Debenhams

[seriouslynotserious]

Today I went to buy a coat in Debenhams and I was stopped by a sales staff saying I can't try it on and I must buy it first and try it ON at home and then return it within 28 days if I don't like it. You've probably come across loads of threads like this but I was taken aback by this. I said to the sales staff that I'll take my £100 elsewhere and spend it there and no wonder your store is always on the news about Debenhams is on a brink of collapse. So I went to a different high st store and asked if I could try on their coats first this time round and the sales staff there said of course I could, it's just their changing rooms are closed which I understand. Wearing a coat is different to trying on some tight jeans as the coat is less contaminated to ones skin than a pair of jeans which sticks to ones skin and rubs against people's genitals etc or trying shoes without socks. I spent my £100 there and got a much better coat in the end. My argument here is that, why the hell is a company that is doing so badly before covid (financially) making it worse by putting off customers with policies like this? Me wearing that coat isn't going to spread coronavirus more than me picking it up and taking it to the till paying for it and brining it back a couple of days later after it being exposed to all sorts in my home. There's studies suggesting that it could live for 28 days or more. I sanitised my hands, had my mask on and I'm fully clothed when I wanted to try that coat on. I just wanted to a little rant as I found it a bit ridiculous. I've been to many stores and they would tell me upfront I'm not allowed to this and that but could try on costs only or try on shoes but must have my socks on and wear extra socks the staff provides. I just found Debenhams doing anything they could to put customers off from coming in. The whole mask situation is annoying enough as well as all of these arrows and one way systems but to shout at customers in the middle store that they can't try on coats takes the piss. Rant over sorry :)

It’s a dying store, for sure. Not surprised, with that attitude and level of service.

That’s odd!

So you can’t quickly try it on in store in case you accidentally smear corona on it but you can take it all the way home. Try it on at your leisure and then bring it all the way back and that’s absolutely fine? Idiots.

I think some high street stores are helping their own demise.

On the other hand DH and I went to a small outlet shop and they couldn't have been more helpful and we were allowed to use the fitting rooms and spent a few hundred pounds in there simply because we could try any of the clothes on.

Definitely and today it died in my. Debenhams won't survive this winter but who's fault is it going to be? Covid 😂😂 yeah right.

Try TK maxx. I got mine from there and tried it on there x

Same thing happened to me in Monsoon. The coat went unbought.

@Sexnotgender that's my argument exactly. I can buy it, take it home, sneeze on it and bring it back within 28 days and it's ok as it doesn't spread coronavirus but can't try it on in store? I just felt so humiliated to be told off like that.

I don't know any store that are allowing people to try things on. You must have just dropped lucky.

Most shops quarantine returns for 72 hours.

I was told by someone in a shop it's because if you return something they know it need to be put aside, quarantine basically for a certain time before put back out.

If you try things and put them back then someone else could buy the coat 5inutes after you have spread your corona all over it as the staff wouldn't know to move it away from sale

@Comefromaway

I don't know any store that are allowing people to try things on. You must have just dropped lucky.

Most shops quarantine returns for 72 hours.

Smaller independent or outlet stores are letting people try clothes on.

Any big stores like M&S, Debenhams seem to have shut up all the fitting rooms.

@Spinakker That's where my £100 went 😂

Asda are the same, wanted a coat from George, couldnt decide on 2 different colours and sizes were small, medium or large so i had no idea which I would need. Staff stopped me from trying on and said they had 100 day returns policy. So I would needed to have purchased 4 coats - 2 different colours in 2 sizes or buy 2 coats, one in each coulour and a med and large, return the one I didnt want and potentially buy again if I got the size and colour combination wrong.

I just didnt bother with any of it!!

I don’t know any stores that are allowing people to try on clothes. I think you were unnecessarily unkind to the shop assistant. She has no control over the situation.

OP, I think you are being unfair.
A risk assessment by the store would have concluded it is too high risk to have shoppers trying on clothes whether that be coats, jeans or whatever else. If everyone was allowed to do it then realistically you could have multiple people trying on that coat.
In addition, the reason why you have to purchase then return is that they quarantine the returned items for around 72 hours before putting back out. The studies saying virus can live for 28 days are recent and have been heavily criticised.
A store shouldn't be called ridiculous for trying to protect their staff and customers. I think you are being ridiculous and not the store in this situation.

Gap didn't allow trying on last week neither did M&S I don't think Debenhams is unusual ?

Every time somebody trys on a coat the shop would need to quarantine it 🙄

I was refused to try on a bike helmet in Halfords, a safety device that must fit! (No returns possible either) so nothing surprises me. Shops are basically making up their own restrictions I swear. I'm only shopping on my local high street currently, far better.

@JamSarnie my thoughts exactly. Maybe they are doing it by purpose to send the bill to say they didn't survive because of Covid. Even during lockdown, all the big coffee and food places were shut but the independent places took their trade outside to sell coffees and food following gov guidelines. We had a pub trading cold pints outside on the seafront.

I know maybe I have been unfair to the sales assistant but you won't have a job to go to soon if you pick on customers who simply want to try on a coat. If I was working there I would just ignore it instead of confronting customers with that 'telling off attitude'. That confrontation cost you a £100 in trade that went to TKmaxx instead.

did you get a bike helmet on your high street ?

It's not shop assistants fault though? And to rub the fact that she's likely to lose her job in her face really wasn't the nicest.

I appreciate its annoying op - but I think it must be shitty working in a shop at the moment.

You were very rude. It's not the store staff that make up the rules, and the one about trying on any clothes is government guidance.

As for making smart comments about a situation that will lead to mass job losses? Nasty, plain nasty.

It's annoying but I think the best option is to buy it, go outside to try it on in a shop window or in the toilets and return there and then if you don't want it.

Maybe they remember you from last time you tried stuff on and rubbed the jeans against your genitals?

[quote seriouslynotserious]@Sexnotgender that's my argument exactly. I can buy it, take it home, sneeze on it and bring it back within 28 days and it's ok as it doesn't spread coronavirus but can't try it on in store? I just felt so humiliated to be told off like that. [/quote]
I suspect they quarantine returns

@MoodShiteing probably