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Original poster

Are there any shops/restaurants etc. that you boycott due to a bad experience/service?

242 replies

NETSRIK · 27/02/2022 21:50

I have two - Co-op (due to their manager in my local store selectively targeting only certain people about what were essential items in their shopping during Covid.

And Asda as their supermarket online delivery customer service line is really bad.

OP posts:
Lampface · 27/02/2022 22:47

Asda, for the same reason!

BrickingIt44 · 27/02/2022 22:51

Lush. I know how to use bath bombs, get away from me!

Gazelda · 27/02/2022 22:52

Iceland because I accidentally ate out of date food from there while pregnant. I'd had awful morning sickness throughout my pregnancy, so food poisoning was the very last thing I needed!

And a local pub because the owner spouted some ridiculously smug nonsense on Facebook about school places on offers day a few years ago when tensions were particularly high.

I acknowledge that both of these boycotts are disproportionate, but they make me feel a little powerful 😂

BrickingIt44 · 27/02/2022 22:52

Also a sandwich shop that would be so convenient for me had I not seen the woman cough into her hand before making a sandwich for the customer in front of me. Boak indeed.

Fluffymule · 27/02/2022 22:53

Ryanair.

I can not bring myself to give any money to a company that appears to despise their customers as much as they do.

I've happily paid more to alternative airlines for the same route instead.

justasoul · 27/02/2022 22:53

We boycotted Byron burgers after that immigration story a few years back. Shame as their burgers were great.

burnthur5t · 27/02/2022 22:56

No well known places, just a fair few restaurants and takeaways where food/service has been poor

WingingItEveryDay7 · 27/02/2022 23:00

Peacocks. My mum got me a £50 voucher the Christmas just before they fell into administration. I never got a chance to spend it beforehand and they wouldn't accept it once the administrators took over so my mum gave me the cash instead. She never got her money back from them so I've refused to shop with them since. I've made a point of telling people not to get vouchers anymore as I don't trust any shop now after that experience.

bruffin · 27/02/2022 23:02

Barclays, absolutely awful every time I had anything to do with them

WeThreeKingsofOrientAre · 27/02/2022 23:06

House of Fraser because they declined to accept £100+ gift card total when they were bought out by the Sports Direct fella. Preciously spent plenty of money there, will not do so again.

SeaKingdom · 27/02/2022 23:10

CEX, after buying a phone from them, and when it wouldn’t work after a week they claimed they could see a minute break which we couldn’t see at all , which they claimed wasn’t there when it was sold, and refused to give us a new phone. The mobile repair shop we took it to said they couldn’t see a break either and CEX was always doing that.

Passanotherjaffacake · 27/02/2022 23:12

Local pharmacy, pretty sure the pharmacist has deep issues but he refused to sell me over the counter coedine for my husband (who has a horrible form of spinal arthritis) as he said it was something the ‘junkies’ request. Horrible language to use for people suffering with drug addiction. He might have had a point but my husbands doctor has specifically sent me out to get some for him whilst he was waiting for a steroid injection!

I am a mid thirties professional and was in with my infant daughter trying to get something to help a man in so much pain he couldn’t move/hold his child. It made me sad and angry and furious to be dismissed like that.

Will never go back.

Essexgirlupnorth · 27/02/2022 23:15

Burger King for serving me a mouldy burger bun only noticed after I had eaten some of it then asked if I wanted a replacement. Got my money back but haven't eaten it since.

SinisterBumFacedCat · 27/02/2022 23:17

My local post office as they didn’t give me the stamps I paid for, then both members of staff called me liar when I requested they either give me the stamps or my money back. Their attitude was awful and I got the distinct impression my age and sex made them assume they could get away with it.

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 27/02/2022 23:26

Asda - sent my Christmas order to same street name/number in a different town, forcing me to flog round a very packed shop on Christmas Eve with a 3 month old baby.

Talk talk - they cut off our home phone and broadband mistakenly (it was their mistake, not our lack of payment), when ds (18 months) was extremely ill in hospital. I’d told them I could send the documentation they’d asked for, but not yet. They agreed to give us a fortnight, but cut us off the next day anyway.

Clarks - for their refusal to fit/sell me a pair of shoes that m dd (then 2) had chosen from the “boys” section, after a long lecture on how brilliant their fitting methods are. They eventually did and wrote on there receipt “non refundable, fitting not agreed with customer”.

LoopyDream · 27/02/2022 23:26

Lush from their ‘f* the police’ campaign
Argos wouldn’t replace a broken bed within warranty

Windbeneathmybingowings · 27/02/2022 23:28

Hairdresser where the owner was a massive school bully.

Same for the wax melt business that the other one started.

MummyGummy · 27/02/2022 23:36

Bodyshop after they joined the ‘JKR is transphobic’ mob

Pyewhacket · 27/02/2022 23:36

I always vote with my feet so yes, a number of restaurants and stores. And I never go back again, ever.

SockQueen · 27/02/2022 23:38

@Fluffymule

Ryanair.

I can not bring myself to give any money to a company that appears to despise their customers as much as they do.

I've happily paid more to alternative airlines for the same route instead.

Exactly this. So far fortunately not had the dilemma of what to do if they are the only convenient option to get to a particular place, but even then I'd want to look at different possibilities.
Innatenvi · 27/02/2022 23:43

Boohoo. Claimed they had never received my return, I sent them proof of postage, they still didn't honour it, customer service ignored me so I emailed the CEO and still didn't get anything back. It was a £30 return too!

ExhaustedMumma · 27/02/2022 23:51

Natwest. I will never, ever forgive them for the way they treated me as a poor student when I was struggling.

canary1 · 27/02/2022 23:56

I like Five Guys, but it has these mixed sex bathrooms. So it’s always horrible - seat up, some bloke had poor aim everywhere. I’ve had to ask for it be cleaned before my daughter could go in.
I’d like to go back but would only do so if it had men’s and women’s separated toilets

SynchroSwimmer · 28/02/2022 00:10

Nationwide Building Society - they have ceased the included travel insurance - but meanwhile they have implemented monthly “prize draws” and instead are sending free cash to people

Been with them 45 years.

Their bereavement department were utterly shocking and the worst encounter I had by far.

SkankingMopoke · 28/02/2022 00:47

Travis Perkins. It started out as just one branch, then slowly as I worked in different areas, every other branch I had the misfortune to visit was added. I have never had a good experience in one of their branches. Now I don't bother at all and will travel a bit further if necessary to use an alternative builders' merchant. At best their staff were 'just' generally rude, and at worse I've had some incredibly nasty and/or sexist comments. I also refuse to use particular branches of other merchants for the same reasons, but those are just bad apples within otherwise decent names.