Recently I've had no luck whatsoever when it comes to finding clothes in charity shops so I turned to the sale rails when I needed something new for my wardrobe. Dorothy Perkins, ASOS and Monsoon have afforded me some of my favourite sales buys so far this year.
I picked up this dress in Dorothy Perkins last week. It was marked down to under £10 (from £35) on the sale rail but I noticed it had a pretty big slash in the side so I asked the manager for a discount and she was happy to oblige with a further 15% off. Ace of base.
Asking for a discount isn't hard or difficult. No one is going to think badly of you, in fact when I worked in retail (for a long, long time) I didn't so much as raise an eyebrow when someone asked, I was too busy with the real problem of catching out the phantom changing room poo-er (yeah).
Let's face it, most people aren't savvy with a needle and thread and even if they are, most just can't be bothered so do a small spot of mending - so if the item is sitting on the shop floor ripped it probably won't get sold. I've found most managers happy to offer a reasonable discount in order to just sell the dress, if you point out an obvious problem with a garment. Don't be nervous, just politely ask if they'd be willing to reduce the bill considering you'd need to repair the item.
If there happens to be an exact same item in the same size left in the shop without a fault, then they probably have a good idea and will suggest you buy that one instead. Don't go hiding the 'good' item, they can spot these bluffs a mile off.
The slash in the fabric was on the seam, so I was able to so sew it up neatly as soon as I got home and you'd never know. I think a similar dress in a charity shop would cost around the same price, so I'm pretty pleased with my bargain.
Do you ask for discounts when you spot a rip, stain or missing button?
TTFN,
P.S. Ever had an impressive discount for a fixable fault?
Certainly do! I work on the principle that you don't ask, you don't get. I bought a River Island dress in the sale recently and asked for a discount due to damage - the sales assistant knocked a fiver off so it was £15 rather than £20.
ReplyDeleteWhat got me a 25 % discount? One of the (tiny) belt loops was unstitched. It will take me two minutes and two stitches to fix it. In the meantime it's still perfectly wearable - I just put the belt over the loops instead of through them.
Alex
I'm never embarrassed to point out a stain or faulty zip! And you're right, the managers and sales assistants are always willing to knock a pound or two off!
ReplyDeleteJess x
www.ladyofvintage.com
I can't believe people don't ask. I love a good "damaged" bargain :-) great dress Mrs T x
ReplyDeleteGreat post, asking for a discount is always worth it! I've been offered a 20% discount in M&S on a pair of full price shoes, the last in my size, that had a big scuff on them. Had a weird experience in Zara though - I asked for a discount on a ripped dress, only to be told that they don't sell faulty goods and that it had to be sent back to Spain! I argued that Spanish landfill was just as bad as UK landfill, and that I'd be doing their carbon footprint a favour, but sadly no such luck!
ReplyDeleteI once got a dress in Monsoon for a fiver down from £75 all because it had a silly rip that was easily mended! Bargain!! X
ReplyDeleteA couple of years ago I was lusting after a certain All Saints frock but it was so out of my price range. Enter the Dot Perkins sale - a similar design dress (and in my preferred colour) but with buttons missing. The tag said £12.99 but I asked for more off and the manageress said, "Sure, how about £7.00?" I nearly snatched her hand off! A mere £0.49 for seven buttons later and I had my All Saints dress for just £7.49. I've yet to beat that one, but I keep trying!
ReplyDeleteI work in retail and I often find that people aren't happy with the 10 - 15% reduction, they always want more! There are also Sale Or Return items we're unwilling to reduce if there's a fault simply because we can send them back to the supplier for a full refund as opposed to taking the hit for a lower selling price.
ReplyDeleteYasmin
thestudentwardrobe.com
I got a pencil dress reduced to £3 because the zip was bust.I was so pleased,ten minute fix up.
ReplyDeleteUrgghh phantom pooer,oh that's vile!! So glad I wasn't eating my breakfast when reading that ha!
I got a pencil dress reduced to £3 because the zip was bust.I was so pleased,ten minute fix up.
ReplyDeleteUrgghh phantom pooer,oh that's vile!! So glad I wasn't eating my breakfast when reading that ha!
