Boots won't accept gift receipt to exchange for original purchase price

VodkaSorbet

I was bought an electrical item from Boots for Christmas. The purchaser was given a gift receipt and told that after Christmas it would be refundable/exchangeable for the full purchase price using the gift receipt alone.

I tried to exchange it (not get a refund) using the gift receipt but was told I could only have half the original value as it was subsequently in the sale and they had no proof that it wasn't bought in the sale.

The gift receipt has the (pre-Christmas) purchase date on it, and no 'exchange by' date limit on it.

I thought that was the point of a gift receipt - they gave you the full value back despite a subsequent sale.

Any advice?

glentoran99

Unless its faulty you are relying on their goodwill to even offer half the value

wealdroam

VodkaSorbet wrote: »

I was bought an electrical item from Boots for Christmas. The purchaser was given a gift receipt and told that after Christmas it would be refundable/exchangeable for the full purchase price using the gift receipt alone.

I tried to exchange it (not get a refund) using the gift receipt but was told I could only have half the original value as it was subsequently in the sale and they had no proof that it wasn't bought in the sale.

The gift receipt has the (pre-Christmas) purchase date on it, and no 'exchange by' date limit on it.

I thought that was the point of a gift receipt - they gave you the full value back despite a subsequent sale.

Any advice?

When was the purchase made?
When did you attempt the exchange?

If the gift receipt has the purchase date on it, I cannot understand why they do not know whether it was bought in a sale or not.

ThumbRemote

glentoran99 wrote: »

Unless its faulty you are relying on their goodwill to even offer half the value

Not true. You are using Boots returns policy, as agreed before the sale.

glentoran99

ThumbRemote wrote: »

Not true. You are using Boots returns policy, as agreed before the sale.

Boots return policy is 28 days, this is beyond that

ScorpiondeRooftrouser

wealdroam wrote: »

When was the purchase made?
When did you attempt the exchange?

If the gift receipt has the purchase date on it, I cannot understand why they do not know whether it was bought in a sale or not.

They know somebody bought one of these before Christmas.

They don't know whether somebody bought another one last week for half the price and is now trying to exchange it for something worth twice what they paid.

VodkaSorbet

ScorpiondeRooftrouser wrote: »

They know somebody bought one of these before Christmas.

They don't know whether somebody bought another one last week for half the price and is now trying to exchange it for something worth twice what they paid.

This is a good point, but surely that argument stands at all times. Why would any store give out specific gift receipts and say they are good for the full exchange value after Christmas (which is something I have been told when purchasing before Christmas in many stores) if they would then apply this thinking when someone tries to take them up on it?

In this instance I'm happy to accept I have left it too long, but that's not the issue that Boots have raised. They also said I could exchange for the full value on production of the receipt showing the purchase price.

Many stores have sales on Boxing Day so there would be literally no opportunity to exchange something at the original price.

neilmcl

You still haven't answered the questions - when was it purchased, when was the attempted return?

VodkaSorbet

Purchase was 22 Dec 2015 according to gift receipt.

Attempted return was late January, but obviously have no record of that as no transaction actually happened.

Subsequently tried to get hold of purchase receipt, as advised by Boots, but failed, and have only just remembered about this (as I say, I accept it's my fault if it's too late but that's not what Boots complained about and there is no 'expiry' date on the gift receipt as there often is on ones I have been the purchaser of).

wealdroam

VodkaSorbet wrote: »

Purchase was 22 Dec 2015 according to gift receipt.

Attempted return was late January, but obviously have no record of that as no transaction actually happened.

Subsequently tried to get hold of purchase receipt, as advised by Boots, but failed, and have only just remembered about this (as I say, I accept it's my fault if it's too late but that's not what Boots complained about and there is no 'expiry' date on the gift receipt as there often is on ones I have been the purchaser of).

19th January was the 28th day after purchase.

Expiry date on receipts?
Not sure I understand this concept.

As said above, Boots in-store return policy is that a return is allowed up to 28 days following purchase. That does not have to be specified on receipts.

As you are now well past that 28 days, and you cannot even confirm the date that you attempted the exchange, I suggest that you forget this episode and move on.

Their reason for not honouring the returns policy is difficult to understand though, and there is only one way to get an answer to that - challenge the assistant concerned.
Is it worth it? He said... she said...

ScorpiondeRooftrouser

VodkaSorbet wrote: »

This is a good point, but surely that argument stands at all times. Why would any store give out specific gift receipts and say they are good for the full exchange value after Christmas (which is something I have been told when purchasing before Christmas in many stores) if they would then apply this thinking when someone tries to take them up on it?

In this instance I'm happy to accept I have left it too long, but that's not the issue that Boots have raised. They also said I could exchange for the full value on production of the receipt showing the purchase price.

Many stores have sales on Boxing Day so there would be literally no opportunity to exchange something at the original price.

I think your opportunity was within the 28 days. Had you returned it within 28 days they would have given you the benefit of the doubt.

Even if you were trying this on, of course, you would only be putting yourself in the position you'd be in if you waited for the sale and bought it. So even if they suspect people are doing this, they probably don't mind so much as long as they return it within the return period.

It pretty much makes sense to me. I suspect the confusion is in the fact that someone has implied to you that you'd be in a different position with a different type of receipt; I am not convinced you would.