Break it, buy it?

wonski

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Till discounting makes theft far easier.

Friend comes into store, picks up jacket goes to till. Button claimed as missing. 10 euro discount.

Customer goes into store, rips off button goes to till, 10 euro discount.

Sales assistant gives 5 euro discount per week for faulty items. That works out as 260 euro per year of discounts unchecked. X by 10 workers =2,600 euro loss unchecked.

This is why sales assistants dont have authority to discount.

It is based on trust.

Surely the shop assistant could steal from the till etc...

The one closing the shop could steal even more...

These shop assistants are well known frauds

notharrypotter

Deleted User wrote: »

Till discounting makes theft far easier.

Friend comes into store, picks up jacket goes to till. Button claimed as missing. 10 euro discount.

Customer goes into store, rips off button goes to till, 10 euro discount.

Sales assistant gives 5 euro discount per week for faulty items. That works out as 260 euro per year of discounts unchecked. X by 10 workers =2,600 euro loss unchecked.

This is why sales assistants dont have authority to discount.

Replace don't with should not.

But this is moving off topic.

There is no legal enforcement to pay for damaged goods in big or small retailers.

The most you could do is call the Gardai and have them charged for criminal damage but you would need a water tight case to not have the Guards and court laugh at you.

notharrypotter

notharrypotter wrote: »

Replace don't with should not.

But this is moving off topic.

I can promise you no large retailer allows sales assistants to discount.

Of course when i say large retailer i mean those with over 100 stores nationwide turning over millions each year.

sunny2004

The “break it, it’s yours” line is only ever seen in small shops, and it is a legally grey area. If you break something in a shop and it is a genuine accident, they would struggle to make you pay for it, and in absolutely no circumstances can they demand you pay for the item before you leave the shop, and never the full retail price.
If they can prove you were negligent in handling the goods then the law may compel you to make restitution, but this would be capped by the court at the replacement cost and not the retail cost. It isn’t worth the hassle, however, so it is probably best to take care not to break anything
This is in addition to my post above and it taken from the Irish time website, I hope this helps you.

the_pen_turner

Deleted User wrote: »

Ive done annual stock takes over 5 hours after hours with 40 staff in 1 store.

Thats a large retailer

can I ask what you consider a large retailer . maybe example that are and some that are nearly there . just for comparison.
Argos, harvy normal, pc world, b and q etc are all large



I doubt the shop that the op is talking about ranks as a large retailer in your eyes

Hyzepher

If I was made pay for a damaged item, I'd make damn sure I brought the said item home with me. Why would you be asked to pay (discount or not) and the shop hold onto the item?

wonski

wonski wrote: »

It is based on trust.

Surely the shop assistant could steal from the till etc...

The one closing the shop could steal even more...

These shop assistants are well known frauds

No retailer trusts their staff, thats why they have random bag checks and disiplinaries for till shortages.

Large retailers have security cameras rolling 24/7 and stores with huge stockloss have additional measures taken against them.

One retailer i know even has head office security have the ability to remotely log onto store cameras and watch staff aswell as customers.

They even send in store detectives unknown to store management and staff.

njs030

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I can promise you no large retailer allows sales assistants to discount.

Of course when i say large retailer i mean those with over 100 stores nationwide turning over millions each year.

I would guess you mean grocery retailer?
That is a different type of POS system to most high street stores.

anewme

Hyzepher wrote: »

If I was made pay for a damaged item, I'd make damn sure I brought the said item home with me. Why would you be asked to pay (discount or not) and the shop hold onto the item?

I'm sure the OP has 101 uses for a broken novelty plastic beer mug.

notjustsweet

notjustsweet wrote: »

I would guess you mean grocery retailer?
That is a different type of POS system to most high street stores.

Generally all Pos systems work the same, grocery however generally have stock controllers to monitor and amend ordering systems because of fresh and frozen foods controls.

the_pen_turner

the_pen_turner wrote: »

can I ask what you consider a large retailer . maybe example that are and some that are nearly there . just for comparison.
Argos, harvy normal, pc world, b and q etc are all large



I doubt the shop that the op is talking about ranks as a large retailer in your eyes

Large would be those you have mentioned including Dunnes, Tesco etc.

the_pen_turner

Deleted User wrote: »

Large would be those you have mentioned including Dunnes, Tesco etc.

can I ask who in your opinion (or factually if available ) is the largest medium retailer. I'm interested to know where the line is.

Hyzepher

anewme wrote: »

I'm sure the OP has 101 uses for a broken novelty plastic beer mug.

The point is that if they are going to make you pay for it, you dont want to give them the opportunity of returning it to supplier etc if they have that option.

the_pen_turner

the_pen_turner wrote: »

can I ask who in your opinion (or factually if available ) is the largest medium retailer. I'm interested to know where the line is.

I would assume some of those budget retailers like the Euroshops simply because their turnover isnt up there with the likes of large multinationals however they do employ a lot of staff and stores.

A lot of the smaller retail stores likes Burton, Dorothy Perkins are often part of larger groups and would be considered large retailers.

sunny2004

There are so many off topic comments in this thread

worded

NotInventedHere wrote: »

I knocked over a bottle of wine in Tesco. I told the staff but I didn't pay for it.

You are one sick puppy ....

Just joking

Was it white or red ?

Sadb

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I would assume some of those budget retailers like the Euroshops simply because their turnover isnt up there with the likes of large multinationals however they do employ a lot of staff and stores.

A lot of the smaller retail stores likes Burton, Dorothy Perkins are often part of larger groups and would be considered large retailers.

Only the other day I was in Tesco and purchased an electronic item for the sale price of €24.99. At the self service till it scanned at €34.99. I called over the assistant, she checked the label and guess what? She then discounted it on the till!!!!!! Now maybe I'm mistaken here but isn't Tesco one of the largest retailers in Ireland? Also don't most staff have access to ordering systems? These would display the cost as well as the rrp.

