But I work in retail too!

[Moirae]

Ummm, wow. Generally, I hold Britain in the highest esteem being that I'm Canadian even if I do live in the US now. But that Sales of Goods Act allowing a person to return without a receipt.. thats just dumb. For example... what if a person bought something at Walmart, then found out an expensive department store like Macy's carries it too. They could return it to Macy's to get a profit out of it.

[Merriweather]

[QUOTE=Cazzi;959878]If I'm thinking right, that sounds like plimsolls or "pumps"

QUOTE]


And when I hear pumps, I think high heels, LOL.

Yeah, I remember hearing the term plimsolls now and then, never was 100% sure of the difference, just knew all my daughter's friends from school referred to their Nike's or whatever (what we would call here sneakers) as trainers.

I too, love all the differences, not just in UK/US but in regions within each country, and actually, between generations as well. I can think of objects that I refer to by one name, but know my grandmother would have used a different name, and that my granddaughter uses yet another name for it.

And of course, when you also throw in slang, things can really get confusing.

There are definitely a lot more differences in US/UK than the basic ones most people know, we definitely had a few amusing communication difficulties over the years we lived there. Some expressions, phrases and object names have stuck with me, so here in the US I often get blank or weird looks even now.

[Bardmaiden]

Ummm, wow. Generally, I hold Britain in the highest esteem being that I'm Canadian even if I do live in the US now. But that Sales of Goods Act allowing a person to return without a receipt.. thats just dumb. For example... what if a person bought something at Walmart, then found out an expensive department store like Macy's carries it too. They could return it to Macy's to get a profit out of it.

Most places state that you will not get a cash/credit back refund without a receipt, you would usually get a gift card for that shop. Time limits are allowed the Major Retailer I worked for stated a 60 or 90 day return limit, to prove this you need a receipt...

In fact some shops will prove a gift receipt (one without details of payment on) so that you can put it in with any presents you give so that the person can return it for a replacement of equal value.

I'm sure that some "customers" will take advantage but the shops are putting limits on to try and stop them.

[tilly101]

Good luck getting us in trouble for following our company's policies to the letter!

Oh yes, I get this too. In the past it used to frazzle me, now I just normally give the exact same response and it tends to frazzle them instead...

SC - Tell me how many dental crowns I can claim on this year

Me - Sure. You can claim on 3. You have already claimed one, so that leaves two till the end of he year

SC - UM, I actually WORK in insurance, so I KNOW how it works!

Me - Oh good! Yeah it's always good to speak to someone else in the industry who knows about dental limits. Some people - and I'm sure you'd get this too - they call in, and for some reason, they seem to just think that their dental is unlimited! Crazy huh! So yeah, glad you know how it works so we don't have to go in circles with me explaining the limits and all that just


SC - Um, uh...yeah...ok well...thanks for your help

*CLICK*

[Ironclad Alibi]

I'd be surprised if he actually contacted them. He just figured all he had to do was cite "trading standards" to get you guys to immediately back down. Yeah, that works about as well as "I'll sue!!"

He works in retail. And since he is spineless and always does what the customer wants when they threaten to report him to "trading standards," he thought the same threat would work on all other retail people.

Be very careful of this guy. He is destined to become a spineless manager some day.

[Flying Grype]

I've always thought trainers =/= sneakers.

I always thought trainers = $200 uglyshoes that kids beat each other up for at school.

I spend $40 and wear sneakers.

[Gizmo]

We do have a "proof of purchase" rule in the UK but it doesn't have to be a receipt. Many people say to take in a bank statement or a credit card statement as proof would work too. I am doubtful that just because you spent £20 in here last week that it proved it is the same £20 transaction that you bought the item you are trying to return.

Far too many consumer groups over here are more "consumer revenge" and seem to believe businesses making money is evil these days. Far too many people seem to believe anything to get something back from the evil corporations is fair play.

[Syriilord]

I tend to avoid all the confusion when it comes to footwear and just stick with the generic appelation of 'shoes'.

Unless of course they're black, no nonsense footwear (occasionally with steel cap toes), in which case they're 'work shoes'.

Nomenclature crisis averted

[Beckpatton]

trainers = sneakers

Here in Oz, Trainers/Sneakers = Runners..

Just thought I'd throw that in the mix

[Lace Neil Singer]

When I worked in the garden centre, it was cast in stone that unless you brought in a receipt when you wanted to do a return, you'd be SOL as far as getting a refund for your item. Instead, you got a credit note, which was the value of the item but you could only redeem it in the shop.

Whenever I got an SC who bitched about this, I just used to call the manager cuz I wasn't being paid enough to argue with an SC about this policy. All the time I worked there, no exceptions were made to this rule cuz the shop owner was mean with money and wasn't about to just hand out refunds at the drop of a hat.

[Pagan]

When my daughter needed "new trainers" for gym class, what I bought was what I'd have called sneakers back in the states.

I call all of my athletic shoes "tennies" (as in tennis shoes), even my running shoes.

And when I hear pumps, I think high heels, LOL.

Me, too!

Some expressions, phrases and object names have stuck with me, so here in the US I often get blank or weird looks even now.

I've picked up a lot of those simply from watching so much English/Scots TV online. I don't even realize I'm doing it sometimes....