Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Me or Sainsburys staff member?

278 replies

HouseofSkullduggery · 21/02/2022 14:31

My local Sainsburys is in a shopping centre with chargeable parking. You usually have to spend £10 or more to get free parking unless you are also using the pharmacy or Argos which is also inside.
So this morning I had to return some items to Argos that I bought yesterday. I did that no problem and never asked them to validate the ticket as I had a few other things to get from Sainsburys and thought it's quicker to go to the self service tills and do it myself.
I bought items which were just over £7. Paid and started to walk to the machine to validate my ticket. The staff member immediately saw me approaching and stood blocking the machine. She actually had to walk backwards to make sure I didn't go round her.
She then said have you spent £10? Where's your receipt? In a really snotty tone. I explained I'd just been to Argos too but needed other things hence why I was there. But no that wasn't good enough. She said no I would have to pay to park because I hadn't spent the £10.
She was really off and I felt like a naughty child! I just said again I'd been to Argos, I was in a rush and as it made no difference to her please could I use the machine on this occasion. But no she wouldn't back down.
I left and just felt quite bewildered at her attitude. Nobody normally mans the machine. I go in there all the time. Never had any issue. Even going through the normal tills staff have been happy to validate the ticket as long as youve bought something. I feel she was rude and a jobsworth. Aibu?

OP posts:
BorderlineHappy · 21/02/2022 17:23

Complain
To whom @Lurkerlot.
Argos,she didn't get it validated by her own admission because she was "in a rush".

She didn't spend enough in Sainsbury's to qualify for the free parking.

The easiest thing would have been to go back to Argos,get it validated and go.

If she didn't do this,why not,?

Supersee · 21/02/2022 17:25

@Rosehugger

So this morning I had to return some items to Argos that I bought yesterday. I did that no problem and never asked them to validate the ticket as I had a few other things to get from Sainsburys

That's the reference to Other Items.

Anyway it's irrelevant as you should just be able to show your Argos receipt as the parking conditions say that the £10 limit does not apply if you are using Argos or the Pharmacy.

The OP got the other items. For £7. She never validated the ticket in Argos, this was required. The Sainsbury's worker doesn't have the time or inclination to take her word for it that she was indeed in Argos. The OP is in the wrong.

I really pity retail workers!

ThanksItHasPockets · 21/02/2022 17:25

@Cuck00soup

I'm willing to bet Sainsbury's would have expected their employee to a) listen to the customer and b) apply some common sense.
I very much doubt sainsburys expect their staff to spend half of their shift listening to tall tales from every chancer who is trying to dodge the parking charge.
DameOctaviaOstrich · 21/02/2022 17:26

Er yes @JudgeJ, I thought that was obvious so omitted to put, in your opinion in brackets 🙄

rwalker · 21/02/2022 17:27

@ChaosMoon

She must have a very small and empty life. How sad for her.
she's paid to do a job OP knew she was in the wrong but thought rules didn't apply to her.

Supermarkets have mystery shoppers why would you risk a blocking because somebody can't be arsed to follow the rules .

OperationDog · 21/02/2022 17:29

Nobody normally mans the machine. I go in there all the time. Never had any issue. Even going through the normal tills staff have been happy to validate the ticket as long as youve bought something.

It sounds as though the store has cracked down because so many people were abusing the system and this poor member of staff has had to bear the brunt.

Lurkerlot · 21/02/2022 17:29

@BorderlineHappy

Complain To whom *@Lurkerlot*. Argos,she didn't get it validated by her own admission because she was "in a rush".

She didn't spend enough in Sainsbury's to qualify for the free parking.

The easiest thing would have been to go back to Argos,get it validated and go.

If she didn't do this,why not,?

She should complain for poor customer services, it seems as if instead of redirecting the OP to what she should do the Sainsbury’s staff member preferred to act like an arse.
Rosehugger · 21/02/2022 17:29

OK - I read it at first that the OP was intending to go and spend more money and the attendant intercepted her before she could- in which case if there is a spending limit the comment still stands that you always have a period of grace after parking to go and actually spend the required amount.

But the conditions seem to be that either you spend £10 in Sainsbury's or use Argos or the Pharmacy with no spending limit. The fact she could show she had been in Argos should be enough.

Also consider what the rules are there for - people parking and going off to other places and not using the shops there at all. OP was actually a customer of two of the shops included in the parking conditions, so some common sense and lenience could have been applied, rather than the assistant being no better than a robot.

Lifeisaminestrone · 21/02/2022 17:32

Argos is now owner by Sainsbury’s

TrashyPanda · 21/02/2022 17:33

I really don’t understand why you are complaining.