I too work in retail, a shop that is part of a franchise so a very small retailer. (Which this gift shop may be too) All staff can discount items on the till. We would certainly charge someone if they broke something, we don't always but we have. I can't understand your stance on this. If your child was out playing ball and broke a neighbours window would you go down, apologise and then walk away? If you are driving and drive into the back of someone do you say "oh well, it was an accident" and leave the scene. The decent thing to do here is to at least offer to pay for the item, accident or not, your child broke it.

Panjandrums

This post has been deleted.

CruelCoin

Jeniflan wrote: »

Ok, yikes?
I really appreciate people taking the time to respond, don't think it's necessary to go there?

Perfectly fine to go there.

You're teaching your kids that it's fine to wreck other peoples stuff and brush it off with "whoops oh well"

The vast majority of society holds this view in contempt.

Also, you want to contact management.....to complain about how you were treated.....after you broke their stuff

noodler

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I can promise you no large retailer allows sales assistants to discount.

Of course when i say large retailer i mean those with over 100 stores nationwide turning over millions each year.

I don't know what I find more amusing, your dozen posts maintaining you know the discount responsibilities delegated to every shop assistant in the country or your dozen demented posts jumping to the conclusion that the assistant was corrupt.

r93kaey5p2izun

As a shop assistant in one of the biggest department store chains in the UK and Ireland I could discount damaged goods. I was given that authority after working there a couple of years. We didn't charge for accidental damage though.

Personally I would feel it's perfectly reasonable to have a break it buy it policy. I would definitely offer upfront to pay for any damage I caused, and just be grateful if the offer was refused.

Senna

It's pretty simple, you break something, you apologise to the store assistant, you offer to pay, the store assistant say "no it's OK, accidents happen" everyone walks away.

If the store assistant took the money, I would be quite happy as the breakage was my fault.

If the customer didn't even bother offer to pay for their mistake, I'd be pretty pissed off if I was the store assistant.

I think the latter happened here.
Of course the OP starts a thread about it, rather than feel embarrassed that their son broke something that didn't belong to them and then didn't even offer to pay for it.

Sadb

Sadb wrote: »

Only the other day I was in Tesco and purchased an electronic item for the sale price of €24.99. At the self service till it scanned at €34.99. I called over the assistant, she checked the label and guess what? She then discounted it on the till!!!!!! Now maybe I'm mistaken here but isn't Tesco one of the largest retailers in Ireland? Also don't most staff have access to ordering systems? These would display the cost as well as the rrp.

I too work in retail, a shop that is part of a franchise so a very small retailer. (Which this gift shop may be too) All staff can discount items on the till. We would certainly charge someone if they broke something, we don't always but we have. I can't understand your stance on this. If your child was out playing ball and broke a neighbours window would you go down, apologise and then walk away? If you are driving and drive into the back of someone do you say "oh well, it was an accident" and leave the scene. The decent thing to do here is to at least offer to pay for the item, accident or not, your child broke it.

Self service scan operators are not sales assistants. They have a higher pay grade for starters.

They didnt discount, they amended the price to conform to the law. This will be recorded and amended. It could either be an incorrect promotion or the systems are incorrect.

As for making customers pay for breakages in your store, its ok to ask but you break the law by forcing them to pay if that is what you do.

When they pay are you charging them full retail and still making a profit or are you selling at cost?

As for driving, you have insurance.

The difference between small and large retailers is that large retailers can afford to write breakages off.

Does your company simply bin the breakage or do you give it to the customer who pays?

If they pay and dont want the breakage do you still claim the breakage as a write off against profits at the end of the trading year?

njs030

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Self service scan operators are not sales assistants. They have a higher pay grade for starters.

They didnt discount, they amended the price to conform to the law.

What law would that be then?

noodler

noodler wrote: »

I don't know what I find more amusing, your dozen posts maintaining you know the discount responsibilities delegated to every shop assistant in the country or your dozen demented posts jumping to the conclusion that the assistant was corrupt.

Laugh all you want, but ive worked for the largest retailer in Ireland and the largest retailer in the UK.

No serious company allows sales assistants to perform operations on a till other than scanning and taking money.

Maybe long serving higher grade staff can have a few extra responsabilities but this is reflected in their pay grades above standard sales assistants.

Next time you are in a shop and the till operator rings a bell for a void , ask yourself why they need a member of management (including a supervisor) to perform such a task.

notjustsweet

notjustsweet wrote: »

What law would that be then?

Consumer protection act.

Most large retailers just honour the price advertised in store as part of good customer service.

Heckler

Always assumed the 'you break it you buy it' law stood.

Especially if its some piss ant ****e. Just pay up ffs.

And don't use your uncoordinated china shop bull 5 year old as an excuse.

"oh precious Tarquin is so vivacious, he didn't mean it"

TOss Sweep

Worked in retail for a long time from big stores to local stores and not once has any of the stores I worked in charged anyone for an accidental breakage.

One thing a lot have wrong here also is the cost of the item. Just because they are selling the item for 10 euro that does not mean they are losing 10 euro. They may be losing a sale but what they are losing is the cost of the item and depending on the markup could be a hell of lot less than 10.

Stores big or small have insurance on stock and as others mentioned have budgets for lost stock and any store that does not wont last in business for very long.

Having said that there has been times I have offered to pay for something I knocked over or a family member did and there was times I did not.

jester77

Should get liability insurance if you don't have it already. This is exactly what it is for, although in this instance the shop should just let it go. Was not a high value item, but if it was worth a few hundred euro then the insurance would pay. It is the first insurance everyone gets where I live and covers a lot, plus it is only around €70 a year. A must if you have young children.