To never shop at Zara again?

[Avaximitis]

I feel like I've had a terrible customer experience with Zara.
I bought some clothes for my 11 year old DGD for Christmas presents. I bought them online on 9th December and gave them to her Christmas day.
On NYE I was admitted to hospital with pneumonia and stayed in hospital for 2 weeks. I needed oxygen and IV medication and have been very unwell.
I returned home yesterday.
Family visited when I got home and DD gave me 3 of the Zara items back, apologising that they do not fit. Unworn. Tags in place. Simply too small. DD said she couldn't return them to me whilst I was in hospital receiving oxygen, for obvious reasons, so waited until I got home.
I have spent 1 hour today talking on their 'chat' system. They have no customer service telephone number to call, which I much prefer. Anyway I asked for a real person and not an AI bot and was connected to a person. I explained everything and asked if I can return these 3 items. I explained about being in hospital and I explained that whilst I was in hospital I missed the 30 returns date. I explained I got home yesterday evening and am contacting them today at my first opportunity. I explained the items are unworn with tags in place. I have checked, and none of the items are in their January sale. They are all in stock and all full price.
The associate I dealt with point blank refused a return. It is 6 days too late.
Despite them being bought for Christmas present so there was 3 weeks until I actually gave the items to DGD. And despite the fact I have been in hospital.
Not one ounce of sympathy.
No extended Christmas returns period.
No telephone number to call.
No display of understanding of my situation.
A total refusal to accept a return when it is only 6 days late.
I'm staggered beyond belief.
Truly unbelievably poor customer service.
I can't believe it.

I havent shopped in Zara since 2007, when I was living abroad and I bought a dress in the shop local to me. At the time of purchase I asked if it should have a belt with it as there were what looked like belt loops on the waist. The woman on till said no. There weren't any belts on any other ones of same dress on the rack so I took her word. Got home and changed my mind about the dress a few days later. Took it in to return and they refused to accept it for return as it was missing the belt! I tried to argue my case but wasn't speaking my first language and the two women on till laughed and sneered at me and said they couldn't understand what I was saying even though my language skills were pretty competent. It has been 18 years since I gave that shitty company a penny of my money.

She hasn't said there's no receipt?

This really. I hope you are feeling better now op.

Sorry you've been so ill, OP.
You will probably be able to exchange the gifts for something else if you go into the shop. Zara have the right to stick to their own side of the contract so they haven't done anything wrong, although it is unusual to offer such a short window for returns over Christmas and some shops would have been more relaxed about the return date.
Not really what you need at the moment - hope you continue to feel better.

I bought online. As already stated.

Did you ask if you could exchange or take gift vouchers? You have missed the return date, so you’re asking them, not telling.

Yes, so that means you take your paperwork (digital is fine) and the garments into store and ask to speak to the manager. Just because you buy online doesn’t mean you have to return that way.

Can't believe people expect a major cooperation to give any fucks whatsoever to an individual circumstance. I am sorry OP that this has happened to you but think you are very unrealistic to imagine that anything could be done . Your GD had plenty of time to return them .

It’s rude that your dgd gave them back to you. She should’ve sold them on

I once returned a Zara item - tags in, spotless, unworn - and received a very odd response by email saying that they would refund me this time, but I was on some sort of "last chance" list because they thought the clothes had been worn. I kept the other items from the same order too, for what it's worth. It's put me off ordering from them again!
Sorry to hear they've been so inflexible in your case and hoping you feel better.

Zara don’t do exchanges or credit notes after 30 days (or without a receipt) either. I’ve had similar issues before and it is frustrating.
however you can either suck it up or boycott Zara forever. Personally I never have as I struggle to find good clothes for my age range that are to my taste and in that price bracket so I’ve accepted that it is what it is. I doubt one person boycotting a business with a multi million annual turnover would miss me as a customer so id be cutting off my nose to spite my face!

I don’t buy from Zara due to a difficult return a couple of years ago. Ended up charity shopping the item due to Zara’s fuckery.

I would just return them OP with a covering letter. I’ve done that before but not with Zara. Once they have the goods it’s easier for them to refund you than it is to send them back to you which they will have to pay for.

If they refuse the refund you then you can simply do a chargeback on your card.

Well done, Zara - way to go.

You’ve just lost the business of a large portion of the British population.

This is a you problem, not a customer problem.

I’d do as others have suggested and take them to your closest physical location, @Avaximitis
And if they give you any grief I’d be back on here with an update.
This is the sort of sordid experience that the Daily Mail just loves. Believe me, they’re on here watching everything.
And btw - I hope you’re feeling much better and you’re just angry and you aren’t letting this get you too down.
Sending love from faraway ❤️

Absolutely this….i wouldn’t dream of asking my mum to return items that were too small after she had been so very poorly…

Why did your daughter come to you with this problem the day after you came out of hospital having spent 2 weeks as a patient with pneumonia @Avaximitis
What was she thinking??

It might be different if you went into a physical shop and explained but the customer service rep
on the end of the phone has no power. They have to abide my strict rules or risk losing their job.

No they don’t. You are only entitled to a refund if the item is faulty or not as described.

It's annoying that zara have been so inflexible but at the end of the day they're a business and your personal circumstances aren't really their concern

Tbh though it was really tactless of your dd to throw the clothes back at you and expect you to stress yourself out over it. My dd got a dress for Christmas from her grandparent which is a) probably a bit small and b) almost (but annoyingly not quite) identical to one she already owns. I wouldn't dream of bothering my MIL to return it and my MIL is fit and well and we can't stand each other 🤣 I'll either put it on dd once or twice in front of MIL or quietly return/sell it. Why the fuck is your dd burdening you with this after you've been seriously unwell?! I'd be handing them back and telling her that was her gift and she can do whatever she wants with it

That’s right. There are companies in the UK who don’t offer refunds at all. Sports Direct is the main one that comes to mind and I refuse to buy anything from them in store for that reason (online orders can be refunded but not in-store purchases)

Let it go. You have been really unwell and in the overall scheme of things, it’s not worth getting yourself stressed. I know it’s really annoying, but after what you have been through, forget it.

I don’t think Zara’s cheap enough to claim this.

By way of example I bought PJs from Sainsbury’s by way of example in early Dec. I have till end of Jan to return them.

Most shops I use have an extended returns period at Christmas. I didn’t realise Zara didn’t so it’ll definitely give me pause for thought about shopping there.

Go into store with the items and receipt. They are often much more reasonable and might at least give you a credit note.

They don’t have to. They don’t have to accept returns at all, unless faulty. Yes I agree it’s not good customer service but it doesn’t seem to be harming their business. Just don’t shop there again.

It's not in their business model. They don't sell an exceptional customer experience and goodwill, they sell affordable fashion at varying levels of quality. They aren't looking for lifetime customer loyalty.