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AIBU?

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Original poster

To send a letter of complaint to this retailer and possibly cost someone/several people their job ?

157 replies

whitebits · 18/12/2014 18:29

Back story....DS has been dropping major hints for a present he wants from Santa. The store catalogue gives the price as 6 and unfortunately this particular toy is exclusive to this store so we can't buy elsewhere. We did see a few being advertised locally on Gumtree and Ebay by private sellers for 60 (!) but DH said "fuck that (that's a direct quote Grin) I'm not paying 60 for a 6 toy."

I've gone into the store numerous times over the last few weeks only to be told that they've just sold the last one or they're waiting on a delivery the next day. DH popped into the store today as he was in the area and overheard another Dad talking about this toy basically saying thank God he got it as he wasn't prepared to pay the Gumtree/Ebay price for it. So DH went up to the counter and asked if they had the toy in stock. After much deliberation and several visits to the stock room the sales assistant said yes they had one left and DH bought it. He overheard an exchange between the assitant and another employee along the lines of "ok, we'll split the money from the next one..." Then one of the other employees stupidly/honestly told DH that he and other staff members had been buying the stock and selling it on Gumtree or Ebay for 10 times the store price !!!

Whilst I'm the first to applaud their entrepreneurial spark, isn't this just bloody wrong ? Dh was absolutley bloody fuming. I've been trying to think it through. It's different from someone wandering in off the street and buying all the stock for 6 quid and then flogging it on Gumtree at a significant mark up, isn't it? I think Dh is most angry at the fact that we've been lied to numerous times when I've gone to the store and been told they don't have any. He called earlier to speak to the store manager but they were unavailable so is thinking of emailing their Head Office to complain. We know at least one of the people involved as they have served us previously in the store. So what would you do ?

OP posts:
Souldancediva · 19/12/2014 07:32

Of course this is not fraud , but it is hugely irregular practice..
With holding stock in order to re sell at personal gain. I think that Management would be very interested in this particular practice.
We would all like to earn a few £££'s more & selling things on eBay is the
Perfect platform.however to withhold the stock by telling customers to the store that they have none available & then purchasing as a staff member & selling on eBay would I imagine be a criminal offence!

Original poster
whitebits · 19/12/2014 07:37

Rojo - ok, now I'm really torn. Not only do I have to consider the possibility that they have little mouths to feed but I may unknowingly be condemning them to a life of prostitution !! Grin Only kidding, I know you were making the point that none of us know people's circumstances or the consequences of any actions we may take.

Oh and I think one of the people involved is almost certainly a permanent staff member (so not temp Xmas staff that couldn't give a shit) as we have seen him working in the store months before, may even be a manager actually.

OP posts:
TrendStopper · 19/12/2014 08:13

I would report them.

Imagine if every shop worker started doing this.

Infinity8 · 19/12/2014 08:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Heebiejeebie · 19/12/2014 08:22

It's dreadful! Report. Stop them ripping off desperate parents. Bloody grinches.

Andrewofgg · 19/12/2014 08:30

If you are concerned about them losing their jobs just remember that others will get those jobs instead.

takeiteasybuttakeit · 19/12/2014 08:39

wow - don't you have better things to do? You've got your toy now, forget about it. Argos are a huge organisation and I'm sure they're aware that this might happen. Just as no child is entitled to exactly what they ask for, so you aren't entitled to be able to purchase it.....

Smartleatherbag · 19/12/2014 08:42

I don't think you should report. It's wrong but it's not illegal and it's not important. I think it's spiteful to report tbh. You got what you wanted, leave it.

RockinHippy · 19/12/2014 08:46

I would report to head office too, very likely the store manager is in an this scam anyway & don't feel at all guilty, they obviously don't & also know what they are doing, no one is forcing them, they are ripping parents off, so why should you worry about what happens next - report!

mrstiggy · 19/12/2014 09:04

I would report. Not that they are selling them at an inflated price, that's how the world is unfortunately. But for holding them back off the shelves so they have a captive market. It's just not cricket is it. It doesn't harm the store financially as such (unless they are abusing their discount to do it) but it's not great PR for the shop if it gets round that their staff are shady.

slithytove · 19/12/2014 09:10

When you report, email the store AND head office. If the general store manager isnt involved , it's kind to give them the heads up so they aren't completely on the back foot when head office call.

