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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU over 2p?

168 replies

MrsCosmopilite · 10/04/2015 21:49

I need to give a little background info for context.

I'm unwaged, a student. I am not eligible for benefits, so I do 'treats' out of a very small budget (£10 per week tops). I shop a lot at the charity shops in our town - and I make frequent donations of unwanted items. I have a four year old daughter, who needs some new clothes as she's grown out of a lot recently.

Today I was out with DD. We'd had lunch (£6 in the cafe), and I'd bought a local paper (£1). I then bought her a skirt in charity shop A, which was £2.

We went into charity shop B and she spotted another skirt which was £1.50

I took it to the counter, opened my purse and found I had only the single pound left. I rummaged in my purse and found another 48p. I explained to the person on the counter that I was 2p short, but I would happily drop the extra in next week when I'll be back in town. I said that I had no other money on me, and showed her my empty purse.

She looked at the skirt, looked at the money in my hand and just said "Well, it's £1.50..."

She didn't offer to put the skirt aside whilst I got any money, she didn't offer to call anyone (there is always a manager on duty), in fact, she didn't do anything, just stood there.

In the end, I had to leave the skirt, and the shop, with my daughter crying because I couldn't afford to buy her something for £1.50.

I feel the woman was mean - I go in the shop every week - I go in all the charity shops every week, to have a look. I would happily have given the extra few pence the next time I was there.

OP posts:

Feminine · 10/04/2015 21:52

Yes, she was mean.
However, your daughter already had something new today.
I wouldn't have bought another one...
But really, yes, she was mean. Silly too, as l guess you won't want to go back.

MajesticWhine · 10/04/2015 21:53

That is fairly mean-minded. I wonder if people try and barter a lot in the charity shop, and so she feels she has to be very tough? But I think basically YANBU.

ZombieZoo · 10/04/2015 21:53

Yanbu. She was BU. Did she recognise you from previous visits.?

FrizzyPig · 10/04/2015 21:53

You'll probably be told that you are 'entitled' and unreasonable by others.

Now, I wouldn't have done what you did, only for the reason that I would be worried that I'd end up treated like you were.

However, if I were the woman behind the counter, I would have definitely let you off the 2p.

PeppermintCrayon · 10/04/2015 21:53

I think the background info is all completely irrelevant as she didn't know any of that.

FarFromAnyRoad · 10/04/2015 21:53

I think that's extraordinarily mean and really - it's not even about the 2p is it? I'm not sure that you can or should do anything - but maybe bring it to the attention of the manager. Maybe they don't have a policy on these things - but if they don't they bloody should!

keepsmiling2015 · 10/04/2015 21:54

Wow she's unbelievably mean! YANBU

Sirzy · 10/04/2015 21:54

I would have said I would put the 2p in myself. But I wonder if they have been told that there is no haggling on things so she felt she couldn't help?

WorraLiberty · 10/04/2015 21:56

Yes she was mean

Why didn't you ask to speak to the manager or ask her to put the skirt aside, rather than waiting for her to offer though?

I mean if your DD was crying, surely it would have been worth it?

ChipDip · 10/04/2015 21:56

Maybe people are always coming in and trying this? I don't think she was ur. However your daughter crying was not due to her though.

Icimoi · 10/04/2015 21:56

So you had £10.48 in your purse and you blew £9 of it? How precisely were you planning to live for the rest of the week?

CunfuddledAlways · 10/04/2015 21:58

But if you had been in primary or similar they wouldn't have let you off because you didn't have the money!! Perhaps you should have asked her to keep it to one side for you? It's horrible getting to the till and realising you don't have enough money, I have been in your position before, I now count it out before I get to the till and if I haven't got the money then it will have to wait...

The problem is if they let YOU off 2p then what about the person who is 10p short 50p short etc?

IHaveBrilloHair · 10/04/2015 21:59

Massive meaner, it was 2p.
I have lived a life where it's heating or food, but was never mean.

GettingSaggyWithIt · 10/04/2015 21:59

Oh God, that's ridiculous of her. 2p. She works for a charity shop and.couldn't sub you tuppence. Bloody hell. Was no one else in the shop who could have stepped in? I have and would do this. Recently saw similar in a supermarket for 5p, gave it the bloke as cashier was not budging. Then potentially due to my eyebrows shooting to the top of my head she suddenly did a u turn and gave me the 5p back, daft mare.

CunfuddledAlways · 10/04/2015 22:00

Primark not primary!

CultureSucksDownWords · 10/04/2015 22:00

I think the £10 was the treat budget, not the whole weekly budget?

The charity shop woman was a bit mean, and I would have probably subbed you the 2p, but I guess she didn't have to do that if she didn't want to.

m0therofdragons · 10/04/2015 22:00

She's probably a volunteer and it's not her decision to lower prices. I'm just wondering if you'd expect tesco to accept 2p less for an item? Charity shops have overheads etc. I think she could have been me helpful but she didn't know your back story so it's unfair to expect her to behave as if she did.

starfishmummy · 10/04/2015 22:00

It does seem unfair but a charity shop is a business like any other shop. You wouldn't expect M&S to let you off.

Also perhaps you should have asked for the item to be put on one side until you could go in with the full amount rather than expecting them to let you have the goods and pay the rest later.

Having said that, if I had been standing in the queue I would have given it to you.

hellhasnofurylikeahungrywoman · 10/04/2015 22:01

It was out of a treats budget which I took to mean was money on top of the day-to-day living money.

I know someone who works in a charity shop, their staff are under huge pressure from up above to reach targets and sell for increasingly ridiculous prices. If I had been that assistant I would've waived the 2p though.

expatinscotland · 10/04/2015 22:02

She was mean as a teased scorpion. What a cow.

AGirlCalledBoB · 10/04/2015 22:04

I think they could have given it to you, it's only 2p.

GettingSaggyWithIt cashiers are told strictly not to do this and let someone off even if it is a small amount. Something about people could keep trying it on and it leads to cash shortage. Daft but there it is, my manager would give you a right bollocking if he saw you do it so perhaps the cashier's manager is the same

sosix · 10/04/2015 22:05

Maybe shes not allowed? On the surface it seems mean.

BackOnPlanetEarth · 10/04/2015 22:06

2P?

CunfuddledAlways · 10/04/2015 22:08

I serve 100's of.people at work a d.l

CunfuddledAlways · 10/04/2015 22:10

Try again!! I serve 100's of people a day at work, if everyone was 2p short and I let them off there would be a massive cash discrepancy!! I think you should manage your money better (sorry).

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