Asking for a refund from a CHARITY shop?!

[Guyfree]

I was out shopping yesterday and, whilst in one of the local charity shops, overheard a woman at the till demanding for a refund for a top she had bought. She said she had bought it, tried it on in the shop, but once she got home she decided she didn’t like it. Admittedly, I don’t know how much the top was, but I can’t imagine it was a lot as it’s not an upmarket charity shop or area particularly.

The staff kept saying that they didn’t give refunds, only credit notes, but the woman insisted she wanted a refund.

I just found the whole exchange really bizarre. When I buy something from a charity shop, I make sure it’s a considered purchase, and would never ask for a refund! On times I have regretted purchases I just take the hit in the knowledge I’ve at least donated some money to charity.

YABU - asking for a refund from a charity shop is fine.

YANBU - asking for a refund from a charity shop is tight and strange!

To all the posters saying they wouldn't ask for a refund and just consider it a donation. Surely there comes a point where you need to say, actually that's a lot of money and I want it back?

I can understand if it's £1, or heck even a couple of quid, but surely no one writes off £20+ items as an, oh well i'll just redonate it and never mind the money i've wasted?

Whilst I’ve never returned anything to a charity shop, I think you do sound a bit smug and butter wouldn’t melt, OP.

Lots of charity shops do offer refunds for changes of mind, though they don’t have to.

You may see your purchase as a donation but other shoppers may be on a tight budget.

I recently did this when a blouse (£12, I think) was ambiguously sized but I asked the shop if it would be ok to do so (national charity). The shop assistant was completely fine about it, both when I asked and when I brought it back.

They had a changing room, but to be honest I feel far less comfortable changing in one of those charity shop cubicles (which are often straight off the shop with flimsy curtains rather than being changing rooms) in these days of camera phones.

Return within 2 weeks with the receipt for a full refund at Cancer Research UK, totally normal and fine.

I am very surprised by the responses. I wouldn’t say it’s ’morally wrong’ but it deffo doesn’t sit right with me and I personally wouldn’t do it.

Shops, including charity shops, offer refunds because many people are more likely to buy if they know they can bring it back if they change their mind.

So it’s better that refunds are normalised and shoppers not treated like pariahs for wanting a refund.

All my local charity shops do refunds.

since covid many shops have got rid of their changing rooms,
they judge that many people will not bring back, or if not the case it gives them extra space
also less chance of robbery

I find that people often buy items they think family members/friends would like and they generally ask if they can have a refund if it isn’t suitable.

I saw a dress priced at £31.50 in a charity shop very recently. I'm pretty sure that very free people that shop in charity shops would buy that if they couldn't return it if it didn't fit.

If people can afford to do that, amazing. But many can't.

Why are you quoting me to say this?
I don’t work in a charity shop. I don’t set the rules. I had a different opinion to you, get over it.

I quoted you because I was replying to you. It really is that simple.

Like my mum as posted above. She thought she was doing a good thing - for my brother and for the charity. Other pps have posted £ boundaries - the item my mum bought was approx £20. So expensive enough for my mum not to want to waste the purchase.

I volunteer in a charity shop and we give refunds if they still have the receipt and the item hasn’t been worn. We have one changing room but often people buy for others . I don’t have a problem with refunds as some customers can’t afford full price items in a normal shop. I do get peed off when customers haggle or ask for a discount . It’s a local charity not a large national one .
I did get one lady who asked for a refund on a £1 book because she didn’t like the book .

Whereas I'll frequently buy stuff that I'm not sure about if the shop has a refund policy, maybe because I can't try it on, or because I'm buying something on spec for a child who isn't with me.

If it doesn't work then I'll bring it back, still in its original condition with its tags on, and get a refund. But more often than not I'll keep it.

I'm pretty sure that charity shops make more money from me than from you.

For all the people who say that high street shops don't have to take stuff back unless it's faulty, and they only do it as a gesture of goodwill....the answer is yes and no.

Yes you can open up a new clothes shop tomorrow and decide not to offer refunds or exchanges unless faulty.

But M&S/H&M/ Sainsburys have the right to return for a cash refund written on the back of their receipts and it's a key part of the contract you made with them when you handed over the cash. It's not given to you by legislation but they are bound by the contract they chose to make.

No shop has to refund because a customer has changed their mind, so why should a charity shop?
Yes some shops/companies DO offer refunds with receipts etc, some only offer a credit note or exchange, and some don't offer anything!
Charity shops are not doing anything wrong by refusing a refund.

You’re confusing your rights with what a lot of retailers offer (which is more than your rights).

Shops don’t have to offer a refund for change of mind, but most do.

You’re reading something she never said. Nowhere in her post has she said shops have to offer a refund, she just said that she often gets refunds.

Doesn't sound smug to me, just sensible

Talking about you never have to return anything because you're so perfect at checking it's 100% right is deffo smug.

I have a friend that took over £1k worth of stuff to a charity last year and asked whether they had a specific item, they didn't, but had something that would serve her purpose, then proceeded to charge her £1.50 for it.
She came away feeling rather aggrieved that they wouldn't waive the cost of an item worth less than £2 when she'd just donated goods worth more than 500 times that.
I'm a bit torn about how I feel about it. I can see her point, but also theirs (kind of).

Sounds weird. That person needs to donate it on, suck it up to knowledge and be really sure to love clothing before buying secondhand.

Our local Oxfam offers refunds. Sometimes I’m buying for the children, so it is useful to know I can come back the next day if something doesn’t fit.

You what?

There is no logic in this whatsover. Do you expect the person behind the till on a specific Tuesday morning to recognise everyone who has donated? Even when they only do 2 hours a week or only started a few weeks ago? When the bags come in we whack on the gift aid stickers without knowing what's inside.

I have no issue whatsoever with refunds.

I do have an issue with this odd idea that if you donate X amount of money, that entitles you to freebies! Very weird.