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?

OMG

I thought I had seen everything there was to see on MN. I was wrong!!!!!!

I think we all need to set up a Crowdfunder for the poor OP

I'm willing to do a sponsored ice-cream eating marathon . . . . .

Are you actually serious because if you are, you have much bigger issues than your 57 pence?!

I spent more than 57p of my time reading the post! Just move on.

The party is going to be such fun!

This all happened during covid and you are moaning about it 5 or 6 years later?

This is the most ridiculous thread I've ever read and I've been on mumsnet and very, very long time. I cannot believe this is for real. Jesus wept.

The refund was a few pence less than expected. When you complained they offered you a £1 voucher which your refused as it made the refund a few pennies too much?

Meanwhile in real world problems……

I’d be a bit peeved too as they’re a massive company and how many times do they do this to people and it all adds up - it’s funny how these things don’t go in the customer’s favour

The way I read it, the changing rooms were closed down during COVID and haven't been reopened so OP bought several different items, took them home to try them on then returned several of the items.

They probably can't give less than a pound on a gift card, which is why the manager gave you the £1 gift card, although you say it was too much.

Did you seriously want a 57p giftcard?

OP, just a thought . . . .

why didn't you accept the £1 gift card and donate the surplus 43p to charity?

Yes that is correct. Just way too much unnecessary detail in the OP confusing matters, when all she needed to say was ‘the shop doesn't have a changing room’.

Yes, swimwear and underwear are usually excluded from returns.

Yes they can apply a discount from a voucher on your return. People using vouchers then returning for cash is a well known scam. It clearly looks weird when the till calculation comes to 57p, but that’s how it works. You still got the same discount off, overall.

Sterling work @ShowOfHands!

Usually vouchers don’t give back change under £1 so that’s totally normal. They nicely attributed the first £38.43 of the £39 as not bought by voucher. But as the payment method then became a voucher on the transaction, they couldn’t refund the 57p. That is why the manager offered you a £1 free voucher.

I honestly think you were being incredibly rude to quibble over 57p. Most shops charge a restocking fee these days or refuse returns of swimming costumes for hygiene reasons so you’re actually lucky they accepted the returns and didn’t charge a cleaning or restock fee.

I’ve returned plenty of swimwear. It’s usually got a protective bit of tape on and I would try in with underwear. It’s not as easy as buying a pair of pants because the style / shape / coverage is a massive factor to me keeping

If this large supermarket is doing this kind of rounding down on refunds to all their clients they'll be making a fucking fortune.

I'd have queried it too.

If I was 57p short would Sainsburys just "let me off" ?

I'm surprised it's happened though as usually everything is so automated these days the refund would have automatically given the OP the correct amount / calculated what needed to go back to voucher amount etc.

Except it did as they offered her more and she refused it…

Actually I'm going to contradict myself a bit here @GertysBestShoes

Having re-read the first post I can see you were offered option C which meant you came away with extra money. So there was an option you weren't left out of pocket. However if this was the only way they could get you back to the amount you paid then this should have been done as standard and the onus shouldn't have been on the customer to find the solution.

My original point stands. As this thread proves most people wouldn't have asked to speak to a manager and just accepted that the huge supermarket keeps the 57p. At what point does 57p start to matter? When they've done something similar to a 100 customers? To a 1000 customers?

I wouldn’t give a shit!

Time to get some new hobbies and get out more @GertysBestShoes

They weren’t rounding down, they refunded the actual cost OP paid and the £1 value that came from a loyalty bonus was lost as that is generally what happens.
She was given the correct refund.

The £1 gift voucher was an additional good will gesture from the manager as OP was complaining.

FFS, 57p.

Why would swimwear be excluded from returns? Trousers, leggings etc aren’t! Surely people try it on over underwear, or there is a plastic film over the gusset?