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Original poster

Primark

63 replies

iamenougheveryday · 24/08/2023 13:54

I live in England. Almost every clothes shop I have been to (except Sports Direct), the rule is if you take back an item you need a receipt for a refund, or without a receipt you can get an exchange.

I bought an item of clothing from Primark. I changed my mind, and decided to take it back but I lost the receipt. I decided to take the item to my nearest Primark, and show them my banking app which is a proof of purchase in the hope they would allow an exchange. They said without a receipt they would not refund or exchange the item.

Is Primark being unnecessarily mean, or should I pay better attention to a shop's return policy?

OP posts:
caerdydd12 · 24/08/2023 15:13

Your banking app shows you purchased something, it doesn't prove you purchased what you're trying to return. What's to stop you walking in, picking something up from the shelves while you're in there and claiming that's what you bought last week and need to return?

BusterGonad · 24/08/2023 15:11

The only correct answer will be what their refund and exchange policy is. All shops are different.

NeedTheSeaside · 24/08/2023 15:03

WeetabixTowels · 24/08/2023 13:55

Did it still have the label on? I’d have thought they’d exchange it

@WeetabixTowels

stolen stuff still has the tag on it...

they aren't to know if the OP stole it or bought it. Banking app means nothing as it could be any item the same price.

though receipt means nothing either, a customer could have bought one and pinched another.

i used to live overseas where they'd only refund if the item was faulty. That's it. PITA, but makes more sense.

i

P3anutbutt3r · 24/08/2023 15:00

At one point they were absolutely inundated by people wanting to refund or exchange but falsely so it was losing the company massive profits. People would come in, pick a correct & incorrect item of clothing & ask for an "exchange" - therefore walking out with an item they hadn't paid for in the first place. The same with returns - walk around, grab handfuls of things & then go to the returns desk & walk out with £40 extra in their bank. Just because there's a bank transaction, doesn't mean that a person hadn't paid for half their goods then "stole" the other half.

Not saying this is what you did of course. Just explaining this is why the policy. Which from an ex Primark employee (for all of my sins 🙃) caused us staff no end of abuse from people wanting to return without a receipt.

BananaSlug · 24/08/2023 14:29

This has been the case for years

Geneva12 · 24/08/2023 14:27

Showing the banking app only shows that you brought something in Primark. It doesn’t show what you brought in Primark so to return an item that you changed your mind on you need to prove that you brought that item.
one of the main reason why primark want a receipt for refund and exchanges is to stop shop lifters. A common scam was walking into a shop, picking up 2 of the same item one in your size one a size bigger or smaller. Going to the till saying I have this top but it’s too small/big I’ve lost my receipt but can I exchange it for my size. And you have a free top.

Angryappendix · 24/08/2023 14:25

I had this with wrong sized kids clothes at Christmas, had no receipt and they wouldn’t exchange. I think cause their turnover of styles and stock is so high, they’d rather not return.

Original poster
iamenougheveryday · 24/08/2023 14:23

WeetabixTowels · 24/08/2023 13:55

Did it still have the label on? I’d have thought they’d exchange it

The label was still on. Never worn.

OP posts:
Slothlikemum · 24/08/2023 14:07

I worked in Primark in the 90s (well, Penneys in Ireland) and this was the case back then. They discount different items in different stores depending on stock levels so we'd get people buy things reduced in one store and then try to refund or exchange for an item of the original price in a different store where it wasn't reduced. So we required receipts unless faulty.

AnObserverInThisDarkWorld · 24/08/2023 14:05

You pay better attention to their returns policy...

Comefromaway · 24/08/2023 13:56

They only have to accept proof of purchase if the item is faulty. If you simply changed your mind then they can set whatever refund/exchange policy they like.

WeetabixTowels · 24/08/2023 13:55

Did it still have the label on? I’d have thought they’d exchange it