Manager called security on me in Primark!

[spanieleyes22]

So what happened is I bought 2 tops the same a couple of weeks ago in primark: one size large and one size xl. Paid on different receipts as I bought large then walking out I saw they had an xl so went back and bought that too.

Decided to keep xl.

Went to return large today. Presented receipt and top. Girl calls manager. She says that's the the receipt for that top: that's a receipt for an xl.

Explained that I had bought 2 tops and must have brought the wrong receipt with me.
I tried to argue and said look it's the same top same price please can you give me refund: nope nope nope.
She starts saying that they have cameras in the store. And then she calls security!! At that point I just left. I left the top and receipt there I was so scared. She thought I had picked up the top in store and tried to return it using an old receipt. I thought I was going to be arrested. So now I'm down 12 pound and don't have the top. Maybe I should have stayed and argued but I felt I couldn't prove I had bought it. Don't think I will be buying anything there for a very long time. I will be scared to show my face there. And I haven't done anything wrong! Very shaken by it

This - I'd have waited - explained mistake and pull up on-line banking on phone - two tops bought same day and moaned at inconsistent sizing.

Mind you I won't use Specsavers now - as paid after exam - they kept just me waiting so paid separately to rest of family then kept sending invoice for same exam for just me. Sent copies of my receipt didn't stop it - so had to go in with bank statement showing payment and they argued with me as their billing department didn't make mistakes -then accepted I had paid and tried to keep my bank statement - err no. So 5 years later like fuck am I ever using this branch of spec savers again - use Boots now,

I can see why they were suspicious here - it's easily done but also it's very like a known scam and you argued - so they cashier was clearly following company policy.

I think you were treated appalling btw. Ok, you had the wrong receipt but you shouldn't have been treated like that. Their Cs skills are wanting.

Because you argued and didn’t immediately apologise.

Because the OP also said this:

I tried to argue and said look it's the same top same price please can you give me refund: nope nope nope.

Surely you would just go back with the correct receipt? You can surely understand the cashiers view point, it is a really common way to steal.

You should have waited you made yourself look guilty by leaving everything and running off. I’d of said to the security I’ll wait whilst you go view your cameras, then they would see you haven’t picked up anything to try return. I would still even now go back with the correct receipt if you still have it to prove innocence

Why not just email head office with the recipt and explain what happened maybe even ring them and show that part of your bank statement tbh this is where store cards come in handy had something simalar in Joh Lewis and they could see it on their system good luck

So now everyone working in retail just has to assume everyone is a scammer or shoplifter.

OP tried to return an item with an incorrect receipt, and instead of just accepting "no", she tried to argue with the assistant - that's what makes her look dodgy.

I did retail for years, and we were categorically not allowed to accept any returns without proof of purchase. And the receipt had to match the item 100% - size, colour, leg length etc.

If someone was caught putting through a return without a proper receipt, they'd have been pulled up and disciplined.

Yes to this, but all is not lost.

They will have a record of your purchases in their system.

You can ask for a manager to check their system.

You have a record of the day and time when you bought the XL garment and by extension the L too, so even if you paid in cash they can see two transactions for the same style of item that match your account of events. If they care about customer service, they may give you the benefit of the doubt. Biggish 'IF' though...

If you paid with a card, this will be much easier. Bring back your account record and ask to see the manager. Your account will show two transactions. You can ask the manager to cross reference the transaction notes on the receipts/ records they will have. The notes will show date, time, maybe checkout point, and card number or last four digits of it.

Ask for the manager to look at the camera footage of your interaction with the employee who called security on you so they will see your item was confiscated. Ask for your rightful refund.

I had some thing very similar happen to me in Primark where I was returning something and the receipt didn’t match the item. They were appalling. 25 minutes later after I insisted the floor managers actually went found the items, scanned it and saw that they item scanned incorrectly. No shit Sherlock. They made me feel like a thief as well.

Fine to say that's the wrong receipt so I can't do the exchange/refund. NOT fine to accuse the OP of theft by talking about the cameras. Theft may be rife but it's not THAT common, most people aren't thieves and in any case you are innocent until proven guilty (in theory, in practice people seem to have to prove they are innocent all the time - see the thread about having to scan your receipt to get out of a supermarket).

