Upset by Shop's attitude

[Fratch]

There are a lot of important things to worry about in life and this feels trivial but its really annoyed and upset me, I could do with a bit of perspective please?

I live in a small town with lots of independent shops. One of these sells uniforms and dance wear and I have shopped there for DS and DD for nearly 15 years. Today I returned a set of ballet shoes which had split. I only purchased them a week ago and DD had only worn them twice.

The staff are normally friendly but my request for an exchange was greeted with a demand for the receipt which I did not have but instead showed them proof of the purchase on my banking app, (the receipts don’t specify the good purchased anyway). They then expressed scepticism that the shoes had only been worn twice and commented that my proof of payment could be for anything (as could any receipt).

They again queried if I was sure they had only been purchased a week before and then reluctantly agreed to an exchange but “only this once”. I was with my DD (16) and was embarrassed by this as they all but called me a liar and annoyed because not once in all this time have I every returned anything until now. The mantra around here is very much shop local but this has really put me off. I know, I know I’m being stupid but really can’t shake the annoyance.

You said it seems trivial. It certainly is especially when you got the desired result without your receipt

As you say- shop local is everyone's mantra and your hardly there every weekend asking for refunds they should have taken it at good faith and probably said something like "we usually require a receipt. But this time thats fine..." and left it at that..

Trivial it may be but it would piss me off, probably most of all the illogicality of the 'you could have bought these at any time' when a receipt which they were claiming they would accept would also not have been any better proof that you bought that item on that date.

Arseholes.

You need proof of purchase. It doesn't have to be a receipt. If their receipts don't specify the item purchased then the details on your banking app would be sufficient.

I wouldn't be buying there again. I'm a big advocate of buy local but not at the expense of the basics of customer service.

Yes, I got the desired result with my phone proof of purchase I just did not appreciate the implication that I was lying. Getting a good meal in a restaurant is a desired result but if the service is rubbish most people would soon complain.

Dancewear shops do unfortunately find that some customers buy shoes or leotard or whatever to be worn once or twice for an exam or performance, and then they return the item to the shop for a refund saying it's faulty or doesn't fit.

It is quite common (I worked in a dancewear shop for a while some years ago), and I have had to deal with people trying to pull that stunt.

That could explain their cynical attitude towards someone with a genuinely faulty pair of shoes.

Their comment makes no sense anyway.

According to Consumer Rights Act, you don’t need a receipt to return a faulty item. As long as you can show sufficient proof of purchase - which you did via your banking app.

They must've had people trying it on. Kid wears ballet kit for intense training over a short time, product gets damaged.

The mum doesn't want to buy again so soon so fibs it was only worn twice. You can see that happening not just with ballet but maybe other sportswear.

Also you didn't have a receipt.

All in all you got what you wanted. It's not personal against you it's just purely down to what's happened in the past I'm sure. Their profit margins are probably extremely tight.