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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to not be sure if the shop assistant was right?

96 replies

worldgonemad72 · 02/01/2011 15:54

basically my mum bought a pair of boots from clarks, she got them home, recycled the box and put them in the shoe cupboard, she cant find the receipt. She came to wear them yesterday but they had given her 2 right feet.
she's been back today to see if they can swap it, the cashier asked her if it was a size 4.5 as they had one missing, mum said yes.
Anyway the cashier said as she didn't have the box or receipt she couldn't exchange them, so mum went to put them back in the bag she took them in but the casher said she couldn't take them incase she was making it up and had stolen them from the shop!.
My mum isn't very assertive so came away a bit teary and phoned me. They've kept both of the boots. ive told my mum to get a mini statement from the bank to take in to see if this helps.
Was the cashier correct or should my mum complain?

OP posts:

QueenSconetta · 02/01/2011 22:24

Of course the shop assistant isn't right, even if there was compelling evidence your Mum had stolen the shoes, she has no right whatsoever to remove them from her - if she really did suspect theft to be in the right she would need to have called the police who, with a warrant I believe, could have seized the goods.

Also why on earth would someone steal 2 right shoes?

I hate the way service differs between branches of these big shops. DP was charged twice recently for one packet of baby porridge in Boots and didn't notice until I looked at the receipt and pointed it out. We went back and he explained the situation and I said 'I don't know if there is anything I can do, I can't prove I only bought one, but I did', to which the assitant replied 'of course we will just take you word for it sir'. Which was great, but have had bad service in Boots before.

Clarks are being heavy duty sucky, I would see if you can get what you want from the store manager then if not go to HO. They may even have a customer relations department.

Original poster

worldgonemad72 · 02/01/2011 22:42

Hi all

Here's an update for you..

My sister an brother in law went to clarks when my mum got back from town, it was actually the manager that took the boots off her.
Anyway they got the boots back (a right and left foot) as they took a bank mini statement showing the transaction, they also asked to look at the cctv to prove that my mum had bought them from there, after looking though their pin machine records they saw the transaction on there aswel.
No apology was given by the manager for taking the boots and basically saying my mum had stolen them in the first place.
We then phoned the shop to see if our mum would get an apology and were told just to contact their head office
thanks for all your replies, ive had some really good advice from you.

OP posts:

ILoveItWhenYouCallMeBoo · 02/01/2011 22:45

what terrible customer service, i would most definitely be writing to head office and demanding an apology. i would imagine head office would be mortified at such service from tehir staff.

emmyloulou · 02/01/2011 22:47

Just red the op and last post, and some in between. For future reference if goods are not fit for puropse you don't need packaging or a receipt to exchange, just a POP, so bank statement whatever.

If a store refuses it's a case for trading standards and the civil court for a claim as consumer law is quite clear.

I'd be making a very strong complaint, accusing her of theft in a public place like that is slanderous really.

NonnoMum · 02/01/2011 22:51

Can't believe it was the MANAGER who took the boots off her? I thought it would just be an under-trained, not very experienced teenager.

Complain complain complain.

lisad123isasnuttyasaboxoffrogs · 02/01/2011 23:14

glad she got boots back, but def complain terrible behaviour!

MortaIWombat · 02/01/2011 23:27

Well done on geting a pair of boots back. The Clarks in Croydon is shit. Where's this one?

Original poster

worldgonemad72 · 02/01/2011 23:56

Ive just sent this email to Clarks on behalf of my mum.

To Whom It May Concern.
I am writing to complain about the treatment i have received in your --- store.
I purchased a pair of boots from this shop on 28th December 2010.
When i got home, i put the boots away and recycled the box, unfortunately i cannot find the receipt.
I came to wear them for the 1st time yesterday and found that i had been supplied with 2 right feet. I then went to the shop today to exchange one of the boots for a left foot. The manager served me and when i expained what had happened she said there had been an error in their stock levels for that size (ladies 4.5) i then asked if she would replace it, she said no as i did not have the box or receipt. So i went to take them back and she stopped me from doing so saying that i couldn't have them as i couldn't prove that i had just taken them from the shop! Basically saying i had stolen them. I asked her if she was being serious and she said Yes, her attitude was very smug.
At this point i was feeling very humilated and close to tears, i left the shop and came home.
My daughter and son in law have since gone back to the shop today and we have been given the boots, both a right and a left foot, as i had paid on my debit card for them, it was traced back through the records.
What i am totally digusted at is the fact that i have not received an apology from the shop manager, she did not pass her apologies on when my daughter went.
i have been a loyal customer of Clarks for years and normally use the Newcastle Under Lyme store where all the staff are fantastic, this experience has really put me off using Clarks ever again, and i know my daughters feel the same.

