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Original poster

Charity shop refusing refund

238 replies

BlazeMonsterMachine · 01/05/2021 05:35

This is such a trivial thing I realise, but for some reason it's annoyed me....

I needed a new pair of jeans, so popped to the local charity shop. With covid restrictions, you can't try clothes on at the moment, so when paying I asked about what to if they don't fit.

They told me to keep the receipt and I can exchange them. I queried whether there could be a refund, but apparently not - exchange only.

Now we're talking less than £10 here, and I realise it's charity, but it just doesn't sit right....

Are they allowed to do this? It feels like I'm just throwing money away / making a donation rather than shopping. It just strikes me as bizarre that I have to guess as to whether something fits and tough luck if it doesn't (as there's no guarantee that they'll have anything I want to exchange for).

Just wondering if anyone knows if this is the correct procedure as annoyingly the jeans don't fit.

I'm not planning on kicking up a fuss when I go back, but if they don't have a pair of jeans I could swap for, it would be good to know if i could push for a refund.

OP posts:
NigelWithTheBrie79 · 03/05/2021 03:24

I used to make fun of my mum as she keeps a note with her measurements on and has a tape measure with her at all times. She loves shopping in charity shops and has never returned anything as she gets the correct fit every time

NigelWithTheBrie79 · 03/05/2021 03:26

I posted too soon. I meant to add that I now do this if going shopping. I also keep a note of my kids measurements.

alexdgr8 · 03/05/2021 04:40

@NigelWithTheBrie79

I used to make fun of my mum as she keeps a note with her measurements on and has a tape measure with her at all times. She loves shopping in charity shops and has never returned anything as she gets the correct fit every time
failing to plan is planning to fail. brava mama.
Happyhappyday · 03/05/2021 05:00

You can’t try them on but you didn’t have to buy them. You are definitely being unreasonable, if you want to try on then you need to go to a shop or order online where they are required to give you a refund. It’s a charity shop FFS.

Seymour5 · 03/05/2021 07:14

@PerspicaciousGreen great post. In the shop where I volunteer, only paid staff can authorise refunds. Takes the pressure off the volunteers.

We have quite a lot of customers who need cheap clothing, who really can't afford to not get their money back, although most will look for something else. As a volunteer, I support the charity, and I think its fantastic that we have good quality items at a fraction of the 'new' price.

Galdos · 03/05/2021 07:21

I volunteer in a charity shop selling clothes. Apart from all the previous comments about why charity shops don't do refunds, another reason is that every ruddy garment is different, and without our tag still firmly attached we wouldn't have a clue if it was sold by us or not. And some people do try this on, effectively demanding we buy their clothes. And we get shoplifters too.

Ddot · 03/05/2021 07:34

Where I live we have an abundance of charity shops, one will also deck you out in designer gear. Just bought a shirt dress its fab but cost a great deal (I sold some gold jewellery to purchase). I've found muimui, Vivienne Westwood to drop some name bombs but a lot of things are out of my budget. Because you can't try at the moment, will let you have refund and as some items are borderline crazy expensive you can't sit on them. Well I can't

Yespresh · 03/05/2021 07:47

I used to work in a charity shop. We always gave refunds if things didn’t fit or it didn’t encourage sales.

Purplealienpuke · 03/05/2021 07:58

My mum worked in a charity shop that was at the time solely staffed by retired ladies. They shut their changing room because PEOPLE WERE STEALING!!! Can you imagine going into a charity shop and choring clothes ffs? Because they were not going to challenge anyone who they knew were blatantly putting their own clothes back on top of the charity shop garments they were trying on and walking out, the easiest way to stop it was to close the changing room!
They don't have to give refunds.
If you don't want to be stuck with something that doesn't fit , try mail order and you can send them back.

