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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
Stealthpolarbear · 10/04/2015 22:12

but y wouldn't expect tesco to o this would you?
so why should a charity shop

ChipDip · 10/04/2015 22:13

Would you try this at any big store p? Probably not, so why expect it from a charity shop ?

TheTravellingLemon · 10/04/2015 22:13

It's two pence! That's incredibly mean. I definitely would have put it in myself if I'd have been her. Or at least been a bit more sympathetic. The prices must be fairly arbitrary anyway. I've been let of two pence in Tesco before.

DeeWe · 10/04/2015 22:14

She probably didn't have the authority to give you the skirt cheap, unless she's the manager. And people do barter in charity shops, I've seen it, and at times quite unpleasantly, often for the sake of silly amounts like that.

I wouldn't have asked if I could take it and drop the rest of the money later-I mean would you suggest you did it at Sainsbury's? I would ask, and have done in the past, if they could reserve it for me and I would come back on X date. They're always done that for me.

Even if you're in regularly she may not be, and there's probably a fair number of people in too, I wouldn't expect a shop member to recognise me unless there was something different about me. And recognition does not mean you're an honest person anyway. I once recognised someone in the local paper who had been given several years for fraud. I had seen them most weeks anyway.

RedSoloCup · 10/04/2015 22:15

I serve lots of people too, lots of people overpay so I will let people off the odd 2p or 5p (but if no-one overpays I would then put it in the till myself so my till wasn't down), this wouldn't be an issue though and I think I've done it about twice in 10+ years!

YANBU, she's mean!

MrsPeterQuill · 10/04/2015 22:17

My MIL batters in charity shops. It highly embarrassing and she doesn't need the money.

Anyhoo, yabu. As others have said, you wouldn't expect Tesco or Topshop to waive the 2p. They are a charity in the sense they are trying to raise money, and not as in giving stuff away.

BeaufortBelle · 10/04/2015 22:19

I can see both sides but in the face of a crying infant I'd have given you 2p. I think I hope that next time you will make sure you know what you have in your purse first though.

Original poster
MrsCosmopilite · 10/04/2015 22:20

The irony of all this is that last week I bought a jumper for myself in the charity shop (different one) and needed a bag. The woman on the till accidentally charged for two, and, as I was paying by card, got all flustered.
Her manager went upstairs and got me the refund for the extra bag = 2p!

Just to clarify, the £10 is a treats budget. All official shopping and expenses are paid by other means. I had thought it would be nice to get DD some new clothes as she's growing really fast. And fwiw, I've subbed someone 2p-£1 in a shop before. I do fully appreciate it is a business and they have overheads. I think it was the attitude - as I said, the woman offered no help or solutions.

OP posts:
Seriouslyffs · 10/04/2015 22:22

Definitely mean

RusticBlush · 10/04/2015 22:23

No that's awful - even if I see someone in front of me scrabbling around for change when they buy something I'll always offer mine be it 2p or 20p.
Very mean on her behalf Shock

TripTrapTripTrapOverTheBridge · 10/04/2015 22:23

On one hand it's only 2p and a lot of people would have let you off.

On the other hand,nobody should have to do that so it is,technically, 'entitled' to be annoyed at someone not letting you off. It's also not the womans fault your daughter couldn't have the skirt and was crying. If intending to pay by cash only,always know what's in your purse before going to buy something,it saves serious embarrassment (as done ensuring you've remembered to put your debit card back in your purse before going shopping .)

NeedAScarfForMyGiraffe · 10/04/2015 22:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Viviennemary · 10/04/2015 22:26

I don't think these charity shop workers have the authority to reduce prices. It wasn't her shop to make the decision. If it was M & S it would have been the same decision.

paxtecum · 10/04/2015 22:27

There was a lovely story on MN once about a woman on benefits who had a job interview but nothing to wear and hardly any money.
She found a great suit in a charity shop but couldn't afford it. The wonderful woman behind the counter sold it to her at a greatly reduced price which she could pay and wished her luck at the interview.

She got the job.

TheoriginalLEM · 10/04/2015 22:29

yanbu that was very mean spirited of her. Its 2p and no i doubt tesco would have done this but it wasn't tesco was it.

pressone · 10/04/2015 22:30

You expected a discount that she didn't want to give you, possibly not allowed to give you - doesn't matter if it is £2 or £20.

It is not her fault that your daughter wanted two things and you could only afford one - I've been in that position working full time with a decent income - my daughter had to learnt that money doesn't grow on trees - so will yours.

TwoOddSocks · 10/04/2015 22:30

Yes it's mean, I would have just popped the 2p in myself later. (When I worked on tills, not in a charity shop there was always a discrepancy of a few quid by the end of a shift so 2p wouldn't matter).

Stealthpolarbear · 10/04/2015 22:31

so because profits go to charity rather than shareholders, you think the price should have been reduced

TheHappinessTrap · 10/04/2015 22:33

One of our charity shops, maybe others, head a sign requesting people don't ask for reductions. Asks the shops ate usually assuaged by volunteers who couldn't go tipping extra into the till when a customer was short. In the same sense that a pp mentored that shop worker didnt know the back story, we also do not know hers, perhaps stuffed been told off for offering reductione, or her manager was nearby or shed just tipped extra in the to to cover for another customer. I agree, 2p is mean, but it must therefore be significant to you &/or her or site wouldn't have refused and you wouldn't be posting.

Weebirdie · 10/04/2015 22:35

I think you should manage your money better (sorry).

I think the OP did really well with her 10 pounds.

As for your (sorry)

You really shouldn't have bothered.

NoSquirrels · 10/04/2015 22:38

Hmmm. For 2p, I wouldn't expect to be let off myself, but on the other side of the till I know I'd make that up myself and put the sale through. So, I'm not surprised you feel a bit put out, but you should chalk it up to experience. Did you ask to have it put by? You say she offered no solutions, but did you ask for what you wanted to happen - did you help her out with any suggestions? Not clear from your posts.

As for your DD needing new clothes, you'd bought her one thing, and lunch in the cafe, so I would have met the crying with a reminder about what she had got that day, not what she hadn't. As an aside, if you knew you'd spent most of the treat budget before going in the shop, it shouldn't have come as a surprise you didn't have much money left. So you could have managed your DD's expectations before going in, or gone to the newsagent last and not had enough for your paper...

Just trying to point out that there were lots of things that could have been different, and not all of them down to the charity shop worker.

Original poster
MrsCosmopilite · 10/04/2015 22:38

To clarify, I didn't think the price should be reduced - I was happy to pay the full price - but I didn't have the money on me.

Had the woman suggested she hold the skirt for an hour, or that I left my details and paid the 2p the next time I was in, that would have been helpful.

I didn't expect anyone to sub me, I just thought the attitude was off. I don't expect to be treated differently in a charity shop than in any other shop (and I've witnessed a woman dressed head to toe in designer gear arguing at the till with a salesperson that £2 for a cut glass bowl was unreasonably expensive).

I explained to my daughter that we can't always have everything we want, and that we had already had lunch, which was a treat.

OP posts:
Eminybob · 10/04/2015 22:39

I'm sorry, but although I would have personally put the 2p in myself I don't think you can just expect that of people. If you don't have the money you can't buy the item. If your DD had wanted a chocolate bar from smiths for 50p but you only had 48p would you have tried to buy it anyway? No. So YABU.

TheoriginalLEM · 10/04/2015 22:39

IT WAS FUCKING 2p!!! The op offered to bring it in later. The woman was mean but so.e of the comments on this thread are downright nasty.

Eminybob · 10/04/2015 22:40

Sorry x post

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