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!

My mother in her eighties buys weekly from charity shops … she loves variety! She keeps 90% of the stuff but because a lot of what she buys is over £25 and it’s impractical for her to try on, they always say she can return for a refund. If there wasn’t this option, she’d probably not buy unless 100% certain, so the shop would lose out. She also donates huge amounts and often will buy two/three more pieces if she does return.
Sometimes the volunteers will actively persuade you to buy, on the basis you can return and seem disappointed when you don’t take them up on it ( for whatever reason).

I recently purchased something for my child from a charity shop. She was not with me. The shop assistant suggested herself that I keep the receipt and return for a refund if it didn’t fit her/she did not like it. I returned it a few days later as it did not fit without issues to another member of staff. So it is perfectly reasonable to return an item if the tag from the charity shop is still on the item.

The only time I got a refund from a charity shop was when I bought a dress in one which didn't have a changing room - I hesitated over buying it, & the volunteer told me to keep my receipt & bring it back for a refund if it didn't fit. Well, it didn't, so I took it back the next day & a different volunteer was very sour about giving me a refund. But if they choose not to have a fitting room, it's their problem.

A lot of people shop in charity shops because money is tight. Maybe she realised it was a mistake and couldn't afford to lose the money. Obviously its not OK to be rude to staff though.

I think some of the comments here scream of privilege. Unfortunately for a lot of people they are counting their pennies so it is reasonable that if something didn’t fit / suit them they would want their money back wherever they bought it from. If the lady was being rude about it, that’s something else but desperate people say and do things they might not have done in different circumstances.

I guess if the charity shop had been happy to issue a refund, I may have viewed the situation differently, it still doesn’t sit right with me though.

The volunteer repeatedly told her that they do not issue refunds, only credit notes, and she continually argued that she wanted a refund. It was uncomfortable to witness, and came across really crass. She wasn’t shouting, but her insistence on needing a refund, despite the charity worker telling her they don’t do them, made the situation awkward and I think it was rude of her.

Nobody is saying that it is written in law that retailers must offer a full cash refund no questions asked.
However, I always check that the shop dies refunds. I did this yesterday as I didn’t have time to try on an item of clothing. The assistant told me yes they would offer a full refund if it didn’t fit me providing I didn’t remove the tags.
Luck has it I’m satisfied with the goods.
The point I’m making is this;
All the big retailers will offer you your money back no questions asked. If a charity shop doesn’t then fair enough, but I wouldn’t risk spending say £20 on a second hand dress made for ASDA when I can buy one brand new for not much more, and be guaranteed to get my money back if I don’t want it.

I personally wouldn't ask for a refund either, I would just donate it back to the charity shop and see it as I donated to charity.

My nan was on the look out for a nest of tables, I saw some at our local air ambulance site for £6 so I got them but she didn't like them. I took them back to the shop but just as a donation not for a refund, but I do know someone who asked a refund for an inop toy.

Difficult as you don't know that persons situation. When I buy clothes in a charity shop they usually as standard say to keep the receipt in case you want to return so maybe she didn't have receipt.

I think YABU mainly because it doesn't affect you so why do you care/feel the need to judge.

I'm also going to add my story. I bought a raincoat in a charity shop while on a day trip, in a city a few hours away, for €30. I tried it on and showed the 2 friends with me and we all agreed it was nice. When I got home I realised it had a cigarette burn on the sleeve.
Honestly I was annoyed because I don't think the shop should have been selling it, especially at that price. If it was somewhere local I would have brought it back. Luckily I'm really short so I shortened the sleeves to get rid of the cigarette burn.

I work in a charity shop and we offer refunds as we don’t have a fitting room.
I process returns every day, recently I did so many in the morning that our sales were in minus figures.
A lady came in a few days ago holding in her hands 4 tangled, screwed up, inside out dresses and dumped them on the counter asking for a refund.
These are the returns that really grind my gears.

If you have such a dim view of a charity like Oxfam, don't support them in the first place.

I don't, not anymore.

It’s quite normal for charity shops to offer refunds. The ones near me often tell me I have 14 days for a refund as they give me my receipt.

Charity shops are run like proper businesses now.

Of course you can. (Get a refund in a normal shop just because you don't like it!)
The charity shops where I live actually do offer refunds, not that I've ever asked for one 😂

you are not legally entitled to a refund if you don’t like something. Some retailers offer a refund in this situation but it is in addition to your statutory rights.

Oh blah though. Everyone returns stuff because they don't like it because it's a nightmare trying things on and because if you buy stuff online you can't. Try it on that is. Every time I have returned something to a physical store, they ask, anything worng with it? I say no, they refund it, no issues. Online purchases, when they ask you to tick the why are you returning this box, one of the options is usually " I changed my mind." And ok, for the pedantic, yes, I know, it's not a legal right, but really.

Yes you are!

No, you're not!

You're contractually entitled to a refund if the shop has granted that right as part of the conditions of sale, and most of them do. So in most of the non-charity shops on a British high street, yes you can take it back in a saleable condition for a refund for any reason whatsoever.

of course you are. I’ve changed my mind about something loads of times and returned for a refund. As long as it is in the condition it was sold in.

A lot of charity shops are moving towards a more boutique shopping experience rather than charity shop per se. In my mind this means offering the same retail services and standards so I would (and previously have) returned items. I do a lot of charity shop shopping so invariably on my visit to return an item, I end up buying another few items. I also always check the refund policy as I don’t mind exchange/credit notes.

IMO in Ithis instance, the woman should have accepted the credit note just for graciousness’ sake. I don’t know how much the item was though.

Yes, we're the same. We often get serial returners too which is a ball ache as you have to deduct little bits of money here and there all the time.

I personally wouldn't usually ask for a refund, but our local ones have a policy of giving refunds as they don't have a changing room. My DH bought some jeans in one of them, they didn't fit and he felt bad about asking for a refund, but he wasn't going to use them any other way (think they were £10 or so, so not particularly cheap). I did hear one man asking before he bought a jigsaw if he could get a refund if there was a piece missing - I would think that's the risk you take with secondhand