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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To be outraged at River Island!

52 replies

salsmum · 26/12/2010 15:05

I went to RI with my DP and DD xmas eve, they had a sale on and I chose a jumper for my friends son. I asked the assistant how much it was because it didnt have a sale tag on just was on sale rail [identical jumpers near sale peg for £15 just different colour}. He went away came back 10mins later and said it'll be £12-£15. My partner queued up for 20mins while I waited outside with my DD who couldn't get around in her w/chair. Partner comes out and said the plain navy jumper was £19.99 I went back in and explained to the 19 yr old sales girl that I'd been charged the wrong price...she told me to queue again When i said I cant wait another 20mins she said 'do u want it?' I replied not for that price she snatched it off me and threw it in a box behind her I asked if the refund would got straight back on my card she said yes. I suggested option 3 call the manager. manager comes I explain my dilemma. she said I'll refund you on your card I ask how long she says 3-4 working days and asks do you want it? I say not for £19.99 I say I'm not prepared to have £20 come off my account and waste my time and still not get a purchase!...To cut a long story short she sold it to me at £15 and I told her that if my account ends up overdrawn because I'd now spent £35 on a bleedin jumper I will expect RI to pay the bank charges AIBU to be so cross with RI and their attitude when their mistake was brought to their attention?.

OP posts:

ragged · 26/12/2010 15:12

Would it be rather horribly mean of me to say that if £15-£20 is all it takes for your account to go overdrawn in the next 4 days that you shouldn't have planned to spend that much in the first place?

Obviously some of the staff were misinformed and rude, but if it were me I'd be blaming myself for any unexpected overdraft by cutting it too fine with my finances and not planning ahead better (in several ways).

littleducks · 26/12/2010 15:13

I am sorry and i can see how cross you are but i dont think its RIs fault if you go overdrawn, presumerably you check the amount before entering your pin no

Your partner agred to pay £20, you then agreed to pay £15 knowing the money had to be refunded, if you go overdawn that is your fault

The price labelled is 'invitation to treat' it does not mean it has to be sold at that price, the final price is decided at the till

SantasMadMissy · 26/12/2010 15:17

If I was going to be overdrawn I would certainly not be buying my friends children presents.

A refund can take a few days so not quite sure I get the problem other that you being upset at being charged more than you thought?

Goodadvice1980 · 26/12/2010 15:20

When the person on the till said it would be £20, why didn't your dp simply say, "my dp was told this would cost £12-£15 pounds by one of the store assistants" before he paid for it?

They could have then checked the price before he paid for it.

ItsKurriiiistmas · 26/12/2010 15:23

Well I think you are right to be annoyed, RI messed you about, you might end up having £35 taken from your account, when you had planned on £15. (hopefully that won;t happen but it might).

Most shops will sell you goods at the labelled price even if the till says different.

It's £35 pounds that might take her overdrawn ragged not £15-£20. And yes I do think its a bit mean to tell people off for not having limitless funds in their bank account, some of us just don't have that much money, and towards the end of the month the difference between £15 and £35 pounds can take you into the red.

AuntBessieIsComingForXmas · 26/12/2010 15:23

I don't understand, why didn't your dp query the price when he got to the till?

MorticiaAddams · 26/12/2010 15:32

I don't blame you for being angry and the customer service at RI leaves a lot to be desired but I agree that it won't be their fault if you go overdrawn.

Your DP did buy the jumper at £20 and then you were told that it could take 3-4 days to go back in before you agreed to having the refund and paying the £15. You were given all the information and agreed to take a chance.

Hopefully, as it's the Christmas period, the money will also take the same amount of time to come out. I've had refunds from shops go in before the money has come out.

ragged · 26/12/2010 15:32

No it's not 35 quid that takes her over, it's 20 (IF it's not refunded, because she was planning on spending 15 on the jumper anyway). So she planned to spend that 15 knowing that it would leave something like only 20 quid in her account.

I know that some people have to sail that close to the wind, but when things are that close then you have to be extra careful about every purchase, don't you? Whereas she apparently didn't say to her DP: "Absolutely you must NOT spend more than 12-15 because that's all we've got".

I've known plenty of people whose accounts only go into the black on payday, and spend the rest of the month in the red; in which case you can't blame any single purchase, it's everything that puts you into the red.

The staff member (till operator) who was twice rude I would complain about, but the rest is just one of life's annoying hassles.

ItsKurriiiistmas · 26/12/2010 15:34

Ragged - you are absolutely right, my maths is shit - apologies.

Sapphire2012 · 26/12/2010 15:39

It's not really RIs fault, and especially not the checkout girl.
The person who you asked what price it would be should have checked properly, by going to the till and scanning it, which he obviously didn't do as he came back with a guess price.