duckwalk · 19/12/2014 09:23

But it does affect business and cost them money though. A lot of parents would end up going elsewhere to check for stock, potentially spending more money while at the other store etc. Also, whether this happens everywhere or not...been around since the dawn of time or not, after finding out what's happening to the stock I'm sure a lot of people would lose faith in the store. I definitely don't think reporting it would be spiteful OP. We live in a society where companies welcome and encourage our suggestions and complaints.

vichill · 19/12/2014 09:24

It's your word against theirs and your own account shows two customers getting the product. I wouldn't bother. Greed breeds greed.

hackmum · 19/12/2014 09:33

If head office hears about this, of course they'll be pissed off about it. It's all very well to say that the items have been sold and they'll make their profit, but in the meantime they're alienating their regular customers who will be inclined to think, "This shop never has the thing I want in stock, so I'm not coming here again."

You have to ask yourself: if I was doing this job, would I engage in this practice? And the answer is, no, of course you wouldn't. I would report them, I'm afraid, and let someone more honest have the opportunity to take the job.

funkybuddah · 19/12/2014 09:38

I work for a very large company and we are offered extra discounts on top of offer prices and we are told if we are caught making a profit out of anything we buy in the store we face disciplinary proceedings. Its clear and we would be sacked. For example there's an item that we sell for £100 that the people who buy it have no alternative to, we get them for £20 if I got one and sold it for a profit I would be sacked. Personally yes I would report it.

SomethingFunny · 19/12/2014 09:39

I think you should report.

It is not like a customer coming in and buying loads from the shelves as you said, they are abusing their position as staff.

Mabelface · 19/12/2014 09:50

If anyone does buy an argos reservation number, be aware that they only last for 24 hours. If it is argos, yes, do report as customer service is top of the list and this store is clearly not doing what they should.

pickledparsnip · 19/12/2014 09:54

Bloody hell I can't believe how many people are fine about them getting the sack. IT'S A FUCKING TOY. These people have lives, mortgages/rent to pay, mouths to feed. You'd really be fine about them getting the sack? Yeah they probably shouldn't have done it, but they bought the items, they didn't steal them. I really can't get upset about it. It is pretty upsetting how many people are saying you should report them though. Merry fucking Christmas.

Andrewofgg · 19/12/2014 10:04

Pickledparsnips Shop staff who steal in the old fashioned way and get sacked have lives, rent, mortgages, but they have to go because dishonesty is dishonesty. Even at Christmas.

LurkingHusband · 19/12/2014 10:15

If you really want to ruin their Christmas, drop a note to HMRC, explaining the situation ... I'm sure they'll be happy to investigate any undeclared earnings. Especially if a staff discount (aka "benefit in kind") is involved.

Cabbagesaregreen · 19/12/2014 10:19

Report it. It's up to the store what happens next.

Rhiana1979 · 19/12/2014 10:27

When I was 17 I worked in Argos over the Christmas period. It was the Christmas where tellytubbies were really popular.

We used to receive deliveries and the staff (it tended to be the permanent staff that did it) would have a good rummage take anything that would sell out quick and put it aside to pay for after the shift. The customers never got a look in with the tellytubbies.

wanderings · 19/12/2014 10:32

Report.

Why do people do bad things, such as break speed limits, steal, bully, MPs cheat on expenses...? Because they think they will get away with it!

Let the "buy them up and sell them" crowd realise that the public are realising what is going on.

wowfudge · 19/12/2014 10:49

Yes - I agreed with others: report them. And as for posters such as pickledparsnip - these staff have been dishonest and have been lying to customers whilst lining their own pockets. I fail to see how it is the fault of the person reporting them if they then lose their jobs. They've obviously been running their own lucrative operation behind the scenes and are profiteering from a situation they wouldn't be able to exploit were it not for their employment with the retailer(s) in question.

Head office of a retailer with an exclusive supply agreement with a manufacturer/wholesaler would definitely want to know about this. Very damaging for business should this come out publicly.

The fact the item is toy and the ordinary retail price is 6 doesn't make what these people are doing any less bad.

TrendStopper · 19/12/2014 11:04

So because it is a toy its ok is it?

Who cares if they get sacked, maybe then the job will go to someone honest and not greedy.