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AIBU?

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Original poster

Sports direct

72 replies

Chillychangchoo · 01/05/2021 16:23

I bought two pairs of junior swimming goggles today from sports direct for ten pounds each. The box said ages 6-14. My two are aged 11 and 9 and the goggles were far, far too tight. This was despite me adjusting the strap. They were so tight they couldn’t even open their eyes.

I put the goggles back in the box perfectly and trotted off back to sports direct with my receipt. No refund offered just a credit note. I explained this would be no good as the shop didn’t have any other children’s goggles and I wouldn’t need to buy anything else in the shop. The manager said as the goggles were not faulty they would not give me my money back. I said as they were not fit for their intended use they were indeed faulty. I mean it’s not like my kids have freakishly massive heads.

Grr, I was so annoyed. Tried to email their customer services online and the ticket just will not go through so I’ve messaged their inbox on Facebook. I suspect I probably won’t get very far, but I will never, ever shop there again.

Aibu to expect a full refund?

OP posts:
SteveArnottsWaistcoat · 02/05/2021 03:51

Extend this dissatisfaction to House Of Fraser. It’s gone downhill along these lines since Sports Direct took over. DH bought a jacket during lockdown. It arrived, he tried it on, it didn’t fit so we immediately repackaged and sent it back as it was. HOF then sent it back to us a week or so later stating that it wasn’t in the condition that it had been sent out in. Eh, yes it was. It had been unpackaged for literally just a few minutes and tried on. £200 down the drain! Really shit service and clearly they have blind monkeys working in their warehouses.

stackemhigh · 02/05/2021 04:44

Could you exchange for adult goggles that are adjustable to make them smaller?

I bought mine from SD years ago and i can make them very tight or very loose.

I agree on not shopping there though, I tend to avoid.

pinkstripeycat · 02/05/2021 05:16

Similar thing happened to me

pinkstripeycat · 02/05/2021 05:18

Similar happened to me years ago so I never shop there. Use Amazon for goggles as they have a better choice and you can return

shouldistop · 02/05/2021 05:57

Mike Ashley sadly owns quite a few places now. Off the top of my head;

Sports direct
Game
Jack Wills
House of Fraser
Evans cycles
Agent Provocateur

AlternativePerspective · 02/05/2021 06:30

When DS was younger I shopped there occasionally but only online as I refuse to go into their shops. One day I did walk into one and walking off the street the temperature stayed exactly the same and this was the middle of winter. One of their security guards came running after me and loudly shouted that my guide dog was not allowed in. I had just come out of hospital so he had picked the wrong day to have a go at me and my usually reasoned approach took a holiday and I told him in no uncertain terms that it was a guide dog. He backed off and I continued on my way. Fortunately DS is older now and we don’t shop there.

Going into one of their shops is like going into a jumble sale anyway. Hideous experience plus their owner is… well… we all all know who and what he is.

Msmcc1212 · 02/05/2021 06:42

Haven’t read whole thread so apologies if this repeats what others have said but...

Had similar issue and couldn’t get through. Their customer services is very poor.

I left an honest review about the experience and had a refund in hours. Don’t know if the two are connected but it seemed so.

Awful company that we avoid as much as we can but occasionally had no choice.

JackieWeaverHandforthCouncil · 02/05/2021 07:14

Had a similar issue a couple of weeks ago. However, they didn’t say anything about no refunds when I bought the item and there was no sign next to till. In the end I spent an hour trying to find another similar item we need for the same money as I didn’t want a credit note. You always end up spending more with a credit note.

It was only the second time I’ve been in there as it’s like a hot jumble sale. The store was full of mask refusers too. Awful place. Never again.

TokyoSushi · 02/05/2021 07:18

Sports Direct is the Ryanair of retail, you're never going to win, which is massively annoying!

SeventyEleven · 02/05/2021 07:30

This is odd as I buy lots of stuff online from them and have returned football boots or trainers if I’ve ordered two sizes to try. I’ve had refunds from them. They’re not great at customer service but I have definitely had actual refunds not just credit notes.

They’re in the news today as being the worst for customer service.