You should have checked the price before entering your pin.

Original poster

salsmum · 26/12/2010 15:41

My DP wasn't aware of the conversation I'd had with the assistant because he was outside with my DD. I should have queued instead of him but the shop was packed and I needed to support my DD outside...my DP isn't a person to 'make a fuss' and hates shopping at the best o times!.
ItsKurriiiistmas you are sooo right although I work 2 jobs money is tight and £15 to spend in the last shop would have been o.k. but £35 would not!. all those people who do not overspend at xmas please stand up now (looks at everyone sat down). I just thought that if the assistant kept me waiting 10 mins while he checked the price it would have come up the same price at checkout...so no explanation would have been needed to DP littleducks am I wrong to assume that according to sale of goods act that if a price is displayed on an item that is the price the cosumer can expect to pay? OMG (checks sale receipts) .

OP posts:

MorticiaAddams · 26/12/2010 15:44

I would have been suspicious when he came back and said £12-£15. To me that says he didn't know what he was talking about.

Oh and you're not looking at everyone sitting down. I don't overspend at Christmas. I do spend more than at other times of course but not money we can't afford or haven't got.

Sapphire2012 · 26/12/2010 15:46

Have just thought, but if its going take 3-5 days for the money to go back onto your account, then chances are, especially on a sunday, it will take 3-5 days for the money to be taken out, so you should be fine

Goodadvice1980 · 26/12/2010 15:48

Yep, it's an invitiation to treat. Basic contract law, there is an offer, consideration and an acceptance.

When you handed the jumper to your dp for him to queue up and pay for it did you say to him, "this will be x amount"??

The rude customer service is wrong though.

muminthemiddle · 26/12/2010 15:51

Why didn't the sales assistant know the exact price?????

Is it so beyond his ability that he couldn't have simply scanned the jumper and then told the op the correct price?

muminthemiddle · 26/12/2010 15:53

Also I understood that if an item is tagged at a certain price then legally it has to be sold at this price. I always stand my ground on this ESPECIALLY if the shop is busy and the queue is getting longer and longer. The shops fault entirely.
Their fault that the queue is getting restless.

MorticiaAddams · 26/12/2010 15:59

muminthemiddle It wasn't tagged at that price but was on a rail with the same item in other colours being sold at £15.

Also your information is not correct and shops do not have to legally sell at the lower price if the item has been incorrectly priced. Quite often they will but they don't have to. It may be the shop's fault but we are all human and everyone makes mistakes.

muminthemiddle · 26/12/2010 16:02

Well then it is a matter of who breaks first. Harsh but true not my problem as the queue grows.

But when the op asked the price I don't get why the assistant couldn't find out exactly, what is this some kind of new game, all new to me.

MorticiaAddams · 26/12/2010 16:04

I said the same about the price. I would have been suspicious if he'd come back and said £12-£15 as it clearly shows that he didn't get the price, the OP hasn't responded to that yet.

DontLetTinselDragOnTheFloor · 26/12/2010 16:15

Why did you end up spending £35? Did they not just refund the £5? Anyway, it will be your fault if you go overdrawn, not River Island's.

Original poster

salsmum · 26/12/2010 16:30

I didnt follow him to the checkout but he did come back after 10 mins and say either £12 or £15 because there were jumpers exactly the same (but not that size) some were £12 and some £15 because there were more colours but the same style IYSWIM I have worked in retail in the past and I don't approach with an attitude but will not take kindly to being given an attitude or told to re-join a queue for another 20 min wait. If the staff are that stressed to begin with should they be dealing with the public at a busy time of the year with a sale that starts xmas eve? .
MorticiaA yes I am careful with my money because I have to be but as you may appreciate Direct Debits etc...either come out of your account late or early with the xmas hols and it can be a little confusing but unfortunately I cant sit watching my bank statement all day because I'm too busy working and mistakes do happen at this time of the year.

OP posts:

Original poster

salsmum · 26/12/2010 16:33

Dltdotf they had to refund £20 on my card and put the £15 through on my card again to pay for it once authorised by the manager .

OP posts:

itsawonderfuldarleneconnorlife · 26/12/2010 16:39

Why are you spending £15 on a friend's child when you are so broke?

You are naive to expecy good customer service so close to Christmas.

lololizzy · 26/12/2010 16:39

it is very annoying and they were rude but the sales assistant being 19?! that's not relevant is it? we all have to start somewhere. But the rest..YANBU

MorticiaAddams · 26/12/2010 16:40

salsmum, I wasn't making any judgement on your bank account, I was merely responding to your comment that everyone overspends at Christmas when it's not true. From your op, you quite clearly have a good grip on your account with all the comings and goings.

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