AIBU to be annoyed at Primark's return policy?

[MrsScamander]

I know I am. I know they are not legally obliged to give me a refund on anything unless it is faulty. I just think their policy is really shitty.

Went into Primark today with a pair of PJs DD had been given for Christmas that were a size too small. We hadn't even taken them off the hanger as we knew they wouldn't fit, so they still had the labels on and everything where it should be.

Found the same pj's on the shop floor and they had her size and were the same price.

As they were a gift I didn't have the receipt and wasn't given a gift receipt for them but didn't think this would be a problem as I just wanted to exchange them.

Get to the till and was refused an exchange because I didn't have the receipt. Was told I needed to get the receipt and there was nothing they could do. So I either hope my friend still has the receipt and can post it to me, then make another trip into town, or I keep them and magically shrink my daughter?

What shall I do with tutu pj's that don't fit? 😑 It's been a few years since I worked in retail but if someone didn't have a receipt we'd exchange for the same product or put the current selling price on a gift card.

Bahh humbug!

How did they know you just hadn't taken them off the shop floor?

I don't think they were BU, sorry.

To be honest, I'd expect a like for like exchange to not need a receipt, as long as it still had tags on. I'm actually really surprised this is Primarks policy.

I agree I’m afraid - YABU.

Yes that is a bit mean. Id try a different branch or a different day in that shop, you might get a different answer.

Failing that buy DD the right size and keep the too small set as a gift for someone else.

I'm really surprised at this, I change stuff practically monthly in Penney's (Ireland so Primarily is Penney's here) with no receipt and always found them brilliant, never even had it questioned.

Could you just buy them in the right size, get the receipt and return the wrong size with the receipt?

Shoplifting and then taking stolen items back for a refund is a huge problem for shops, so I don't blame them.

You do know they’re not obliged to give you an exchange/refund just because the item doesn’t suit you/wrong size etc? Outside of the legislation covering faulty/broken goods, they can set their own returns policy. It’s perfectly reasonable that you need to demonstrate that you or someone else purchased the item, how do they know you didn’t just pick up both pairs and come to the refund desk?

I once went in and got some boxer shorts for my DH. Queued up and paid then realised as I walked away that I had got the wrong size. Walked immediately to customer services (on same floor) but they wouldn't exchange them. Policy is to not exchange underwear. I hadn't even left the shop!

They will have assume you have shoplifted them
That is why you need a receipt

Check the size bigger to see if they have the same item code. If they do then just buy the bigger size and return the smaller pair on that receipt.

Primark, until recently, were really relaxed with this stuff, and would readily exchange without a receipt. Their policy changed about 6 months ago, I think it was. I don't blame them really, and dread to think how many people abused it beforehand.
Still annoying for you though, OP!

This annoyed me too. Dh got some socks which were the wrong size. Luckily purchaser was vigilant and kept all receipts and posted to us. Unfortunalty couldn't do like for like and the others I found were £1cheaper so had to buy something else to make up the shortfall.

It's annoying but i guess they had too many people picking something up , going to till and saying it was a gift requiring exchange.

This is why I always get and encourage others to get gift receipts just in case. You never know with sizing especially with kids clothes

Can't you see why a shop would be reluctant to 'excjange' a product that the customer has just walked passed and therefore had an opportunity to pick up on the way to the refund desk

And don’t blame the retailers
Blame the criminals

I'd probably just swap them in the fitting room, but I'm naughty like that.

YABU. No receipt, no return/exchange.

I’ve done this numerous times and they’ve always taken them back! I always have them in the primark bag though - I suppose if you’re walking in with a random bag I’d probably think you stole them too.

If you can't get receipt you could always try selling on Facebook to try and recoup some money to buy the right size or use them as a gift for a birthday in the future

YABU, how do they know you haven’t just picked it up off the shelf?

But you could easily fudge it. Just go in and buy the right size... go back a different day with your receipt and the gifted item, say it doesn’t fit and Bob’s your uncle.

I work in Primark & people without receipts are a daily battle. Every till member should offer gift recipes over the seasonal period. Regardless, this is a policy to stop people just coming in, grabbing something & getting a refund for something they hadn't even brought. Yes, the rules could of been bent for you as you wanted just a straight swap but then everyone will want a one off or bend the rules for them too. Once you do it for one, the policy becomes almost invalid.

Primark used to accept like for like swaps or exchanges but over the last 6 months ago now insist on a receipt and its for exactly the reason FOTTFSOFIsACompleteSentence says. I was returning something last week and a woman made a huge scene for not being able to return something without the receipt and the guy at the till said theres been huge issues with people taking something from the shop floor and getting a giftcard in exchange. Fair enough not your exact scenario but they've tightened all type of returns.

I exchanged without a receipt in Primark just recently, they did it with no hesitation.

Could you just buy them in the right size, get the receipt and return the wrong size with the receipt?

Different sizes will have a different code.

And you're advocating fraud.

Well they could have checked the cctv camera that showed me walking in with the bag, straight up to a member of staff who took me to the pj's and then heading to the till. Or trust that not all their customers are thieves.

Well they could have checked the cctv camera that showed me walking in with the bag, straight up to a member of staff who took me to the pj's and then heading to the till. Or trust that not all their customers are thieves.

There is no time for staff to trawl through CCTV because you didn’t have a receipt. You don’t have a right to return/exchange, but you do have the ability to sell on eBay.