WeWantAMackerelNotASprat · 02/05/2021 07:40

I only buy from there if I know 100% we will keep it! It's a crap shop buy we don't have a decathlon near so sometimes I need to go there.

Starlightstarbright1 · 02/05/2021 07:57

I had an argument with the staff Black Friday one year. I bought enough stuff I would get a £10 voucher.

One of the pairs of joggers were reduced from price on the label.

I paid partly with a voucher. Then realised. So added a ball. It was a huge debate as they were saying I couldn’t have voucher. I did in the end get my voucher. There was a huge Queue and I wasn’t moving so am very reluctant to shop there again.

I also agree they aren’t that cheap it is old stock.

DonutsAllRound · 02/05/2021 08:02

I was going to buy an entire Royal Doulton dinner service from House of Fraser online yesterday then I remembered they were owned by Sports Direct and checked the returns policy and swiftly changed my mind.

We are so used to shops giving us a refund that it's a surprise when they don't.

Iamthewombat · 02/05/2021 08:21

I once asked if they had any gymnastics leotards, the woman who worked there looked at me, like I'd asked for the moon!

I had the same experience asking for ski socks. During ski season. Not 1 mile from the Chill Factore in Manchester.

Anyway OP since the goggles were ‘not as described’ the consumer rights act 2015 protects you and entitles you to a refund. Don’t waste your time explaining this in the shops. Send Sports Direct another email to this effect and suggest that you will get one of the national newspapers’ consumer champions to take up your case.

marchez · 02/05/2021 08:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

HighlandCowbag · 02/05/2021 08:55

Last time I went in there I wanted trainers for ds. Huge rack of trainers on display. Asked for a size 13, didn't have first choice, or second, or third or fourth. Ds was upset, store assistant couldn't tell me what styles they had in without trotting off to the store room each time. Flounced out in the end and went to JD instead.

I'd rather pay more than spend an hour trying to find just 1 pair to try on.

Original poster
Chillychangchoo · 02/05/2021 09:28

@marchez

I did yes, I had a feeling if I didn’t accept the credit note, then I really would get nothing. They emailed back, and said they would never be able to help anyway as nothing on their system, and I am to go back into the store to sort it out with the manager. This was despite order numbers, photos of receipts etc etc.

Pathetic customer service.

There’s no way I’m going back into that store, I’ll buy some socks online and make note of all the companies now owned by SD, and never grace myself in them again. I can’t be arsed 🤷‍♀️.

The only reason I went in was because it’s very close to my house and I had arranged a spur of the moment swimming trip.

OP posts:
KizzyMoo · 02/05/2021 14:00

They always do this. Very annoying.

bigbadbluewhale · 02/05/2021 14:27

I'd be really annoyed by this- the goggles clearly don't meet the criteria on their own labels. It doesn't look like you'll have any joy in appealing to their common sense, though.

Poor returns policy aside, Sports Direct (and Mike Ashley) have a really poor ethical track record. They treat their workers appallingly and acted very irresponsibly during the pandemic:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52061206
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-36855374
www.theguardian.com/business/2020/jul/23/have-working-conditions-improved-at-the-sports-direct-warehouse

I try to avoid shopping with companies like this one. It's not always possible (sometimes needing last-minute niche items leaves you with little choice), but you could maybe have a look at second hand listings on ebay for children's sports items? They'd also probably be cheaper :)

Serena1977 · 02/05/2021 15:02

Sports direct are renowned for this. I boycotted the place and a thing else he owns.

A quick goggle will show you how he runs his warehousing in Shirebrook, the latest Which? Investigation.

The man is a cretin.

Original poster
Chillychangchoo · 02/05/2021 15:18

@bigbadbluewhale

Thank you. I’ll definitely have a look.

@Serena1977
Yes since all this I’ve googled Sports Direct and Mike Ashley, it made for interesting reading. He really is a cretin.

OP posts:
IAmTheDuke · 02/05/2021 15:34

Haven’t set foot in there for years after trying to buy DD some trainers. The staff member took the trainer off to find the correct size, he was gone for ages. Went to look for him and he was serving someone else instead so I left.
I always go to the Nike outlet now, staff there couldn’t be more helpful.

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