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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To return something to purchase it again on sale?

129 replies

polka14 · 05/05/2022 11:35

DOI: I haven't actually done this.

WWYD if you bought X, it has just delivered and you go to leave a review and notice it is now on sale. Would you return your full price item to re-buy at the discounted price? Are there any rules around this?

OP posts:
Needmorelego · 05/05/2022 11:45

As someone that worked in retail for many years I can say that people did this all the time.
I would also like to point out the retailer I worked at - major High Street name that was decades old - went bust due to being in dept and something like 30000 people lost their jobs....
I wonder how they ended up with so much dept 🤔

itstaxing · 05/05/2022 11:45

Just contact the company. They will probably refund the difference. If it's unused no problem in my view.

Damnloginpopup · 05/05/2022 11:46

Was it a dept store?

Trulyweird1 · 05/05/2022 11:47

I have done this, in the past. I have also had instances where shop assistants have suggested I wait for the sale to make a major purchase.

Not done it for online purchases as it seems like too much hassle.

imnottoofussed · 05/05/2022 11:48

Yes absolutely. I did this with a bag load of clothes once as there was a whole store sale the day after I bought everything. I just said at the till I want to return and then rebuy all of this.

Verite1 · 05/05/2022 11:49

Yes. Done it recently

Whitney168 · 05/05/2022 11:50

itstaxing · 05/05/2022 11:45

Just contact the company. They will probably refund the difference. If it's unused no problem in my view.

I've also done this successfully. No brainer for them really, if you're just going to return one and order another, it will save them money.

fairylightsandwaxmelts · 05/05/2022 11:50

It's perfectly legal but as someone who used to work in retail, I thought everyone who did this was a royal PITA Wink

Pink3489 · 05/05/2022 11:51

Call them up and ask if they will refund the difference. Argos did this for me once. Got £60 back :)

grapewines · 05/05/2022 11:53

They might be thought to be a PITA, but I get why people do it. Especially if it's the day after.

GeorgesMarvelousCalpol · 05/05/2022 11:54

Was this a garden set that was cheaper Online? General consensus on that thread was you should have shopped around before you bought it. Online has a lot less overheads, so more likely to be cheaper.

Alwayspaintyournails · 05/05/2022 11:54

I definitely would.

Whoatealltheminieggs · 05/05/2022 11:55

Yes I’ve done it

Original poster
polka14 · 05/05/2022 11:58

@GeorgesMarvelousCalpol No lol not a garden shed.

It is actually just an ASOS purchase and so the items aren't hugely expensive but still a little annoying and has made me consider returning/repurchasing and can fully appreciate why some may think of it as a PITA.

OP posts:
fairylightsandwaxmelts · 05/05/2022 12:05

Needmorelego · 05/05/2022 11:45

As someone that worked in retail for many years I can say that people did this all the time.
I would also like to point out the retailer I worked at - major High Street name that was decades old - went bust due to being in dept and something like 30000 people lost their jobs....
I wonder how they ended up with so much dept 🤔

Exactly.

It's fine to return stuff you genuinely don't want but when everyone returns stuff to save a few quid, shops really struggle.

Also, when I worked in retail, refunds and exchanges like this went on the sales assistants records and you got bollocked if you processed too many of them Hmm

Synchrony · 05/05/2022 12:15

I did this once, years ago.

I wouldn't do it now as I value the highstreet and don't want more shops to close.

Wayfairtwo · 05/05/2022 12:19

Oh I'm the queen of doing this!

Needmorelego · 05/05/2022 12:20

@fairylightsandwaxmelts thanks. I just realised I typed dept not debt. Hopefully people got the point. Or maybe not as many seem to be saying "do it".
Yes people....if a retailer keeps giving refunds all the time they're going to end up in DEBT.
And then they die.....

Mascia · 05/05/2022 13:26

Needmorelego · 05/05/2022 12:20

@fairylightsandwaxmelts thanks. I just realised I typed dept not debt. Hopefully people got the point. Or maybe not as many seem to be saying "do it".
Yes people....if a retailer keeps giving refunds all the time they're going to end up in DEBT.
And then they die.....

I‘ll have to agree with this.

Not sure about larger chains, but I know from experience that small independent shops make little to no money on sale items (unless the sale price is something like only 5% off). 20%-40% off eats into the margin, 50% off leaves the retailer with next to zero profit.
If you like a store and the quality of the products they’re selling, please consider buying them at full price if possible.

Howaboutnope · 05/05/2022 13:27

Needmorelego · 05/05/2022 11:45

As someone that worked in retail for many years I can say that people did this all the time.
I would also like to point out the retailer I worked at - major High Street name that was decades old - went bust due to being in dept and something like 30000 people lost their jobs....
I wonder how they ended up with so much dept 🤔

  • debt.

Sorry I had to.

KeepYaHeadUp · 05/05/2022 13:28

Needmorelego · 05/05/2022 11:45

As someone that worked in retail for many years I can say that people did this all the time.
I would also like to point out the retailer I worked at - major High Street name that was decades old - went bust due to being in dept and something like 30000 people lost their jobs....
I wonder how they ended up with so much dept 🤔

They didn't end up in debt because a handful of people returned items bought at full price and rebought in the sale 🙄 A good merchandising department will factor in sales at varying margins through the season. They went bust for a number of reasons.

Howaboutnope · 05/05/2022 13:28

Needmorelego · 05/05/2022 12:20

@fairylightsandwaxmelts thanks. I just realised I typed dept not debt. Hopefully people got the point. Or maybe not as many seem to be saying "do it".
Yes people....if a retailer keeps giving refunds all the time they're going to end up in DEBT.
And then they die.....

Nevermind you already corrected yourself 😄

Beachtrip · 05/05/2022 13:30

Damnloginpopup · 05/05/2022 11:46

Was it a dept store?

This made me chuckle

Hoppinggreen · 05/05/2022 13:32

I was in M&S with DD a couple of weeks ago and a couple came in with a trolley full of brown boxes. The woman announced to the staff member on the checkout that she was returning it all as she bought it online and now it was all 20% off so she was going to re buy it all cheaper. There was even one item out of stock that she was trying to persuade the M&S woman to refund and then sell her 20% cheaper. I was kind of impressed at the blatant nature of it - I didnt blame her for wanting to take advantage of the 20%, it was probably quite a substantial amount but I probably wouldnt have been so up front with my reason

Beachtrip · 05/05/2022 13:32

In response to the question tho, I've done this a number of times.
Also asked for a price match to save them the hassle of refunding and shipping a second item.
If it's a different place I've asked for price matching or I'll return etc.

Companies definitely don't go bust due to price matching or selling an item at a discounted rate.
There are so many accounting procedures for this.
Bad debt write off, tax relief, etc.

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