I know i don't normally do posts like this but i feel like i have to write about this.
It has made me so angry (seriously it takes a lot, I'm a pretty chill person) and i just want to put it out there so you don't get caught out like i have.
Last week I noticed Forever 21 online had a sale on. I have posted about Forever 21 a lot on this blog and have also worn pieces that i have bought from there in outfit posts too, see HERE and HERE.
I haven't visited one of their stores in person as there is none near me in Scotland, so i have always had to shop online.
Before buying from them i saw a lot of comments made online about the quality of their garments and was a bit wary but honestly every single thing i have bought from them has been pretty perfect and of a similar quality of everything else on the high street, actually i would say their slub-cotton tee's are actually of a higher standard. Basically what I'm saying is I've had no complaints...well up until today that is!
So I bought a load of items from the sale last week, the prices were great and i cant resist a bargain.
My order arrived today and after trying everything on i decided i loved most of it but wanted to return two items that didn't fit!
You need a code from their website to return items, so as i was trying to get mine, it wouldn't seem to let me access it, i thought it must be something wrong with their site so I phoned their Customer Service number to see if they could help me.
I got right through to speaking to someone and gave her my details after i explained the problem, she looked up my order and went "they are sale items"
I said yes they are, i ordered then from your current sale.
and she said "no that's why you can't return them, they are FINAL sale items"
I asked what was the difference between sale and final sale items, as when i bought from the sale it didn't mention it being a FINAL sale.
She said there was none and every sale was a final sale and that i couldn't return any of the items.
I couldn't believe it, i asked her if i could at least get a credit note and she said "No"
I told her that it didn't say anywhere near where the items where or where i paid for the items that i couldn't return it, i told her i didn't even see the words FINAL sale anywhere either, she said on there CUSTOMER SERVICES page under the Returns and exchanges tab the following statement appears-
"FINAL SALES: All sales of Gift cards, e-gift certificates, cosmetics, jewelry and items marked as Sale are final. FINAL SALE items cannot be returned for exchange, credit, or refunds"
I explained that i understood that it was Somewhere on their website but that it wasn't made clear to me at any point that i wouldn't be able to return the items and that i really wasn't happy about it, after a while of discussing the matter , i asked to speak to her manager and she put me on hold, a few minutes later she came back and said they would make a one off exception to refund my money, I'm guessing because i was stating the fact that it didn't appear obvious on the site what their policy was.
I am sort of flabbergasted by the whole situation really. I am so happy and thankful that they are willing to give me my money back as i appreciate that they do have a notice on their site about not being able to return FINAL sale items, but i really think its a completely unreasonable policy.
I know some (a select few, not many that i can actually think of as most will let you return ALL items, sale or not) stores will not let you return sale items, but that is fine as you have been in the store, TRIED the item on, seen if it fits you, if you like it etc and can make the judgement then and there of whether or not you want to buy it. But none of those things apply online, you have to buy it to try it on and see if it even fits, so its completely crazy to think that every item you buy in a sale will fit you and/or suit you and that you won't need to return at least one thing.
If that is their policy and they are sticking to it fine, but if they had it in bold writing on the main page or the sale page or even at the checkout that said i couldn't return these items then there is no way i would have placed my order. I understand that technically i am completely 100% in the wrong here and i should have went and trailed through there site to see there returns policy but really the way i see it, if it isn't telling me to read something or saying that they have a special or unique returns policy then why would i go and seek out the page.?
I am just so happy i didn't place a massive order or i would have been distraught about losing money on clothes that didn't fit!
I do want to make it clear that i understand that i should have looked at their policy and that it is very kind of then to offer me a return when they really don't need too, but for me it is just a way of tricking customers into buying things and not being able to take them back, like i said most stores have a pretty samey returns policy on sale items so i think its important that a store, especially an online one make it clear before you place your order that there's is different.
Also the main graphic above is what i saw when i was shopping the sale, no where on that or on the whole page did it use the words FINAL SALE so even if i did look at the C.S page i wouldn't have thought what i was buying applied anyway.
If you click through to SHOP ALL SALE ITEMS which i didn't do on the day i was buying, but if you click that the graphic below appears, with a teeny tiny asterisk and small print saying final sale, i looked for the matching asterisk on the page but there isn't one, so again on that page even though you would know you were shopping a FINAL SALE it doesn't tell you why they have asterisked the words or why you should investigate further.
I never write posts like these, and i hate feeling like i am complaining about stores because all i am really writing this for is because the sale is still in full swing and i just didn't want any of yous to be caught out too. Like i said i really really LOVE forever 21 clothing and the irony is the bulk of the order i got today was beautiful but unfortunately now after this little 'misunderstanding' i won't be ordering from them again as I'm too scared i would lose my money, unless they make there returns policy clearer that is, i will just have to wait (fingers crosses) for one to open up in my city!
Out of interested where you aware of Forever 21's policy's and do any of you read the small print of the returns and exchanges before you buy online?
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