Sports Direct nightmare

Donna_D

Very recently, amongst a large order of sportswear I purchased 2 children's size 9-10 t-shirts online for my nieces. The Barbie tshirt was as I ordered but the My Little Pony one was not the one I ordered online. Different design, colour & fit. I returned by paid post and wrote on the exchange form the specific one I ordered. I decided this time to have it delivered to my home address after not receiving the alleged £5 in store voucher for collecting my large order first time round. So after paying for postage of wrong item and delivery of replacement, it was wrong again. This time I walked down to the shop the same day with original packaging, invoice, tags still on - the works. I picked the correct children's tshirt from the rail (wish I had just done this in first place instead of online but never go there so didn't realise). After fighting my way through all the rails of clothing to the tills right at the back of this over stocked store, I explained to the till assistant the situation and could I please swap the wrong tshirt sent to me with the correct one from the store. No was the answer. And not only that, I couldn't exchange it or return it online either because I had already done that (yes, and they sent me wrong one AGAIN). I begged her to just please exchange them for me, they were exactly same price (both under £5) and it was for my nieces birthday that weekend. No, she couldn't and was extremely frank & unhelpful. I wasn't willing to give up that quick so waited as she told her supervisor who said he'd phone the head office, disappeared, left me stood there for 25 mins then came back to say no they would not exchange it in store because didn't have the right code to put it through the till? Heavens sake it's a child's tshirt for £3.50 and I had the one I wanted in my hand. When I asked him there MUST be something I can do? He gave me a number to call head office & they would give me a free post address (otherwise the postage would be more than the tshirt, again). I called the number in the morning and a girl with a rude voice and zero customer service skills told me no, they can't do that and I shouldn't have been told they could. So.... After all this pollava I am stuck with a brand new tshirt that I will have to donate to charity shop & go elsewhere for another. All this for such a simple, polite request - which was their mistake in the first place. I had no problem with the rest of the large sports order for myself, and after all the money I spent & time wasted they couldn't just exchange 1 kids tshirt for me. I am DISGUSTED with the entire company and will NEVER shop there again. What a bunch of clowns. It was the Elgin store.

DCFC79

Donna_D wrote: »

Very recently, amongst a large order of sportswear I purchased 2 children's size 9-10 t-shirts online for my nieces. The Barbie tshirt was as I ordered but the My Little Pony one was not the one I ordered online. Different design, colour & fit. I returned by paid post and wrote on the exchange form the specific one I ordered. I decided this time to have it delivered to my home address after not receiving the alleged £5 in store voucher for collecting my large order first time round. So after paying for postage of wrong item and delivery of replacement, it was wrong again. This time I walked down to the shop the same day with original packaging, invoice, tags still on - the works. I picked the correct children's tshirt from the rail (wish I had just done this in first place instead of online but never go there so didn't realise). After fighting my way through all the rails of clothing to the tills right at the back of this over stocked store, I explained to the till assistant the situation and could I please swap the wrong tshirt sent to me with the correct one from the store. No was the answer. And not only that, I couldn't exchange it or return it online either because I had already done that (yes, and they sent me wrong one AGAIN). I begged her to just please exchange them for me, they were exactly same price (both under £5) and it was for my nieces birthday that weekend. No, she couldn't and was extremely frank & unhelpful. I wasn't willing to give up that quick so waited as she told her supervisor who said he'd phone the head office, disappeared, left me stood there for 25 mins then came back to say no they would not exchange it in store because didn't have the right code to put it through the till? Heavens sake it's a child's tshirt for £3.50 and I had the one I wanted in my hand. When I asked him there MUST be something I can do? He gave me a number to call head office & they would give me a free post address (otherwise the postage would be more than the tshirt, again). I called the number in the morning and a girl with a rude voice and zero customer service skills told me no, they can't do that and I shouldn't have been told they could. So.... After all this pollava I am stuck with a brand new tshirt that I will have to donate to charity shop & go elsewhere for another. All this for such a simple, polite request - which was their mistake in the first place. I had no problem with the rest of the large sports order for myself, and after all the money I spent & time wasted they couldn't just exchange 1 kids tshirt for me. I am DISGUSTED with the entire company and will NEVER shop there again. What a bunch of clowns. It was the Elgin store.

