AIBU to think this is ridiculous?

[LordAbove]

Own a small business selling handmade items.

On the 1st of January I put a code on my website for a January sale as lots of businesses do (January sales are hardly a new concept?!)

Anyway, had an email this afternoon from someone who ordered on 24th December to say she thinks it's very annoying when businesses put offer codes on just after you've purchased something and that we should refund the percentage of her order to match the January discount

I'm genuinely stumped.

1. All sales have to start at some time, I can't go back and give every person who ordered before then the same discount.

1. Surely it's pretty common knowledge that most places, if they are going to be doing sales around this time, it will be in January. If you wanted to see if I was doing one, why not wait until then?

AIBU?!

This will always happen no matter which day you start the discount. There'll always be someone. I agree that January is the usual time for a sale - it's hardly a secret.

Honestly I'm quite lenient when it comes to giving deals and things if people ask (nicely) and if she'd have said something politely I'd have probably agreed. But part of me thinks sod you when she's made out like I've done something wrong?

@tectonicplates

This will always happen no matter which day you start the discount. There'll always be someone. I agree that January is the usual time for a sale - it's hardly a secret.

I wouldn't even mind so much if she ordered the day before.

However I put the sale on on the 1st January, she ordered on the 24th! It was a week before the sale!

Crazy.

Sod her indeed. Chancer. Just ignore.

YANBU. If I were you I'd politely apologise, understand her frustration, as you are in the same position that materials for your business in December were 10% more than they are in January.
You of course hope that this won't affect her as a customer in the future as you really value her custom.

So it was a JANUARY sale
And she wants a retrospective discount for goods she bought in December?

If she’d ordered a week before Christmas but still wasn’t going to be getting her order until the same time as all the discount customers, then I can see why she’d feel aggrieved and might want to take a chance by asking if they can have the discount too.

But not when they ordered on Christmas Eve.

If you do respond, keep it simple and breezy - “this is our January sale, so unfortunately items purchased in December are not eligible. Keep an eye on our website - there may be other sales coming up over the year!” Or something like that.

She is being an ejit!

As pp said though keep it simple. I would make it sound like a very generic email you send to lots of people.

I did do that once but it was a large retailer and quite an expensive purchase (for me) but it was a 20% off offer.
I emailed them and said "instead of me sending it back and buying it again let's save the planet, I'll save 20% and you'll save a customer' and they did. Win win. TBF the 20% off did come though the next day and I wouldn't do it to a small retailer.
I'd never order something on 24 dec unless that retailers sale had started already. I mean who doesn't know about January sales?
Tell her to jog on.

Well it wasn't win win for the retailer was it @HumourReplacementTherapy
They lost 20%.
Sometimes op, even if the customer is clearly a twat, it's easier to just give them what they want and move on.
But I do like the materials costs more then idea above.

YANBU, your customer is being ridiculous.

I think the suggestion in a previous comment about stating it is the same with yourself with materials prices would be an excellent response.

She’s being an idiot. Of course it’s frustrating, but it’s the risk you take.

The only time anything like this has genuinely made me feel conned was when I bought something in a ‘20% off - limited time only!’ promotion, only for it to go into a 30% off promo immediately afterwards.

Ignore her. I have a website and some customers drive me crazy! I sell vintage items and it clearly says they are old and roughly when they were made. I get customers phoning me complaining that the item they bought is not new! I give up!

It happens in every walk of life I believe.

I had someone kick off that her cocktail was more expensive when it wasn't on the 241 offer. The mind boggles.

@LordAbove

Honestly I'm quite lenient when it comes to giving deals and things if people ask (nicely) and if she'd have said something politely I'd have probably agreed. But part of me thinks sod you when she's made out like I've done something wrong?

I understand why you feel this way, but this is your business and you want it to succeed. So take the emotion out it and look dispassionately at whether it would be a good idea or not to acquiesce.

YANBU. But your decision about this woman’s request needs to be based on what’s best for your business.

Ignore
Although I have a knack for ordering my e cig liquid just before they announce 40% off
They do it at random times and after this happened 10 times in a row, even the company were "oops" and sent me a load of free e liquid to make up for it

People can be very unreasonable sometimes.

You just have to stay polite and say what Talipesmum suggested.

How much did she spend? At MOST I'd send one of the replies above with a discount for x% in a further purchase presuming she's not able to return the item she brought in Jan

How much did she spend? At MOST I'd send one of the replies above with a discount for x% in a further purchase presuming she's not able to return the item she brought in Jan no I absolutely wouldn’t do this.

FGS OP is running a business. Businesses have promotions, and the more they pander to their twattish customers the worse off the business becomes.

Imagine the OP sends her a discount voucher. Then before you know it she’s telling her friends that this business will send you discount if you shout loudly enough.

The public are bloody infuriating.

OP just reply and say that by virtue of it being the January sale, it stands to reason that discounts did not apply at the time of purchase and will not be applied retrospectively.

And whatever you do, do not use the word “sorry” in any of your correspondence.

Don't humour her.

I've had a similar situation. I booked and paid for a beauty treatment October 30th at £250.

Had the treatment at 9am November 3rd.

At 12pm November 3rd they made the procedure half price, or as part of a bundle with other things I'd have like for £250.

I still had to pay the £250. I was gutted a bit, but then realised I'd been happy to pay the £250 to begin with, so why was I then annoyed? Shit happens.

Op I had something similar happen this week which might make you feel better / less insane.

I am a member of a FB group for local families in need; people can post on there when they need things as individuals, or the organisers go on to say "we have Xxx family and they need Xxx, etc".

Anyway, one woman put herself on as an individual, and said she needed warm clothes in my size. I just had a tummy tuck and breast reduction so she was in luck- I had an absolute shed load of really good quality, higher-end high street clothes (Ted
Baker, Sandro, FCUK, All Saints, Joules, whistles, Anthropologie). It was probably upwards of £750 worth of clothes. I mentioned she could have them all and what she didn't like, she could either pass on or even sell herself as she'd make some decent money. I also put some expensive bras and kids clothes and shoes are her DS is 18 months younger than mine. I then drove it 45 minutes to deliver to her. No worries- happy to!

Well, she messaged me this morning to complain that the bras were too big, the kids shoes were too small, and the women's shoes were too small. However she said the bras and women's shoes fit her mum so she was going to give them to her, but would I be willing to either buy or source bras shoes for her and shoes for her son in the right size? She also said some of the clothes were a bit too big so did I have them in a size smaller?!?!?!?! The tone of her message was, at best, annoyed and more realistically, outright rude.

Ermmm... no. Sorry.

I have a website and run a different offer each month. I had someone take advantage of an offer at the end of one month but didn't want it sent out until the next month. They then emailed asking if they could have the offer available in the second month too!!

What kind of amount are we talking?

she thinks it's very annoying when businesses put offer codes on just after you've purchased something

She’s right that it’s annoying, but it’s only annoying in a Sod’s law kind of way, it’s not anyones fault. And she’s very wrong to think it’s your responsibility to fix it. It’s like finding something nice but it not being available in your size - annoying, but no one’s problem to fix.