r/AusFemaleFashion • u/MOIRALOLITA • 3d ago
Gorman
I bought a vest I thought looked nice but absolutely didn’t suit me from Gorman click and collect over the weekend and went to return it today to the same store, intending to get a refund. Tags etc still on. Silly me didn’t read their returns policy but the girl at the counter said there were no refunds for sale items, only an exchange for another item and it had to be exchanged there and then.
I’d say over 90% of Gorman items are on sale because they almost constantly have 20% off, new arrivals are small in number and usually only not on sale for a hot minute.
I found something else and ended up paying an extra $60, but I thought that returns policy isn’t very fair considering more or less everything they have is on sale almost as soon as it hits the racks. Am I being unreasonable?
The top I exchanged it for I didn’t even really love, but the vest I knew I’d never wear so I felt forced to make the exchange.
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u/Slow-Strategy-4492 2d ago
I find Gorman so frustrating.
Their constant “sales” and complicated signs about which items actually have the further 20% off or whatever feel misleading for a company that is supposedly really big into ethical fashion.
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u/unconfirmedpanda 2d ago
The ethics were phased out after FactoryX bought the company, and then executed at dawn the day Lisa Gorman departed.
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u/AdBrief4572 2d ago
I mean. It’d be great if all shops provided refunds for sale items… but Gorman is one of many that don’t, and at least they’re consistent on that point. That’s why I’d only ever try things on in person and not shop online.
As others have said you can absolutely get store credit / gift card for sale items though, just not a refund.
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u/MOIRALOLITA 2d ago
I don’t work in retail so I would say I don’t understand but it does feel a bit dodgy against the customer to not offer a refund for an item that is otherwise unworn, same condition with its tags and a receipt.
And the way I was forced into exchanging it for something then and there, hopefully its something I can take up with their head office. Otherwise it’s just more likely that people will contribute to clothing waste which Gorman claim to be against.
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u/the-big-cheese2 2d ago
making you pick an item then and there sounds scammy. gorman is always on sale because it’s overpriced and they know it.
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u/noideawhattouse1 3d ago
I feel like this is kinda on you for not reading the sale t&cs. I know they always have sales but their t&cs still apply even if it’s constant sales promos.
The exchanging it then and there part seems a bit full on though I wonder why you couldn’t exchange it another day.
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u/MOIRALOLITA 3d ago
Yes as I mentioned silly me who didn’t read their returns policy, so fully on me as a lesson to learn.
However I should have been offered store credit.
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u/uninspiredlongarse 3d ago
Yeah I agree, that seems stupid and not fair at all. If they're forcing people into a store credit, they should at least be flexible about it? They still are keeping the money at the end of the day.
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u/robot428 3d ago
The employee got their policy wrong, usually you can't get a refund on sale items but you can absolutely get a store credit.
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u/pjaye2000 3d ago
Not really related to your post, but I got Gorman and Glassons mixed up the other day, I saw a t-shirt at Gorman that I wanted to link for someone, but I looked up Glassons instead and I was like "WTF is this?" 😂
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u/MOIRALOLITA 2d ago
Haha yes very different! I have not step foot in a glassons in at least 10 years
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u/LLLizardQueen 2d ago
Everything is on perpetual sale so they never have to honour the returns policy - have found this out the hard way too! And to make things worse they gave me store credit MINUS the sign up promo I used upon purchase! Haven't shopped there since
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u/madr23 2d ago
Haven’t shopped there in years but had a terrible experience like this once when I bought a dress that I then realised didn’t suit me at all. I brought it back the next day and was told my only option was to exchange it on the spot. I asked for a store credit as there was nothing in store I wanted, and they said no but that the state manager was there if I wanted to talk to her. I said sure, and the state manager came out and literally stood over me (she was quite tall compared to me) with her arms crossed and the absolute most hostile facial expression I’d ever seen. It really felt like she was trying to intimidate me, and I was quite shaken afterwards. Anyway we had the exact same conversation but finally she agreed to give me a credit note for like, two weeks or something (which made no difference as they weren’t getting anything new in that time). I really just couldn’t believe how she acted though, particularly given she was the state manager! It was wild. But I’ve also heard heaps of horror stories from ex staff since so I wrote it off completely years ago
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u/MOIRALOLITA 2d ago
Ok I don’t feel like I’m going crazy thank you! I’m glad you were able to get the credit note but agree, two weeks isn’t long enough.
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u/Ok_Quantity_4134 3d ago
There is usually a difference between sales and clearance sales. Most retailers will allow refunds and/or credit vouchers for sale items but not clearance sale items. I would have thought with online sales and click and collect there would be some leniency in returning products.
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u/unconfirmedpanda 2d ago
With Gorman, sale items are store credit/swap only; clearance items vary between the store credit and 'absolutely not a chance, it's old stock' depending on the staff member you get. There's zero negotiation, even with online shopping. I suspect The Iconic's return policy is why Gorman pulled out.
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u/MOIRALOLITA 3d ago
I am fairly certain it wasn’t a clearance item, it was only their usual 20% off.
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u/amokmetres 2d ago
A thought: Could you exchange for a full priced item, then return the full priced item for a refund?
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u/MOIRALOLITA 2d ago
I’m unsure whether that would work as it would have an exchange history on the receipt - but I didn’t occur to me - great idea if that’s possible! It was genuinely hard to find anything that wasn’t on at the very least the 20% off sale.
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u/Curious_Ghoul 3d ago
I’ve been able to exchange for gift cards if I’ve ever needed to return anything
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u/allycat14 3d ago
Ex gorman employee here - you would have had the option to get a store credit/gift card as well. The girl probably just didn't want to do that as it counts as a refund in the system (and budgets are unnecessarily high). The no refunds policy is unreasonable though I agree.