Woolworth No Return Policy for Change of Mind Purchases

Darayus on 18/09/2023 - 10:35
Last edited 18/09/2023 - 11:16 by 1 other user

My wife got soya sauce from WW shop and she noticed the next day that she already had one new in her pantry so she decided to return it back next day.

Went to WW with the receipt and requested for refund or voucher to use credit next time.

The bottle was intact and unopened.

The service desk refused to accept it back stating that it's not a WW policy to accept any grocery once sold unless there is some issue ie defect. When she asked when this policy has been in place, WW said since 2020.

I understand during COVID-19 WW and other grocery shops set this practice to limit people's hoarding the stuff and it was reasonable during that period, unfortunately, they continued this policy even post-COVID-19 covid and everything is fine.

Apparently, WW is becoming like another Qantas.

Have you experienced this or have you just ignored consumer rights and got accepted to big corporation bullying tactics?

thanks

Food & Grocery Soy Sauce

Related Stores

Woolworths
Woolworths

Comments

  • JackedBargain on 18/09/2023 - 19:52
    -2

    who buys soy sauce from Woolworths? Of course anyone in their right mind buys from an asian grocer

    • Domingo on 19/09/2023 - 08:43

      Only in an unmarked paper bag from an Asian grocery than you can't remember the location of

  • bashar20 on 18/09/2023 - 20:16
    +3

    And they stopped issuing rain checks. 3 items on special were empty on the shelves. I requested a rain check and they said we no longer offer rain checks. While Coles still offer rain checks and returns.

  • DontNeedThis on 18/09/2023 - 22:23

    OP was about to do sth sus in the house, so forced the poor wife to return a $2 bottle of soy sauce. I bet there was no other soy sauce in the house to begin with.

  • R4 on 18/09/2023 - 22:39
    +4

    I'm with WW on this.

    Just keep it for when you run out of soy sauce.

    Bizarre that you would want a refund on something like that.

    • DontNeedThis on 18/09/2023 - 22:42
      +2

      Just keep it for when you run out of soy sauce.

      Or throw it away.

      Thanks WW, I don't wanna be buying grocery that's been to someone else's house.

  • starburstyellow on 18/09/2023 - 22:42

    Interesting. I returned a shower spray few months ago, as I already had one in the house. Could return with no questions asked.

    • Aleigh123 on 19/09/2023 - 09:58

      It really depends on who you have. Some supervisors will do it with no questions asked, some will insists on only exchanges, and some might deny it entirely if they don't know what they're doing.

    • CowFrogHorse on 19/09/2023 - 10:12

      A shower spray is not food. I would imagine they dont want the safety concerns of accepting a food or packaged food that coul dbe tampered.

  • funnysht on 18/09/2023 - 22:57
    +1

    By chance you or your wife's name Karen?

    • try2bhelpful on 18/09/2023 - 23:20
      +1

      No, but I think the OP might be.

  • fullmetal on 18/09/2023 - 23:45

    If you ask nicely you can exchange for something else.

  • BusMan247 on 19/09/2023 - 01:19

    Honestly I wouldn’t have even bothered but I’m actually shocked they would take back an unopened item the next day. They price gouge like champions but have service from the streets

  • Rukiata on 19/09/2023 - 06:50

    Op is gone, this is a troll post has to be

  • smartazz104 on 19/09/2023 - 07:53
    +2

    There's a lesson here; check your cupboards and pantry and make shopping list before going to the supermarket.

  • jrvb42 on 19/09/2023 - 08:34
    -3

    Thanks for the heads-up on this (brain-dead) policy.
    Woolies is clearly signaling that they only refund for opened/used goods, when the customer says the item is "no good".

    Obviously they prefer to give money back for goods that can't be resold instead of goods that are unused and can be resold.

    The message is, if you change you mind, open the item, use some, return for full refund saying you're unsatisfied.
    Well done Woolies policy makers.

    • tomfool on 19/09/2023 - 09:56

      so what you saying is be a complete dick.

      And then you can come back and complain about the the colesworth monopoly ripping you off with their high prices.

  • Myone888 on 19/09/2023 - 08:35

    They once sold fungus in cheese and they pretend not to do anything about it too! They have monopoly of the market

  • George2021 on 19/09/2023 - 10:01

    I know in a lot of cases they cannot resell the product even if it appears unopened. Can you imagine how much food goes to waste because people change their mind or 'already have one at home. FFS

  • CowFrogHorse on 19/09/2023 - 10:11

    Well it pretty obvious WHy woolies has this policy.

