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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to try on a few different sizes but only buy one of them

46 replies

marryj · 03/12/2014 12:33

Nc but regular.

I shop with a certain online store regularly - thousands spent in years. For clothes I often buy a few sizes as I find they vary a lot between brands. Then I usually keep one but send back the others in pristine condition. Nobig difference to a normal shop I thought. But this but retailer has now sent me a snooty email, basically saying they don't want to do business with me and have closed my account.

Aibu?

OP posts:
ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 03/12/2014 12:35

Of course YANBU! If that is why the retailer is closing your account they will be losing a lot of customers over that policy who is it?

Fudgeface123 · 03/12/2014 12:36

Did they give you a reason why they don't want to do business with you. Their email must've said a bit more than that?

nottheOP · 03/12/2014 12:36

Who is it?!

museumum · 03/12/2014 12:37

do they offer 'free returns'? maybe the postage is costing them too much and they're basically losing out on the amount you buy vs the amount you return.

sleeplessbunny · 03/12/2014 12:38

Very odd. Surely it is perfectly normal to try a few different sizes? Name and shame, please!

wishmiplass · 03/12/2014 12:39

Erm. No. YADNBU. Tell us who it is!

TicTicBOOM · 03/12/2014 12:41

What?! Everyone does this!

Original poster
marryj · 03/12/2014 12:42

Its Amazon, the reason they gave was for too many returns.

Only clothes I have returned after a day or so and in just as good condition that they arrived in.

OP posts:
daisybrown37 · 03/12/2014 12:42

When I worked for an online clothing company it was standard practice for our customers to buy 2 sizes.

So YANBU

TicTicBOOM · 03/12/2014 12:44

We return things to Amazon constantly. How much stuff have you sent back?

Have you been paying to return them yourself?

JackSkellington · 03/12/2014 12:50

I return a lot to a different website - mainly due to ordering 2 sizes or having to send things back because they don't look right on me.
I would have thought they would receive a lot of returns, since it's impossible to try things on before you buy online.

Original poster
marryj · 03/12/2014 12:51

No all the returns were free, didn't give the option of paying for them ,- I wouldn't of minded this as still save on parking.

Haven't returned that much, a couple a month. Once I did order a dress in two sizes and three colours and ended up sending them all back but apart from that I usually just order two sizes and keep the one that fits.

OP posts:
RoganJosh · 03/12/2014 12:52

Maybe Amazon have a different 'acceptable ratio of orders to returns' than specifically clothes shops? What I mean is that the bulk of their business isn't clothes, so perhaps if you buy mostly clothes from them then you're unluckily triggering some thing in their system.

playftseforme · 03/12/2014 12:54

I always order all clothing online in 2 different sizes (sometimes a combination of lengths too!). I also buy clothes for my dd in 2 different sizes. Usually one of the return codes is 'ordered for choice' or words to that effect, meaning that most online retailers expect this.

v odd

Jamrollypolly · 03/12/2014 13:01

That's strange I've always been impressed with Amazon customer service. I rarely return things though. Did they give you any warning? Try their live chat they are pretty helpful. I heard next did this once to a friend of a friend.

OnlyLovers · 03/12/2014 13:05

Outrageous. I sometimes order two sizes or different colours etc.

You could ask to see their written policy as to what exactly counts as 'to many returns'. And ask them if they'd really rather forgo your regular business than suck up postage costs occasionally.

If they don't respond adequately, name and shame them! Social media, Which? or similar publications, word of mouth ... And tell them that you're going to do it, obviously.

OneDayWhenIGrowUp · 03/12/2014 13:07

I think it's fairly normal to do this within reason, and whilst I could understand if you were continually doing it to a small retailer and costing them money then it'd be a bit unreasonable, but the fact that it's Amazon with this attitude is a bit shocking!

I always found their customer service to be really good. Twice they have re-sent me goods, no questions asked, when technically it was my fault that they didn't turn up (got delivered to work reception and went missing, receptionist claimed it was never delivered, turned up in a clear several months later).

Dolallytats · 03/12/2014 13:08

I do this all the time with various companies. You have to when even the same size items can vary in the same shop.

Never heard of anyone being banned because of this. Hope it doesn't become standard.

EvansOvalPiesYumYum · 03/12/2014 13:12

I've never before heard of a company behaving in this way, sounds very odd.

Many returns forms have in their tick-box 'reason for return' section actually give you the option of ticking the box to say something along the lines of "ordered multiple to try size and colours". (Not those exact words, but I can't remember them offhand).

Many smaller companies make a charge for returns though, so maybe everyone is feeling the squeeze.

TicTicBOOM · 03/12/2014 13:13

I can't believe they've just essentially told you to fuck off. I've always been so impressed with their customer service when dealing with them. Very, very strange.

What did the email say? Are they going to stop you from opening another account?

soupey1 · 03/12/2014 13:14

As someone else has mentioned it is because Amazon is not specifically a clothes retailer and if part of every order is returned their computer system will flag it up. They just have a different mind set due to the range of goods they sell.

WMittens · 03/12/2014 13:20

Am I the only one to find it odd that someone would order 5 sizes and then send back the 4 that don't fit?

If you want to try before you buy, go to a bricks-and-mortar shop. If you're not sure something might fit, go to a shop. This is one reason why I never buy footwear online, I need to feel the fit before making a decision.

CrunchySlippers · 03/12/2014 13:22

i've just been to Next to get swimwear for hols next week, and they (of course as its winter!) didnt have any, so the supervisor lady (very helpful!) said go online, open an account and order all the ones you can get and bring back what you dont want within 28 days (170 later....._

russiandwarf · 03/12/2014 13:22

I'm shocked! I thought Amazon always had good customer service!

Their returns policy says the following in the Statutory Rights section - "By law, customers in the European Union also have the right to cancel the purchase of an item within 14 days beginning from the day you receive" - so if you are returning/cancelling your purchase in this time frame they can't stop you surely? I think this is in place purely for online purchasing, a cooling off period.

Icimoi · 03/12/2014 13:24

I must say it's never occurred to me to do this, mostly because I wouldn't want the faff of sending stuff back routinely. I buy what seems to be the appropriate size and usually it is; I send it back if it turns out not to be, but that means I return goods at most around once a year.