To post Sainsburys their voucher and letter straight back?

[ghoulelocks]

I was at Sainsburys and saw a jumper I liked, unfortunately had 2 under 2's with me (one newborn) screaming and was about to leave it as I couldn't try it on. Staff member suggested I get it and return it if it didn't fit. Unfortunately loading the bags in the car I dropped some bags and the receipt blew away.

I knew I couldn't refund it but I wasn't bothered, I shop in Sainsburys weekly so I thought I'd just exchange. Instead I got an arsey staff member say I couldn't exchange for anything but clothing, nothing in their policy says this. I then offered to tell them card number/ till/ exact time of purchase/ amount so they could find receipt on system (I worked in customer service for 4 yrs so I know you can do this, no queue etc) I was told it couldn't be done. I wasted £25 on extra clothing dc didn't need. I felt also like it was implied I may have stolen it.

I complained about their policy and was told on the phone they COULD have found the receipt on the system as I asked with the information I offered.

I got a £5 voucher in the post today and a generic letter hoping to see me in store soon (I'd already said they wouldn't). I've wasted £25 so £5 is frankly a waste, I've discovered having gone elsewhere this week I can save that shopping at another supermarket. The generic 'thank for your feedback' doesn't answer my complaint at all either, it's just a fob off and a fiver like it's what I was asking for. Maybe I'm being arsey but I worked for another supermarket for years and we were directed to go out of our way to assist and retain customers, we always exchanged for undamaged items, were polite, answered exact complaints (even from the regular nightmares) and we'd look up receipts etc. It was quite a big thing showing good customer service (friends who are still there say it's the same and they would have exchanged in this case). I quite enjoyed my job, and it wasn't such a naice area...

I feel like posting it all back to make a point as I feel a bit insulted and satisfy my annoyance and sleep deprivation I worked out I spend around £3000 weekly shopping with them over a period of about 4-5 yrs! For that much a smile and being listened to seems reasonable.

[manicinsomniac]

cutting your nose off to spite your face springs to mind!

Spend the £5 voucher in Sainsburys then take your custome elsewhere if you want to.

[PaellaUmbrella]

YABU. Sainsburys have basically given you £5 because you let your proof of purchase blow away.

[MarmaladeTwatkins]

I don't understand your problem?

You were told that you could refund it if it didn't fit. You lost the receipt so got told exchange only. That is fair enough. They don't even have to offer you an exchange without proof of purchase.

So in addition to offering you an exchange out of goodwill, they then gave you a £5 voucher.

And you're still moaning?

[ElliesWellies]

To be honest, I probably would have not bought the jumper in the first place - if you are in there all the time then surely you could have tried it on next time? What was the matter with it anyway - wrong size or just didn't suit?

[EllieArroway]

Not really their fault that your receipt blew away, is it?

[podgymumma]

But you lost your receipt. It was your responsibility to keep your receipt.

[ghoulelocks]

They don't have to yes marmalade but lots of others on the high st would an do, so it seems reasonable to shop in those places. Proof of purchase is easily accessible by them, they confirmed on the phone they can and do find receipts for customers who will provide the information, but they didn't for me.

I wasn't asking for 'goodwill', I would like them to both make their polices clear and apply their own policies when asked.

[ghoulelocks]

ellie- a funny cut, long sleeves, short body. Hard to describe. Looked lovely off.

[Indith]

Agree I thought they were pretty fair to you. You lost proof of purchase, I know you were struggling with the dcs but sometimes things ahppen that are nobody's fault and you jsut have to suck it up.

You could easily have spent the money on stuff like pants, pjs and socks and stuff in bigger sizes to put away for later rather than waste it on stuff they didn't need.

[ghoulelocks]

I think maybe I'm just used to a better standard elsewhere it seems from other replies that people don't expect to exchange in supermarkets. I guess I see it as the norm as I did it for a job for years and we were expected to be mega polite and had a pretty liberal policy.

[lurkedtoolong]

But didn't you want to exchange for clothing anyway? Another jumper?

