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!

Isleepinahedgefund did you miss the very first part of my post where I said "I know they're not legally obliged to give me a refund"?

I just think it's very bizarre when nearly every other shop will offer an exchange if the customer doesn't have a receipt.

They started this awhile ago. I had brought a load of workwear and half of it didn’t fit too big too small poor fit etc and took a couple of bits back for an exchange.
Managed to lose my receipt between leaving home and getting to the store and they wouldn’t refund or exchange. Luckily I had brought it in that store and could price purchase with my banking app and they went and found the transaction on the computer and allowed me to refund instead of the exchange I had thought I would have to get.

Yes but they couldnt have been stolen, taken from another shop, bought and sold on, anything. You need a proof of purchase and I’m sorry but yabu. If every retailer hust exchanged anything that came their way they’d be in big trouble!

YABVU.

Not difficult or unusual to have the receipt. Ask people giving gifts in future please give receipt in the card or envelope in case they don't fit.

Ebay the small pjs.. you might be pleasantly surprised how much people will pay for primark stuff

If OP was a shoplifter surely she’d have shoplifted the correct size? Not pinched the wrong size and taken it to the desk to swap?

I can understand them not giving refunds or store credit, but it seems silly not to just exchange.

Ive had this recently, bought some shoes for DS tried them on in the store he said they fit when we got home he tried them on again and said they hurt. Had the receipt but it was faded so you cant see the item. I already knew this was primarks policy though so havent bothered trying for a refund so just going to have to keep them until ds2 can fit into them (in about 2 years🙄)

I’ve never had a problem with primark myself. Maybe that particular store are cracking down on potential shoplifting

I shall accept that I am unreasonable, but I shall grumble everytime I walk past the shop.

I would give the pj's to my nieces but they're twins and always want what the other has so without another pair there will be tears.

Will probably donate to a charity shop, or convince DD that budgies are stylish

Did you know that there are certain shops that are targeted by shoplifting gangs purely because of their lax and overly generous returns policies? Teenagers pick things off the shelves, walk out and hand them to someone who takes them in and 'returns' them for cash.
Primark are a cheap store. They would be prime shoplifting ground if they had a policy like this. Imagine how easy it would be to shoplift! YABU to expect it. Most shops don't do it.

Yabu to think Primark staff have time to check CCTV!

I've never had a problem with primark to be honest and I'm really bad for loosing my receipts shall have to be double careful with them from now on if they've changed policy

@cosmiccomet

If OP was a shoplifter surely she’d have shoplifted the correct size? Not pinched the wrong size and taken it to the desk to swap?

For stock control, size exchanges are done through the till and you'd then get a receipt for the exchange. This can then be used to return the item you've 'exchanged' and get a refund. Old tactic. I used to be a manager in Penneys (Primark in Ireland) and happened all the time. They'd shoplift from another local branch, exchange in ours then bring back for a refund. Easy cash.

Yabvu! I work in a shop and thats a prime trick our shoplifters use! Picking two sizes up and trying to "return" one without a receipt when in fact they have paid for neither. We dont have time to go through cctv unless an obvious incident has occured.

Had this with Zara the other day. Annoying when you lose the receipt and are stuck with something you don’t want!

Buy the correct pjs then swap the sizes and take the old set back with the receipt op

It's Primark, cheap and cheerful. Add up the petrol and parking and your time and you realise it is better to pop them in a charity shop or bin them.

Sainsbury’s has exchanged them for me before without receipt. I sometimes forgot where I have put them. I don’t believe the excuse of shoplifting. If that’s the case, then OP might be stealing the too small one she carried out of the shop too. But they didn’t stop her did they? I think primary is BU and not at all good with customer service.

It's really shitty customer service, you aren't asking for money, even if they think you may have shoplifted you are leaving with the product anyway 🤷🏻‍♀️ so not doing a like for like swap is just petty

FFS OP it's Primark. they were probably about a fiver! Just donate them to a worthy cause and then buy your DD more in the right size. Or just donate them and use her existing Pjs for now.

I overheard a very angry staff member take a call about this in December! It went on for ages and she ranted about it on front of all the other customers for ages after too.

Apparently their policy has always been to require a receipt but head office has now insisted they enforce it so there’s no chance of any exchange without a receipt any more. You could try selling on eBay, always lots of primark on there...

Don't people get it?
It's super easy to pick up 2 of an item off the shelf and ask to swap one for the other, leaving with an item and a receipt which can be swapped for cash.
Primark can't afford to do that. Just like lidl and Aldi don't have shelf stackers etc. That's how they keep prices low.

It's Primark, cheap and cheerful. Add up the petrol and parking and your time and you realise it is better to pop them in a charity shop or bin them.
Bin them ???? Seriously???
Who in their right mind bins brand new clothes???

Their returns policy is more generous than most. You had no receipt. You could have just picked two off the floor and said you wanted to exchange them. They have to draw the line somewhere.

Zara have the same policy. It is pretty rubbish, then agan, Zara is pretty sh*t overall.

Primark have made their rules about refunds stricter than they used to be. Usually when a shop does that it’s because they’ve had more and more customers either taking the piss or simply out and out stealing.

FWIW my children came back from their dads with a pile of lovely new clothes from their grandparents, none that are big enough and none that have labels or receipts so can not be returned so they’ve all been donated to local women’s refuge.