Vent turned to praise: Debenhams.

3v3

Bought some clothing gifts a few days before Christmas at Debenhams.

Christmas Day Disaster: 3 items didn't fit the recipients. No sweat, I'll go back and exchange for another size

Dec 28th went to Debs to exchange. WRONG! Two items I found a replacement size for (so no probs). The 3rd item, there were no items of that type one size up. So, no possibility of an exchange then.

Spoke to sales assistant. Upshot was, they could not refund (but I didn't want a refund) on the 3rd item. Could I have a gift card to the value? No.

*sighs*

Store manager now gets involved. He was willing to exchange, but not refund (but I don't want a refund! Plus, it was impossible to exchange as there was nothing in the size up to exchange *for*!) :rolleyes:

Ok, I'm playing ball: I don't want a refund. I would prefer to exchange but there was nothing in the size required. Could I have a gift card to the same value therefore no loss to Debenhams?

Store manager informs me that to give a gift card would require a refund first and that Head Office are very clear: No refunds before a certain date. (Think it was the next day, but it wasn't possible for me to return the next day). There are NO exceptions. He has NO way of overriding Head Office Policy. But I could exchange

After a 20 minute conversation, going round in circles, he then decides to disappear into a void and return with a machine which showed that Debenhams *do* have the size in the item I wanted on their stock list (Yay!) however, none of their stores actually stocks them (boo! hiss!!). Thus, despite being offered an exchange, this would be impossible because they do not have an exchangable item. :rolleyes:

So far? Vent.

Now comes the interesting part: despite earlier stating "No Exceptions" to the policy of refunds/gift cards, despite me pointing out there was no exchange item in the store - guess what?

Yup, you've guessed it, he offered me ... *drum roll please* ... a gift card to the value of! :j

Now, why he couldn't have saved us both 20 minutes of our time (yes, I know the sales were on, hence Head Offices' policy - but where I live, the tills were pretty quiet! ) is beyond me!

However, he did turn up trumps in the end and a gift card was issued: therefore, praise to Debenhams ... eventually

williham

This is what I don't understand about companies. If they'd just given you the gift card at the start without the fuss then you would have been happy and it's the same outcome.

isplumm

3v3 wrote: »

Bought some clothing gifts a few days before Christmas at Debenhams.

Christmas Day Disaster: 3 items didn't fit the recipients. No sweat, I'll go back and exchange for another size

Dec 28th went to Debs to exchange. WRONG! Two items I found a replacement size for (so no probs). The 3rd item, there were no items of that type one size up. So, no possibility of an exchange then.

Spoke to sales assistant. Upshot was, they could not refund (but I didn't want a refund) on the 3rd item. Could I have a gift card to the value? No.

*sighs*

Store manager now gets involved. He was willing to exchange, but not refund (but I don't want a refund! Plus, it was impossible to exchange as there was nothing in the size up to exchange *for*!) :rolleyes:

Ok, I'm playing ball: I don't want a refund. I would prefer to exchange but there was nothing in the size required. Could I have a gift card to the same value therefore no loss to Debenhams?

Store manager informs me that to give a gift card would require a refund first and that Head Office are very clear: No refunds before a certain date. (Think it was the next day, but it wasn't possible for me to return the next day). There are NO exceptions. He has NO way of overriding Head Office Policy. But I could exchange

After a 20 minute conversation, going round in circles, he then decides to disappear into a void and return with a machine which showed that Debenhams *do* have the size in the item I wanted on their stock list (Yay!) however, none of their stores actually stocks them (boo! hiss!!). Thus, despite being offered an exchange, this would be impossible because they do not have an exchangable item. :rolleyes:

So far? Vent.

Now comes the interesting part: despite earlier stating "No Exceptions" to the policy of refunds/gift cards, despite me pointing out there was no exchange item in the store - guess what?

Yup, you've guessed it, he offered me ... *drum roll please* ... a gift card to the value of! :j

Now, why he couldn't have saved us both 20 minutes of our time (yes, I know the sales were on, hence Head Offices' policy - but where I live, the tills were pretty quiet! ) is beyond me!

However, he did turn up trumps in the end and a gift card was issued: therefore, praise to Debenhams ... eventually

Hi .... so you are having a moan about a shop who don't have to give you anything - no exchange / refund / etc, as there was nothing wrong with the item ... so after 20 minutes moaning he decided to give you a gift card - I suspect because he had more important things to deal with ... why didn't you take the garment away & try again at a later date ....?

Mark

3v3

isplumm wrote: »

Hi .... so you are having a moan about a shop who don't have to give you anything - no exchange / refund / etc, as there was nothing wrong with the item ... so after 20 minutes moaning he decided to give you a gift card - I suspect because he had more important things to deal with ... why didn't you take the garment away & try again at a later date ....?

Mark

Interesting point of view.

