*Sports direct warning* customer service is dead

A question about : *Sports direct warning* customer service is dead

Sports direct sell cheap stuff. Beware however that any semblance of customer service stops at the point of purchase. It has been a long time since I have encountered such difficulty and arrogance in trying to sort out an issue - both from people and seemingly systems.

Before you purchase from this company I want to share my experience and urge you to proceed with caution. I certainly will not be using them again and will instead get my sports stuff from elsewhere.

My 6 year old son received a Man Utd rain jacket and shorts from his gran for christmas - they were both the wrong size, and his gran had bought the wrong team! He was thankful but was desperate for a different shirt. I should note that both items are in selaphane packaging with sports direct labels on, and through the whole process below sports direct employees accept that this is a sports direct purchase.
I took this back to sports direct without any receipt and was told no receipt no exchange.
I have therefore gone back to his gran to ask for the receipt which has caused upset that she has caused disappointment.
She did not have it any longer but gave me credit card details - paid Ј22.98 on 28th Nov.
I took these details to sports direct in nottingham. Apparently they only have a system where they can look at sales from a particular store to issue credit. They could not find the transaction from the nottingham store. I asked to check other local stores as my mum does not drive anymore so needed to be local or Internet.
The sales assistant (Amy) looked at 3 stores before her manager (Matt) radioed to tell Amy to stop wasting her time.
I asked to speak to Matt and he was very evasive on both helping me and telling me a way I could identify him if I spoke to head office. He was also arrogant and aggressive in his manner.

What was an eye opener was sports direct.com on the high street bears no relation to sports direct.com from the Internet! apparently that should be clear - so there is no visibility of orders etc, and the store will not exchange or recognise an Internet purchase.
I called head office 'customer service'. My battery ran out after being on hold for 1 hour 42 mins.
I emailed customer service - no response.
Subsequently having asked my mum again she had found she bought it from sports direct online.
I spoke to sports direct online 'customer service' - another 20 min wait but ho hum. The transaction was identified however Chris now says that even with xmas intervened and the too-ing and fro-ing with the stores I am now out of the 28 day window and under no circumstances will sports direct not adhere to their policy (together with a lecture about how that is no different to any other retailer - which is factually incorrect as I took back an item to John Lewis yesterday no problem!).
Chris was also arrogant, spoke over me and was not prepared to have any discussion on the matter in terms of options available.
Note that the implications of this policy is basically sports direct never do anything for any gift purchase doe to no flex on time elapsed during holiday season.
His manager Michelle was not available and Chris would not put me through to anyone else or give me contact details who may be able to help me.

Bit of a ramble but I am a very reasonable person and frankly been astonished at the lack of help and understanding for the issue and try to help to resolve.
Loyalty is the most precious commodity in retail (something the banks have finally taken on board with improved customer service) rather than chase new customers and 2 fingers up to existing customers.

In summary, I have wasted hours trying to resolve, my mum is very upset, my son is upset and I have unusable items in pristine condition, compounded by a completly shocking customer experience.

Thanks sports direct. Never again and I urge others to ditch this shabby company.

Best answers:

• I know this is unrelated, but I hate Sports Direct. I occasionally go in if there's something I need, but it's like playing Pacman - if you're getting followed by another customer there's no turning back. If there was a fire, I don't think you'd stand much chance of escaping. I have had to go in with a pram before and after I've paid I just walk as quickly as I can down a clear route back out again and just don't stop, otherwise you end up stuck behind other people and having to politely ask them to 'excuse me' whilst you're both falling backwards into rows of tracksuits. The shop is a total nightmare in almost every single way.
  Could you try selling the items online? You might not get much for them but it's better than them sitting around pointlessly. Or maybe donate to a charity shop or for a charity raffle - I know that's not going to get the money back but in similar situations it makes me feel better to know that someone is benefitting at least.
• It sounds like you're trying to exchange it longer than their terms allow. I'm not sure how them asking you to do your own research about when it was bought as well is bad customer service.
  It is well documented as well they use zero hour contracts for their staff, I'm not saying that wouldn't make the staff any less professional as someone with full time hours, but they have no statetory reason to refund you for a gift with no receipt so unless they were swearing at you or something it doesn't sound like they did anything wrong to me. John lewis is a different staffing model all together, so it is in their interests to treat the customers differently. At the end of the day you get what you pay for.
  As others have said just sell the item on facebook/ gumtree / preloved / ebay or regift it to someone.
• I had same problem xmas 2013 bought son a coat online it was to big. Couldnt take back to shop even though I had invoice as it was bought online. I had to sell coat online and rebuy at another shop for twenty pounds more.
• I once bought a pair of trainers, decided in store BEFORE I GOT OUT OF THE DOOR that i had changed my mind and wanted my cash back - not a chance, tough luck, could do a exchange but no refund.
• All of this headache and an upset old woman over Ј20...
  The more sensible option would have been to not tell the Grandmother she got him the wrong gift and for you to just buy the correct gift and give it to your son and donate the unwanted item to charity...
• None of this is actually the store's fault. Some but not all shops offer returns/refunds for gifts/after 28 days. It will depends on their margins and systems. Pile it high, sell it cheap shops tend not to provide customer service over and above what legislation requires...
  I assume you would identify him by saying M, the manage at your xxx store? (I'm hoping HQ know who their store managers/supervisors are -_-)
• Why would you spend all that time holding on the phone BEFORE finding out that item was bought online ? I think the issues have been made worse by the OP really. A quick search on the website would have saved a lot of time.
• Just to be clear, I am not bleating, at no point have I said i know my rights or have legal entitlement so don't believe it is fair by any of the posters to say this. It is clearly unnecessarily antagonistic.
  My issue was and is there is always a level of discretion and courtesy in dealing with any requests, and I have not yet encountered a more arrogant and disrespectful retailer than SD. Having a dialogue does not mean you have to say yes.
  Incidentally I now have a full refund...there is always somebody who CAN engage in the discussion, just need to find the organ grinder, not the monkey.
• I agree with the other poster about the shop being like pacman as it's like a maze. I hate it when you buy trainers and they don't allow you to take them to the till yourself, when you get there they can't find them. Then they try and peddle a large shopping bag or magazine onto you.