MONEY MORAL DILEMMA. Should Kate return a sale frock with a full price receipt?

bells_on_it

If the original dress was unworn then yes I would do it, but I would bring back the original dress as I would imagine that the price tag had the reduction marked on it anyway. I am not sure whether I would do it to an independant but a chain I definitely would as it is unlikely to affect the performance. Some stores will sell items at a loss as they can't clear them but generally in fashion there is a high margin attached - how many times have you heard in the news about extremely low paid manufacturers and items that are sold to 2 different outlets ie Tesco and Levis that happen to be an identicle garment only with a different label.
If the saving was only a few pounds I may not bother (as generally I buy most on line so i'd have to pay postage) but for £25 I would - at the end of the day everyone is trying to save money where they can even the retailers so why should we feel bad. I work in retail myself, not in fashion and know the buyers can exploit manufacturers as much as possible so they can make more profit - if we return items it only affects the retailers not the manufacturers and the retailers are quick to make a buck wherever possible they don't worry about the other parties.
Also when I worked in a clothing retailer if the customer was a regular and I knew they'd be back in a few days I'd tell them if I knew something was giong to be reduced, I would also send them to the local news agent to get discount vouchers if I knew it was going to save them money - it improves your customer relationship and that is good for business anyway.

rospax

Idiophreak wrote: »

Have to say, I'm a little surprised I'm the only one who wouldn't do it...These things happen, that's life...sometimes you lose on these things, sometimes you gain...I don't think it's as straightforward "stealing" as a lot of these things are branded, especially if the dress hasn't been worn (that's not really clear in the OP) - but still don't think it sits well with me...

I agree. I think that, in the example given, returning it would be wrong. It states that she bought the dress and had already actually worn it to the party, so in my mind it would be unethical to buy it again at a reduced price and then pass the replacement dress off as being the one bought at full-price. She had a specific reason to buy a dress, ie. to wear to the party, and she did this.

Had she bought it, then found two weeks later it had been reduced BEFORE she had worn it for the party, then I feel she would be justified in claiming it at the reduced price - but there's no need to be sneaky about it even then - just tell the store "Look, I just bought this dress, haven't even worn it yet and you've already reduced it by 50% - you've got some others in stock so can I change it please!" and I believe most stores will sanction the swap. They can't actually stop you as long as you meet their return policy in terms of timeframe and condition of the garment. I just don't see any need to be anything other than direct and honest about it.

There is an issue in law about goods fitting the purpose for which they were sold. She bought the dress for a party. She wore it to that party. It fit the purpose fine before it went down in price. Tough that it then went on sale! She'd already had the use out of it for which she bought it in the first place.

We have to operate with ethics in our heart. Businesses are made up of real people, so when you cheat a business you are still cheating individuals. Play fair - rather than just trying to get away with whatever you can - and the world will be a better place. You'll sleep better too.

superjan99

In the USA this is standard practice in many stores, such as The Gap. I had a friend in NY who used to carry around the receipts, and in her lunch hour would go to check if anything she had bought recently had been reduced at the Gap. If it had, she would show the receipt and get the difference back between the price she paid and the sale price. If they have a No Sales Final policy this can go on for a long time.

lb364

Of course I'd do it! If I hadn't worn the original item then why not, there's no crime in it!

I have actually managed to get a full price refund without receipt once because I very loudly mentioned to the person I was shopping with that maybe we should come back with the receipt, the girl had already started doing it so she gave us a full refund (we had paid full price, didn't actually have receipt though)

full-time-mum

JayD wrote: »

If she bought it and wore it then she should suck it up and keep it.

I don't think this thread is advocating buying, wearing and then returning. The point is to purchase an identical item at the sale price but to return this NEW item with the full-priced reciept from the original product.

I agree that it is immoral to return a worn item unless it is faulty.

I did this with a neclace recently. The necklace was reduced to 1/2 price. The lady at the checkout didn't mark my receipt as returned. I didn't have time or quite the nerve to do it again - I would have ended up with a free necklace which I think is probably taking it a bit too far.

Gemmzie

The dress has been worn and soiled, are people not reading the OP? Returning it after that is disgusting and stupid. Infact, most retail staff would tell you to sling your hook if you tried to return something you ruined!

catlou

I do this quite a lot and see absolutely nothing wrong with it?

I think it's just a common sense thing really why pay £25 more for the same item unless you have money to throw away?

Lots of people seem to have Totally missed the point here she is Not taking the Worn dress back which obviously would be dis-honest she is taking the NEW one she bought in the Sale back which would be exactly the same as the other one that she paid double the price for before the sale.

Reading on here about the "practices" on these things in the U.S. we are obviously way too soft in this country and should take a leaf out of their book as with a few exceptions most of these are big national companies that make huge profits from us so as the site moto says ........

Consumer Revenge all the way!

traceya89

yes i often do this with anything i find in a sale later. I often do this with anything bought in Argos!

heidip_3

If you make a purchase, and then find that within a short time period it goes on sale, you just produce your reciept, and the difference is refunded! I've been with people doing it! I'm afraid it is a bit like the doggy bag dilema - America demands more for its money and is not afraid to ask!! We Brits are too polite so get ripped off!!

Tightmartin

Gemmzie wrote: »

The dress has been worn and soiled, are people not reading the OP? Returning it after that is disgusting and stupid. Infact, most retail staff would tell you to sling your hook if you tried to return something you ruined!

Yes read the thread and she is returning an un-worn item, are people not reading the OP?