This dress is gorgeous. I've recently become a huge DP fan!! I'm always a bit nervous about things like that but my Dad always says 'the worst they can say is no' and I do find 9 times out of 10 it's worth asking. Xx
ReplyDeleteI managed to get a 15% discount on a top yesterday because one of the studs was missing, it came with 5 replacements and took me just a few min to fix x
ReplyDeleteI'll always ask for a discount on a faulty item, unless it's already marked down due to that reason, but I'll tend to just go for marked items or those with missing buttons as I know I'd never get around to sewing up a seam.
ReplyDeleteI love this dress! I spyed it online in the sale and it looks even better in your photos, would love to see what it looks like on xxx
Lovely dress x
ReplyDeleteI generally ask if they have another item in the same size, and if not, they tend to offer a discount which works for me! If its a repairable fault then i'll definately buy it! x
ReplyDeleteI love bargains like this! I have had a couple in the past. I had a £50 pair of cord flares for £15 because of a busted zip (back when cord flares were cool) and more recently I had a 3/4 length red leather coat for a mere £15 (I'd happily have paid much more for it as I was looking for one anyway) because of a damaged button.
ReplyDeleteI love your blog - I've not commented before, but I do enjoy a good read.
That dress is lovely! :) I would always ask for a discount if something's ripped or has a massive stain.. I rarely pay full price for something unless it's something that's already dirt cheap or I really really need it! :)
ReplyDeleteI always ask for a discount! I was in new look once and I came across a pretty blue dress in the sale rail, I picked it up and noticed the strap was coming off (easy fix). So i went to the till and explained and I got the dress for £2.00. Probably my favorite high street shopping moment aha.
ReplyDeleteAce of base. Ha ha!
ReplyDeleteThe best discount I have ever had was actually in a charity shop (hold the PHONE!) The dress was £7.50 but had a big stain on the front (what the ACTUAL eff?) so I asked for a discount, despite the signs behind the counter advising me that I would be "embarrassed" if I asked for such a thing as all items were "dontated" and they are a "charity".
The ladies working in the shop were mortified that it had gone out (rightly so) and gave it to me for £1. I soaked it when I got home and the stain vamooshed. Win.
Oh my God, changing room pooer! Bad times.
ReplyDeleteThat dress you got is really lovely! I'll definitely ask for a little price reduction on damaged things, I just haven't found anything like that yet. :)
ReplyDeleteIf you saw something in a charity shop that you thought was slightly overpriced and it was damaged, would you ask for a small price drop down? Just wondering. :)
http://thriftoclock.blogspot.co.uk/
That dress is lush! I once got a pair of flip flops from accessorize for 50p because the hanger thingy was missing! And I got £10 off a quite expensive shirt from topshop because two of the buttons were almost falling off :-)
ReplyDeleteThis post and the comments shave definitely inspired me to start looking in the sale rail more often! I once got a fiver off a bag at river island because one of the hanging down things were missing, I simply took the one off the other side and it looked like they were never there n the first place - it was also a full price item! X
ReplyDeleteYes I do-even if the garment is already vastly reduced I do it! My mother's a bit cheeky and asks for an extra discount even if the garment has already been reduced due to a fault. I'm just glad my mum's a good seemstress so she can fix all my damaged garments!
ReplyDeleteJust last week I was in Monsoon, for the end of their sale, and they had a £3 pound rail of faulty items - I picked up a dress that I had really liked before, but was just too expensive; it had a 2cm opening along a front seam and it was in my size! Easily fixed through the lining - and hey presto! a wedding outfit all sorted. Even if it had a gaping big hole in it, the material alone would be worth more.
ReplyDeleteI always look for things like this in sale rails, so many people get put off buying good things that can be fixed! xx
ReplyDeletehttp://hedgehogloves.blogspot.co.uk
I've never been brave enough to ask! I always though the people serving would get annoyed if I did.. but if you promise they wouldn't then I'll make sure I ask next time something like this happens :)
ReplyDeleteAlso, what is it with phantom pooers in dressing rooms? that happened where my boyfriend worked too.. xx
I work in retail and I'm so glad its not just us that has to put up with phantom poo-ers amongst other digusting things!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree its worth asking I work for one of the shops that you mentioned and towards the end of the sales we just want to get rid of the stock although you would be surprised how many people leave the items with just a button missing that have a crazy amount of money taken off. Some things though if they are already reduced to 70% off or more taking another 10% off is the most we can manage as we can send it back and get a refund from the company.