The member of staff was helpful ( ok maybe not helpful in sorting out the exchange for you ) in telling you that you couldn't exchange the item you bought online. Did you happen to read the note with regards returns, I bet it says you have tone post the item back and nothing about getting a refund from store.

I'm amazed you didn't do your research first. Don't worry the owner of SD has enough money to keep his Newcastle FC going for some time or until he gets an offer to sell.

Donna_D

Never had to do research for such a simple process of returning to store 1 small item within a day of receiving fully tagged & with all paperwork. Sports Direct is the only place I have ever encountered with such an uncooperative, unhelpful and backwards system. So no, I didn't do my research.
I do however now have enough research to know never to attempt shopping there again.

Chucky1234

Donna_D wrote: »

I placed a large order with Sports Direct online and within that I ordered a My Little Pony shirt, the shirt I received was a different style and fit to the one I ordered.

I paid postage to have it returned to them and on the exchange form I requested the one I had ordered. Due to me not receiving my £5 voucher when I collected the original online order in store, I had it delivered to my home address.

Once again, I received an incorrect shirt so I attempted to return it to store where I found the original shirt that I wanted.

The till assistant told me I was unable to return it in store, then a supervisor called head office to try and help me and he then gave me the number for head office who would give me a free post address to return the item.

When I called the number I was told that no, they couldn't actually do that so now I am left with a brand new t-shirt that I will donate to a charity shop.

Edited to add paragraphs and remove all the irrelevant parts, it'll make people want to help you rather than read that wall of text:beer:.

A few points;

1) Why did you not receive the £5 voucher for collecting it in store. Presumably you asked them? What did they say?

2) Have you asked them to refund the return postage the first time? And the second time if you decide not to donate it?

3) It's always worth checking the procedure for returns before you purchase items online, not just assume you can return them instore.

4) You say you'll never shop at Sports Direct again. Personally, I find this a bit extreme. You say you are happy with the rest of your large order, so you're willing to not shop there for the sake of a £3.50 shirt? Annoying yes, but not the end of the world IMO.

I'm not actually sure whether you want help with a consumer rights issue or if you're just having a rant but I can't see that Sports Direct have done anything wrong.

paddyrg

The shorter version of the answer is that the website and stores are different companies, so it's no different than asking Tesco to swap a pack of Sainsbury's bacon. Everything else you challenge with the (online) vendor - they sent the wrong stuff, they can pay to replace it.

DCFC79

Donna_D wrote: »

Never had to do research for such a simple process of returning to store 1 small item within a day of receiving fully tagged & with all paperwork.

You were asking them to do something they couldn't do, its on the wbsite re returns if you buy something online.

Donna_D wrote: »

Sports Direct is the only place I have ever encountered with such an uncooperative, unhelpful and backwards system. So no, I didn't do my research.
I do however now have enough research to know never to attempt shopping there again.

As I say from what you say no 1 was unhelpful (ok so they weren't helpful in allowing you to return/exchange an item you bought online ). The backwards system works for the owner, up to him ow he wants to run his business.

arcon5

Shocking service in store and online.
Doesn't surprise me though!!! They've never been renowned for good service.

[Deleted User]

But a lot of fuss over a £3.50 Tshirt. If that essential I'd have bought the other one and figured out who in the family would appreciate the wrong one.

And of course, decided I wasn't going to use SD's online service again as you have.

saker75

Hardly a nightmare

glentoran99

paddyrg wrote: »

The shorter version of the answer is that the website and stores are different companies, so it's no different than asking Tesco to swap a pack of Sainsbury's bacon. Everything else you challenge with the (online) vendor - they sent the wrong stuff, they can pay to replace it.

If you could pick up your Tesco shop in sainsburys you might have a point

SuperHan

glentoran99 wrote: »

If you could pick up your Tesco shop in sainsburys you might have a point

I can pick my eBay order up in Argos, but they've never been able to help me when the item I bid on was not as described...