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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

or are Waitrose being a bit cheeky?

49 replies

nancerama · 14/09/2011 18:26

Went into local store today and saw they are doing 3 for 2 on all baby stuff. They had the usual cheapest item is free disclaimer. Decided to stock up and picked up 3 packs of nappy liners (£ 5.25 a pack), 3 tubs of bottom butter (£ 2.89 a pack) and 3 bags of cotton wool (£ 1.25 a pack). When I went to pay, I discovered that the 3 packs of cotton wool were free, and not one of each of the different items. When I complained that this didn't seem fair and that the Boots 3 for 2 groups like items together making it a better deal for the shopper, the supervisor told me that I'd misinterpreted the deal and would have to make 3 separate transactions and LEAVE THE STORE in between the transactions.

OP posts:
whackamole · 14/09/2011 18:28

It is a bit cheeky.....but sounds normal to me. And you must have very accommodating Boots staff near you, they would do the same in mine.

Mind you, not sure I would leave the store and come back.

WoofToYouTooLady · 14/09/2011 18:28

usually the cheapest is free

I think the supv was right

sorry

manticlimactic · 14/09/2011 18:30

YABU.

It clearly said that the cheapest was free. If you had put them through as three transactions at the till I'm sure they wouldn't have batted an eyelid. The leaving the store thing is the company policy I suppose and had to say that.

And they are not Boots.

onepieceofcremeegg · 14/09/2011 18:30

Boots do that with their 3 for 2 Christmas offers. Not sure what would happen if you bought 9 items such as you describe at another time of year?

Re Waitrose, if I really wanted the deal I would just go out to the car 3 times!

worraliberty · 14/09/2011 18:30

Sounds about right really

'Bottom butter'???

thisisyesterday · 14/09/2011 18:30

yep, that's how it's normally done.

TidyDancer · 14/09/2011 18:31

I think Waitrose were right.

I can't understand why you'd feel frustrated though, you thought you were getting a big bargain!

onepieceofcremeegg · 14/09/2011 18:31

Or next time try 3 separate transactions, one for you and one each for 2 different "friends". Mix up your shopping in 3 separate piles to make this look authentic.

WideWebWitch · 14/09/2011 18:31

They're being unreasonable IMO

Clearly you expected 1 of each item free and that's what you'd have got had you bought it all separately. I'd take it back out of principle tbh.

NinkyNonker · 14/09/2011 18:32

Normal. The till just does it automatically.

thisisyesterday · 14/09/2011 18:32

you wouldn't expect one of each item free, because it clearly said CHEAPEST item free.

so you can mix and match and the cheapest of every 3 will be free.

pippilongsmurfing · 14/09/2011 18:33

I know it's a bit shite but it is usually the cheapest that is free, and as you put yours all through in one transaction then the 3 cheapest item (in your case the cotton wool) would be the cheapest.

I would expect this to be the case on nearly all 3 for 2 offers.

So, no they were not BU.

meala · 14/09/2011 18:33

Waitrose seem mean to me. I had a similar situation in millets where the store assistant made a point of separating my items into different transactions to make sure I got my best savings. YANBU

WideWebWitch · 14/09/2011 18:34

So you were expecting 5.25 + 2.89 + 1.25 free = 9.39 free
And you got 1.25 x 3 free= 3.75

Hmm, not fair IMO

FreeButtonBee · 14/09/2011 18:35

Boots would do it so that you would get the 3rd/6th/9th most expensive items free (ranking them from most expensive to least expensive) so they would do it differently to Waitrose. I think YANBU.

Hulababy · 14/09/2011 18:38

IME most places do try and group them to get you the better deal. I know Boots definitely do this. I guess a supermarket has a lot more traffic through the tills though and peopleoften buying far more than just a handful of items, so maybe don't have the opportunity to do it.

HerdOfTinyElephants · 14/09/2011 18:43

Boots might do that, but every other retailer in the known universe would do it the way waitrose did. So YABU unless you also plan threads on "Why oh why doesn't Waitrose dress its staff in Boots uniforms?", "What's with Waitrose selling all this fruit and veg, my local Boots doesn't do that?" and "Pedants' Corner -- shouldn't Waitrose be spelled with a capital B like Boots is?"

PuspornInBoots · 14/09/2011 18:44

Things like that tend to be done automatically "by the till" with the computerised pricing system calculating any discount/multibuy savings at the end of the ringing up process. The only way the staff could have done what you wanted was to ring the items through in three complete transactions.

complexnumber · 14/09/2011 18:46

YANBU, Waitrose were being niggardly.

slartybartfast · 14/09/2011 18:49

you live and learn
its the only way.

so you will know next time. dont buy somethign really cheap for your 3 for 2.

or buy 3 cheap thigns together in one transaction.

in boots they say it is the til automatically doing it.

Original poster
nancerama · 14/09/2011 18:49

I totally get that it's a computerised till thing, and that it's possible to get round it by making separate transactions, but being asked to physically leave the shop between transactions seemed a bit petty.

OP posts:
KittyFane · 14/09/2011 18:53

Agree with onepieceofcremeegg ! in future, split all of your shopping into as many transactions as you need to with a set of 3for2 in each 'shop'. A separate receipt for each group of items please Waitrose! They can't object!

KittyFane · 14/09/2011 18:54

OP, put one of those barrier things between each group of things, mixed in with other shopping, they can't say no!

squeakytoy · 14/09/2011 18:55

You wouldnt need to leave the store at all...that is just daft. You could be doing shopping for different people and need to put it through in separate transactions, something I have done quite often.

CailinDana · 14/09/2011 18:57

£5.25 for nappy liners!!! £1.25 for cotton wool??? If you're so keen to save money go to a cheaper shop.