I tried this in Zara like another reader said they told me they couldn't sell faulty stock for some bizzare reason!
I got a dress that'd been marked as having a broken zip because someone had got a hanger loop stuck in it for half price - £12.50 instead of £25. All I did when I got home was cut the loop and pull it out, there was nothing wrong with the zip at all! It was a bargain and is one of my favourite dresses :)
ReplyDeleteAnd what a lovely dress it is too! I've found Dorothy Perkins to be particularly good when it comes to discounts for damaged items, though I must admit I've not had cause to ask elsewhere yet. Must use this advice more often!
ReplyDeleteAlso my local Accessorize has a sale box where faulty things are slung in zip-loc bags, marked down amazingly low. I have a huge multi-strand pearly necklace that should have been £20 but I payed £1 because one of the strands had broken. I fixed it with my jewellery-making supplies (although I could have just removed the strand & it would've looked fine!)
ReplyDeleteI've also had a £30 handbag for £5 because of a little bit of loose beading and the "bag charm" had fallen off, it was hideous anyway, and a pair of lovely earrings for 50p because of a missing ear wire.
I always point out any faults :) xxx
ReplyDeletehttp://jeminixlife.blogspot.com
I asked for a discount in River Island for a pair of jeans that had a button missing from it. They didn't seem impressed that I had asked because it was already on sale but to be honest, they were going to be kind of useless without the button! I got them for like £5 and I just sewed on a button that I had going spare at home :)
ReplyDeletexx
I always ask for discount if the items slightly imperfect. Like if its a wooly jumper and a thread is slightly pulled, the button is missing etc. I think you have to! You shouldn't be made to pay full price for an item which isn't right. xx
ReplyDeleteWhat a bargain, i'm always way too shy to ask, but maybe i will next time!
ReplyDeleteSophierosehearts x
I'm never brave enough to ask for a discount. I'm always worried I'll either have to argue or get yelled at. So even though I could probably fix it I just end up walking away from the item to avoid the conflict.
ReplyDeleteI definitely ask for discounts for these kinds of things- usually when I really really like something and it's the only one left in the right colour/size. So long as you politely ask, I've found shop staff to be very obliging, I did once overhear a woman very rudely demanding a discount from Zara (whose policy is not to discount but to offer you the nearest store with the same item in stock) who got a very poor reception from their staff, and deservedly so!
ReplyDeleteMissing buttons will normally get you a 10% discount, give or take. Not bad if you can easily sew a button on.
ReplyDeleteJeez' what is it with phantom poo'ers in shops? Happened when I worked in retail to! GRIM!
ReplyDeleteDefo ask for discount! The worst they can say is no!
Love your blog! ��
If you ask politely, most of the time staff in shops are happy to reduce the price, so I do normally mention it if there is a fault with an item :)
ReplyDeleteOn a side note, the dress is gorgeous and so is the super cute hanger you have!
xx
I have done a few times, my mum's amazing with a needle and thread so I just pass it on to her and she fixes things up great!
ReplyDeleteSomething similar I've also found is that in some stores if they've completely ran out of an item of clothing or a certain accessory but there's one on display in the shop window then they've let me have that one AND given a percentage discount off because it's usually a bit dusty etc. Bought a pair of earmuffs from River Island (that were already in the sale) a couple of winters ago that had been on display and got another nice 10% off!
I once bought a £60 coat from New Look for £7 as it was already in the sale and then the belt was missing - BARGAIN!
ReplyDeleteIf there's a fault with something then I will mention it and ask if they have another in stock, if they don't then they're usually more than happy to discount it. I managed to get a gorgeous purse discounted by 20% because there were a couple of marks on it and when I got home they easily came off with a damp cloth. It's always worth asking for a discount because if they do say no you know that you've tried rather than wondering if you could have got a bargain.
