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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to attempt to swap a book at Waterstones with no receipt?

78 replies

WestleyAndButtockUp · 27/12/2011 07:57

I got two identical (new) books for Christmas. Will Waterstones take one of them and swap it for the next book in the series? All the same price.

Fairly sure both relatives got them from Amazon.

Is this unreasonable?

OP posts:
Hulababy · 27/12/2011 09:13

Waterstones, ime, are fantastic at swapping books in this way. I have done it severa times, never had to lie about it, and never had any issues.

One set of books DD took back - along with some others - after her birthday was scanned and Waterstones didn't sell that exact version so they didn't swap them for her, but everything else no problem. I have no idea where the duplicates had been bought from.

The non swapped items I put in my present drawer and gave DD the money instead.

Trills · 27/12/2011 09:24

Leaving aside the unreasonableness question - I believe that if you take a brand-new book to Waterstones they will exchange it without fuss.

I know this because I have done it - my mum bought me a book that I already had and took off all the stickers (because they would give away the price). I took it back and said "Mum says she bought this here but I don't have any proof" and they were happy to exchange it for another book or vouchers (not for cash of course).

AmazingBouncingJesus · 27/12/2011 20:58

SNF My shift went quite well actually! I was in charge so I was able to be slightly more lenient then my boss usually is! Grin

Only had 3 people be verbally abusive, twas a record I think!

SantasNutellaFairy · 27/12/2011 21:04

yay!

I hope it's nice on Thursday when I go in- and I hope the delivery actually has a tonne of stock as the racks are swinging empty and the shelves are looking a little bare.

Original poster
WestleyAndButtockUp · 28/12/2011 07:14

Success --- and No lying was involved.

Went to Waterstones, showed them the identical books I had received, and asked if I could replace one of them with a similarly-priced book.

Their barcode-reader could read my barcode, so the swap was no problem.

OP posts:
JenniferEight · 28/12/2011 08:08

I'm glad you're happy but I wouldn't do it.

Sorry.

I think if you wouldn't tell them you knew they were from Amazon then you shouldn't try to get away with it.

If Waterstones are genuinely happy about it then that's fine I suppose but still, it would feel wrong to me.

'factoring it into their prices' is not an excuse for tricking people.

Which reminds me I have to decide whether to return a book to Waterstones because it came without some of its magnets. Ds has already played with it and I don't have the receipt, well, might be worth a try.

Unless they look at me and say 'you got that from Amazon didn't you' because they are so sick of people trying it on.

BalloonSlayer · 28/12/2011 08:19

read the whole thread Jennifer!

One did turn out to be from Waterstones

Original poster
WestleyAndButtockUp · 28/12/2011 08:24

I didn't trick anyone, did I? Neither they nor I mentioned where it might have been bought.

Amazon has not lost money.
Waterstones have not lost money. They will sell the book v quickly.
And I don't have two books the same.

Why wouldn't you do it under these circs?

OP posts:
Chandon · 28/12/2011 08:29

Westley, it 's just a typical way of thinking.

So, it is O.k. for you to do it. That would make it o.k. for everyone else to do it, right? If many people did it, Waterstone's would go bust.

As they would essentially have "bought" your book for 14, then sold it at 14. they would not have made a loss. They would NOT have made a profit either.

If this happened 1 million times, they would simply go bust.

But I guess you are arguing that it is o.k. for YOU to do this but not everyone else?

If you would genuinely think it was o.k. for them, be honest and tell them: "It's from Amazon, but I reckon you guys are no worse off taking this back and giving me the full price voucher".

What would they say? what would you say if it was your shop????

....thought so

JenniferEight · 28/12/2011 08:31

I have read it all. I'm not just talking to the OP, I'm responding in part to posts such as this:

Pocket1 Tue 27-Dec-11 08:49:52
Just do it - but with conviction otherwise you may fluff it or they'll may cotton on. Tell yourself....

whoever bought it for you did tell you it was from Waterstones Picadilly branch

The other ladies are right that it's not strictly honest but these stores factor this into their pricing.

__

OP, I wouldn't do it because it would be dishonest. Honesty is when you give someone all the facts and allow them to make the decision.

I don't know what Waterstones think about it or what their policy is, and I already said that if they are happy about it, it doesn't matter.

But I'm surprised at people saying try it, it's fine, when there was a thread about taking something back to another shop a few months ago where the OP knew it was from somewhere else, and she got completely flamed. (no not by me, and it wasn't me either!)

I don't think it's a good idea to blur these sorts of boundaries. Waterstones might be fine about it or they might just accept it to save themselves the hassle...other shops though will care, will lose money, etc etc if people try to justify this sort of grey-area fiddling.

Do you see what I mean?

flowerytaleofNewYork · 28/12/2011 08:31

I really feel for all you ladies working in retail today. DH worked in Argos when he was a student and because he's very polite and nicely spoken he used to spend most of the time on customer services which was not fun this time of year. He had his clip-on tie yanked off over the desk several times. Grin

JenniferEight · 28/12/2011 08:32

Exactly, Chandon.

SetFiretotheRain · 28/12/2011 08:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

HauntedLittleLunatic · 28/12/2011 08:41

so how do you take back something that you don't want to upset the person that gave it to you by asking where they bought it?

