To think they should have reduced the price of the shoes in Tesco?

[Rewd]

A pair of childrens shoes from tesco, they were the last pair in my sons size and there was some damage to them.

By damage I mean messy glue around the joins and some black marks which looked like permanent marker on the white of the shoe which didn't budge when I tried to clean it with a wipe.

I took them to a till and explained that they were the last pair on the shelf in that size and asked if the store would consider selling them at a reduced rate because they're not in great condition. The woman on the till quite bluntly said no. I said no problem I'll put them back then.

As I turned to return them to the aisle she called over her supervisor and repeated my request to her, to which she said to me "well we're not going to reduce, there's not much wrong with them is there" in a really shitty tone.

Was I being unreasonable? As far as I was aware it was common practice to sell damaged stock at a reduced rate, and if not common practice then a gesture of good will.

Was I being unreasonable?

Why should they reduce them? You asked, they said no, move on. Why

It's up to them. You know the price, you either want them still or you don't.

The glue in a non- issue that's normal for low-end shoes. The black mark...well, kids shoes get mucky anyway.

You didn't want them at full price, fair enough. Someone else may.

@Cherrysoup

Why should they reduce them? You asked, they said no, move on. Why

Because they're damaged.

YWNBU to ask, they WNBU to refuse

I'm not too bothered about the lack of reduction, moreso the way in which I was spoken to for asking.

I always see reduced items in there when I'm shopping, reduced for reasons not too dissimilar to the shoes, so I don't know why my inquiry was so badly received.

It's up to Tesco or any other shop if they decide to reduce things, you asked, they said no, no biggie

Maybe they could have been a bit politer but it tough working in retail at the moment

@Rewd

I'm not too bothered about the lack of reduction, moreso the way in which I was spoken to for asking.

I always see reduced items in there when I'm shopping, reduced for reasons not too dissimilar to the shoes, so I don't know why my inquiry was so badly received.

You aren't ENTITLED to a reduction. It's their stock, their choice. Buy from somewhere else. They probably think you're cheeky for asking for a reduction because of a bit of glue and a mark, hence the attitude. If you don't like it, move your custom elsewhere.

If they were wearable then they weren't really 'damaged', some glue and black marks may have made them less attractive but there would soon be more marks on them and better to have glue than have the joins come apart.

If I really need something and it is the last one I decide how much I need it if it is a bit scruffy, and how easy it would be to find one elsewhere.

They will be reduced when they put them on 'sale'.

Authorising reductions is a pain in the arse, so while the person could have been more polite, and should have been, that was probably why you got the reception that you did. If they escalated to their manager; it sounds like they didn’t have the authority to reduce them, and the manager refused too.

Generally what is out for sale has already been quality controlled, and most reductions that happen later are for damage that occurs on the shop floor.

I appreciate I'm not ENTITLED to a reduction, I politely asked because I know that they often reduce stock due to damage. It's not as though they never do that.

I accepted their answer and remained polite despite being spoken to abruptly by both members of staff.

My attitude or perceived entitlement isn't the problem here, it's piss poor customer service to speak to a customer the way they did me.

Maybe it was the way you asked? Perhaps the way you asked had an air of entitlement about it.

I can see why thrh won’t reduce. Shoes in Tesco are already very cheap and you get what you pay for. How do you know you couldn’t remove the mark with a wipe? You didn’t buy them. Did you take a wild to a pair of shoes that weren’t yours? You could have damaged them even further.

We were talking about this at work yesterday. Apparently there is a YouTube channel of a woman who damages stock in a store then asks for a discount at the till and kicks off till she receives it!
Them reducing damaged stock is done out the back with no pressure, a lot is simply returned to the main warehouse. You walking up and requesting one is awkward and probably commonly down by horrible and rude people so the staff are automatically on the back foot and try to avoid it.

A wipe, not a wild

Crossed posts

I do see where you're coming from, I could take or leave the shoes and I chose not to buy them. No dramas there.

It's the attitudes that have upset me. I left feeling like an idiot because of how my query was received.

Would they have accepted them back for a refund if they didn't fit or would they have said no because of the black marks on them? I think they'd have refused a refund on the grounds of no longer being in saleable condition - in which case they should reduce the price. I wouldn't buy scruffed up items at full price.

I don't think there's much point reducing if there's nothing functionally wrong with them. A child wearing them outside for an hour will cause more marks and dirt than a black Mark.

I did try to wipe the mark off myself yes, if I would have caused any further damage I would have absolutely paid for them regardless - I didn't though.

I was chirpy and polite when I spoke to the woman at the till, I'm the furthest thing from a rude person.

So all this is about the way you were spoken to, nothing else? Are you normally so sensitive? Or were you just having a bad day?

Don't ask at the till - go to customer services desk.

I dont think you were being unreasonable. Last ones with slight damage or pairs where one was the display shoe should always get a discount. They always used to. But that usually came with a no returns policy.

They don't sound damaged tbh - just a small mark on the inside that wouldn't have affect looks or use when worn in any way. Glue is common in cheaper shoes anyway. Why were you trying to wipe shoes that you weren't sure you were going to buy - you could have marked them more. They weren't being unreasonable, it's up to them if they discount but it was your choice whether to buy them, so not unreasonable to put them back but I'd not have given it another thought after that.

A member of staff will reduce them later and buy them for themselves.

YANBU!

@BritWifeinUSA

So all this is about the way you were spoken to, nothing else? Are you normally so sensitive? Or were you just having a bad day?

I wouldn't say I'm that sensitive and I wasn't having a bad day.

I'm always polite to people and expect the same in return is all.

I don't expect them to reduce the shoes (although I think they should have done, as they reduce many things for similar reasons) but it's their attitudes that have bugged me.

I know it's stressful working in retail having done the job myself, but I always spoke to customers politely (even the difficult ones)

It's the attitudes that have upset me. I left feeling like an idiot because of how my query was received.

Not sure that there's a chirpy way to say no?

You're embarrassed that they didn't say yes, fair enough. But don't try to deflect that onto the staff.

The black marks weren't on the inside, they were on the top of the toe area at the front of the shoe so clearly visible.