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.

Next are amazing. I buy almost everything from Next!

I dont know about Zara but many places wont allow you to return things in the store that you bought online.

Your daughter should go to store and exchange them for a gift card of the current selling price. Most stores will at least do that.

At my place of work we have a policy of no refunds but if a customer writes in and says they were in hospital so could not provide the required info to obtain the product they’ve applied for in the time frame (which is quite generous, couple of months before application withdrawn) then we usually exceptionally give a refund. Sounds like Zara has a blanket no refunds. Submit an actual complaint to them as someone will then investigate and may allow you to receive a gift card / credit.

The don’t have to offer a refund for change of mind/not fitting anyway. They won’t give a toss. They believe they are already going above and beyond.

Also sales assistants have limited to no discretion in these instances. If they accepted it they’d be fired probably. An email to HO might resolve it.

You’re not wrong to be upset. This is genuinely poor customer service.

You missed the returns window by six days due to being seriously ill in hospital, the items were Christmas presents, unworn, tagged, full price and still in stock. Refusing a return with zero empathy, no phone line, and no Christmas extension is rigid and unreasonable.

Policies shouldn’t override basic humanity. After everything you’ve been through, their response is frankly unacceptable.

I have ordered plenty from Next and Izabel. On the rare occasions there has been a problem, they have been absolutely amazing. They don't send out rotten ru bish threads like Zara, either.

Or, and I know this will be a shock so maybe sit down, you could think and realise the answer to the question they had is potentially covered by this.

They feel 30 days return along with a system where there is no need to have to mess around returning the gifts to the gifter, is enough for the Christmas period.

It also helps others who read the thread with how to avoid similar scenarios . . . . I know, the mind blowing concepts just keep coming.

So how do I request a gift receipt online?

No, but people will do what they can get away with. And that behaviour spreads as normal across those who join from those already there.

It's a fairly basic known idea that how staff act is a reflection of the workplace environment. Normalisation of deviance is a well documented phenomenon, and spread through social concepts within the workplace (organisational socialisation, the process where staff learn the "actual" way to behave, seperate to anything official).

I’m glad you are feeling better.

Having worked in retail management for 20 years? I can tell you that everyone always has a reason why they should be given an exception. Rules and policies are there for a reason.

Don’t shop there anymore if you don’t want. Can’t say it will effect there business and no one will actually care. Whenever someone has said that to me, I’ve wanted to reply “Great, then I won’t have to deal with you anymore!”

As has been mentioned previously on the thread, your best course of action now is to return them anyway with a covering note - Christmas gift from granny, then in hospital.

It’s more convenient for them in that scenario just to accept the return, as trying to return it to you may backfire - if you’re away and the goods can’t be delivered or you don’t accept the return - in that circ it will either wing back to them or get lost with the courier etc.

People have already suggested what to do. If out of the returns period go
in the store say you lost the receipt and ask to exchange the items for something else. They will let you do this.

Ok thank you.
But I don't know how to return the items.
There was no returns slip inside the box when it arrived. I remember being surprised at the time and thinking it was odd to have no piece of paper listing the items, no returns slip, and no returns label.
I went on to Zara online to search for returns, and it says there will be a link for returns on the order confirmation and delivery emails. But I've searched through those emails and there is no returns link in them at all.
I've looked several times and my DD has looked.
Then I found out by using the chat function that I need a QR code to be sent to me for returns, but the chat person said I can't have a QR code because has gone over 30 days.
So I don't actually know how to send them back.

No they won’t.

I’ve done this plenty of times. Including online orders. Don’t tell them your ordered online just say I don’t have my receipt - can I exchange for x.

I think they should offer extended returns over this period generally, it must be quite common with Christmas presents.

Having said that, in future just give a gift receipt so they can return.

Login to your Zara account and process them there.

In your account, select the items in the order you want to return and follow the instructions.

It’s possible that may not be possible outside the return period - depends how smart their software is, but it may not be that smart.

Yes I don’t mess with short return windows for Xmas presents, I either get vouchers or send the item directly to the recipient ahead of time for a yes or no and return immediately if no.

Zara really annoyed me over Christmas too.
My husband's elderly uncle got me a £50 Zara gift card. I went to use it in there and they wanted the last 4 digits of the mobile number of the person that bought it. I don't have his number - there is no reason for me to. I was stood at the till trying to call my husband and getting him to text me the details. Massive queue behind me it was so embarrassing.

The number he sent didn't work.

I had to leave the stuff.

It did turn out it was his dad that bought it anyway - but I didn't know that at the time.

The staff on the till were insisting I search through my phone (to find a number I know I don't have).

The whole process made me feel like I was a criminal trying to use a stolen card or something.

The terms say you will be asked for your mobile number at the till. It does not make it clear it is the gift card purchasers number.

They don't have to AML check until £150 on gift cards so it is unreasonable for them to ask this.

I haven't written in a complaint yet but will do.

That’s really odd, never heard of that before with a gift card.

Agree with those who suggested giving back to your daughter and explaining the situation. She can sell for a good price on Vinted. Zara stuff sells very well on there.

I believe you can return items in store so why didn’t your gd or her mum do this? Either attempting to get a different size or gift voucher? Honestly, I don’t know why they weren’t more proactive as you were so ill. Not fair to be bothering you.

@Corgi2023
It says on the website that the last 4 digits of the phone number used when purchasing the gift card are needed to activate the card.

Not ideal but why don't you or your daughter resell on Vinted, at least then the clothes won't go to waste.