I thought this was the reason you get an inferior deal (vouchers or Exchange but no cash and current selling value) if you have no receipt.

But also accept that a store has no OBLIGATION to do so unless faulty.

JenniferEight · 28/12/2011 08:55

If you don't know where it came from, you can't take it back! Charity shop, ebay, give it to a friend, re-gift it etc etc.

My Granny never gives me the receipt because she knows that way I can't change what she has got me for something that fits/I like/etc etc.

I take back what I can (always to M&S) and get a gift card for whatever price it is now (usually much reduced) and if I can't return it (earrings, make up etc) I give it to charity. At least someone will benefit from it.

JenniferEight · 28/12/2011 09:02

...and yes, I am bitter! Xmas Grin

Original poster
WestleyAndButtockUp · 28/12/2011 09:15

I'm trying to see your perspective, JenniferEight, partly because you are taking care to explain clearly

(saying "Do you see what I mean?" as opposed to Chandon's slightly snottier "... thought so")

Chandon asked what would you do if it was your shop. I try to help people out, especially if it doesn't cost me any money. So I would do what Waterstone have done for me: a favour that hasn't cost them any money.

They were under no obligation, but it is clearly their policy.

Why do you call it grey-area fiddling?

OP posts:
JenniferEight · 28/12/2011 09:25

Oh thankyou for indulging me.

I try to be polite Smile

I called it that because to my mind, it's a grey area...it might not harm the shop's profit margin or it might (I'm not an expert on commerce, I suspect few of us are) but in the end it's taking the choice away from the retailer if they don't know the full facts, and it's therefore dishonest.

Quite simple criteria really. And 'fiddling' just sprang to mind. As in fiddling with things that aren't our place to fiddle with, blurring the boundaries of what is 'done' and what is not to be done.

You're basically expecting Waterstones to save you the trouble and expense of returning an item to Amazon (if it was indeed the Amazon book you returned) without asking them this directly. It's not their job!

They might agree to tender this transaction because it's hard for them to prove you didn't buy it there, and they want to keep their reputation for being nice and trusting people (but they can't really trust you, can they?) or because they genuinely don't mind losing a bit of (potential) money (which they do, when they accept an exchange - not sure how, but they do).

Do you understand what I am saying? You're being unfair in taking advantage of their good nature and if enough people do the same, they won't survive as a viable business. You're asking them to subsidise you.

They're also acting in good faith and you're not.

TararaBOOMdeay · 28/12/2011 09:31

It's when you take an item back to ToysRUs (because you genuinely thought it came from there) and get a gift card, and the item turns out to have been bought BNWT from eBay, that it's a grey area.

Not that I've ever done that, oh no. Xmas Blush

spiderpig8 · 28/12/2011 09:41

Hmm I'm surprised exchanging books doesn't infringe copyright laws

JenniferEight · 28/12/2011 09:46

Tara, that's a genuine error. I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you really thought it was from there.

I think the other thread was about a bag that was sold on Asos and the OP wanted to take it back to the original shop (River Island?). There were all sorts of reasons why that was unacceptable. I didn't understand all of them but she got a right going over.

If I owned a bookshop and even if I sold the identical book myself, unless I knew the book was from my shop I wouldn't be exchanging it for any old customer.

Sometimes you just have to suck it up if it's more hassle for you to return it than you hoped...that's the risk you take in accepting Christmas presents. The shop doesn't owe you anything! I don't know where this weird sense of entitlement comes from.

JenniferEight · 28/12/2011 09:49

and that isn't aimed at anyone in particular.

As I said...if you don't like a gift, or can't use it, just give it to charity and make a mental note to be more specific next year when you ask for something. Or if you didn't ask for it, accept there is nothing you can do, and you haven't lost anything as it was a gift anyway.

The woman in M&S the other day when I didn't have a receipt was gutted at giving me half price on my gift card, she said she couldn't bear the idea of my granny losing out.

I told her in no uncertain terms that if my granny cared about losing out, she would make damn sure to have given me the receipt, but she didn't as she is too resentful. She doesn't actually want me to like her presents, I don't think. She wants me to feel guilty about hating them.

callmemrs · 28/12/2011 09:52

People tend to blur the rules when it comes to big companies. If this was a little independent bookshop then I bet you wouldn't dream of trying to get a favour out of them without giving the full facts. The principle is no different though.

RachelHRD · 28/12/2011 09:57

Chandon they won't have bought the book for #14 they will have bought it for the price of the book that the OP swapped it for which will be at cost so they are still making a profit. If Waterstones are happy to exchange without a receipt and the book is in mint condition I don't see why you are getting so high and mighty about it!! It's not dishonest to go into a shop and say you got something as a gift and could they exchange it - they will be aware there is a chance it didn't come from their store and aren't obliged to do it.

JenniferEight · 28/12/2011 10:01

I knew someone would say 'high and mighty' or 'high horse' at some point.

You're right Rachel, that if the shop is aware the item might not have come from their store and is still happy to exchange it, it's not wrong.

However to try and make the shop think it came from there when you know full well it didn't is wrong. As is lying by omission.