forget the sale and hold onto the customer A little while ago, I went into a major department store in Melbourne, with my son, to exchange a pair of short pants that he had purchased a few days prior. The assistant told me that it was against store policy to exchange the shorts or provide […]

forget the sale and hold onto the customer A little while ago, I went into a major department store in Melbourne, with my son, to exchange a pair of short pants that he had purchased a few days prior. The assistant told me that it was against store policy to exchange the shorts or provide a refund, despite the fact that the shorts were not entirely fit for purpose. I had a similar experience with some electronic equipment purchased at a major electrical retailer in Perth just last month. In both cases, I explained to the shop assistant that I had no interest whatsoever in their store policy, and that the only thing I would be referring to in resolving the matter was consumer law. I informed them that, in law, their store policy carried no weight – and the fact is, it does not. All these two stores did…