Smyths Toys Superstores Plymouth — Attraction in Plymouth

I recently bought Split Fiction for Switch 2 from Smyths Toys in Plymouth. I was fully aware it was a digital download code — it says so clearly on the box. My issue is not with the product, but with the way Smyths handled the return policy.

At the time of purchase, I was not informed that the item would be non-returnable once opened. No one mentioned it at the till, and although today I was pointed to a sign near the checkout, this was not visible at the time — a staff member was up a ladder behind the till arranging a Switch 2 display, which either obscured the sign or it had been taken down. Either way, it was not shown or explained to me.

The first time the no-returns policy was actually presented to me was on the receipt, which I only saw when I attempted to return the item (unused). Like most customers, I opened the item in good faith, with no reason to believe it couldn’t be returned. It’s worth noting that these terms appear only after purchase, meaning customers are unable to make an informed decision beforehand.

After being told by a staff member that I couldn’t return it, I asked to speak to the manager. I remained polite and calm throughout. As soon as the manager, Dave, came out, I was treated as though I’d already been hostile. In fact, I was the one asking him to step back and reframe the conversation toward finding a solution. I made it clear I understood the store’s position and wasn’t blaming him personally — I just wanted to explain the issue and ask if there was any flexibility.

During that conversation, Dave told me that despite the company’s policy, he sometimes does accept returns on digital codes if the packaging is completely sealed — proving that the policy can be flexible and that he chose not to make an exception in this case. That made the refusal even more frustrating, especially given I had not been informed about the policy in the first place.

To make matters worse, Dave even went so far as to call over security to observe me, despite there being no aggression, raised voice, or inappropriate behaviour on my part. It felt completely unjustified and unnecessarily intimidating.

I left the store feeling not just disappointed, but mocked and dismissed — not because of the return policy itself, but because of the way I was treated for raising a valid concern about the lack of visibility and communication at the point of sale.

Customers deserve clear information before purchase — and to be treated with respect when they raise a concern. Smyths fell short on...

Stuart is categorically the most friendliest and kindest employee in Plymouth. Always so positive, helpful and knowledgeable. You have a golden asset there, I hope you look after him. Thank you to all your staff for always being proactive and helpful, even your security guy is so welcoming and fun to be around. Very impressed, so very impressed, esp for Plymouth too. Shows how good management has such an impact on staff and customers. Customer for Life ;-). Also, the deal breaker with this glowing review is not only the helpfulness I received, it's the simple fact that you have a proper geographical phone number that you can actually talk to someone at the store - this means a lot, don't ever...

Plymouth Smyths Toy Store, would not recommend.

Have spent hundreds here and spent hours but today for some reason the security guard seemed glued to us. Followed us up isles, staring at us.

We mentioned how uncomfortable it was at the tills whilst... shock... paying! and we were told they've had problems lately...

I understand the need to protect the store if you've had issues lately but there were multiple groups of people buying, why did we get all the attention 🤦

In future will just buy off Amazon, not worth the aggro or stress.

My dad did call out to him after a while and asked why he was staring at us and following us and he went off...