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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:
soupey1 · 19/12/2014 11:33

My view is that you should report it (sorry if you have and I missed it as I have only read first and last page). The staff are taking advantage of their position in an unethical way and I'm sure their HO wouldn't be impressed.

ddubsgirl77 · 19/12/2014 12:08

I work in retail and yes report it they hadnt paid for it yet and have been holding back stock.

vichill · 19/12/2014 12:55

I'm with pickledparsnip. Seems a tell tale jobs worthy thing to report. They'll be getting paid shit money and will be let go as soon as the sales are over. You know what...I'd bloody do it.

morechildrenplease · 19/12/2014 13:35

Hopping over from Kaos thread. What the staff seem to be doing will directly put a toy which is affordable for most out of the reach of less well off kids. That's not right. I would report but without name of store so they are not sacked but the shop can put in place better procedures to stop it happening again.

TrendStopper · 19/12/2014 19:15

I really dont know why some people think that this is a good thing to do. Maybe the next time those people saying that it isn't a big deal will think twice when they want/need something but can't get it unless they pay ten times over the normal price on ebay/gumtree/facebook.

How will us as customers ever trust companies if this is going to become an ok/acceptable thing for employees to do. If customers don't trust businesses they aren't going to shop with that business.

sugarman · 19/12/2014 19:23

Yes report to Head Office. It reflects very badly on the store.

woodhill · 19/12/2014 19:34

yes complain, they are abusing their position and giving the store a bad reputation. If you don't want to name the branch that sounds sensible.

vichill · 19/12/2014 20:09

It's a piece of plastic that cost about 30p to make. Yes they're little shits for doing it but really do you want people working shit hours for the min wage on a shit contract ending in jan getting fired? Good will to all men eh?

WhatWouldFlopDo · 19/12/2014 20:22

I'd be pissed off if one shop had exclusivity in my area but the stock never hit the shelves. I'd probably email head office. If they're not doing anything wrong by buying to sell at a profit they have nothing to worry about.

Original poster
whitebits · 19/12/2014 20:46

Well DH went into the store today and spoke to the manager in person.

OP posts:
TrendStopper · 19/12/2014 20:57

What did the manager say?

LongDistanceLove · 19/12/2014 20:59

Depending on the reaction they are either in on it or not.

oswellkettleblack · 19/12/2014 21:06

YANBU

Original poster
whitebits · 19/12/2014 21:25

The manager appeared a bit shocked/surprised and said that their behaviour was unacceptable. He said he'd look into it.

OP posts:
slithytove · 19/12/2014 21:55

Nothing in writing? I doubt much will happen then.

SageSeymour · 19/12/2014 22:04

Christ what a fuss

I'd have left it. You got your item , just let them get on with it

Bit late now though

whois · 19/12/2014 22:16

They'll be getting paid shit money

So it's ok for low paid workers to do unethical things?

If so many people think this is ok then the employees have nothing to fear by a written complaint to HO. They veritably have nothing to fear from a verbal heads up to the manager...

LongDistanceLove · 19/12/2014 22:18

Send an email to head office, and let loss prevention do the rest.

Saz12 · 19/12/2014 22:54

If it were me, I'd be livid about being lied to to my face, repeatedly. The store staff treated you (and many other customers) as fools and mugs, why should you allow them to do that?

FastWindow · 20/12/2014 01:51

Right OK to all those saying it's ok because they are on Shit wages.

So if you earn ten quid an hour, maybe fifteen. Do your own calculations off your annual salary. It'll be between 10-20. For the majority on here.

It's ok for the minimum wage earners on 8 quid an hour to skim the product before it gets on the shelves for general sale - issue one. No- this is not OK.

They then sell this thing on for 54 quid markup. If they do this three times a day, they are earning more than you. Per hour, net.

And you're all OK with this?

Lilmissconcerned · 20/12/2014 02:25

I think it's terrible you are trying to get someone sacked at Christmas.

Maybe it's not right/been frustrating but you got your toy. It was an overheard half told story. If you were never gonna pay in inflated 60 eBay price what's the problem?

Never understand people who can't just get along with their own lives without fighting a battle over something pointless to get someone sacked over a piece of 6 quid plastic!

FastWindow · 20/12/2014 02:40

Lilmiss. Here is the problem.

Because countless kids aren't getting their most desired (and unusually very cheap) toy at Christmas.

Because cynical shop workers are exploiting three year olds.

Because i wish I could earn 54pound an hour. But not like that. I have a moral compass.

So op dh got his toy at the right price. The other 77 didn't, they had to pay 60quid. Many of them are on the minimum wage too.

Your comments please

BabeRuthless · 20/12/2014 06:19

Yes they might be getting a shit wage. I've worked those jobs and got that shit wage too. BUT, and this is a big but, you also know the rules and the contract you sign. If you choose to break the rules then you're taking the chance of being caught and sacked. These are adults we're talking about here. Would you say it was ok for them to take a tenner out of the till? After all, they are getting a shit wage and working for a big company who can probably afford it. To paint the kid who wants the present as a spoiled entitled brat and the shop workers as some kind of Robin Hood figure is over simplyfing it.

Original poster
whitebits · 20/12/2014 08:44

Lilmiss - it wasn't just overheard. One of the assistants practically boasted to DH about them buying the toy and then selling it on Gumtree. DH overheard the comment about splitting the money.

OP posts: