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 :)

So you can’t try a coat on in case you ‘spread your corona all over it’ but you can touch it, pick it up off the rail, breathe on it sneeze on it, cough on it all while it’s sitting on the rack in store and that’s fine OP 🤷‍♀️

If it's the government making the rules and not Debenhams then surely it should be the same for every store 🤔

Some shops have changing rooms open, Mint Velvet, LK Bennett, Jigsaw, Mango. They presumably realise that without offering the facility they will lose sales. I’ve tried on coats on the shop floor in M&S and my daughter did today in Top Shop In view of staff who didn’t complain. It’s very difficult, I don’t want anywhere to close

I do wonder how much longer Debenhams will survive. I buy online as many miles from my nearest store. I've been trying to buy some thin jumpers from a few of their different brands and everything is sold out in nearly all sizes. Makes me wonder if they aren't getting restocked.

They will be following the guidelines correctly and possibly taking extra measures to protect their staff and their customers. It sounds as if you were very rude to the shop Assistant, she was probably glad you went elsewhere, no need for rudeness

Seasalt wouldn’t let me try a coat on either. So I bought one from Mountain Warehouse who were happy for me to try it on.

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

I've obviously been trying jeans on incorrectly as I've never managed to rub them against my genitals . Mid you, I wear underwear when trying on clothes.

Lots of stores have a no trying on policy at the moment.

But whether this rule is pointless or not it sounds like you took your annoyance at their policy out on the store assistant who let’s face it is only following Head Office guidance. You probably really upset them as I doubt you expressed yourself in a particularly polite way.

So YABU. I hope the next customer the shop assistant had to deal with was a bit more understanding of the situation. Enjoy your new £100 coat

Oh god I now have a fear of new jeans

Debenhams was acting like most large retailers for the reasons various posters have identified . No need to have done a budget Julia Robert flounce ‘big mistake’ as you took your £100 elsewhere

I had this conversation with my sister just the other day. It's why I now order on line. Because if I'm going to have to take it home, try it on and then return it I may as well have it sent to my house in the first place.

Plus I get more choice on line as most shops don't always have every size in every store.

And I know that's why high streets are having a hard time but our nearest big stores are 10 miles away whereas my post office is a 15 minute walk. If I can try on in the comfort of my own home, but not in store, where's the incentive?

no need to be so vile to store staff

none at all....proud of yourself for that?

No need to get shitty with the poor sales assistant. No wonder people are suffering with low mood and anxiety if staff up and down the country have to go to work on a daily basis and be faced with attitudes like yours.

Most stores are not allowing people to try on. I have no idea why though because they are still allowing customers to trail round the entire store touching things.

While in M&S a lady picked up some shoes, took them to the assistant and asked if she could try them on. The replay was 'yes, if you sanitise tyour hands first'. I though eh? But she's already touched them, so what difference would it make.

Similar append to me in John Lewis- I picked up a pom pom hat, examined it, looked at the price tag, felt it to see if was soft etc. Then I popped it on my head quickly and lo and behold the shop assistant appeared, pointed out the no trying on sign which I'd missed and then took the hat off to be 'quarantined'- so it seems corona is only on my head not my hands!

I agree some rules make no sense. Multiple people could pick up that coat, hold it against themselves to roughly figure out length etc, decide it isn’t right and put it back.
On a slightly similar note, I tried on some boots in John Lewis. They insisted on you putting little pop socks on over your socks before trying the shoes on. Absolutely fine, it’s obviously no hardship to do it. But since you didn’t have to put gloves on to touch the shoes in the first place (and didn’t have to sanitise your hands), I’m not sure what difference it makes, surely hands pose much more of a risk, since they can touch your face? Are my feet actually more likely to spread coronavirus than my hands touching the shoes to get them on? Plus I was trying on knee high boots and the pop socks are just little ones, so they’d clearly decided my feet were a risk, but not my ankles or calves.
I appreciate it’s hard for shops, but some rules just seem like they’re there just so people can say they’ve done something.

If you buy online you can’t try on, so it isn’t really very different. The reason people go to a physical clothes shop is to feel the material and try things on and if many places won’t allow it, there’s no advantage to going to the high street.

If you buy online and it’s not right, you return it. That must be less hassle than what various posters have described.

I think we just have to deal with the situation as it is now. I hope there will be a time when we can go to shops and try things on, just as I hope we’ll be able to do many other things we used to and can’t now.

jeans which sticks to ones skin and rubs against people's genitals
Erm, I speak for us all when I say please wear knickers before going on trying on clothes.

But clothing gets touched all the time, to assess quality etc, a quick try on over other clothes is not much different IMO

Jigsaw have changing rooms open for trying on in store again now.
And incidentally, they have beautiful coats

@Thesuzle

But clothing gets touched all the time, to assess quality etc, a quick try on over other clothes is not much different IMO

And with a lot of the 'rules' it's the fact they don't make sense which frustrates a lot of us.

Where I live. No shops are allowing you to try on anything. You have to buy it. Try it on at home. Then if you take it back. It's quarantined for 2 weeks.

@MoodShiteing

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

Best reply I've ever read on Mumsnet!!!!!!!!

So you were happier buying from a shop that ignored the guidelines than one that took it seriously. Well done , you must be proud

I understand your frustration, but If customers tried things on and just put them back on the rails in big stores like Debenhams, they probably wouldn’t realise but in small independent shops the staff can put them to one side to ‘quarantine.” Your attitude to the staff member was horrible though and you were out of order in my opinion.

It's the norm round our way (Scotland).

Not been in a high street shop since March and I used to like to shop but online all the way now.