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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

wibu or John Lewis staff?

70 replies

dolphinsandwhales · 21/09/2014 17:44

I bought a pair of wellies for dd a few months ago in John Lewis. She didn't need them at the time, but as children's feet grow quickly I bought size six and size seven at the same time, to save on wellie shopping in the future.

Dd is aged 2, the size 6 were fine and a few weeks ago she grew into size 7. A few days ago one foot got soaked as the wellies had a split on the seam. It was a small split, but the wellies were now useless. I took them back to John Lewis and showed them the split, which I thought made them faulty as I've never had this problem before and they were hardly worn, the bobbles on the tread were still there so obviously not very worn.

The member of staff was quite off with me, said it was wear and tear etc but grudgingly decided to search for the latest selling price to give me a refund. I explained that I wanted only a straight swap for another pair of own brand wellies in the same size. She refused this, as did her colleague who backed her up on this being the correct course of action, apparently I could be given a refund for the cheapest selling price of the wellies but not a swap as they didn't sell this design anymore. I said I'd accept any wellies the same size in a different design if they didn't have the one I'd bought before, I'm not precious on the exact design (the ones I'd bought were a special limited edition).

Eventually they agreed to give me a replacement pair that was more basic than the faulty pair, but by this point I regretted returning the faulty ones and wished I'd shopped elsewhere in the first place. Wibu? They made me feel like I was trying to hoodwink them, they even suggested I may have bought the wellies a year ago even though dd was with me and I showed them she was only just in size six shoes, so how would she have been wearing this size wellies a year ago?

OP posts:
Gruntfuttock · 21/09/2014 21:05

But the OP got a refund, so I can't see that she has a cause for complaint. In her place I would have been satisfied with that and bought the wellies elsewhere. In fact, as far as wanting a replacement instead of a refund, that is generally considered a worse outcome from returning a purchase, not a better one, because the customer is forced to accept an item from the original store instead of being free to choose any retailer they wish.

What outcome, do those saying the OP should complain, expect above the refund she has already been given? Confused

Why not just buy the replacement with the refund and be content with that, since she has suffered no loss?

Notcontent · 21/09/2014 21:55

I think it's amazing how generous most large shops' returns/refunds are.

I also think a refund is pretty good.

TheSkiingGardener · 21/09/2014 22:02

How can you not need proof of purchase if goods are faulty? Surely the shop is entitled to some evidence you bought the goods from them in the first place. In this example it's pretty obvious but wouldn't be usually?

lbsjob87 · 21/09/2014 22:06

I think a refund is fair - that's all you would be entitled to and they have honoured their part of the deal.
If there was a cheapest selling price, they have presumably been in the sale.
How do they know you didn't buy them for £10, say, when a replacement pair might be £25?
The problem isn't really with the retailers - it's that some customers seriously take the piss (I'm not including you in that, obviously) and shops need to protect themselves.

Laquila · 21/09/2014 22:12

ChunkyPickle - according to the Uk Sale of Goods Act, proof of purchase is restored in order to return any item, for any reason (whether faulty or not). In this instance, JL had no way of knowing whether the customer has in fact purchased then item from eBay or similar.

I'm also surprised that anyone thinks there's grounds for complaint here. Gruntfuttock has hit the nail on the head - a refund is considered one up from a replacement.

Laquila · 21/09/2014 22:12

Restored = required, obvs!

18yearstooold · 21/09/2014 22:17

Op am I right in thinking that the problem is not so much that they refunded you, but the way they spoke to you and made you feel like you were under suspicion?

Many shops have to process a refund, especially on a faulty item due to the way the tills work

But an own brand product showing hardly any signs of wear with a manufacturing fault? It should have been a quick in and out for you

maddening · 21/09/2014 22:38

As far as I am aware - If you use a debit or credit card and can identify the purchase on you statement this is sufficient as proof of purchase - the ref codes will log with those held on their system for that purchase.

AlpacaPicnic · 21/09/2014 22:41

Am I correct in thinking that the op didn't want or request a refund but in fact requested a replacement item? I have reread the op several times and that's how I read it. A refund was offered but op only wanted a replacement of a faulty item.

Gruntfuttock · 21/09/2014 22:54

Yes, *Alpaca but surely accepting a refund enabled her to purchase a replacement of her choice, regardless of retailer, instead of being restricted to whatever John Lewis had available, therefore it was the better option.

CromerSutra · 21/09/2014 23:00

A friend of mine had an experience like this but in Monsoon. The embroidery on a dress was all coming out after one wear. The assistant made her feel like a criminal. It's not a nice experience. I'm sure lots of people do try it on but it's a shame when you are being honest and are treated with suspicion.

NotOneThingbutAnother · 21/09/2014 23:05

Can I blatantly use this as an opportunity to tell you about the time I bought a bra in a box (not tried on first as I'd had that size/type before) from JL and got it home to find it had been pre-worn. At lot. By someone who would benefit from a strong deodorant. Tags were missing etc.

