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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:
Samcro · 10/04/2015 22:42

yabu
would you do that in next?
charity shops are a business.

Icimoi · 10/04/2015 22:44

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

But OP is saying she only had £1.48p in her purse. It seems on the face of it somewhat odd just to go out with the treats budget and nothing more. What if there'd been an emergency requiring, say, a taxi ride to hospital?

Satsumafairy · 10/04/2015 22:45

Unbelievably mean. I can't believe anyone didn't step up and give it to you if the shop assistant didn't. 2p!!!! It beggars belief!

Samcro · 10/04/2015 22:47

maybe people expect the op to check how much money she has first

Original poster
MrsCosmopilite · 10/04/2015 22:47

Also to clarify - I was willing to pay the money. I didn't have it on me. I offered to bring it in later. I would have been quite happy if she'd have offered to put the item aside for me until I came in with the extra.

And again to reinforce, yes, it would be same whichever shop I was in. I didn't say "I only have this amount, can I have it?". If I had been in the supermarket they would have offered to put the shopping aside whilst I got hold of the cash. It's a small town, people are quite affluent, and generally honest around here.

OP posts:
JadziaSnax · 10/04/2015 22:48

Yanbu at all. She could have at least offered to put it away for you.

If I'd have been behind you in the queue, I'd be more than happy to have paid 2p so that you could get it.

Original poster
MrsCosmopilite · 10/04/2015 22:51

icimoi we were within walking distance of home, and I drive. Should we have needed to go to hospital, I'd have driven there.

Usually I have more small change on me, but I had bought a big issue earlier in the week and a packet of cough sweets!

I remember when I used to work, and I thought nothing of spending £5 on breakfast every day.

OP posts:
TheoriginalLEM · 10/04/2015 22:58

op please don't justify yourself, there is no need. some people are mean. some people are sanctimonious. dome people are nice. i would have given you the 2p.

ive been a few pence short in a local cafe type place before. I often go with dd after school for an ice cream. they let me off - i think it was about 20p. i went back the next day with the 20p and bought coffee and cake so was good business savvy on their part.

Shodan · 10/04/2015 23:10

Exactly what TheoriginalLEM said. Word for word.

With an added FFS.

TheFlyingFauxPas · 10/04/2015 23:13

A lot of the charity shops around here are staffed by people that maybe struggle to gain paid work. Most people who work in them are volunteers. It's possible that this lady did not know what you wanted and instead of expecting her to read your mind you should have said what you wanted her to do. Not all people in shops think they have the authority to say that customers can just forget about 2p. She was not being mean, just doing her job correctly.

ebwy · 10/04/2015 23:18

When I used to work un a charity shop we weren't allowed to have money on us, nor to alter the prices, nor to put things by for more than 10 min without the manager's permission. If this situation had occured while the manager was on her lunch break (on the rare occasion she actually stopped working long enough to have one) there would have been nothing I could have done no matter how often you shopped there.

CactusAnnie · 10/04/2015 23:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Starlightbright1 · 10/04/2015 23:21

she did say.. She wanted to drop the 2p in later.

If I had been in the shop I would of given you the 2p

Marmaladedandelions · 10/04/2015 23:23

I used to work in the cancer research shop and unfortunately I was explicitly told NOT to slice money, even 2p or 1p, off items.

the issue is essentially that lots of people try this and unfortunately they frequently would try it with children's things as they are more 'emotive'. So it was actually a policy of the shop.

Elizadoesdolittle · 10/04/2015 23:25

Yes it was only 2p but if every customer got let off by 2p the charity shop would lose a lot of money.

I would have asked the lady to put it aside for a day. I was walking past my local charity shop a couple of weeks a go and there was a sand and water table outside. I didn't have any money at all on me so I asked if it could be put aside for me till the next day which they willingly did.

The shop lady did sound a bit mean spirited though and could have suggested she put it aside for you rather than just stare at you.

Iliveinalighthousewiththeghost · 10/04/2015 23:26

No ynbu, but neither is she. Whatever way you look at it 2p is 2p.
If she's been told she can't negotiate the price the. That's it. Although I'd have put the 2p in but not everyone is like me

TheFlyingFauxPas · 10/04/2015 23:28

The till would be down at the end of the day. Op said she'd be in the next time she was in town - not necessarily the same day. How was the lady behind the till to know she'd definitely be back?

Marmaladedandelions · 10/04/2015 23:29

Ilive the problem is whilst its a lovely sentiment there are several reasons why the lady might not have put 2p in herself.

I don't think she should necessarily have put the skirt aside either - if someone else wanted it then, well, they wanted it.

It is disappointing for children of course when they don't get something they've set their heart on but then that's not a bad lesson either.

MrsPeterQuill · 10/04/2015 23:31

cactusannie where are these shops that round down to the nearest pound?!!

I've worked several retail jobs and not once would we have been able to knock money off, pennies or not. One boss I worked for, was the tightest of tightarses and would have done his nut if we'd done that. We used to have to send stock away for mending and he wouldn't let us use shop carrier bags to place it in because that cost him money. He made us fetch carriers from home Hmm

SistersofPercy · 10/04/2015 23:32

Mean.
Especially considering the till will probably be up at the end of the day anyway because when I buy a 99p item in a charity shop I always give £1 and say don't bother with change so £1 goes into the till. My friends and family so this so assume it's reasonably common.

Marmaladedandelions · 10/04/2015 23:33

As an aside, my husband did this so much in the local village shop I am embarrassed to go in there. He'd buy a bottle of water and then 'Will owe you the 5p!' Blush

I still don't know whether to just shove £20 at them, apologise profusely and hope that their tills balance.

Marmaladedandelions · 10/04/2015 23:33

Sisters it goes in the charity tin not the till, IME anyway :)

Patapouf · 10/04/2015 23:36

You wouldn't expect it in any other shop so I don't see how a charity shop makes any difference.
Not sure why you felt the need to mention your lack of benefits either tbh. My student loans/grants totalled nearly 11k p.a. and that was sans DC!

Patapouf · 10/04/2015 23:39

Why didn't you suggest the solutions? You could have asked her to hang on to it, why did she need to offer?

FWIW I would actually have let you off had it been me but I think you are making a fuss about something incredibly insignificant.

Smooshface · 10/04/2015 23:41

and when the till is 2p down, will she have to make it up? so you are asking her to pay your 2p, at a job she probably volunteers for?

I initially thought you weren't being unreasonable, but actually does sound like she was probably thinking straight and you were not I'm afraid.