I'm all for sticking it to supermarkets when they are arses but you have no proof of purchase and presumably are returning because you don't like it/it doesn't fit. YABU.

[Cassarick]

Ah well - lesson learned. Don't buy clothes when you have 2 screaming under 2s! And don't lose your receipt.

[ghoulelocks]

well I'll let it slide as people see it as normal and would accept it, I'll save the £25 though in the long run I guess. I left the store and went to a new one built up the road and the difference was significant for the last 2 weeks.

[MarmaladeTwatkins]

But this is where customers fall into a weird trap of thinking they are "entitled" to something, because other retailers are soft on exchanges/returns, they expect to get it everywhere.

It just causes issues for those of us in customer-facing roles, tbh. People are more lax about keeping receipts safe because they just assume that shops will bend over backwards to keep a customer. But not all retailers will offer this, nor do they have to. An offer of an exchange is more than reasonable.

And it isn't a policy to seek out on a computer system a customer's proof of purchase, either. Again, that is goodwill. Can you imagine if Sainsbury's made it their policy to search out every proof of purchase for every customer who'd been careless with theirs? There'd never be anyone on the customer service desk because they'd always be in the office, looking up receipts. I wouldn't even ask someone to put themselves out for me like this, tbh.

And they did apply their own policy. I have a Sainsbury're receipt here that says "If you've changed your mind, simply return the product to any store with your proof of purchase, in its original condition, within 28 days and we'll be happy to give you an exchange or refund."

So they went outside their policy for you, but you're moaning that they didn't go out of it enough for you.

[ghoulelocks]

I am one of 'us' marmalade and worked on a customer service desk in one of the busiest supermarkets around, an extra in east London. Believe me I saw everything possible in my role, this would have barely registered, we would have just exchanged for grocery shopping or any other department in store without question (if it was the store brand and in good condition). It was the explained 'it has to be the same department' I didn't get.

[MarmaladeTwatkins]

I think that TU are separate from Sainsbury's within the business (in terms of profit/takings etc) so that's why you were told same department only.

If the supermarket you worked in allowed exchanges without receipts then fine. But not all do. The shop that I work for does, too. Except when a customer is being a twat, then we don't But as far as statutory rights go, customers aren't entitled to anything, really, unless an item is faulty. The usual 28 day return/exchange is a nicety; they aren't legally obliged to offer us anything just for changing our minds, proof of purchase or not. So if they're offering an exchange despite no p.o.p ten they really are being nice!

[FeckOffCup]

I can see why they would have the same department policy, maybe they have a problem with shoplifters stealing clothes then returning them for store credit so they can get alcohol or cigarettes instead? YABU at the end of the day, you were told you needed to keep the receipt for a refund and you didn't, the store isn't at fault for that.

[ghoulelocks]

I think it's the here's a fiver but we're not listening approach that annoyed me tbh. If they'd answered my query directly and politely I'd be ok really, it's the notion that I was complaining to gain a fiver that annoyed. My initial contact was to simply ask why they couldn't exchange for other departments.

[MurderOfGoths]

They didn't have to give you an exchange. But they did.
They didn't have to give you an apology (for something that was your own fault). But they did.
They didn't have to give you a voucher. But they did.

And you are asking why they didn't do anything else for you? They've done you 3 favours already.

[ghoulelocks]

Marmalade- a response of 'TU is a separate business' would have been fine and made sense as an explanation I'd have accepted, it just seemed like a rule that was made up.

I'll live and learn, and go elsewhere. No skin off my nose and they aren't bothered so it'll be fine.

P.S. I was polite! (although my children were being bloody whiny...)

[ghoulelocks]

murder and I don't have to shop there

all resolved, see above :-)

[erowid]

I wasn't asking for 'goodwill', I would like them to both make their polices clear and apply their own policies when asked

It's a giant company with thousands of employees, its unrealistic to expect every single one of them is going to know every detail of the very complicated policy the company has.

[Lexiesinclair]

I think they were very fair.

Why don't you go back in and take your bank statement as proof of purchase instead?