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AIBU?

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Original poster

Grrr Primark

234 replies

WinterKitchen · 25/05/2025 15:32

A friend gave me a birthday bag with lots of stuff in which included some slippers and flip flops from Primark both of which were too small. I took them back today obviously unworn and they refused to change because I didn't have receipt.

After explaining several times that no I don't have a receipt because someone else bought them for me they asked did I have a gift receipt or a photograph of one. Of course not. I wouldn't ask for that and I didn't tell my friend I was returning the items as I didn't want to upset her or ask for a receipt.

I know the assistant can't do anything, and she offered to fetch a manager but I didn't see the point as they clearly wouldn't change the items. I told them to keep them as they're no good to me and that I would not be returning.

Just frustrating really. Only talking about £10 maybe, and I've already got far too many flip flops and slippers anyway. But I'm just annoyed.

OP posts:
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CommonAsMucklowe · 27/05/2025 18:49

You could have picked them up on your way in for all the staff know. No receipt, no exchange or refund. You personally haven't lost any money.

TallMam · 27/05/2025 15:48

I bet the customer behind you and the shop assistance were rolling their eyes at each other once you walked off.
Who is to say you didn't just grab the items from the floor and wanted "your money back"... it just doesn't work like that

Clafoutie · 26/05/2025 22:17

nomas · 25/05/2025 16:58

Not after 30 days, they don’t swap without a receipt.

Show quote history

So are you saying that, when this happens, you just take it upon yourself to do the swap anyway? Because you don’t agree with their policy?

Original poster
WinterKitchen · 26/05/2025 18:45

FeetLikeFlippers · 26/05/2025 18:10

It’s cheap crap from Primark, I don’t understand why you’re so bothered. Give them to a charity shop and move on.

As I said, I can't do that as I left them at the store thinking they'd sell them.

I've learned quite a bit from this thread. About trading rights but more amusingly, how people make stories up on here for what appears to be entertainment. I've been accused of having a strop, throwing my dummy out, having a tantrum, stamping my foot, being rude. None of that happened, but let's not allow the truth to get in the way of a good Bank Holiday pile on. And also accused of upsetting the assistant. As we were both polite and calm nobody was upset.

And called a "little princess". For wanting to exchange an item that didn't fit. Seriously, many replies are outstandingly ridiculous.

OP posts:
CatsnCoffee · 26/05/2025 18:41

You sound pretty entitled and spoiled. So, you can afford to throw away a £10 present like that and have loads already? Perhaps that’s what you should have told your friend?
Why do you think so many people sell BNWT on Vinted?

PeapodMcgee · 26/05/2025 18:14

YABU. It doesn't matter that you "weren't impressed". You made a poorly paid worker's day just a little bit shitter, and you weren't even their original customer. Don't take your crap out on other people.

FeetLikeFlippers · 26/05/2025 18:10

It’s cheap crap from Primark, I don’t understand why you’re so bothered. Give them to a charity shop and move on.

BadLad · 26/05/2025 10:17

WinterKitchen · 26/05/2025 06:48

I don't think they have tags on stuff in Primark

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OK, but in the scam described in the post I quoted, security tags were mentioned.

ChompandaGrazia · 26/05/2025 08:57

BadLad · 26/05/2025 04:51

Pick up item...

So you pick up an item from the shelves, and then you take it to the counter, pretending you brought it with you to exchange for a different size or colour. The shop then exchanges it for the size or colour you are asking for.

Wouldn't the item you are pretending to bring with you have security tags on it, rather giving away the fact that you didn't, in fact, purchase it earlier and have now brought it back to the shop?

Show quote history

Primark stuff doesn’t have a tag on anyway. But even if it does have a tag you can claim that they forgot to take it off. This is why no refund without receipts unless the item is faulty.

Original poster
WinterKitchen · 26/05/2025 06:48

BadLad · 26/05/2025 04:51

Pick up item...

So you pick up an item from the shelves, and then you take it to the counter, pretending you brought it with you to exchange for a different size or colour. The shop then exchanges it for the size or colour you are asking for.

Wouldn't the item you are pretending to bring with you have security tags on it, rather giving away the fact that you didn't, in fact, purchase it earlier and have now brought it back to the shop?

