Farfetch

If I would have thoroughly read the reviews for FARFETCH I don't think I would have ever purchased an item from them! I am furious! I purchased a Maison Michel straw hat from ATELIER New York (a boutique) through the website about a week ago for a trip to Mexico. I paid for express shipping because I wanted to receive it before I departed for my vacation. Well, I received the hat the day before I was schedule to travel and I was extremely excited about the idea of having obtained an item that I searched high and low for! Instead of receiving the perfect fedora to compliment my wardrobe all I was left with was utter disappointment! The hat that I received was NOT what was portrayed on the website! Upon opening my packaged I realized that the ribbon was falling off of the hat and that the metal 'M' logo that was supposed to be stitched onto the ribbon was missing. At first I thought that maybe it was provided separately but there was nothing else enclosed in the box and no indication that the metal 'M' logo ever been stitched onto the ribbon, I am a Fashion Design student and I purchase luxury items on a regular basis so I have acquired sufficient knowledge of the detail an item must possess. BUT anyways! The package was received on a Wednesday at 1:49p EST and immediately processed for a return online and delivered to a UPS center for processing, the item was shipped back to the retailer at 5:07p EST. I left for my trip to Mexico immediately the next morning but I proactively followed up with the tracking of the items delivery! When I noticed that quite a few days had passed and I had not even received an email acknowledging that my returned item was received I decided to contact FARFETCH directly. During my initial interaction I was told that they could not locate my return order and needed to investigate the matter. The associate that I spoke with reassured me that he would either return my phone call or send me an email with an update. I did not receive either during the timeframe that was communicated so I opted to call back to follow up on my previous interaction. I was placed on a number of lengthy holds while another agent followed up on my claim, she then informed me that after their investigation they were told by the boutique that the item returned was not received in the same condition that it had been sent and mentioned them having an issue with the box that it was sent in. I sent the item in the exact condition that it was received which again was NOT what was portrayed on the online website (after all that is the very reason why I am returning the item!) I also returned the hat in the same exact packaging that it was received in. The agent then proceeded to inform me that ATELIER New York was refusing to accept my return and would be shipping the item back! I asked for my dispute to be escalated and I was then asked to hold off from doing so until they could find some type of resolution that would benefit both parties. I have never been so insulted! I have since read a number of reviews from other customers with similar issues and it is now very clear that FARFETCH does not vet the boutiques! Retailers such as ATELIER New York are using false and deceptive means to sell their products and are being protected by FARFETCH! How are the customers protected! These boutiques can essentially sell us items in conditions that are not made clear on the website for a great deal of money and we have no way of fighting back! How are they even able to do business in this manner! I am now on a quest to make everyone aware of my experience because I would not want anyone to have to go through what I have recently experienced.