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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to keep this mistake?

209 replies

rootietootie · 18/12/2011 00:11

I am wrapping up presents at the moment, most of which we bought earlier today. Earlier we were in Halfords and bought a dvd player for the car for ds2. We picked it off from a picture on the wall and paid for it while the customer assistant retrieved item from stockroom and put it in bag for us. Did not really pay attention as had ds2 (11 months) with us and was faffing about with him. The model we picked was £99. Now am at home, take out of bag and see that the assistant has given us the wrong model, the much nicer, upgraded twin model that is worth £199. Would I be wrong to think that the gods have smiled down upon us and cast a bit of luck upon me. Or do I take it back because I was wittering on to the customer assistant how I really wanted the nicer, upgraded twin model but could justify spending any more on dc1, and having had to listen to me, he probably had this (wrong) model in his mind when he went to get it.

OP posts:
Bethshine82 · 18/12/2011 00:55

Keep it. Merry Christmas.

The only issue would be if there was a fault with it for any reason and then if you tried to take it back it wouldn't tally with the item on your receipt.

Anyway, it'll probably be fine. I think I'd keep it despite feeling a bit guilty because I wouldn't want to go back to the shop again this close to Christmas. I am now hoping to avoid all shops until after December 25th!

VelcroFanjo · 18/12/2011 00:59

Keep it..it was not your mistake, it was theirs. Like you, had I noticed at the time I would have opened big gob and fessed up been honest. The deed is done now. Enjoy the better than expected stereo!!

mrsjay · 18/12/2011 01:02

keep it not your fault they made a mistake ,

CumpyGruntWithJinglyBellsOn · 18/12/2011 01:02

I'd keep it.

Merry Christmas. Xmas Grin

VivaLeBeaver · 18/12/2011 01:15

I'd be worried the sales assistant might get a mega bollocking. I did similar when a teenager and nearly lost my job.

Spermysextowel · 18/12/2011 01:20

Here I go. It's a form of theft and we will all end up paying for it. What you don't pay for will be added to the batteries for my mum's hearing aids blah blah. Do you really think that shoplifters cost the retailers a fortune? They add it in to what the rest of us pay. I hope that you send a lot of 'thank you' cards so that your DC can show their appreciation for what the paying customers have contributed.

HarrietSchulenberg · 18/12/2011 01:58

Perhaps the shop didn't make a mistake. Perhaps it was reduced at point of sale but not on the display. I bought a Leap Pad thing today marked on the shelf and the box as £39.99, but at the till it was £34.99. Just hold that thought and have a merrier Christmas.

Also, it's unlikely that the shop's missing stock/shoplifting margin will be affected too much. I'm sure that no store has ever reduced its prices to reflect an underspend in that line of its budget.

SulkySullenDame · 18/12/2011 02:01

If you have the opportunity to take it back, I would. Or phone and explain. It is always best to be honest ime.

Selks · 18/12/2011 02:02

Have you checked that you didn't get charged full price for the £199 one?

Original poster
rootietootie · 18/12/2011 02:15

Yes, have definitely only paid £99. The actual price was £109.99 but they were doing 10% off today so paid £99 at the till.

OP posts:
SchrodingersMew · 18/12/2011 02:21

I don't think they can even take it back. Confused This happened to me with a much smaller item and because it wasn't the same as on the reciept they said they didn't have any proof it came from the store so they couldn't take it back.

Wormshuffler · 18/12/2011 03:23

They probably wouldn't thank you for taking it back. This happened to me and they seemed pissed off that a. I had just highlighted that the assistant had made a dramatic mistake which they would now have to take action upon. And b. That they had to go through all the rigmoral of refunding and sorting it all out on the till.

SylviaBells · 18/12/2011 03:50

I would phone, tell them what happened, say you won't be coming over to the store until after Christmas, ask them to post you a pre-paid envelope/packaging and you will send it back to them, provided they can guarantee to post you the model you paid for before Christmas. You shouldn't be out of pocket for petrol/postage for their mistake. I'm guessing they won't bother but you will have done the right thing and hopefully avoid karma kicking your arse also.

stuffthenonsense · 18/12/2011 04:16

What would you do if you had paid for the expensive one and received the cheaper one? At the very least i would phone the shop and see what they are willing to do to rectify their mistake...they may well just say Merry Christmas, and it will remove all doubt from your mind.

LinusVanPelt · 18/12/2011 04:56

If it's the sales assistant's job that anyone is worried about, I think that he's more likely to get into trouble if OP does return the item and explain the mistake, than he is if she doesn't. As wormshuffler says above, she'd just be drawing attention to his mistake and, in effect, reporting him for it, even if that's not her intention.

I worked in retail for years, and if I were in his position and realised my error, I'd be praying that she doesn't come back.

NoOnesGoingToEatYourMincePies · 18/12/2011 05:05

How did you even notice? These things all look the same to me.

Perhaps keep it but give a donation to charity to appease karma.

ThisIsANickname · 18/12/2011 05:18

samwellsbutt is right, no one is going to get called up over a mistake like that. They will literally have no way of knowing which transaction the more expensive item was given away in.

Geordieminx · 18/12/2011 05:20

If you try and take it back they could think you were trying to scam them. I.e buy DVD player, take it home, replace with counterfeit or broken "better" one, take it back, explain, they give you another DVD player and take the shitty one... Or something?

Keep it.

But donate at least £19 to charity. Today. It it will spontaneously combust under your tree Grin

BiancaStroud · 18/12/2011 06:04

keep it and add some brownie points by saying it will haunt you forever. please don't feel you have to justify the gift itself, asking ludicrous questions on threads like this is just trying to get smug brownie points for not having a dvd player.

Spermysextowel · 18/12/2011 06:16

Xmas Smile that's good, Sylvia. I have some M&S shirts that may need the same treatment.

lifechanger · 18/12/2011 06:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

PessimisticMissPiggy · 18/12/2011 06:26

YANBU.

It will be reduced in the sales. Probably to 50% off. I bought a satnav from there last year and 5 weeks after I bought it it was massively reduced. If it had been within 30 days I'd have bought it again and took the new one back with the old receipt.

stainesmassif · 18/12/2011 06:51

Halfords stock control is rrrrubbish. Keep, don't worry.

SuchProspects · 18/12/2011 07:01

Legally using it or giving it away is theft, however you try and justify it. But that doesn't make it wrong necessarily. I think most people would keep it, because I always point out mistakes like this and I invariably get some comment that indicates it's very rare for customers to point out errors in the store's favour. And other posters are right that the shop floor staff won't thank you for taking it in, especially in the pre-Christmas rush.

If you want to be honest but are concerned it will leave you out of pocket you could always phone the store and talk to the manager about it. S/he would almost certainly say just keep it. Then, legally, it's all yours.

philmassive · 18/12/2011 07:10

Dh works in a similar retailer. It happens. Staff are not bollocked, nor do they have to pay for it, nor do they lose their jobs. You got lucky. Keep it.