AreTurnipsReal · 03/05/2021 08:03

@KarmaNoMore

My local Hearth foundation doesn’t do refunds either. I wouldn’t find it irritating and really made a fuss if you wanted to exchange. Yet... they are the one and only charity shop that removed removed access to their fitting room years before the pandemic (they still have it but won’t let you use it) so I guess their motivations were... not nice.
Hearth Foundation - you must live in a very wealthy area if they are raising funds for people without fireplaces Smile
lljkk · 03/05/2021 09:07

I spent £30 in a charity shop recently on 7 trousers to try on.
Yes I brought a tape measurer, but I haven't figured out how to measure tight knees or thighs... and waist is a bit sketchy.

I would need to measure rise co-varying with waist (I need a diagram I guess, 12" above my crotch, the waist needs to be 31", 13" above the crotch the waist needs to be 30" etc. ) to get "waist" measurement right.
I didn't go to that level of detail. Interesting to hear that others do. Diagram & list kept on the phone, maybe?
I've never seen anyone else measuring up clothes with a tape measurer in the shop.

Unfortunately only 1 item was a good fit. So 6 went back.
This thread is making me grateful they give refunds.
I did ask first to make sure they give refunds.

At typical price = £4.25/pair I wouldn't have bought a single item to try on if they didn't give refunds.

PerspicaciousGreen · 03/05/2021 09:38

Pro tip if you're charity shopping for something specific: don't bring a tape measure, bring an existing item of clothing that fits well. You can hold the crotch points up against each other and then check outwards for rise, waist, hips, leg length, leg width all the way down... It's not infallible, but it's much easier to see subtle things like where the knee falls or whether the back comes up much higher than the front of you're holding the new pair on top of a pair you know is just right.

lljkk · 03/05/2021 11:16

that's a good idea.
I don't know if I have anything that fits "perfectly". Maybe...

Singlenotsingle · 03/05/2021 14:42

It's a charity ffs! Give the jeans back and bite the bullet!

AmbientLighting · 03/05/2021 14:55
  1. They don't have to give you a refund:
  2. You knew before you bought the jeans what their policy was.
  3. It's not exactly "tough luck" if something doesn't fit - you can exchange the jeans for something else.
  4. It's £10 and it's a charity shop.
Ddot · 03/05/2021 17:07

A lot of charity shops are privately owned and give a small portion of the profits to the charity say 10% so stop being so judgemental, some of us cant afford to loose £10

ShanghaiDiva · 03/05/2021 17:20

@Ddot

A lot of charity shops are privately owned and give a small portion of the profits to the charity say 10% so stop being so judgemental, some of us cant afford to loose £10
Charity shops can only be set up by a charity. A shop which is donating a percentage of profits to a charity is not a charity shop. If you cannot afford to lose £10, don’t shop in a shop which does not offer refunds. A retailer is not legally obliged to offer a refund if a product does not fit. Those retailers which do are going beyond their legal obligation.
RaspberryCoulis · 03/05/2021 17:25

@Ddot

A lot of charity shops are privately owned and give a small portion of the profits to the charity say 10% so stop being so judgemental, some of us cant afford to loose £10
That's not a charity shop.

That's a shop, which gives a percentage of profit to charity. Totally different.

AmbientLighting · 03/05/2021 17:37

@Ddot

A lot of charity shops are privately owned and give a small portion of the profits to the charity say 10% so stop being so judgemental, some of us cant afford to loose £10
Then don't spend £10 on something that might not fit.
askingrandomsonlinemighthelp · 03/05/2021 17:38

I run a charity shop. I would give you a refund.

Ddot · 03/05/2021 18:19

I only buy from shops that do refunds and as my charity shops do give them it's ok. As for not being able to loose £10 if your not in that predicament you dont have to be so condescending

ShanghaiDiva · 03/05/2021 18:21

Nobody is being condescending.

Ddot · 03/05/2021 18:25

Saying ffs give jeans back and I wouldnt dream of taking something back. Condescending!

ShanghaiDiva · 03/05/2021 18:53

Most people have commented: if the policy is no refunds, don’t buy.
Sounds like common sense to me.

Ddot · 03/05/2021 19:04

I agree, you cant try on at most shops at the moment so check the refund policy first. Clothes sizes vary so much its hard if you cant try so I only buy if I can get a refund