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

Friend works for Sainsburys. There is some Nectar card fraud about. She had a man wanting to return a £120 twin pack of electric toothbrushes which was paid for by Nectar points in a store about 200 miles away. Alarm bells ring. Because of the high value of the items and distance of the other Sainsburys, she had to get a manager. Manager asked for Nectar card to see if matched number on receipt. He said he didn't have a Nectar card. He walked off with the receipt and toothbrushes behind. He just wanted the cash. Manager sent photo of receipt and various screenshots of man in the store to the fraud department at HQ

My friend says she has heard of customers having sums of £30 plus stolen from their Nectar card from stores they have never heard of, been to. Plus at the time of the transaction, they were abroad, at work or once, in an operating theatre. Nectar do eventually give the stolen points back to the customer on a new card. On the Nectar app, it does mention which stores you have visited, points collected and redeemed.

Cos I wasn't sure of the sizing and wanted to take them both home to try on

Just try not to be so fearful of other humans and unreasonable with them in future. You weren't stealing anything so what's all the drama about?

If you can go ack today with the correct receipt I would - personally I would even if it was a faff because it was the principle of the thing. Go back with the receipt and specify that you left the top with the shop assistant earlier due to the mix up. Here you are back with your receipt as you said you would be. If you leave it any later than today then your lack of top to go with the receipt is an issue. But given you literally just left it with them! Even better if you can speak with the same shop assistant. I know it doesnt matter at all in the grand scheme, but I am petty and would want to "prove" my innocence

Besides - surely if you were going to pull a scam, you would chose a top that exactly matched the receipt not a too large one?

This

Cos I couldn't prove it

Besides - surely if you were going to pull a scam, you would chose a top that exactly matched the receipt not a too large one?

Well, yes, ideally, but lots of shoplifters aren't very bright, and hope that the assistant won't pay too much attention.

I've seen all sorts of things working in retail, people properly take the piss if they think they can get away with it!

If the receipt didn't say the size on it then surely there shouldn't have been a problem?

How did you not know it was the wrong receipt? The L one had other items on it. The XL one was the only item on it.

That sucks. I don't blame the store for following policy but sorry you are out the money.

Can you go back there today with the other top and the other receipt? If they still have your first receipt and the top they will have to believe you about the two previous transactions.

it's worth it so you don't get banned from the store.

I really don't get why, when the assistant pointed out it was the wrong receipt, you didn't just say "Sorry, I'll have to come back with the right one." OK, perhaps ask once if they could accept this one as the tops were the same price, but if it was a 'no' you shouldn't have kept arguing.

The assistant and the manager will have rules to follow about accepting returns, they would probably get bollocked if this came out in the sort of random security checks stores do; and, frankly, neither will be paid enough to stand arguing the toss about a store policy they can't influence.

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

You should have said “Sorry I’ll come back with the correct receipt.” Why didn’t you?

It is a big deal because it’s not a receipt for what you bought. If this was your attitude no wonder they called security

Seems like you made (and continue) to make a mountain out of a molehill.

What could they have done to you? If they checked the security cams they'd probably have seen that you came into the shop with the item you tried to return and the receipt, they wouldn't find any evidence that you picked a shirt up from the racks after you entered. If you used a credit or debit card when you bought the shirts, they might have been able to find the record of your other receipt as it was just a few minutes before the one you had with you. I'm surprised they let you leave, if they really thought you had stolen (rather than just feeling uncomfortable if it seemed like you were insisting on returning the item after she said she couldn't take it); they usually have security at the door who could have stopped you.

You should have just said sorry, my mistake, taken the top and returned at a later date with the correct receipt.

You asked the staff member to do something that most likely would have got them in proper trouble. Stock systems are really sophisticated these days.

They couldn't prove it either.

They could probably prove it was bought if they scanned the barcode on the item label though, given that it was.

If you bring your statement on your phone, speak politely, but insist the shop has made the mistake and cameras will prove it, then your chances of getting your refund are high.

The OP knows she didn't steal the item. She needs to go back as soon as possible to the shop, preferably at a time when they're normally not busy, and talk to customer service, bringing her documentation with her.

Yes, they have access to all the transaction records, and they can easily check.

Shoplifting is so rife, I really don’t think you can blame them, given that you had the wrong receipt.

Just because of the principle of the thing, I would go home find the other receipt, return to Primark and slap it on the counter.

“There’s the correct receipt. I want my money back and an apology.” All the while thinking in my head, “You bitch”. And, if she is not the manager, I would insist the manager come to the counter and apologize to me in person.

Items have different barcodes depending on their size, colour etc.

For goodness sake, what is the manager apologising for? Doing her job and following store returns policy?

I worked in retail for a number of years, and, yes, we would go back and look at the transaction list to find the correct one. We would ask the customer for the date and if they paid cash or credit, then look at the transactions until we found it. This is called customer service.

Since they had the receipt for the other top, they had a date and close time. Should have been really easy. The person at guest services was just being lazy and a jerk.

I just don't get it. They're not mind-readers are they. People need to work out where their attitude is coming from here, why are they so quick to get wound up.

People do this all the time. They buy something return with the receipt but pick up another 1 from the shop floor on the way in. They don't know who's telling the truth and who isn't.