Show quote history

I don't think they have tags on stuff in Primark

OP posts:
BadLad · 26/05/2025 04:51

ChompandaGrazia · 25/05/2025 17:40

Walk into shop.
Pick up item.
Walk to cash desk.
Ask to exchange the item you have just picked up pretending you brought it in with you.
Take new item with security tags removed and possibly collect a receipt.
You now have the item and a receipt.

Show quote history

Pick up item...

So you pick up an item from the shelves, and then you take it to the counter, pretending you brought it with you to exchange for a different size or colour. The shop then exchanges it for the size or colour you are asking for.

Wouldn't the item you are pretending to bring with you have security tags on it, rather giving away the fact that you didn't, in fact, purchase it earlier and have now brought it back to the shop?

Zedania73 · 26/05/2025 00:17

No shop exchanges without receipt.

Cathandkin · 25/05/2025 22:38

Butchyrestingface · 25/05/2025 19:50

I think she means, why do you check the receipts against your bank statements?

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Because I like to check everything. I monitor in case of fraud.

slashlover · 25/05/2025 22:36

Needmorelego · 25/05/2025 22:02

@slashlover stocktake day at Primark must be horrendous.

It's bad enough at every other store I've worked in.

Needmorelego · 25/05/2025 22:10

@TY78910 to be honest it depends if the assistant gave them to the floor supervisor or just put them with the other returns.

TY78910 · 25/05/2025 22:05

EdithBond · 25/05/2025 21:50

For what reason?

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For that it is presumed to be the property of the customer. So it goes in lost and found until it is unclaimed and then disposed of. Technically, if customer cooled down and came back with their tail between their legs asking for their item back, the shop couldn’t just say ‘sorry love, Janice over there just bought it’

Needmorelego · 25/05/2025 22:02

@slashlover stocktake day at Primark must be horrendous.

slashlover · 25/05/2025 22:00

EdithBond · 25/05/2025 21:50

For what reason?

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It will mess up their stock numbers for a start. Imagine that happens once per day in each store, that's an extra 70000 items on the shelves per year.

Needmorelego · 25/05/2025 22:00

EdithBond · 25/05/2025 21:50

For what reason?

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If they are current stock they will probably end up back out on sale because they probably got added to the pile of returns that lives behind the tills and the person who has the job of re shelving stock won't know the reason why they are randomly there and that they weren't processed back through the till.
It will completely mess up the stock figures though which is all computerised counting what comes in and what goes out.
But with the level of shoplifting I expect the stock count is way off every day.

EdithBond · 25/05/2025 21:50

slashlover · 25/05/2025 18:40

if they won’t exchange them, they may as well put them back on the shelves and someone else buy/make use of them, rather than go to landfill.

People have already explained multiple times that they won't put them out on the shelf.

For what reason?

DoneAndNotDusted · 25/05/2025 20:09

Lovehearts82 · 25/05/2025 16:11

Every item in Next has a Unique ID number so when you scan it back to return it knows all the details of when it was last sold, so as long as it has the Pos label attached the store can offer a return without reciept. 🙂

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I think M & S does the same too now? I read about this somewhere.
People talking about exchanging an item and now having a receipt, ao they can then return it and get a refund - this only works if you have the original receipt. With an exchange receipt (in somewhere like M & S) they give you a credit voucher or gift card. Stores have really tightened up on this in recent years, for all the reasons already stated.

Butchyrestingface · 25/05/2025 19:50

Cathandkin · 25/05/2025 18:49

I've literally just explained why in my post!

Show quote history

I think she means, why do you check the receipts against your bank statements?

nomas · 25/05/2025 19:20

ChompandaGrazia · 25/05/2025 18:52

I don’t understand all the people who are carrying on like this is only a thing that has happened recently. I was a retail manager 20 years ago and it was the case then.

Primark only introduced its policy of no exchange after 30 days and no exchange without a receipt about 6/7 years ago.

ChompandaGrazia · 25/05/2025 18:52

I don’t understand all the people who are carrying on like this is only a thing that has happened recently. I was a retail manager 20 years ago and it was the case then.

Cathandkin · 25/05/2025 18:49

ChicJoker · 25/05/2025 18:47

Why?

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I've literally just explained why in my post!