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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think surely this is illegal?

48 replies

Pinkyyy · 28/08/2018 10:13

At Hamley's toy shop in London over the weekend. The lady charged me £5 for a 'fancy carrier bag' without asking me. Soon realised before I'd even left the till and returned it and got a 5p bag. AIBU to think it's illegal to sell someone something without their consent? I don't blame her as she was probably doing what she's been told to do but she was a bit shady about it and tried to stuff the receipt in the bottom of the bag despite me asking for it in my hand.

Also it was a generic bag that said London on with phone boxes etc on it and was being sold on the stalls all over Oxford Street for less than £1 and didn't even say Hamley's on it.

OP posts:
ThinkingCat · 28/08/2018 23:40

That's outrageous.

Grilledaubergines · 28/08/2018 23:45

Is it possible that with all the noise and general business in there she asked and thought you get yes? As in “£5 bag?” And you hear “5 pence bag?”

NonaGrey · 28/08/2018 23:48

I’m very surprised you weren’t asked.

I’d be inclined to drop Hamley’s a note to ask their policy on this.

LeighaJ · 28/08/2018 23:53

@Grilledaubergines

It doesn't sound like she was asked about a bag period.

TiffinBox · 29/08/2018 04:00

I'd be inclined to highlight this issue on their Twitter & facebook pages and see how they respond. It is disgusting that big businesses try to fleece unsuspecting customers. I don't think you should show them any loyalty, you should let everyone know what scammers they are.

RebootYourEngine · 29/08/2018 04:13

I would report this to Hamleys. I am all for the plastic bag charge but think places like McDonald's whose food comes in paper bags are cheeky fuckers for charging for a bag.

Occamsrazorblade · 29/08/2018 04:24

Hamleys staff are atrocious. They don’t know their products, don’t know their shop floor, try and sell you gimmicky crap and are s l o w resulting in huge queues. They all seem to be of a certain age as well Hmm

Monty27 · 29/08/2018 05:11

Did she do the till wrongly ie £5 instead of 5p. I would take issue with them.

Munchmallow · 29/08/2018 06:57

They all seem to be of a certain age as well hmm

What age would that be?

Methe · 29/08/2018 06:59

McDonald’s don’t charge for bags do they?

glintandglide · 29/08/2018 06:59

I cant quite get my head around why it matters whether it’s illegal - are you planning to take Hamleys to court?

I would email a complaint

Twotailed · 29/08/2018 07:00

Probably not strictly illegal but very cheeky!!

TroysMammy · 29/08/2018 07:04

I wish they wouldn't ask if you want a bag. It should be up to you to ask them for one.

The 5p charge was to reduce single use bags and shops are actively encouraging you to buy one.

ScreamingValenta · 29/08/2018 07:09

£5 for a plastic bag is insane. I'm surprised they sell any!

9amTrain · 29/08/2018 07:16

@Methe yeah, 5p I think. Comes up when you select take away rather than eat in.

LARLARLAND · 29/08/2018 07:20

glintandglide The OP may not want to take Hamleys to court but Trading Standards may be interested in this. There are pretty strict consumer regulations in the UK.

Onlyjoinedforthisthread · 29/08/2018 07:22

You must have known you were getting a bag and therefore been charged for a bag and you'd be able to see the bag they were putting it in, common sense would tell you it wasn't a 5p bag, by watching them put the stuff in the bag and paying you contented, you are lucky they gave you a refund as the bag wasn't faulty so they weren't under any obligation to do so

SquirmOfEels · 29/08/2018 07:28

"They all seem to be of a certain age as well"

"What age would that be?"

U25s. Hamleys employ an awful lot of young, fairly transient staff and a lot of those working in the store aren't actually Hamleys but but brand staff.

Sugarhunnyicedtea · 29/08/2018 07:35

I've never paid for a bag in McDonald's. My, very boring, order costs exactly the same whether I eat in, take away or drive thru

9amTrain · 29/08/2018 07:43

You must have known you were getting a bag and therefore been charged for a bag and you'd be able to see the bag they were putting it in, common sense would tell you it wasn't a 5p bag, by watching them put the stuff in the bag and paying you contented, you are lucky they gave you a refund as the bag wasn't faulty so they weren't under any obligation to do so

Ok so as long as the OP can see the bag anything goes?!

Common sense (and probably certain regulations) would dictate that you ask the customer if they want a £5 bag!

9amTrain · 29/08/2018 07:44

Bold fail!

WizardOfToss · 29/08/2018 07:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

itsaboojum · 29/08/2018 08:00

If this were company policy they’d be doing it with everyone and we’d surely have seen a public outcry by now.

I doubt whether the shop assistant cares about making the extra fiver for her Chinese bosses.

So the evidence strongly suggests this was a simple mistake/misunderstanding. Sorry if that’s not dramatic enough, but console yourself that you might just get a few column inches from the tabloid -lurkers- researchers if it’s a quiet news day.

PurpleFlower1983 · 29/08/2018 08:02

I’ve not been in a McDonalds that charges for bags.

Grilledaubergines · 29/08/2018 08:06

Leija which is why I asked if it was possible. Because it’s very unlike Hamleys to do that.

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