My L K Bennett boots are now in the sale

[winniemum]

I treated myself to a lovely pair of LKB boots a couple of weeks ago and now they’re in the Black Friday sale with over £100 off!
Not sure if I should buy another pair and return with the original receipt or whether they’d give me the difference if I ring them. £100 is a lot of money!
Anyone tried this? xx

@JinglingHellsBells I work in M&S head office and we will refund wherever you paid, providing you have proof of purchase. So I'm not sure what's happened there but you need to escalate that as it's not our policy

@JinglingHellsBells

Highly unlikely they will refund the difference. Why would they? Stores can't do this for sale items or where would they draw the line? When this has happened to me, I've returned the originals and bought the newer reduced ones.

Be aware that M&S will only refund at the current price (ie the sale price) not what you paid. (I know it's not M&S but the same might apply.)

That's not true about M&S unless you don't have the receipt. If you have a receipt showing what you paid they'll honour that.

Worth ringing I guess. But you paid that price for them and knew Black Friday was coming up

@clary well that must have changed. I know for certain that some years ago if the item was in the sale, your refund was the sale price not what you paid for it at full price.

@WhoLivesInAHouseL1keThis This was years ago so maybe your policy has changed for the better!

@JinglingHellsBells

Highly unlikely they will refund the difference. Why would they? Stores can't do this for sale items or where would they draw the line? When this has happened to me, I've returned the originals and bought the newer reduced ones.

Be aware that M&S will only refund at the current price (ie the sale price) not what you paid. (I know it's not M&S but the same might apply.)

That's not the case providing you have your receipt. How can they only refund the item at sale price when you literally have your receipt showing you paid full price lol. As long as you have your receipt you'll get what you paid. Most stores will do a refund and honour the sale price but definitely easier to refund and buy again

@bratzdoll I've updated my post to say this was some years ago. Maybe M& S made a mistake but I had a receipt and was told I could only be refunded the current value (sale price.) If it's not the case now, fine, but it was around 10 years ago.

If you haven't worn them you can return them and buy a new pair, but it is also worth calling them to ask - companies are often happy to honour requests like that. John Lewis have refunded me the difference in sale items before.

@JinglingHellsBells definitely an error! It's never been policy

They also tried to tell me that at M and S some time ago - I bought a pair of gloves which starting disintegrating without a few weeks and I took them back. They had gone into the sale so they tried to only refund the sale price. I had to stand there and have a (polite) row with the sales assistant until they eventually called a manager who sorted it out.

Very annoying.

@JinglingHellsBells

Highly unlikely they will refund the difference. Why would they? Stores can't do this for sale items or where would they draw the line? When this has happened to me, I've returned the originals and bought the newer reduced ones.

Be aware that M&S will only refund at the current price (ie the sale price) not what you paid. (I know it's not M&S but the same might apply.)

"Where would they draw the line"? They draw the line when the item is outside the returns window for the purchase of that item. It's not complicated!

@JinglingHellsBells why do you say that about M&S? That has never ever happened to me
Their website states
"Our standard returns policy for items bought is 35 days. This applies to both online and in-store purchases, except in the case of sale items, which you have 14 days to return (exclusions apply).
If the item is unused, in its original packaging and accompanied by a valid proof of purchase, we’ll offer a full refund. This does not affect your statutory rights. Please click here for further details."

"Where would they draw the line"?
They draw the line when the item is outside the returns window for the purchase of that item. It's not complicated!

I think what the previous poster was getting at was if everyone phoned and asked for a refund of the difference, because they bought before the sale. Can you imagine everyone buying presents before Christmas, and then people expecting to be partially refunded because an item had gone into the sale on Boxing day? That's the risk you take.
Anyone is free to return within the returns window, and re-order if the item is still available in the right size, colour etc.

I think what the previous poster was getting at was if everyone phoned and asked for a refund of the difference, because they bought before the sale. Can you imagine everyone buying presents before Christmas, and then people expecting to be partially refunded because an item had gone into the sale on Boxing day? That's the risk you take.

I might be being dim, but why is that not answered by 'yes, if it's inside the returns window'?
If it's inside the returns window you can return your purchase (if not used/worn obviously) for any reason you like. Including the OP's situation, where you wish to buy a cheaper one. It would benefit them in some situations to refund the difference to save on return overheads. The 'refunding the difference' is the shortcut to the return-and-reorder procedure.
In others it wouldn't benefit the retailer because the person might not actually get around to returning and re-ordering.

If it's outside of the returns window or been used, then obviously you can't return it.

Obviously you would need some kind of proof that it's unused, which is why the returning/reordering is safer for the store, but some shops do this sort of thing with photos (eg complaining about a faulty item).

Loads of stores do longer term exchanges for items bought before Christmas as well. I guess to encourage taking chances on sizing etc for presents.

I have contacted retailers and said that I could repurchase at lower price and use free returns label to send back unused inside the returns window item or we could save the planet by me getting a refund of the difference. They always refund the difference.

LK absolutely would've refunded the difference if they weren't worn. I am notorious in our local store for this.

@PipeOfPringles

I think what the previous poster was getting at was if everyone phoned and asked for a refund of the difference, because they bought before the sale. Can you imagine everyone buying presents before Christmas, and then people expecting to be partially refunded because an item had gone into the sale on Boxing day? That's the risk you take.

I might be being dim, but why is that not answered by 'yes, if it's inside the returns window'?
If it's inside the returns window you can return your purchase (if not used/worn obviously) for any reason you like. Including the OP's situation, where you wish to buy a cheaper one. It would benefit them in some situations to refund the difference to save on return overheads. The 'refunding the difference' is the shortcut to the return-and-reorder procedure.
In others it wouldn't benefit the retailer because the person might not actually get around to returning and re-ordering.

If it's outside of the returns window or been used, then obviously you can't return it.

Perfectly reasonable to return and re-buy; cheeky to buy at full price to make sure you get exactly what you want, and then expect money back. I understand the argument for if the exact same item is still available, contacting them to explain you are planning on returning and re-ordering, but this is reliant on you having not used/worn the item at all and being able to prove it. Do you think it's reasonable for someone to spend e.g. £500 on clothes that they give as Christmas gifts, and then ask for the company to refund them £250 because they are half-price on Boxing day, thereby reducing the shop's profits by £250?

I'm completely open. I know exactly when shops will have sales and time buys for the week before. If they really wanted to stop this try making sales less predictable.