Worst shops for giving refunds

[joliejolie]

Just curious to get a few opinions on which shops have the worst attitude about doing returns.

I was in a shop the other day and it was made very clear that the SA was annoyed that I was returning a top that I'd changed my mind about. Now I don't often change my mind once I've spent the cash, but it would be nice to know I can do it without facing a silent annoyance, especially if the return policy allows it. This isn't even the first time I've had problems in this shop. It's becoming increasingly common and it does affect where I spend my money.

For me the worst shops are House of Fraser (see above), Zara and Selfridges. In fact, the entire shopping experience at HOF is pretty crap these days. You cannot get through the beauty department without being accosted by women asking shoppers to try their hand treatments. The SA's are miserable and and it's just a depressing place to shop.

My local dotty p's are terrible with returns they look at you like you have spat on their clothing, i order online now so i can post back

Never had a problem at Zara so perhaps it depends on the store. It is one of the reasons I buy clothes online as you just post it back with no quibbles.

Zara. Bloody awful. They look you up and down like you're a turd, and assume you just nicked it. Awful shop. Never buy from them ever again.

I know Zara employess can be a bit...well, up themselves, so I now make sure that I love everything before I pay. Did one return at the Westfield shop and I found myself apologising to the girl who never smiled or even looked at me. My fault completely for (temporarily) allowing her to make me feel inferior.
I have now discovered Zara online and two orders in and I've no complaints. I had heard horror stories, but it's been okay so far.

Oh and Whistles in Hampstead...yikes!!

Joy only offer credit notes, which I found quite surprising

The White Company.

They told me they didn't make the duvet I had on my bed! Maybe the pixies made it.

I must ask them for new pillows.

White Company in general are shite! I'm still waiting on a conclusion to a £100 plus cardigan that I bought from them which was riddled with holes after 4 wears.

Has anybody had any bad experiences with LK Bennett recently? It has gone a bit quiet on that front.

Benetton. I bought a coat for a size 8 friend. The label on it said size 8. It was large on her and when we looked at the label inside the coat, it said size 14.

I took it back, showed them the wrong label was on it. They got very sniffy and said I could have a credit note and not a refund. I refused on the grounds that they had no size 8s left and it was their mistake. It took a 30 minute battle with the manager to get the refund.

Have never shopped there since.

Never had a problem with Zara. H&M are a bit shit with refunds though.

Clarks were crap and made me wait around for ages for the appropriate manager, for a simple return of unworn shoes bought the afternoon before.

Debenhams tried to refuse the return of an unworn hat due to the fact that it had a hair in it.

But unless they state otherwise, none of them actually have to offer you refunds though unless the item is unfit for purpose..

I've never had problems with any chain stores but there is a independent store not far from me which sells "trendy" makes like Miss Sixty, Ugg, Bench, etc who are a nightmare. I bought DS an expensive silk tie for job interviews which plucked and frayed badly after only 3 wears, took it back but had no end of problems with them. Eventually, after waiting 3 weeks for them to "sort it out" I threatened them with solicitor and trading standards and got a full refund.

Recently was chatting to someone else locally who was bemoaning something she bought, clearly faulty, but also had to threaten them to get a refund.

Superdry. They state that they only do exchanges or credit notes, not refunds. I had tried on a pair of skinny jeans there, and they were perfect, nice and tight like I wanted. So bought 3 pairs in diff colours. Wore a pair the next day and after 2-3 hours, they were as baggy as anything around the crotch and tops of thighs.

Back to Superdry. Stated why had happened and got a SA who tried to tell me that "that's what denim does, it stretches". I explained that I expected skinny jeans to stay skinny. Cut a long story short, i wouldn't back down, and he made 3 trips to the back of the shop to speak to the manager (who obv cba to come and speak to me personally), and after I quoted the Sales of Goods Act to him - ie. these jeans are not 'fit for purpose', they consented to a refund. The SA ended up agreeing with me too which was funny, total change of tune from when I first walked in.

Sad thing is, the store was empty when I was in, but about 4 SA rearranging piles of jeans and tshirts looking bored.

Always think Zara SA act like supermodels that didn't make it. I once complained about their lack of and pathetic range of maternity wear there - a minuscule rail. They would have been better not having any at all. The rather haughty and camp manager told me that they had a pregnant member of staff at the moment, and that they were able to fit in the L size of their regular range and that actually, he didn't see the need for a maternity range. Clearly said member of staff must have been a beanpole with a pea sized bump. I was hardly gargantuan, but it made me feel shit.

Uggs (direct) had a pair of boots in feb in April a hole had appeared in the toe - queried it with them ( my last pair had lasted over 2 years with almost daily wear) and was told tough it's how I walk !!

Hobbs.

Some SAs make me laugh. There's nothing at all wrong with a career in retail, obviously, but it is a problem when they act superior to their customers. Success is dependant upon appealing to many different shapes and sizes...and incomes!
Hilarious that a male manager sees no reason for maternity wear! Some women just do pregnancy really well and he's so lucky to have one of them working for him. Wonder if he would fire her if she crept up to an XL!

Not a clothes shop but mothercare. Lady actually said to me "I don't think we even sell that here" like I was trying to return something from another shop...

I like Benetton but am wary unless I absolutely 100% know I love something as they only offer exchange or credit note.
Local Topshop store awful... They once tried telling me they didn't do refunds for online purchases in store. I made them read their own despatch note out loud and offered to call their customer care line ;-)
White Stuff annoy me that you can't return online purchases through store.

Jaeger were terrible. I bought a dress from there and on one wear it looked tatty and had pilled in lots of places. I took it back and got a huge amount of grief about how I must have hot washed it (I hadn't washed it at all, even though it was machine washable) and rubbed it against velcro or worn it for inappropriate work (whatever that would be). I had to wait a week while they decided whether to refund me and in the end they only allowed me to exchange. Really disgusted at their attitude, particularly as I was in there all the time, had a customer loyalty card which showed that.