ReplyDeletex
Nooooo " phantom changing room poo-er (yeah)"!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI always ask for a discount on things like that, I'd never pay full for something faulty and I've never had a problem asking x
It's great that you publicise this in a way because so many of my friends don't realise they can ask for discount if an item isn't perfect and often just walk away from something they really like. I always try to try the item on first though as in most shops if you get a discount it becomes non returnable which can be a bit of a pain (: x
ReplyDeletei buy a lot of broken jewellery from next sales/accessorize sales its often easy to mend or i can recycle the beads/charms/whatnot into new things :D. we got a necklace £10 originally reduced to £5 for 50p because one little bit of wire had come undone :o!
ReplyDeletex
I bought a top from Gap for £5 in the sale. It was a really nice stripey one and I loved the fabric but when I got it home there was a two inch hole in the armpit (at the seams) so I took it back hoping to exchane but I was too late and ended up getting a refund. Even when I said I'd keep the top and sew it I was told they'd get in trouble for not refunding me...weird.
ReplyDeleteI always ask for discounts, I have a lace dress which had an ever so slight tear in the lace on the side. Barely noticeable until I tried it on, then tried taking it off and nearly put my fist through it! It was in the sale for a tenner, and I knew the woman behind the till so a nifty 50% discount on top, woo hoo! xx
ReplyDeleteI've just returned from TK Maxx, purchased a Vero Moda top (with the most beauuutiful collar!) Sadly, the collar was marked with make up. The best offer was 99p discount and non-returnable, or full price and return if it doesn't come out in the wash. I thought that was pretty poor!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful dress! If something's not already marked down for the damage I'd definitely be asking for some! Sounds like you got a right bargain :) XO.
ReplyDeleteIt's a lovely dress - what a bargain. I've asked for a discount in vintage shops when something is damaged and been successful, but never in a high street shop - it would depend on the item and the damage. I think damage is a good indicator of the quality of something too, especially if all the other items in store are in the same condition. I was in Topshop once with a friend and there was a £95 coat she was umming and ahhing over. All the coats on display were bobbled and looked scruffy, so you do wonder how long something will last if it can't cope with a few weeks on display.
ReplyDeleteAlso "phantom changing room poo-er"? Ye gods!
Nikki x
I've not had the opportunity bizarrely. That's strange! I've seen clothes already discounted with a tag explaining what's wrong though and I've picked up some of those in the past. But I would if I did see a problem.
ReplyDeleteI once found Irregular Choice shoes with rose applique on them and I fell in love. They were around £60 originally, sale price was £30, and I noticed that a button was missing from one of the shoes. I managed to bargain down to £15!!! I couldn't believe it!
ReplyDeleteGreat post :)
Lana, xo
http://fashionfake.blogspot.co.uk/
£150 shoes from Kurt Gieger one was faded from being on display they were marked for £25, they offered them to me for £9 add one £5 bottle of suede dye later I have amazing shoes :)
ReplyDeleteSarah
http://bubblesarah.blogspot.com
Absolutely wet myself when I read "phantom changing room poo-er!" Haha!
ReplyDeletewww.floralfidelity.blogspot.co.uk
I found a dress in Forever 21 on Oxford Street that had a label saying '30% off - faulty zip'. There was quite literally nothing wrong with the zip that I could see. Now THAT is what I call a bargain.
ReplyDeletehttp://jesuis-hannah.blogspot.co.uk
Don't bother asking in TKMaxx in Brighton, the Manageress is a right grump! Wouldn't take 10% off a knackered old coat so I left it, and complained to HO and got a £5 gift card instead for my trouble. All she would have had to take off is £2 and the time she left me waiting for an answer I noticed all sorts wrong with it, so I happily walked off when she said no. Her excuse was it was already reduced, but so were all the others on the rail and they had nothing wrong with them, there was just no other coat there in the size I needed.
ReplyDeleteDon't bother asking in TKMaxx in Brighton, the Manageress is a right grump! Wouldn't take 10% off a knackered old coat so I left it, and complained to HO and got a £5 gift card instead for my trouble. All she would have had to take off is £2 and the time she left me waiting for an answer I noticed all sorts wrong with it, so I happily walked off when she said no. Her excuse was it was already reduced, but so were all the others on the rail and they had nothing wrong with them, there was just no other coat there in the size I needed.
ReplyDelete