When I took it back to explain and swop, they said outright that I had worn it and made it up, had to call lingerie manager etc. Most of the time you can't fault John Lewis but they do seem to have an odd attitude to exchanges.

UncleT · 21/09/2014 23:11

Do people not use online banking? Sure the transaction won't be itemised, but it should be easy to prove you made the transaction, with or without a receipt.

Icimoi · 21/09/2014 23:32

I think JL were extremely generous: OP turned up with faulty wellies several months after buying them and with no proof of purchase. For all they knew she had bought them in a sale and was now aiming to make a profit by getting a full price replacement pair; for all they or anyone else knows, the damage to the seam actually happened at some point in the last few months when the boots were knocking around in OP's house.

Icimoi · 21/09/2014 23:35

I don't get this part of OP's post:

they even suggested I may have bought the wellies a year ago even though dd was with me and I showed them she was only just in size six shoes, so how would she have been wearing this size wellies a year ago?

Because the OP did buy that size wellies several months ago despite the fact that her daughter didn't fit them, so why is so inconceivable that she'd have bought them a few months earlier? And how were the staff to know that OP didn't have an older child for whom she might have bought the wellies?

UptheChimney · 22/09/2014 07:47

Well, from other posts on other threads I've read in here, a lot of people do take the mick about exchanges & refunds, arguing (for example) that even though they don't try on a pair of shoes, which they then wear outside and which give them blisters, this is grounds for a refund. And that thread had several stories about how people wore things for an event, then took them back. And so on. It was an eye opener!

If people stopped being dishonest (pretty near to a kind of stealing) then refunds & exchanges for the rest of us wouldn't be so difficult. But given some of the things I've read (and experienced when I was a shop girl) I'm really not surprised that a refund or exchange when you've had the item for a few months & have no receipt, was tricky.

Balaboosta · 22/09/2014 08:01

Er... They offered you refund on item bought months ago with no proof of purchase? What's the problem? You can use the money to get new wellies. Why do want a replacement when the product us crap?

PrimalLass · 22/09/2014 08:16

They offered a 'lowest price refund' not a straight refund. So OP could have paid £10 and that style later reduced to 99p. John Lewis trade on their reputation so should not make customers feel crap.

UptheChimney · 22/09/2014 08:18

John Lewis trade on their reputation so should not make customers feel crap

Simple fact is that they didn't actually have to do anything: the OP didn't have a receipt as proof of purchase.

Dunkling · 22/09/2014 08:35

I'm a shop assistant. If you didn't have a receipt then they were right to offer a refund at the latest lowest amount they were on sale for. Without a receipt they have no way of knowing what you paid and they could be out of pocket to refund you full price if you had bought them at sale price. Credit card paperwork etc is no good in this case as items aren't itemised.

Original poster
dolphinsandwhales · 22/09/2014 08:36

The refund I was offered was a credit note for the lowest selling price, which would have meant that I would have had to pay more as it wasn't enough to buy new wellies, I wanted a swap but they didn't have any left in the dds size in the style I'd bought. The ones I'd bought were a limited edition pair that had been brought out a year ago and they stopped selling very recently.

I have always shopped at jl due to the reassurance and reputation, I offered them my loyalty card to look up the purchase but apparently they needed my credit card, which I didn't have with me.

I'm an honest person, so I was upset to be made to feel like I was trying it on, but having read the stories on here I appreciate I was naive as it sounds like people try all sorts. I will save my receipts in future and buy dd clothes from m and s not john Lewis

The stupid thing was that I was meant to be taking dd to the toy department to make her Christmas list after I swapped the wellies, so they lost my custom there as I'll be buying the Christmas presents elsewhere.

OP posts:
bruffin · 22/09/2014 08:41

If you dont have a receipt it is standard to offer the lowest price, as far as im aware. M&S do the same They dont know you havent bought them in a sale!

Bakeoffcakes · 22/09/2014 08:42

I'm surprised at John Lewis not giving you an exchange.

I bought dd a very expensive bag last Christmas. Within 2 months it was fraying, I didn't have a recipet but thought I'd give it a try. They didn't query me at all, and said they would send it off for repair. They couldn't have been any more helpful.

UptheChimney · 22/09/2014 08:43

It's a difficult situation, though, isn't it? You didn't have a receipt or your credit card, and they did offer you some recompense for goods that could have been up to a year old.

You felt treated like a potential criminal even though you're honest. That stings, we all get that. But if they gave out refunds or exchanges to anyone coming in as you did, then any retailer would be out of pocket fast, as they'd be giving out money/goods to shoplifters (ie thieves) as well as honest people.

And how would retailers recoup? They'd up prices. For us all ... or drop wages, which for most shop workers, are pretty awful anyway. Or get completely rule bound, and then no way would you have got anything back.

Fluffycloudland77 · 22/09/2014 08:44

I'd complain directly to their ceo by email.

I do this when I don't get good service. Keep it short and to the point & let them deal with it.

They gave me £15 by a BACS payment because the shoes I ordered were out of stock after I'd ordered them online.