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Can a shop refuse to sell you an item at checkout? |
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#1 |
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Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 1,629
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Can a shop refuse to sell you an item at checkout?
I was in my local Smyths toy store today getting some presents for Christmas.
I have three Nephews who all want a particular action figure so their Mum told me to get them one each for Christmas. I put three of those figures in my basket and once I went to the checkout the manager was on and when he was about to scan the items he stopped and rudely accused me of buying three of the same thing to resell. I was rather upset over the accusation and asked him why he thought I would sell them and tried to explain that they were for three Nephews but he was having none it and told me that the particular action figure sells for big money online and that I was obviously buying them to resell. Now there was a queue and I was very embarrassed so just walked out and went to another Smyths store where I was able to buy the same action figures no problem and without a query. Despite getting the action figure I was very hurt over being humiliated infront of many people over nothing and when I told my sister she said that unless there is a sign in the shop it's against the law for a shopkeeper to refuse to sell someone an item that is free to lift. Now my question is. Was that managers actions illegal and have any of you experienced something like this before? |
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#2 |
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Join Date: Aug 2010
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How odd.
What business of his is it what you do with it afterwards - anybody he sells the items too, any item, could be going to re-sell it. As long as he gets the money for the item, what real business is it of his if you are going to re-enact star wars in toy form, use them as door stops or sell the items on. Very odd. |
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#3 |
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Join Date: Dec 2006
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Supermarkets often state that you can only buy a certain number products on offer but this is not the case here. Maybe he was jealous that you could get more money than they can charge I store.
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#4 |
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Join Date: Aug 2010
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Quote:
Supermarkets often state that you can only buy a certain number products on offer but this is not the case here. Maybe he was jealous that you could get more money than they can charge I store.
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#5 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 159
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I remember my nanna saying that some supermarkets will only let you buy a certain amount of blank cassette tapes.
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#6 |
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Join Date: Sep 2011
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Maybe he wanted to buy them for that reason.
It does happen I was talking to somebody from America and they told me where they used to work if anything limited edition or just really sort after came in and it was worth anything the manager bought pretty much all the stock before the shop opened and sold it for 5X the price on Ebay. |
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#7 |
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Join Date: Aug 2010
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Quote:
Maybe he wanted to buy them for that reason.
It does happen I was talking to somebody from America and they told me where they used to work if anything limited edition or just really sort after came in and it was worth anything the manager bought pretty much all the stock before the shop opened and sold it for 5X the price on Ebay. |
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#8 |
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Join Date: Sep 2011
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Though given he could easily pick 3 up from there then go to a different shop and again easily pick another 3 up they don't seem to be so hard to get people will be willing to spend stupid money on them.
Unless he just got really lucky |
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#9 |
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Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Derbyshire / UK
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Yes, they can refuse to sell you anything they want or even state that the price marked on the goods has changed and the item is now £50 and not £9.99 as marked**. Though this is going off topic.
But it's very strange that the manager should refuse to sell you the item simply because s/he thought you were going to sell the item on. Unless they had a sign saying "Action Man Ultra - Max 1 per customer" Then really its non of the managers business. I used to work in a toy shop and occasionally we would have customers come in and buy several of the same 'in demand' item and to be honest I couldn't really have cared less, well that's a lie as it did slightly bug me that real customers were missing out but at the same time no laws were broken (either morally or otherwise) The only reason I wanted to refuse the sale is because I wanted to buy the items in question (with staff discount) and do exactly the same! **The marked price is known as an offer to treat and in theory you can get to the till ready to pay £10 for an item marked at £10 when the cashier says it's now £70 and obviously this works the other way too. Marked at £10 but cashier says it's now 50p (without a reduction sticker) Naturally few if any sellers actually work this way. |
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#10 |
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Join Date: Apr 2004
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Quote:
Though given he could easily pick 3 up from there then go to a different shop and again easily pick another 3 up they don't seem to be so hard to get people will be willing to spend stupid money on them.
Unless he just got really lucky |
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#11 |
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Join Date: Apr 2003
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Marks & Spencer once refused to sell me a pack of chicken at the check out. According to their till the sell by date was too far ahead and the item should not have been on display yet.
They offered to go and get me another pack with a shorter sell by date as that would (more than likely) go through the till. I politely declined.
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#12 |
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Join Date: Sep 2011
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Quote:
Supermarkets often state that you can only buy a certain number products on offer but this is not the case here.
This one how ever is puzzling. |
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#13 |
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Join Date: Sep 2011
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Quote:
Maybe he wanted to buy them for that reason.
It does happen I was talking to somebody from America and they told me where they used to work if anything limited edition or just really sort after came in and it was worth anything the manager bought pretty much all the stock before the shop opened and sold it for 5X the price on Ebay. |
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#14 |
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Join Date: Dec 2013
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I imagine there are certain things they can restrict, but this merchant just sounds arsey.
Whenever I see someone with a cartload of milk or soda, for example, I often wonder if they have a little shop where they sell it on for a profit. But I suppose most shops already have a supplier where they would get their stuff at next to cost. Anyone ever watch that crazy coupon show from the US? Wouldn't surprise me if those kind of people sell their stuff on somehow as they get it for next to nothing,
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#15 |
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Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Ashtray City
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Yeah, this is odd.
Of course, it's up to store discretion what they will and won't sell; others have noted stores limit items, of course there's age restricted items on the usuals, knives, spray-paint, even Vanilla Essence in some stores. So while they can do it, your situation is very odd. You'd be surprised though - often, charity shop workers will 'keep back' anything given in that's worth a bit on the internet. Not just those workers lower down the chain, even managers do it. |
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#16 |
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Join Date: May 2010
Location: Glasgow
Posts: 276
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What the manger did is not illegal they can refuse any sale they wish without giving a reason and some shops may refuse to sell multiplies of a hot item to make it fairer for other customers. I saw someone trying to buy four Mini NES machines throwing a fit when the shop said they would only sell them one.
