Grrr Primark

[WinterKitchen]

A friend gave me a birthday bag with lots of stuff in which included some slippers and flip flops from Primark both of which were too small. I took them back today obviously unworn and they refused to change because I didn't have receipt.

After explaining several times that no I don't have a receipt because someone else bought them for me they asked did I have a gift receipt or a photograph of one. Of course not. I wouldn't ask for that and I didn't tell my friend I was returning the items as I didn't want to upset her or ask for a receipt.

I know the assistant can't do anything, and she offered to fetch a manager but I didn't see the point as they clearly wouldn't change the items. I told them to keep them as they're no good to me and that I would not be returning.

Just frustrating really. Only talking about £10 maybe, and I've already got far too many flip flops and slippers anyway. But I'm just annoyed.

I do have the receipt, for the one I paid for.

I'm not very well and I'm just feeling grumpy.

But that’s not what we’re talking about here is it?! PPs are calling OP childish for allowing them to go to someone else rather than her taking them home, presumably to either throw away or store in her home for X number of years before then throwing them away.

Then just go through the proper channels?!🤦🏻‍♀️

Huh!! That’s ridiculous. It messes up their inventory and systems think they have X amount of stock when they don’t and staff can’t account for it. You’re making someone else’s job harder / managers can’t meet their targets for discrepancies. The entitlement is nuts.

Blame Primark for a stupidly inflexible business model. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Everything will get sold.

Then they should let people swap for the correct size.

I’m surprised at all the people saying YABU
Ive worked retail extensively in the past at many different shops and it was always standard practice to offer an exchange or credit note without receipt as so many people received items as gifts.
I’m forever returning next/m&s items which have been bought for my kids by our extended family in incorrect sizes and never have a receipt, never had a problem!

I wasn't being petty. They can resell them. They're no use to me and not worth putting on vinted.

But in your case they would? Because you said you had the receipt for the original purchase?

So your issue is not being arsed to queue, not an inflexible business model.

Not my experience. I've been able to exchange without a receipt after explaining it was a gift. This was in January though so plenty of people exchanging Christmas presents.

Go to somebody else with Primark being paid twice? It's your attitude that's iffy. Are you every sales person's dream?

So you can do a normal exchange then, at the till? Why would you mess up their stock and order by doing it in the aisles? Weird behaviour

I’m forever returning next/m&s items which have been bought for my kids by our extended family in incorrect sizes and never have a receipt, never had a problem

M&S will exchange without a receipt. They won’t refund.

They do. Within a time frame and with a valid receipt. You have no idea how stores manage their stock ordering and inventory. I process exchanges several times a week as part of my job.

Also, PPs banging on about shoplifting seem to be forgetting that OP is just asking for a straight swap, not a bloody refund. I don’t see what shoplifting has to do with a straight swap for a different size, providing the items are unworn and still have undamaged tags on. Maybe I’m missing something?

They do! with a proof of purchase!!!

Anyone can just walk in, pick up a pair of flip flops and walk over to checkout and get them ‘swapped’ and then get themselves a receipt for an exchange of goods they never paid for.

You should have held on to see a manager they might have let you exchange as a gesture of good will.

Primark being paid twice? Huh? What on earth are you on about?!?

It’s annoying but with shoplifting as riff as it is, it’s not surprising that retailers are getting stricter about having the receipts for returns.

That's your friends money gone to waste.

Except they won’t. You had a tantrum when they explained totally standard returns practices across most stores and left your unwanted goods there. Trust me with the level of retail bureaucracy that exists, they will have binned your unwanted items as rubbish when you could have just taken the, back and dropped the, off at a charity store 🙄

I don't think it's petty leaving them behind, depending how it was done. I bought two cycle helmets and when I got round to trying them on, one for me one for OH they didn't fit. Tried to return, with a receipt and we were outside the 28 days. I said to them, they're no good to me, please donate them next time someone asks you for a donation. Having worked in retail we were always bring asked for donations from schools and the like. They were happy to.

What do you think Primark are going to do with them?

Where did OP say or give the impression that she had a tantrum? She never mentioned raising her voice or stamping her feet? Let’s not make things up it doesn’t help anyone.