ComplaintsHub.co.uk » Shops & Trade » Review / complaint: The Original Factory Shop - (The Factory Shop) Overcharged (inaccurate pricing signs), refused refund and unfairly banned customer for politely complaining. Security guard apparently condoned another customer s physical threats against complaining customer. Scotland | News #16765

The Original Factory Shop
(The Factory Shop) Overcharged (inaccurate pricing signs), refused refund and unfairly banned customer for politely complaining. Security guard apparently condoned another customer's physical threats against complaining customer. Scotland

ABRIDGED VERSION: I was overcharged, had the nerve to complain, and the following day was asked to leave by the security guard, who then condoned another customer's threat of violence against me.

DETAILS: On Wednesday, 12th January I bought a number of items from The Factory Shop's clearance floor, where huge signs declared "At least 50% Off all marked prices". There were also signs saying "Everything 1 or under".

I got a blouse marked at 1, which was not only the lowest marked price, but the only marked price. When I got to the checkout, I even pointed out to the assistant manager who served me that the blouse would be 50p (in case she accidentally put it through as a 1 item), and she looked at the label and nodded. I realised a couple of seconds after I'd paid for the shopping that I'd been charged 1 for it.

Although the amount of money in question was small, I considered it likely that other customers would be similarly overcharged if I said nothing, so I felt it appropriate to bring the overcharge to the attention of staff. Anyway, when I noticed the anomaly, she had started to serve the next customer, so I politely went to the back of the queue, waited for ages, and then pointed out that I'd been overcharged.

The asst. manager told me that everything was 1. I pointed out that the signs said 1 or under, and the other signs said 50% off marked price, which would make the correct price for the blouse 50p. She replied that everything was 1, and she refused me a refund, either of the overcharge or of the 1 if I were to return the blouse. When I persistently explained that I was entitled to one because the shop signs clearly indicated the price to be 50p, she said that the 50% off signs were only still on display because they hadn't got round to taking them down, and she didn't have time to deal with refunds because there was a long queue of other customers waiting.

That was when I made my first mistake: I decided to be nice and reasonable. I said that if the misleading signs were down the following day, I was willing to accept the 50p loss and consider the matter closed, though if inaccurate pricing information was still there, I would feel obliged to report the matter to the Trading Standards office.

I went back the following day to find the 50% off signs removed, and, pleased with what I thought was a successful outcome, I went to buy some shoes for my mum.

I'd been there for a while, and was almost ready to go and pay for my purchases, when the security guard unexpectedly approached me and asked me to leave. I asked why, and he said it was because I'd been abusive towards staff the previous day. I told him that I had not been abusive, I had simply politely requested a refund for an overcharge. He said I'd made a fuss and the staff had been "very upset".

Though I asked him several times, he was either unwilling or unable to specify exactly which aspect of my behaviour had allegedly been abusive. As I told him, I had not raised my voice, insulted the staff, used offensive language, or been abusive in any manner whatsoever. Nonetheless, he insisted that I had been abusive and that I should leave. I politely asked if I might pay for my shopping first: this request was refused. He threatened to call the police if I did not leave. A request for a written explanation as to why I'd been asked to leave was also refused.

Mistake no. 2: I should have had him call the police. I was peacefully attempting to purchase some shoes, which could not reasonably be interpreted as a breach of the peace, and since trespass is not a criminal offence in Scotland (and the look on the security guard's face when I informed him that I'm aware of that fact, was priceless) I could not have been charged with anything. He asked me to go downstairs, which I agreed to do in order to discuss the situation further. He said I was to leave immediately.

At this point a customer, who'd been annoyed at having to wait behind me on Wednesday while I disputed the blouse price, threatened to eject me forcibly from the store. The security guard, rather than ask her to leave as he ought to have, or at least explaining to her that threatening other customers with violence is unacceptable, instead accepted her words in support of his instruction that I should leave! I eventually agreed to leave after ascertaining when the manager would be in store, and telling him I'll be back today to speak to her.

I complained to my local Trading Standards office, where I was told that if the wrong pricing signs have been removed, there isn't really anything they can do. That's what I get for trying to resolve a situation amicably, when I could have stormed out the shop and gone straight to the Trading Standards office at the time of the initial price dispute.

When I returned on 14th Jan to see the manager, she took her staff's side, told me I'm permanently banned from the store, and would not accept that I had been wronged in any way.

On that occasion, I also tried to return a pair of trousers I'd bought which were stained. These were not described as seconds or shop-soiled, and I had no reason to assume they were, since most of the merchandise in the clearance sale was perfect. I was therefore legally entitled to a refund, but this was refused, as was a refund for the overcharged blouse.

I would add that I would not normally have bothered returning a shop-soiled item bought so cheaply in a clearance sale: it would seem petty under normal circumstances. However, I was very angry at having been treated so unfairly.

I consider a situation where loyal customers are not permitted to make a legitimate complaint for fear of being barred from the store, to be intolerable. I am very concerned that a security guard who feels this way, yet condones a customer's threat of violence, is still working there and has received no reprimand.

Irene
Dumfries
United Kingdom


Company: The Original Factory Shop

Country: United Kingdom   Region: Other   City: Dumfries
Address: Irish Street

Category: Shops & Trade

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