to wonder whether honesty is the best policy?

[MMQC]

Bit of a moral dilemma. Trivial, admittedly, but I'm happy to let the MN jury be my guide.

I bought a pair of boots from M&S online. Full price £95. There was an online only offer on them and I got 40 % off so saved around £35. They don't fit, so they're going back, and the easiest way to return them is to take them to a store.

If I take them back without a receipt they will give me the full price in store credit and I'll have made £35 profit. If I take my receipt in, I'll get back what I paid. I'm not on the breadline, I don't need the money.

People of Mumsnet, what would you do?

I'd take the receipt in.

Just take them in and see if the computer says no!!

I bought DS 2 annuals for xmas - they were on buy one get one free. He got a double so I took one bag and explained to them that I didnt know how they would do the refund as it was a BOGOF offer....they refunded me the whole amount.

M & S are a big company with a massive computer system, I'm sure they will have all the info even if you dont take the receipt in.

I would take the receipt.

Take the receipt in.

Yes honesty is the best policy.

Alas!

If it were me I'd take the receipt and decide on the spot. But then I AM desperate for money.

Tbh, if the company are so short sighted it's their own fault.

What value do you put on your personal integrity?

I would go for personal integrity.

I just wrote out a huuuuuuge response for you edith but it was way too much info. Suffice to say that I used to have a hell of a lot of belief in myself as a person with their integrity intact but right now I can either pay for my pets to eat, or myself. I choose them.

Take the receipt in and take the moral high ground. Definitely.

Take the receipt in.

If people deliberately misused their fairly generous refunds policy they will tighten it up and ultimately people will miss out.

I'm feeling fairly generous towards them because I just took ds's school trousers back that I bought last March, wore twice last week and ripped a seam. No receipt as I bought them that long ago. I explained he'd worn them twice and they said immediately that there must have been a faulty seam and refunded the money. Cash. Personally I think a credit note would have been perfectly fair in that situation.

Yes, honesty is the best policy, but what makes you so sure you are in line for a full receipt anyway? I would imagine the code on the box will show quite clearly where the boots were purchased from and at what price.
There may well be no dilemma at all.

Take the receipt.

Honesty and all that.

I'm a strong believer in the universe seeking to redress the balance.

So, what you are asking is whether it is OK to steal £35 from M&S?

this happened to me in a sports shop before christmas, i went back in store and got refunded the non sale amount, i didnt notice for 2 weeks as the money went back on my card not into my hand so i kept it

if i had noticed straight away i would have given back the money but no way was i going to a shop thats well out of my way to correct their mistake

Op, there is no difference between trying to con them out of the money by not brining in a receipt and going into the store, putting your hand in the till and taking £35

Boomerwang, could your local animal shelter help you out with some food stuff for your pets? You shouldn't have to go hungry

OK, resounding verdict there, thank you! I'll take the honest approach ... I'd like to think I would have done so anyway.

I'm pretty sure they'd refund the full price because a while back I genuinely lost the receipt and that's what happened. I pointed out that I'd paid less but their system couldn't override the current price without my paperwork.

Agree, honest approach.