It a problem every Christmas with the scum-bag scalpers who buy stock to sell at three times the price. I would appeal to anyone don't buy from these people let them buy multiple figures, consoles whatever and get stuck with them then they will have to sell at a loss just to regain some of their money. |
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#17 |
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Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 4,116
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Quote:
Maybe he wanted to buy them for that reason.
It does happen I was talking to somebody from America and they told me where they used to work if anything limited edition or just really sort after came in and it was worth anything the manager bought pretty much all the stock before the shop opened and sold it for 5X the price on Ebay. Quite likely given his knowledge that they sell for a lot more on resale that he's going to put a load of these figures through the till for himself (with staff discount) and then reselling them for a nice Xmas bonus. |
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#18 |
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Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 12,976
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Well what WAS the figure? Surely you could tell us?
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#19 |
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Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 4,116
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Some shops do have limits on what they sell though, even online. A few months ago I noticed that the online Lego store limits quite a few of the larger collectible sets to 1 per customer. They're the kind of things that get stuck up on eBay for ridiculous prices as they only make a limited amount before taking them out of production.
As an example, the Lego Ghostbusters firehouse was being sold by multiple sellers for £350+ despite it still being available from the official Lego store for £275. These sellers rely on people not knowing the true value of things and assuming it's rare. I actually noticed that Toys R Us had the same set at £250 on their eBay store and also had a 20% off offer so got it for £200. I actually had about £30 worth of Nectar points so it cost even less. Scalpers just rely on people not shopping around and just buying the first thing they think is a good deal unaware they've just been ripped off. |
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#20 |
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Isle of Wight
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Quote:
Yeah, this is odd.
Of course, it's up to store discretion what they will and won't sell; others have noted stores limit items, of course there's age restricted items on the usuals, knives, spray-paint, even Vanilla Essence in some stores. So while they can do it, your situation is very odd. You'd be surprised though - often, charity shop workers will 'keep back' anything given in that's worth a bit on the internet. Not just those workers lower down the chain, even managers do it. Not in the Charity shop I manage thank you very much, taking something without paying, even a button is theft, I am not a thief, and as myself and my assistant are the only ones who sort through donations my volunteers would have to physically steal stuff from the shop floor and I am confident they don't do that. I raise money for the homeless, people with addictions, people who need food (foodbanks) and very vulnerable people I don't steal from them Of course everybody 'knows' someone who volunteers at a charity shop and has a stall down the market or an ebay account who makes millions, funny isn't it that I have worked for 5 charity shops as a volunteer and paid staff and I have never seen or heard of that going on in any of the shops I have worked for |
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#21 |
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Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 1,061
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Quote:
Not in the Charity shop I manage thank you very much, taking something without paying, even a button is theft, I am not a thief, and as myself and my assistant are the only ones who sort through donations my volunteers would have to physically steal stuff from the shop floor and I am confident they don't do that.
I raise money for the homeless, people with addictions, people who need food (foodbanks) and very vulnerable people I don't steal from them Of course everybody 'knows' someone who volunteers at a charity shop and has a stall down the market or an ebay account who makes millions, funny isn't it that I have worked for 5 charity shops as a volunteer and paid staff and I have never seen or heard of that going on in any of the shops I have worked for
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#22 |
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Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 51
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A few Christmas's ago I worked in a Smyths store and a guy used to come in and buy a load of certain toys.
All the staff and Managment knew he was reselling the items online. |
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#23 |
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Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 9,703
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I have refused to sell before. Usually to rude and awkward customers.
Ironically, the shop i work at has quite is trying to sell of a lot of older action figures cheap. And im think of buying them to resell..... |
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#24 |
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Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Ashtray City
Posts: 4,724
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Quote:
Not in the Charity shop I manage thank you very much, taking something without paying, even a button is theft, I am not a thief, and as myself and my assistant are the only ones who sort through donations my volunteers would have to physically steal stuff from the shop floor and I am confident they don't do that.
I raise money for the homeless, people with addictions, people who need food (foodbanks) and very vulnerable people I don't steal from them Of course everybody 'knows' someone who volunteers at a charity shop and has a stall down the market or an ebay account who makes millions, funny isn't it that I have worked for 5 charity shops as a volunteer and paid staff and I have never seen or heard of that going on in any of the shops I have worked for But I'm sorry, it DOES happen. I know it first hand, I've worked (volunteer) in charity shops, as has my mother, and it does happen. Not every worker, not every manager, but it does. I'm not saying its widespread, but I know it happens enough for me to be a little surprised by it. In no way am I trying to make out that charity shops are all on the fiddle and they're not worthwhile. They are. I'm always buying things from charity shops, a great deal of the stuff I wear comes from them. I'm not judging too much really, because there's plenty of punters who do the same thing, they go in and look through charity shops in the deliberate hope of picking up something worthy for a pittance. I'd actually it rather be a volunteer who does it, at least in a roundabout way they've earned it. I got a beautiful Louis Vuitton 'Alma Graffiti' hangbag for a tenner in a charity shop in Perth, Australia (it was located near the 'rich suburbs'). Never sold that on. |
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#25 |
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Join Date: Dec 2006
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I'm sure you & your staff are as honest as the day is long, but perhaps noodkleopatra meant they "keep back" the best items to BUY FOR THEMSELVES and sell at a profit online?
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They offered to go and get me another pack with a shorter sell by date as that would (more than likely) go through the till. I politely declined.