Our policy even then was to call security for anyone arguing with us about wanting a refund with no proof of purchase and yet a lot of shops now want to stop giving people receipts. Or maybe that's the point - people won't have a proof of purchase so can't return an item.

Do you actually think any retailer will bother to look at the till roll to check this? I'd like to think that they would, but in practice I suspect they'd tell you to bog off.

Fine to say that's the wrong receipt so I can't do the exchange/refund. NOT fine to accuse the OP of theft by talking about the cameras.

She only started accusing OP of theft because she argued about wanting a refund anyway, even though she knew she'd brought the wrong receipt.

yet a lot of shops now want to stop giving people receipts. Or maybe that's the point - people won't have a proof of purchase so can't return an item

They want to go paperless, which means e-receipts. They don't want to stop giving proof of purchase altogether.

Give me a break. Look at what the OP says themselves. They tried to return an item with the wrong receipt and when informed it was the wrong receipt they wouldn't take no for an answer, "argued" repeatedly ("nope,nope,nope") and then fled the scene without the top when security was coming to help the cashier with a difficult customer.

The OP was entitled and difficult at best, but their behaviour was very dodgy.

You said you bought the XL later on. There is a time printed on the receipt so the one with the earliest time would be the L.

I agree that some clothing retailers have the same description on their receipts for the same item of clothing - regardless of size, and sometimes - colour! The barcodes are the same bar the last 2 or 3 numbers.

I bought a few items of clothing from Tesco and on receipt it does mention the size.

Sounds like you had a bit of an attitude and they graced you an attitude in a similar vein.

I think it's all about how you treat people.

I needed to return a top and shorts about 6 weeks ago, went in, said I had a receipt...at the bottom of my bag..so I don't lose it...hold on...as I remove spare clothes for my boys, and an extra set, both current in primark.

The sales lady was fab, even folding the clothes I'd taken out.

Then it turned out I didn't even have the right receipt. I said, see! I spend too much money in here.
We laughed, she apologised she couldn't do more to help. I said, don't worry, there's nothing else I can buy here, when I do make that return I'll be a little bit richer.

I could see if I had a shirty attitude that the sales assistant could've made my day quite uncomfortable on that occasion.

I'm sorry op, but that is your fault. You should have said you would come back with the correct receipt, and not argued. The fact you ran away as well makes you look guilty. It isn't personal, they don't know you. It is a known scam, people try it on in there all of the time.

We had a similar situation in IKEA with dh. He had been beeping things on the app to pay on his phone, then scanned his phone barcode at the end, and paid. When we got to the car we realised our 3 year old had taken one of the items we had paid for out of the trolley, and put it on the shelf. Dh ran back into store minutes later with the receipt and explained, they didn't believe him! They checked the cctv and said there was nothing left at the till. They couldn't grasp the fact it was left on another floor, not at the till. Then they started talking about coats in the trolley and how it could be under there , and dh told them you can come look in my car now, the security guard refused to do so.
It wasn't even an expensive item, and we had bought much more expensive items with that! Dh complained later sending them a msg, and they did give us the refund, and apologised.
It is awful when you're genuine, but so many people aren't unfortunately. They treat you like you're guilty, and don't read between the lines, because people try all sorts.

Where I work, we have the option of printing the receipt or not. 99% of customers buying cigs and lottery don't want a receipt when I do help out in the kiosk - queue busting and doing breaks. If customers buy any clothing or general merchandise - bedding, books, cookware etc, I automatically print a receipt.

After you have heard 100 lies it is difficult to believe a genuine mistake. I am sure those on MN who work in retail could tell us all of some of the fiction that they have to hear.

Why didn't you just go back with the right receipt instead of all that drama.

Simple isn't it, why refund her for something she doesn't have a receipt for?

when you were in the store you bought an L, then on the way out you saw the XL and bought that... why didn't you just swap them at the time?

So you wanted a refund for an item you couldn't show proof of purchase for? Rather than argue you should have just accepted their very understandable policy and walked out, but you pushed it and argued. In an ideal world you would have been embarrassed at this point, for being unreasonable and pushy, and not just when they called security over.

Then you did a runner before they could even watch the cctv tapes back to verify your innocence? You could have only really made this worse by wearing a balaclava and black and white striped top, and carrying a big sack marked "SWAG". 🤣

I wouldn't go back either.