Is my maths wrong? (Shop refund)

[GertysBestShoes]

Big supermarket near me, closed off its changing rooms during COVID. Went in to buy something important that needs to fit correctly (swimming costume for a pool party booked the next day).

I asked a staff member near the clothing if the changing room was open any more, she confirmed no (I think they're now used as stock storage, you basically can't get beyond any barrier at the entrance). She advised of a 100 day refund policy and confirmed if was okay to buy a few, try them on that day, then refund (with all labels and hangers) the same day.

Bought a few costumes in different sizes (size 12, 14 and 2 different style 16s) along with my £20 ISH food shopping. Paid on a credit card and some vouchers I'd got (think something like clubcard voucher or Asda rewards, a specific £value). Total was £69.

Went back within thr hour (hurrah, 1 costume fitted) and attempted the return at customer service desk. 3 returns to process.

They were:
£9 costume on sale
£10
£20

I expect a £39 refund.

The customer service rep says it is a £39.43 refund that I'm entitled to, because I used a £1 voucher it influenced the refund value as it applies to the costume too.

I asked if the 57p will go back onto my loyalty voucher value, she said no.

What would you have done in that situation? What's a reasonable refund value?

A - be happy with £38.43
B - er, you returned £39 of goods so they need to make it right to £39 value even if it's on a gift card
C - £39.43 refund due back.

I won't drip feed, I'll share here that the customer service desk lady insisted on A. I insisted on B and asked to speak to a manager. Management was called who tried to give me a £38.43 credit card refund then give me a £1 gift card (which I explained was too much).

Aibu?

I’d have said thank you to what she said and just gone about my day.

What a strange this to be concerned about

No a money off coupon generally isn’t refunded or replaced, just like if you buy something with a 10% off coupon and you return it then you don’t get a new 10% off.
A gift card balance which was purchased with money is refunded, coupons aren’t.

I wouldn't have the energy to care. Your set up gave you the ability to try on and get a swimsuit at short notice. You have done that, crack on.

I’m not sure they do, they just think it really doesn’t matter for the 57p! If you place any value on your time, it really isn’t worth it 😂

Is a Freddo more than 57p these days?

All this for 57p? Yeah sure I guess I get the principle but it just seems so petty. Especially as the manager tried to solve it with a £1 gift card which was still not good enough for you apparently.

Like others have said, I’d have accepted the original amount and carried on with my day. My time is precious to me and I can’t be arsed with stuff like this.

R) express the trauma in a poem

S) stand outside the shop and warn innocent citizens

T) watch The Other Bennet Sister on iplayer

U) hunger strike

V) have a large mug of tea, a jam tart and a sit down

W) phone the shop's head office and complain

Something like Clubcard vouchers aren't real money though. It isn't that unusual for vouchers not to be refundable if you return.

If I know I'm trying on things to take back I wouldn't use £ voucher codes on them. It was asking for trouble really.

I found some Tescos Clubcard vouchers (about £5 worth) that had fallen behind the microwave and expired recently. I am aware they aren't money but a restricted time limited reward, within certain permemters offered by the store, so I binned them rather than making anything difficult for the shop workers.

In this scenario I would have been A and might have been a bit annoyed at myself for using the vouchers on this transaction without thinking it through. I can't believe you asked to talk to the manager 😂

I couldn’t even begin to care.

OP paid for a number of items on card and in part with a £1 coupon so they average the coupon out to each item meaning the actual cash payment for each item is a few pence less than the sale price.

If you shop at Sainsbury’s you’re paying way over the odds already. 57p doesn’t matter. Switch to any of the cheaper ones 😁

This is made more confusing by the error in the first figure in the OP. I guess you know for next time to only use your vouchers to buy grocery items you definitely won’t return!

X) have a therapeutic browse on Mumsnet

Y) let it eat away at you until you're unable to think about anything else

Z) comfort yourself that that it's only 152 sleeps until Christmas.

Why did you bother to comment, then?

God it was 50p you loon. If it was Clubcard points or whatever they just get put back on in points, YWBVU to get the manager involved!

I’m all for understanding that people’s problems bare relative to them but c’mon OP

57p

wind up, right?!

But the offered refund is more than she was expecting...the value of the swimsuits came to £39 cash....if the voucher is averaged out across all items, surely she would be receiving slightly less in refund, not more?

Maybe this is one of those things I'll never get my head around but thank you for trying to explain it to me 🤣

I'm surprised by the numbers of people saying they wouldn't care. My main concern here is: this is a shop I go to regularly, almost weekly sometimes. I'm sure I've done clothing buys and refunds as part of the weekly shop before so if this is how they do it on the till calculations, how much have I not checked before?

Btw the manager was insisting I was entitled to £1 back, it wasn't a gesture of goodwill, but I explained it was too much. I didn't want her to get into trouble by accepting.

The first rep just kept repeating "but that's what the till says".

In case anyone is stung by this too. It's Asda.

In future I'll keep clothes buys+ any food shopping with vouchers totally separate.

Because I wanted to.

Apologies for the typo, the first lady insisted that the computer said I should get a £38.43 refund. I accidentally wrote £39.43.

I just wondered if I'd been subject to this before/ if it was normal or if my expectations were unreasonable. I genuinely think the value isn't the point here, if I or others are doing that regularly... A huge shop like Asda seems to have an unreasonable process.

I always do supermarket clothing buys as a separate transaction so you have a simpler receipt for refunds. You're lucky they let you refund swimwear at all tbh so I wouldn't argue over 57p

I'm with you OP, I'd expect the full £39 to be refunded. And I'd have insisted too😝

The first staff member I spoke to about the swimming costumes did know it was for swimming costumes (which I kept underwear on to try on!) when she told me they had a 100 day return policy. Are you all telling me she was wrong too and swimwear would have been rejected normally? Thanks. Sounds like another lesson here for me

This weather is so tiring