You tried to get away with validating a time keg when you hadn’t spent the minimum amount and you were correctly prevented by a shop assistant.

You couldn’t be bothered validating the ticket at Argos because you were rushing, but you had enough time to go to Sainsburys and to argue with a lady who was doing her job.

Just because you’ve got away with it before doesn’t make it right.

Lifeisaminestrone · 21/02/2022 17:34

Posted too soon. But this is why so many stores are failing inc Argos. Small mindedness.

I could get a similar from Amazon rather than face grief!

WindyState · 21/02/2022 17:35

@Rosehugger

OK - I read it at first that the OP was intending to go and spend more money and the attendant intercepted her before she could- in which case if there is a spending limit the comment still stands that you always have a period of grace after parking to go and actually spend the required amount.

But the conditions seem to be that either you spend £10 in Sainsbury's or use Argos or the Pharmacy with no spending limit. The fact she could show she had been in Argos should be enough.

Also consider what the rules are there for - people parking and going off to other places and not using the shops there at all. OP was actually a customer of two of the shops included in the parking conditions, so some common sense and lenience could have been applied, rather than the assistant being no better than a robot.

The idea that you have a "grace period" on a minimum spend for parking is patently absurd.

And she hadn't asked for her ticket to be validated in Argos, which she could have if you had, i dunno, read the post properly instead of accusing others of not doing so.

And the staff member will have just been doing as she was told.

Rosehugger · 21/02/2022 17:35

I could get a similar from Amazon rather than face grief!

Exactly. Or I could go to a mall and park for free all day long.

WindyState · 21/02/2022 17:36

@Lifeisaminestrone

Posted too soon. But this is why so many stores are failing inc Argos. Small mindedness.

I could get a similar from Amazon rather than face grief!

Maybe they are failing because of the costs involved subsidising free parking for cheeky fuckers?
Rosehugger · 21/02/2022 17:36

The idea that you have a "grace period" on a minimum spend for parking is patently absurd

How long would you give someone to spend £10?

Rosehugger · 21/02/2022 17:37

@WindyState Why are you so angry? Take more water with it, dear.

WindyState · 21/02/2022 17:38

@Rosehugger

The idea that you have a "grace period" on a minimum spend for parking is patently absurd

How long would you give someone to spend £10?

If you are leaving a shop and getting your parking validated you have either spent £10 or you haven't.
WindyState · 21/02/2022 17:39

[quote Rosehugger]@WindyState Why are you so angry? Take more water with it, dear.[/quote]
I'm not angry.

Don't confuse someone disagreeing with you with angry, ta.

mogsrus · 21/02/2022 17:41

To be fair it was all your own fault as you could not demonstrate the cost of the visit. The meter person had to uphold the outcome,you could be from head office just on a random test, The industry I work in is fraught with inspection, & people often ask me if I can do this,that & anything else, I always say, sorry you could be from head office & I don’t know anyone who works in it, but bending to your request, could jeopardise my employment.

Rosehugger · 21/02/2022 17:42

If you are leaving a shop and getting your parking validated you have either spent £10 or you haven't

If the parking conditions say there is a £10 limit and say you can park for an hour, you would be at liberty to spend £7, walk away and have a coffee elsewhere, and come back and spend more in the shop to get over the limit within the hour.

WindyState · 21/02/2022 17:44

@Rosehugger

If you are leaving a shop and getting your parking validated you have either spent £10 or you haven't

If the parking conditions say there is a £10 limit and say you can park for an hour, you would be at liberty to spend £7, walk away and have a coffee elsewhere, and come back and spend more in the shop to get over the limit within the hour.

But that isn't a "grace period", is it. Dear.

That is "not finished my shopping so I wouldn't be heading towards the machine in the first place knowing I hadn't spent the £10".

Porcupineintherough · 21/02/2022 17:47

@Rosehugger in which case you would validate your ticket when you'd done all that, not half way through.

Rosehugger · 21/02/2022 17:47

Yes, it is.

SliceOfCakeCupOfTea · 21/02/2022 17:48

Presumably the carpark is owned or managed by a third party if there are charges as the majority of supermarkets would have free on-site parking...I'm assuming this is some sort of complex?

If so, there will be an arrangement between the two companies for set fees to make sure they are getting genuine revenue from genuine users (as opposed to those who park up and go do their own thing).

Complain all you want but a) they won't take you seriously as you didn't hit any criteria for free parking and b) you'll be fobbed off to the other company and back and forth.

mogsrus · 21/02/2022 17:48

Parking law grace period starts ,,at the end of your allotted time by law, not the beginning