Regards

I hope this gets someones attention, thanks again, im not normally a 'complainer' but i do think my mum was treating appallingly.

OP posts:

cornshilk007 · 03/01/2011 00:22

WOW
if there were awards for bad service they would be in the running
I hope you are going to complain higher up

CointreauVersial · 03/01/2011 00:30

I'm glad your mum finally got her boots. That manager sounds like she could do with a crash course in customer service.

blackeyedsusan · 03/01/2011 00:45

How many people do you think read this thread?

How many will be put off going into a clarkes shop? It only takes one or two people to be put off and clarkes have already made a loss for their mistake. Surely some one at hq should Know about good will and reputation and be having a word with the manager re her terrible customer service.

We bought furniture from next, they sent the wrong delivery team and couldn't deliver, then wanted to charge us for non delivery, had to have the furniture remade because they damaged it in the non delivery and then they cancelled the order and had to restart it. result, we bought 2k of furniture somewhere else instead. they made a mistake, apologised, collected remade, no hassle, result, we would go back to that shop again despite the mistake. How you deal with things is important, silly clarkes!

I don't think I will be frequenting Clarkes shops in the light of the hassle they cause their customers.

onmyfeet · 03/01/2011 01:17

That store manager sounds horrible, your poor mother. I like Clarkes footwear, but shall wait and see if your mother gets a proper apology before I purchase any of their products. I would be furious if I were Clarkes and one of our managers treated and slandered a customer in such a way.

TandB · 03/01/2011 09:00

PinkElephantsOnParade Sun 02-Jan-11 19:45:37
But the shop had no reason to think the boots were nicked kungfu. How can it be right for them to take them?

Actually this situation is more akin to a mugging as OPs mum was intimidated into leaving the boots behind.

It wasn't right for them to take them. But it still isn't theft! Theft has a very specific legal definition and dishonesty is at the heart of it. Unless there was some very obvious reason to believe that the shop assistant was dishonest - eg taking the goods for her own profit - the elements of theft are not made out. Clearly there is no such issue of dishonesty - merely incompetence and poor judgement. There is nothing akin to recklessness in the offence of theft - it has to be dishonesty. And re: mugging - robbery is still theft, but with force or the threat of force. Not really a mugging here!

Things are often wrong without necessarily amounting to a criminal offence. Scurry was quite right in what she said.

TandB · 03/01/2011 09:03

To the OP - I think your mum will receive her apology. Unless Clarkes have changed a lot, they pride themselves on their customer service. I have three sizes difference between my feet due to a birth defect - Clarkes was the only place my mum would take me to buy shoes. They bent over backwards to be helpful and even tried to find out of there was anyone they could match me with who needed the opposite shoes - unsuccessfully I hasten to add! We were always told that they were proud of their customer service and they had various schemes in place - we always got a discount on buying the two sizes of shoes, for example.

dessen · 03/01/2011 10:08

How shocking not to be given an apology and a full refund with money off next time. It's disguisting how they've treated your mum. Clarks have forgotten that it's the customer who keeps their business going.

PinkElephantsOnParade · 03/01/2011 11:55

kugfu - I think Clarks have changed a lot as I find their service very poor these days. Was a lot different when I was young.

ISNT · 03/01/2011 13:21

I'm glad your mum has the boots.

I'm shocked that it was the manager that did this, and that they didn't offer a grovelling apology. In fact I'm shocked that they behaved the way they did in the first place.

IAmReallyFabNow · 03/01/2011 14:43

And they are still saying she stole them even with the debit card details!

Honeydragon · 03/01/2011 15:39

I am so glad your Mum has her shoes, but the manager is disgusting. No matter what her reasoning for keeping the shoes a apology was in order.

ilovesprouts · 03/01/2011 18:37

fairtradefloozy · 03/01/2011 21:30

They will have CCTV in the shop I bet you. Get them to look back at the tape of them bringing them in. Shouldn't have to, but ...

... big complaint. I'd go to the local paper etc and kick up a stink generally.

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