    Firstly the return process for the item costs TIME and that means MONEY for woolies. THe more returns they get that means they have to employ a new person for tht and guess what returns are not a money making venture.

    I will skip the part where they probably end up throwing the item out for safety reasons, they just dont want the trouble of one in 100 being tampered or whatever.

  • CowFrogHorse on 19/09/2023 - 10:13
    +3

    Some people must have no life if they waste an hour or two to return a $2 soy sauce which they coul dhave just kept at home .

    • imurgod on 19/09/2023 - 16:44

      Poor people don't put a value on their time

      • CowFrogHorse on 19/09/2023 - 17:47

        Your not looking at the big picture in 4D.

        Firstly it costs money to visit Woolies, bus or car or train it probably costs more to travel tehre and back.

        Secondly by wasting Woolies money on stupid returns, they will get greedy and want their money back which means increases to what they sell. So in the long run you might get $2 back today but they will get revenge by extra price increases in the long run.

        • imurgod on 19/09/2023 - 18:18

          Read my comment again, I'm agreeing with you.

          Complete waste of time and money when they could put the soy sauce in the pantry.

          • CowFrogHorse on 19/09/2023 - 18:20

            @imurgod: i was using you as a device to explain the true cost of the return to them personally.

            • imurgod on 19/09/2023 - 18:22

              @CowFrogHorse: You couldn't have been more correct.

              Excellent points.

              So in fact, it costs more money to attempt to return that item resulting in a negative return.

              Basic maths.

  • Jared17 on 19/09/2023 - 10:21
    -1

    If this was an expensive unused item people might have different reaction. But thanks OP. I didn't know they changed the rules after covid

  • rangi11 on 19/09/2023 - 12:54

    That is just a bully tactic I had similar problem only difference was I walked out of store checked receipt and seen that it was dearer than I thought. The girl refused to refund/return until I pulled up their web site.
    And it states:

    If you've changed your mind about a purchase made from 11 May 2020, we will happily provide an exchange or refund provided that the product is returned to us with a receipt within 30 days of purchase and the product is in its original condition.

  • Exorcist on 19/09/2023 - 14:06
    +2

    I’d drink it on the spot in protest

  • c9 on 19/09/2023 - 15:10
    +1

    So any business refuse to accept change of mind refund is just the same as company who sell phantom products such as non-existent flights? Surely I will be pissed if they sell non-existent soy sauce, or just the empty bottle. If OP feels tragically disappointed by this, go and get some WW giftcard to save some money for that soy sauce, or just shop at a supermarket that accepts change of mind refund.

    I am surprised Coles still allows it because they want to stop people doing refund for those mini shops campaigns

  • Wasabi Ninja on 19/09/2023 - 15:23

    Sounds humiliating af.

  • MasonDelta on 19/09/2023 - 15:29
    +2

    I can confirm that Woolworths have this inhumane policy!
    Whilst shopping at Woolworths in Darwin (shortly before my flight back to Sydney) I was accidentally billed $0.20 for a bag which I did not take.
    After booking a flight and flying back to Darwin to claim a refund (it's a cost of living crisis, 20c here and there adds up!) I returned to the store but the manager refused to refund me because I left the receipt back at my home in Mosman.
    Woolworths should be ashamed of themselves for this predatory practice!

    • CowFrogHorse on 19/09/2023 - 18:21
      +2

      Did you go home find the receipt and return back to Darwin ?

      Bonus green points for using a bicycle.

      • Hangryuman on 20/09/2023 - 15:23
        +1

        yes - I think you should book another return flight back from Sydney to Darwin and tell that manager exactly what you think of him - then DEMAND your 20c back … !

    • bdl on 22/09/2023 - 23:41

      You win the Darwin award.

  • imurgod on 19/09/2023 - 16:43
    +1

    So what you're saying is you wasted your own time trying to refund a bottle of soy sauce and then wasted more time posting about it.

    Mate, I'll happily buy it off you and put it in my pantry if you're that hard up.

  • wogman on 19/09/2023 - 17:00

    How to tell us your wife is a stingy tight arse without telling us your wife is a stingy tight arse!!

