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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be miffed at this customer service today?

27 replies

ChairmanMeoww · 20/07/2013 22:12

Bit long and trivial, sorry.

Today was in a branch of a quite famous naice homeware store (not sure if naming and shaming is allowed) and found a side table that I liked. There were two identical tables, and at the same time another shopper and I picked them up and walked to the tills to pay.

I noticed that her table was marked up in the sale as £19.99 (reduced from about £70) so of course assumed that mine would be the same, as they are completley identical. My table did not have a price ticket on.

At the till, mine rang up as £39.99. I queried the price as I could see that the woman next to me was only paying £19.99. The cashier (who was the store manager) said that they had marked her table up incorrectly (confusingly, the correct price should have been £29.99) and while they honoured the price for her, they would not for me. The two tills were right next to each other and I heard no discussion whatsoever about the other table being reduced to honour the ticket price. It's the end of the sale and they were clearly trying to get rid of the last sale stock, I thought they would be glad to see the back of this bulky table tbh.

I know that legally they are not obliged to sell to me for £19.99 if that is not the price marked on my item, but from a customer service perspective this left a really bad taste in my mouth. I ended up not making the purchase, and feel pretty hostile towards giving future business to what is otherwise a favourite store. The manager was rude and blunt, didn't apologise and refused to provide the customer services telephone number when I asked.

Anyway, sorry for rambling on. AIBU to be a bit miffed at this? Obviously left table-less, currently eyeing up the corner it would have resided in!

OP posts:
ElliesWellies · 20/07/2013 22:16

YANBU - I think that is pretty poor on their part.

Lj8893 · 20/07/2013 22:20

Oh dear. I think you can name and shame but not 100% sure.

Anyway, I work in a homeware store (a naice one too) and I think we would have honoured the price for you too. For the sake of £20 it would be silly of us not too and lose a sale and potentially future sales. A bigger price difference and maybe we wouldn't have, depends on the situation really.

But even if we couldn't honour it, we would have killed you with kindness if that makes sense. Really make sure we explain why etc, apologise profusely and certainly give you the customer service no! (Not that our c/s department are very useful haha)

Chopchopbusybusy · 20/07/2013 22:24

YANBU. I would have expected them to honour the price. I had a similar experience recently in Jack Wills. They did honour the price. Much to the relief of DD2 who was embarrassed that I queried it - £15 on a pair of jeans is well worth a query IMO!

ClaraOswald · 20/07/2013 22:32

Whilst they don't have to honour the price at all for either of you, they chose to do so for the other customer because it was actually marked up. The one you picked up wasn't.

Therefore I would say YABABU.

Original poster
ChairmanMeoww · 20/07/2013 22:47

Oh sod it, I'm going to name and shame... It was Zara Home.

Not particularly known for excellent customer service IME but I'm still annoyed about how blunt she was when I asked what seemed like the reasonable and logical question!

Thanks for the replies all.

OP posts:
NotYoMomma · 20/07/2013 22:51

zara... home?!

is that a southern thing? like Boden and other mythical places

Original poster
ChairmanMeoww · 20/07/2013 22:54

Er, maybe! There are quite a few of them round here and I've seen them in other European countries too.

OP posts:
Lj8893 · 20/07/2013 22:58

I didn't know Zara home existed either!! And I'm a southerner!

Original poster
ChairmanMeoww · 20/07/2013 23:01

I've just been on their website and the bloody table is listed as £19.99!!

I need a large glass of wine.

OP posts:
Anotherpseuodonym · 20/07/2013 23:03

The service in our Zara home is rubbish. The staff usually act like they are doing you a favour by serving you. If some of the stuff wasn't so nice I wouldn't darken their door...

Lj8893 · 20/07/2013 23:05

Oh my god! What cheek! You have every right to complain now you have even seen it on the website.

Anotherpseuodonym · 20/07/2013 23:05

Oh and you should complain about the over charging. I'm surprised they did honour it for the other customer TBH, IME that doesn't happen not thatI'm bitter oh no

givemeaboost · 20/07/2013 23:10

google their head office and contact them directly, explain the situation and see what happens, bet you will get a refund. my friend had appalling customer service from mother care, over several weeks, a rude member of staff in store also, she rang head office and within 24 hrs had a full refund on gift card through the post.

HollaAtMeBaby · 20/07/2013 23:13

Zara (home and clothing) consistently has the worst customer service of any shop.

bumpsnowjustplump · 20/07/2013 23:25

tada customer-service.pro/brands/zara-home

bumpsnowjustplump · 20/07/2013 23:25

0800 0260 091

LimitedEditionLady · 20/07/2013 23:39

Maybe that was their web price but in that case they shouldve just given it to you at 19.99.I think these days stores should be doing everything they can to maintain good customer relationships because tbh we all know that business isnt good atm!what is a tenner to them?ill tell you a tenner is the difference between you walking away happy and telling people the nice gesture theyd offered or you telling people how crap it is and having a negative opinion of them.
Im quite strict these days because i now look at things in the way that retailers who do not offer good service obviously dont want my custom as youd think that in the circumstances now of so many places closing that theyd be pulling out all the stops!

MaMattoo · 20/07/2013 23:44

Zara home is known to have pathetic customer service. Even their flagship store on regent street, London has a poor record.
I would complain. Properly complain.
I agree, in the current environment an unhappy, socially networked customer, is not good news. Any sale is a sale.

Original poster
ChairmanMeoww · 20/07/2013 23:53

Thanks for the contact details Bump, flexing my complaining muscles - they will be getting a howler on Monday!

OP posts:
bumpsnowjustplump · 20/07/2013 23:54

:)

StuntGirl · 21/07/2013 00:02

If it was not 19.99 in store (web and store prices are not the same) then they don't have to sell it to you at that price, no matter what the other woman was doing.

I can understand you being pissed off a bit but it was a £20 table from a shop you've admitted doesn't have good customer service. Just buy another table!

LimitedEditionLady · 21/07/2013 09:20

But if its 19.99 online then why not just give it the customer at that price?the customer could judt go home and buy it online at that price.whats the difference?shop just loses the sales.All goes in the same pocket.

Lj8893 · 21/07/2013 09:23

Seems really silly for the shop to not match online price! After all the store will have its own targets and if they are sending customers home to shop online, then they arnt going to hit those targets and in the long run may be in trouble and get closed down. Shop closures are happening daily.

Catsize · 21/07/2013 09:26

Even if a price is on an item, they are not legally obliged to sell it at that price. It is an 'invitation to treat', you offer to buy it at that price, and they can accept or decline. All a bit odd, but that's the law for you! Most places honour displayed prices in the name of good customer service. A few times, I have been refused though and know there is nothing I can do.

Original poster
ChairmanMeoww · 21/07/2013 10:07

I think their online prices are the same as in-store, but that maybe their systems aren't great and they didn't know the item had been marked down again. So the price sticker of £19.99 was right.

Well aware of the consumer laws etc, but standing at a till next to someone paying half the price as me for exactly the same item and the manager talking over me and refusing to sell to me for the same has left a bad taste in my mouth.

Annoying because I actually love Zara Home.

OP posts:
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