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!

garethsouthgatesmissus I understand the point you are making about Primark but to be fair, so many clothing shops are the exact same.

The entire H&M group, the Zara group are two of the biggest groups and are as bad. I don’t think it is fair to single Primark out for your hatred. Personally I don’t shop in Primark and haven’t since I was in my early twenties because I dislike the clothes they sell, the layout, the fabrics. However I buy from Zara, Cos etc which are as bad even though they charge their customers much higher prices while not paying their sweatshop staff more and because as much as I would like to step away from fast fashion and reduce my clothing impulse buying, I can’t afford to shop only in ethically run companies.

If you know of any that are reasonably priced do let us know........

Imfinehowareyou

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!

I bought my son a pack of boxers a few years ago. Unpacked them to find there was a clear inch difference in the waistbands of the largest and smallest pairs. (3rd pair was somewhere between the 2). All 3 had the same size label in so weren't in the wrong packet. They refused to refund or exchange! Only 1 of the pairs fitted him

That's very annoying but I can see why they've changed the rules. It does stop people stealing and taking back.

A good friend of mine went to swap a dress in primark a few years ago, she didn't have the receipt but knew they were fine with exchanges without a receipt. She picked another dress and went to try it on. When she came out the fitting room the woman on the fitting room noticed the dress (the one she'd already bought) in my friend's bag and called security. They said she must have stolen it, only the dress wasn't even sold in that store! She asked them to check cctv to prove her innocence but they refused and said they'd call the police if she didn't hand her dress over!!! My friend is in a professional role where she'd lose her job immediately over something like this. She ended up handing her dress over and was left very shaken and upset. Her boyfriend was quite high up with the police and wanted to make a formal complaint, they had basically stolen a dress off her and threatened to call the police!!

It made me very wary about returning stuff without a receipt ever since.

@GoFiguire shops don't have to tell you how to wash stuff , that's what the label is for 🤷‍♀️

I’m another one saying blame the criminals for the returns policy, not the shop

@CrochetBug
That's awful. I'm sure in that case it was against your consumer rights.

I am annoyed at Primark's supply chains policy and the inspiration they have for the awful sartorial lack of style in this country. Their returns policy is no surprise.

I have never tried to return or exchange anything without the receipt, I don't think I would try.

When buying gifts i get a gift receipt if available and put it in with the present or keep the actual receipt in case the recipient wanted to change it.

For the people saying 'why don't the thieves just take the size they want', think about it.

Steal the size you want - pick up item and shove in bag, risk getting caught by security.
Fake Exchange - pick up two items, one in the size you want. No one looks twice at someone taking to items to the till. Claim one is a return and get to walk out the door with the second item.

You should of had the receipt. Get the receipt and try again.

Oh lord it’s primark not selfridges, they probably cost £5. Just buy the correct size and keep the others as spares.

Also, the primark in our home town doesn’t actually have cctv, not sure if it does elsewhere. Most primark items have a fault (if you look closely enough- like a tiny mistake in stitching or pattern) and that’s enough for a faulty item. Then they have to refund it

At this time of year, some shops do work on the basis that they'll exchange goods without a receipt because, surprise surprise, people tend not to give receipts with gifts. I assume they do it as a goodwill gesture, and certainly if I feel that shops treat customers well I am much more likely to go back there.

Sorry not read 6 pages . But they changed the policy last year and do make it clear they you must keep receipt for exchange. They also do offer gift receipts.

I had it once with tk max as it was Wong size on hanger. It was very frustrating so feel for you.

sadly too many shoplifters do this all the time and now the genuine customers have to pay the consequences its a pain i know

Policy almost, if not, EVERYWHERE is that you must have a receipt!

I work in a trade store, and hate when people come in expecting a refund or exchange with no receipt. We used to be able to search old receipts because all customers coming into the store would have to use a trade card, so would be on their account, but after changing laws concerning data protection, can no longer do that. This changed around 6/8 months ago and always get customers thinking they're better than us, unnecessarily screaming, talking to us like shit, being rude because they're in the trade and we're just behind a till and we can't do anything but stand there and take it. I'm 6 months pregnant, yet to some it doesn't matter.

You are definitely being unreasonable. Sorry.

I would also exchange them in fitting room 🙄🙄🙄

Sounds awful but I know someone who,in this case, would damage said item and have the tags etc off and then return as faulty. If the item was worn then you wouldn't keep the receipt and if it's faulty then they need to return it. I used to work in retail and we would exchange without a receipt at current selling price. The only shops I know of who don't do this are stores where they sell branded items you could buy elsewhere so there's no telling for sure you bought it from them.

I work in retail and get abused at least 3 times a day by customers who I’ve refused an exchange too because they have no receipt. We have to be strict for several reasons. We don’t know when you bought it...was it in a sale? Did you get any sort of discount on it? How do we know you even paid for it? The number of shoplifters has gone through the roof and unfortunately that means we can no longer trust anyone! Don’t blame the shops and especially not the staff just following policy but the scum!

I worked for a company that had a very generous returns policy and we reguarly had the same families circulating

I recently asked if I could exchange an item from Primark when I’d mislaid the receipt. No was the reply with an apology which I accepted gracefully and the assistant thanked me really sincerely for this- it made me realise that they must get awful people ranting at them all the time.

Why on Earth should they?

Even Primarks own website states that they offer an exchange when you fight gags a receipt? ... maybe go back again and show the staff this?? www.help.primark.com/hc/en-gb/articles/115001186025-Change-of-Mind

Fight gags 😂... oh ffs. Meant to say "have no receipt" ... 😳

May sound far fetched but I'd literally buy the size you need for daughter and return the set that is too small with your receipt? Then you get the set you wanted and the money refunded x

Why didn’t you just say ‘ok thanks’ pick up the correct size and toddle off? They would have been unaware of which was which!