Hi there,
This is a situation that is affecting a friend. She purchased a pair of Pretty Polly tights from a New Look store. When she took the tights home and took them out of the box, there was a large ladder in them. Unfortunately, she had not kept her receipt, but she did pay for them with her debit card, so she can provide a bank statement as proof of payment.
I was with her when she attempted to exchange the tights, as we were going to have lunch afterwards. She explained the situation to the sales assistant, who consulted her manager and then told her they were unable to exchange the tights for hygiene reasons. As the tights were not fit for re-sale, we didn't understand that reasoning, and when we questioned it, the sales assistant admitted she didn't understand how the policy applied either, but that she was just repeating what her manager said. We then asked if we could speak to the manager directly, and were told that she was on the phone. We said we were willing to wait, and were told that it was likely to be a long wait.
We stuck to our guns, and waited 20 minutes before the manager came out to speak to us. She was monumentally rude. She advised us of the following:
- She was unwilling to exchange the tights, again citing hygiene reasons, but refused to provide an elaboration as to what that meant when the tights were unwearable and therefore could not be re-sold.
- When we challenged her repeated explanation of "hygiene reasons", she then said that she was also unwilling to exchange them because my friend no longer has her receipt, and therefore could have purchased them at any time within the last year that they had carried that particular brand. My friend did tell her that she could provide a bank statement - this was rejected as the manager said the statement would only say that she had bought something in the store for the same price as the tights - it wouldn't prove that the tights were what she bought.
- She said that my friend could not prove that she hadn't wore the tights and damaged them herself. The way she spoke to my friend made it clear that she felt this was the case, and only just stopped short of saying outright that my friend was lying.
At that point, my friend gave up and told the manager she would simply take the tights away with her and make an official written complaint. The manager did not give any information on how to do this, and when my friend asked the manager for her name, she refused to give it.
We were both astonished by the way we had been treated. While we were prepared for the possibility that the tights may not be exchanged because she did not have her receipt with her, the manner and attitude of the manager was really very poor. The sales assistant had really said the exact same things as the manager, but the difference in attitude was night and day.
My friend has a job that takes her overseas regularly, and since she had to leave on a business trip, she asked if I could look into how to make a complaint. I looked at New Look's website, and could find nothing at all detailing how to do so. I did find a section of the site that invited me to "Contact Us". I sent them an e-mail explaining that I wanted to know the process for making a complaint regarding one of their stores, and received a standard response e-mail saying that they would be in touch within 48 hours. This didn't happen. After four days, I sent another e-mail saying that I hadn't received an answer. This one did not receive any response at all - not even an e-mail to say they would be in touch. It has now been a week, so I assume they are not planning to get in touch.
I am unsure what to do next, and I'm frankly appalled at what New Look clearly feel is an acceptable level of customer service.
The reason I have written this situation out, is to ask if anyone knows the answers to the following questions:
- Does my friend's statutory rights entitle her to an exchange on the pair of tights?
- What can I do to find out how to make an official complaint? At this point, is their anyone above New Look's head, such as a regulating body, that my friend can contact instead?
Thank you in advance for any help or advice anyone can provide
This is a situation that is affecting a friend. She purchased a pair of Pretty Polly tights from a New Look store. When she took the tights home and took them out of the box, there was a large ladder in them. Unfortunately, she had not kept her receipt, but she did pay for them with her debit card, so she can provide a bank statement as proof of payment.
I was with her when she attempted to exchange the tights, as we were going to have lunch afterwards. She explained the situation to the sales assistant, who consulted her manager and then told her they were unable to exchange the tights for hygiene reasons. As the tights were not fit for re-sale, we didn't understand that reasoning, and when we questioned it, the sales assistant admitted she didn't understand how the policy applied either, but that she was just repeating what her manager said. We then asked if we could speak to the manager directly, and were told that she was on the phone. We said we were willing to wait, and were told that it was likely to be a long wait.
We stuck to our guns, and waited 20 minutes before the manager came out to speak to us. She was monumentally rude. She advised us of the following:
- She was unwilling to exchange the tights, again citing hygiene reasons, but refused to provide an elaboration as to what that meant when the tights were unwearable and therefore could not be re-sold.
- When we challenged her repeated explanation of "hygiene reasons", she then said that she was also unwilling to exchange them because my friend no longer has her receipt, and therefore could have purchased them at any time within the last year that they had carried that particular brand. My friend did tell her that she could provide a bank statement - this was rejected as the manager said the statement would only say that she had bought something in the store for the same price as the tights - it wouldn't prove that the tights were what she bought.
- She said that my friend could not prove that she hadn't wore the tights and damaged them herself. The way she spoke to my friend made it clear that she felt this was the case, and only just stopped short of saying outright that my friend was lying.
At that point, my friend gave up and told the manager she would simply take the tights away with her and make an official written complaint. The manager did not give any information on how to do this, and when my friend asked the manager for her name, she refused to give it.
We were both astonished by the way we had been treated. While we were prepared for the possibility that the tights may not be exchanged because she did not have her receipt with her, the manner and attitude of the manager was really very poor. The sales assistant had really said the exact same things as the manager, but the difference in attitude was night and day.
My friend has a job that takes her overseas regularly, and since she had to leave on a business trip, she asked if I could look into how to make a complaint. I looked at New Look's website, and could find nothing at all detailing how to do so. I did find a section of the site that invited me to "Contact Us". I sent them an e-mail explaining that I wanted to know the process for making a complaint regarding one of their stores, and received a standard response e-mail saying that they would be in touch within 48 hours. This didn't happen. After four days, I sent another e-mail saying that I hadn't received an answer. This one did not receive any response at all - not even an e-mail to say they would be in touch. It has now been a week, so I assume they are not planning to get in touch.
I am unsure what to do next, and I'm frankly appalled at what New Look clearly feel is an acceptable level of customer service.
The reason I have written this situation out, is to ask if anyone knows the answers to the following questions:
- Does my friend's statutory rights entitle her to an exchange on the pair of tights?
- What can I do to find out how to make an official complaint? At this point, is their anyone above New Look's head, such as a regulating body, that my friend can contact instead?
Thank you in advance for any help or advice anyone can provide