Firstly, I'd like to point out, I was not "moaning"
What was "wrong" with them was, they did not fit the recipients (bought as gifts, specified as gifts at point of sale and at no time was I informed that I would not be able to return them during the initial stages of the sales ).

More important things to do? Hmm, interesting :rotfl: Without customers, and satisfied ones at that, he has no store and no job

I could indeed have returned at a later - yet more inconvenient - date and, instead of keeping my money in the stores account, could have obtained a refund. This way was far more of a win-win

The policy regarding returns etc is based on the premise that the tills will be busy with sales; this was not the case. Nor was it the case that there were "no exceptions" to Head Office policy - as was proven

As I highlighted in my title, what may have been a vent regarding this store, turned into praise *because* the store manager took the time to resolve the issue. Not because I "moaned", but because I held a reasoned discussion with him; it simply took him a bit of time to understand that it is impossible to exchange items when there is no equivalent available for an exchange to take place.

isplumm

The point I was trying to make was that legally you were entitled to nothing - the store go beyond what they need to do - but have a rule around Christmas that no returns / refunds will be given - after kicking a fuss up they decided to go against company policy & give you the credit note - you may not have realised but there other customers & managers do have a job to do ...

I understand that you are happy with them - after all you got your own way ....

Mark

alison999

isplumm wrote: »

The point I was trying to make was that legally you were entitled to nothing - the store go beyond what they need to do - but have a rule around Christmas that no returns / refunds will be given - after kicking a fuss up they decided to go against company policy & give you the credit note - you may not have realised but there other customers & managers do have a job to do ...

I understand that you are happy with them - after all you got your own way ....

Mark

whatever happened to customer service?

3v3

isplumm wrote: »

The point I was trying to make was that legally you were entitled to nothing - the store go beyond what they need to do - but have a rule around Christmas that no returns / refunds will be given - after kicking a fuss up they decided to go against company policy & give you the credit note - you may not have realised but there other customers & managers do have a job to do ...

I understand that you are happy with them - after all you got your own way ....

Mark

Oh dear, Mark :rolleyes:

I shall reiterate: I did not "kick up a fuss"
I did not get a "credit note"
It was not about getting "my own way"

Thank you, yes, I do realise that there are other customers (I was one of them ) and I do realise that managers do indeed have a job to do. It was the very lovely, mature, kind sales asssistant who asked if I would like to speak with the manager, not a request instigated by me, but one I was happy to accept.

Do you work in retail management, Mark? You do seem to have taken quite an issue with my thread and I wonder if it may have touched a personal nerve?

isplumm

3v3 wrote: »

Oh dear, Mark :rolleyes:

I shall reiterate: I did not "kick up a fuss"
I did not get a "credit note"
It was not about getting "my own way"

Thank you, yes, I do realise that there are other customers (I was one of them ) and I do realise that managers do indeed have a job to do. It was the very lovely, mature, kind sales asssistant who asked if I would like to speak with the manager, not a request instigated by me, but one I was happy to accept.

Do you work in retail management, Mark? You do seem to have taken quite an issue with my thread and I wonder if it may have touched a personal nerve?

Hi,

Ok ... so you got a gift card instead of a credit note ... my mistake ,.,

As to kicking up a fuss ... well if going round in circles is not kicking up a fuss, then I have no idea what is ...

You did get your own way - as you got a gift receipt - which was against company policy ....

I don't work in retail - did so about 25 years ago ....

Yes ... your post irked me because you seem to believe that Debenhams were in the wrong & seem to have taken great delight in proving that their company policy could be changed.

I think we will have to agree to disagree ....

Mark

alison999

isplumm wrote: »

Hi,

Ok ... so you got a gift card instead of a credit note ... my mistake ,.,

As to kicking up a fuss ... well if going round in circles is not kicking up a fuss, then I have no idea what is ...

You did get your own way - as you got a gift receipt - which was against company policy ....

I don't work in retail - did so about 25 years ago ....

Yes ... your post irked me because you seem to believe that Debenhams were in the wrong & seem to have taken great delight in proving that their company policy could be changed.

I think we will have to agree to disagree ....

Mark

she got a item of clothing that didnt fit.

no stores had the size she needed.

what did you want her to do?!

isplumm

alison999 wrote: »

she got a item of clothing that didnt fit.

no stores had the size she needed.

what did you want her to do?!

Wait until the company policy allowed her to take it back .... if an item doesn't fit is no reason for a exchange .... it goes beyond what she was legally entitled to ... so when the store said sorry no exchange / refund / gift card, she should have asked when it would be possible to do the deal & come back then ....

Mark

dodger1

isplumm wrote: »

.... if an item doesn't fit is no reason for a exchange...

Mark

That depends. When I purchase a gift of clothing for someone I make sure it can at least be exchanged if the size is wrong or simply if the recipient doesn't like it. Most retailers are more than happy to agree to this request these days and if you really want to cover yourself have it written on the receipt, although I've never found that necessary.