  • rashido on 19/09/2023 - 19:47
    -1

    A lot of woolies staff don’t know their own refund policy, have argued with a duty manager about exchanging something before, I called head office who confirmed I was correct.

    Generally having the refund policy on your phone and telling them you’re happy to raise it with the store manager would get them to comply.

    You won’t have much luck getting a refund for changing your mind but exchanging the item for anything else you need is fine.

    https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/discover/about-us/returns…

    • tomfool on 20/09/2023 - 08:44
      +1

      If it is a food item or cosmetic item there should be no refund or exchange at all unless the product is faulty. Why buy it if you don't need it, and if you do just use it.

  • Bob Svargis on 19/09/2023 - 21:31
    +1

    OMG seriously - equating a retailer refusing to refund on foodstuffs to the Qantas situation? Wow, just wow. OP needs a serious dose of perspective here.

  • dm02 on 19/09/2023 - 21:49
    +1

    "Consumer rights"? No one has a right to a return for change of mind. I would argue Woolworths is quite generous with their change of mind exchanges, even if they did used to offer refunds, given it's food that you buy from there.

  • io on 19/09/2023 - 21:50

    The point is not the $2 item. Here we should be discussing the issue of change of mind return.

    • DONMAI on 19/09/2023 - 22:30

      Wrong. we're here to question life. How do we even know it's a $2 item?? quick search on the safeway website for sauce of the soysoys, we have multiple products. ranging from about $2.50 to $51.79 for a 2pack ($25.90ea.)

      Soy sauce baked potatoes or potato slices/scallions. top stuff.

  • Jaxy on 19/09/2023 - 23:21

    Good idea to take it back, after all it might spoil before you need it.

  • Morphio25 on 20/09/2023 - 09:32
    +1

    have you just ignored consumer rights

    You are trying to return a product due to change of mind. You have zero rights and WW don't have to accept the return, just as any retailer has the right to refuse a return for this reason.

    /thread

  • djsweet on 20/09/2023 - 09:37
    +5

    Obviously there are a tonne of comments rightly pointing out that there is no statutory right to change of mind returns. We all know this. We also know that most major retailers, including WW, offered change of mind returns and most people have become accustomed to that over many many years. The issue here is not they WW has removed change of mind refunds, but that they removed them as part of their COVID-19 measures to prevent hoarding, and then never reversed them once the issue was resolved. They took advantage of Covid to implement a policy change whilst avoiding any scrutiny. It’s disingenuous, and leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

    • Yola on 20/09/2023 - 10:10

      Yes and also the rainchecks.

    • io on 20/09/2023 - 11:03

      You are right.

  • lainey13 on 20/09/2023 - 15:06

    Luckily Coles still allows change of mind returns. Unluckily, there's some new system implemented now which means receipts are not necessarily recognised at different stores so you may have to go back to the original Coles you purchased from which is annoying when you're ALREADY STANDING outside of a different one and they scan the receipt, then refuse to refund it because it 'wasn't recognised'…

  • meowsers on 20/09/2023 - 20:57

    Just open it, bring it back and say it tasted off.. problem solved.

  • michael128 on 20/09/2023 - 21:22
    +1

    Some consumers have been spoiled too much.

  • bigbadboogieman on 20/09/2023 - 21:37

    Funny they took returns from us even when we couldn't produce a receipt. It's a luck of the draw I suppose. Depends on who's standing at the counter at the time and what they had for breakfast.

  • fairyflossgrapes on 21/09/2023 - 05:58

    Lel. Nobody needs to refund for change of mind. If they do, it's a bonus. If not… welll… tough luck.

  • justwii on 21/09/2023 - 13:24
    -1

    This is a lesson about how to make an effective post. Your main focus is about the change of mind policy but half of the people here just jumped on the soy sauce. Hope OP learnt to hide irrelevant details, otherwise a serious post can just ruined by these people and turned into a joke post.

  • Promistaker on 05/11/2024 - 12:23

    Just an update: you can exchange your unwanted item for 30 days. *only exchange.

    https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/discover/about-us/returns…

    • Loopholio on 06/11/2024 - 09:08

      I don't know what they mean by exchange. Maybe exchange for another item and credit..

      • Promistaker on 06/11/2024 - 13:55

        Yes, you can exchange your items for other items in the store, but you can not get money back or credit for purchased groceries unless they are faulty.

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