipt of your order then we will do our best to fulfil it, however we must warn you that the item/s you ordered may not be available by the time we process your order (other orders may be ahead of you).
We will not process payment for your order until all ordered items have been physically packed so therefore you are only charged for the stock that is sent to you.
Remember we may have limited stock and sizes and sometimes sell out very quickly.
We are also unable to confirm for you receipt of your order or expected delivery of your order.
Any enquiries you may have for our Online Clearance Store Team in the future can be sent to OnlineShop@rivers.com.au. We thank you for your patience regarding this matter.
- Rivers Card
For any enquiries on anything to do with the Rivers Card Program please see the Rivers Card FAQ's
- Refund/Replacement Policy
This “Return of Goods Policy” is in addition to and does not modify your rights
under the Competition & Consumer Act 2010 & equivalent State or Territory
legislation but is in replacement for and hereby excludes all other statutory
and common law rights that are able to be excluded.
Our goods come with guarantees that cannot be excluded under the Australian
Consumer Law. You are entitled to a replacement or refund for a major failure
and for compensation for any other reasonably foreseeable loss or damage. You
are also entitled to have the goods replaced or repaired if the goods fail to be
of acceptable quality and the failure does not amount to major failure.
GENERAL INFORMATION
- Rivers will only accept return of product in certain circumstances.
- With any product that you want to return, Rivers reserves the right to assess
the condition and age of all returned goods.
- This may result in the goods NOT being accepted for return, repair, refund,
credit note or exchange.
- Subject to your statutory rights referred to above, socks, underwear and
swimwear will NOT be accepted for return or exchange unless assessed as faulty.
PRODUCT ASSERTED TO BE FAULTY
Product asserted to be faulty should be returned to the Rivers Store at which it was purchased or any
other Rivers store along with proof of purchase showing the date and purchase price. If you also claim you
have suffered any loss or damage due to the alleged fault in the product, you must also provide specific
details regarding such loss or damage, including documentation supporting your claim. Please note that
only defects appearing within 6 months of the date of purchase are covered by Rivers defect warranty.
The nature of the alleged fault in the product should be clearly identified to Rivers Staff upon the return
of the product. It may then be sent to the Rivers factory for assessment of the alleged fault.
If the factory assessment indicates that the product did not suffer a major failure, but is nevertheless
of unnacceptable quality, Rivers will either offer you an exchange for the same or similar product, a
refund or credit note (depending on whether or not you have proof of purchase), or will attempt to repair
the goods at its expense.
If the factory assessment indicates that the product has suffered a major failure, Rivers will offer you a
replacement product, credit note or refund (depending on whether or not you have proof of purchase).
THE PRODUCT HAS SUFFERED A MAJOR FAILURE & YOU HAVE YOUR RECEIPT
If assessed as having suffered a major failure and you have proof of
purchase such as your Rivers receipt: we may offer you an exchange, credit note
or refund at the $ value printed on the receipt.
THE PRODUCT HAS SUFFERED A MAJOR FAILURE BUT YOU DO NOT HAVE YOUR RECEIPT
If assessed as having suffered a major failure and you do NOT have proof of
purchase such as your Rivers receipt: we MAY offer you exchange ONLY for the
same style or a credit note at our lowest selling price the product has been
sold for at any point in time. i.e NO refund.
This defect warranty is offered by
Rivers Australia, PO Box 7034, Hawthorn North, Vic 3122, ph (03) 9852 8804,
email: q@rivaus.com.au. The benefits given to you by this warranty are in
addition to other consumer rights and remedies under the law in relation to the
goods to which the warranty relates.NON FAULTY, NON PROMO PRODUCT, WITH
RECEIPT and/or RIVERS CARD
Within a max of 30 days of purchase we may allow Entirely at our Discretion
- Exchanges, Credit Note, or Refund
The product must be in its original condition, i.e unworn, unused, with all
labels and tags attached as sold
NON FAULTY PROMO PRODUCT, WITH RECEIPT and/ or RIVERS CARD
Entirely at our discretion we MAY allow:
- Exchanges or Credit Notes (i.e no refund)
The product must be in its original condition i.e unworn, unused, with all
labels and tags attached as sold.
NON FAULTY NORMAL OR PROMO PRODUCT, NO RECEIPT & NO RIVERS CARD
After asking for ID and receiving from you details which may include the following and more:
- Your Name,
- Address,
- Email Address,
- Phone Number, etc AND
In exceptional circumstances (and entirely at our discretion) we MAY allow:
Exchange for another size or colour (same style) ONLY.
The product must be in its original condition i.e unworn, unused, with all
labels and tags attached as sold.
- NO receipt will be issued.
ONLINE ORDERS - As well as the above please note the following as per the "shipping and ordering information" from our online clearance store
Australian and International Transactions: Unused or unworn goods (with tags attached) can be retuned by mail at your cost to:
Rivers Online
PO Box 53
Sebastopol, 3356. Victoria, Australia.
Please include your original receipt, EFTPOS receipt and a note of explanation.
Exchange of goods: If you would like to exchange the item then please include in the note the style code, colour and size that you would like the item to be exchanged for. As soon as the goods are received by the factory they will be processed and returned to you immediately.
If the item you wish to exchange for is not available at the time of transaction then a refund will be processed to your credit card (as long as you have your original receipt)
The exchange of Clearance goods will not incur a further postage fee of $8.80 within Australia and outside Australia other postal charges will apply. (In some countries the goods might attract duty and tariff charges, please check what applies in your country).
Refund of online goods: If you do not wish to exchange for another item and you meet the criteria listed in this Return of Goods policy then a refund will be processed to your credit card once we receive the returned goods.
Alternatively, orders may be returned to Clearance Stores only (please check the website under 'Find a Rivers Store' to find your closest clearance store).
We hope that the above will cover your query. In the event that it does not, then please email the following address:
We hope that you will continue to enjoy shopping at Rivers.