I thought I knew the answer to this, having returned items before, but I can’t find any confirmation on the website other than for faulty goods. I don’t drive so I asked a handyman if he could take me to Bricomarche to buy some wood and a tiling trim. The wood had exactly the same packaging and serial number as the wood I’d bought there before; the trim was 8 mm instead of 10 mm and not the right colour but, after so much searching online and it being all that they had, I went ahead and bought it. On returning home I realised that the width of the wood was 18 mm and not 15 mm and the tile trim just isn’t right at all. I would have bought the items from Leroy Merlin but for their extortionate delivery charges. Ironically, it cost me almost as much to pay my tradesman as it would have done had I used LM in the first place. So - how long have I got to return the items (a credit note will suffice) and can they be returned to a different Bricomarche, i.e.one that is nearer. I can’t, at the moment, afford to pay the tradesman again. Thank you!
"Quelles sont les conditions de retour d’un produit acheté en magasin ?
“L’article doit être dans son emballage d’origine et en parfait état de revente : non utilisé.
La reprise est effectuée selon les conditions générales de vente de votre point de vente.”
I do not know if Bricomarché have a national return policy of not. But here, one has 48hrs and you will receive a bon d’achat.
Yes, thank you - I saw that. Unfortunately, the road to the nearest Bricomarche is currently closed so we went to one further away and I don’t want to, and can’t afford, to go back there. Nothing about time limits though that I can see.
I know most places allow 30 days but 48 hours is very limiting if you’re dependent on public transport or waiting for an artisan to confirm that’s what he needs. What a pain.
Can any of your neighbours who have a car help you out?
It’s possible but they’ve helped me out before and I don’t want to take advantage. Not driving is a pain and in some circles regarded as a crime.
Perhaps you could offer to cover the fuel costs, or repay them in some other way, so as not to be thought of as taking advantage… a nice Victoria Sponge cake covered with fresh strawberries would I’m sure be very welcomed.
I always offer payment which is usually declined and then I present them with a decent bottle of red (also, they are gluten-free so a cake would not be welcome). I’m going to post on a local page as I’m sure someone will be going to Bricomarche within the next week or so and they can take the wretched item AND keep the credit note if they so wish. I hate waste and waste has underlined my time here, a series of unmitigated disasters.
Why not phone the shop and speak with their “after sales”. Explain the situation and ask their advice.
Presumably you have the till receipt and the goods are in “unused/unopened” condition… ???
Yes, I have the ticket and I now know that the time limit is 15 days (minus 3) but I can’t get to the shop anyway. I’ve just ordered everything I need from Leroy Merlin which, in terms of delivery charges, will work out cheaper in the long run.
Given this country is insane enough to let people behind the wheel who have no driving licence, unless there are other extenuating circumstances (medical or such) it really is worth people in this situation looking into a VSP of some kind. This country, outside of the cities, is just not made for not having a some kind of transport, and that’s not the fault of the people or governments etc, but just geography. Perhaps it may not work for you specifically at all @MsJHH, I’ve no idea obviously, but for anyone else in this situation it really is worth looking into.
I would if I were younger, i.e. have a VSP (although I still wouldn’t be able to transport heavy items). There is, of course, transport on demand which is fine for general shopping - although I think it would make better sense to provide it for specific times of the day so that more than one person uses it at a time. Also, if I were younger, I’d cycle but those lorries - I know of someone who was killed by one and someone else who had his spine severed and is in a wheelchair for life.
Sorry, what did I miss?
Do you mean people who drive VSP’s?
That is exactly what I mean! Even worse, a section of those people not only don’t have driving licenses, but have specifically lost them due to drink driving or such, and they still allow them to get behind the wheel of another vehicle, albeit a slower one. I say that as now the proud owner of two VSPs though (A Citroen Ami and a Mobilize Duo), but at least I do actually have a license.
Now you’ve aroused my curiosity… as I had heard these vehicles are very expensive to insure and are limited to much lower speeds than the normal car.
So… the interrogation begins… 
Were they ridiculously cheap to buy?
How expensive are they to insure?
How cheap are they to run… ???
just a general overview will suffice … as your experience might well be useful to others… and will certainly be interesting/useful for me. 
cheers
The Ami was about 8k, the duo was 11k. Given new car prices today I consider that ridiculously cheap!
They are relatively expensive to insure. I have them both all risks with very low or no excess and they each cost me about 450€ annually. I imagine if I didn’t have a license it would be substantially more.
The Ami has a 75km range, a full charge costs about 1,20€
The Duo has a 160km range, a full charge for that is around 2,60€. Because they don’t do fast charging I don’t think you really benefit from the tariffs some energy suppliers do for charging EVs, but I reckon I could get those figures down by a quarter if I really shopped around for the cheapest electricity.
Otherwise, costs, so far, have been minimal.
The Ami is restricted to 45km/h, like all VSPs, but it’s never been an issue in reality. The Duo comes in 2 versions, a restricted 45 version and a non restricted one that will do 80km/h and can go on motorways. I just went with the VSP version as, as I said, I have found after having the Ami for a couple of years that I don’t need the extra speed. I have a Mustang with a big old 5l engine i can use if I need to go on motorways or long distances, for everything else 45km/h will suffice. I cant quite believe I feel like this but honestly they’re some of the most fun I’ve ever had behind the wheel, it’s like being allowed to drive a go-kart on the roads, a little hairy on occasion, but great fun! Thats why I have them, not only do they not use fossil fuels to run so im doing my bit by not using the super polluting mustang, but I actually enjoy driving the silly little things!
How much better is the Duo quality-wise or space-wise?
Somebody on here (I forget who it was, sorry!) posted a link to the “Me and Mon Ami” YouTube channel which you might enjoy - it’s basically about a couple of eccentric middle-aged gay Brit blokes driving around the South of France in an Ami visiting picturesque villages and having lunch - it’s quite entertaining in an odd sort of way. 
They’ve recently graduated to an electric Fiat Panda Grande so the Ami (which is called Elton) doesn’t get featured as much currently, but there is a big back catalogue of Ami episodes.
VSPs out in sticks are fine, as long as you stay off the roads between noon and 14:00 when everyone is zooming between work and home for lunch.