Broadway Legend Joined: 5/20/03
I was in D'Agastinos last night and the woman in front of me was returning a box of granola bars. When they asked her why she was returning them, she said she didn't realize she already had two boxes in her cupboard. I wonder if she was serious or if she was pulling a scam.
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
Some people just live to return things. I'd be embarrassed but some people will sacrifice their dignity for $3.
My sister in law has serious issues with returning. She is constantly buying and returning things.
When I worked in retail, I was always shocked at what people had the gall to return. I remember once a lady returned a label maker - just the label maker. She didn't bring back the box, the instructions/manual, etc., and had even used it. Her reason for returning it was that she got one for free from a friend. Company policy stated we had to accept the return, but the merchandise could not be resold and had to be destroyed. I recall another lady returning a tin of $.30 paperclips...
I had to wait ten minutes while an idiot woman in front of me returned two felt squares at Michael's last week. They cost .35 for pete sake. She probably spent 5.00 on gas to get to the store.
My mom once made me return toilet paper to the store because it wasn't the right kind. And apparently she was the only person who cared.
And my grandmother is just notorious for buying random stuff that she has coupons for, especially if the store ends up giving her money back for them, and ends up giving the stuff away because she was able to get it for free. Not that she actually needed it. What's worse is she gives this stuff as gifts, and everyone knows.
When I worked at Trader Joe's, people did this all the time -- returning Two Buck Chuck because they had overbought for a party, tacky stuff like that. The one that took the cake was a lady who brought back three bottles of flavored maple syrup and my boss and I instantly remembered that these syrups had BEEN A LIMITED ITEM and TJ's hadn't even sold them in three years.
Why bother returning the wine.....just drink it!
When I worked retail, I had people return used shoes, used boxers, and a sweater so old and gross, from the looks of it was 5+ years old...with holes.
It's getting much worse... because of people's economic woes, i've seen items returned that haven't been in stores for YEARS... people are digging up ancient receipts and returning items to get a few dollars back for the holidays, it is absolutely insane and a pain!
Broadway Star Joined: 10/30/06
...returning items to get a few dollars back...
I've seen people return used and empty soda bottles and cans just to get back a nickle apiece.
p.s. And they hadn't even made the original purchase!
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/20/03
redacted
This is why, when the balance of power shifts in my store in the new year, I'm going to INSIST we instigate a returns policy. We don't have one at all right now, which makes both myself and the customers VERY uncomfortable. XP
Granola? I was under the assumption that it was illegal for a store to accept food back after it's left the store. Maybe I'm wrong. But it seems like a dangerous practice reselling food returned some random unknown person. That has to violate some food safety laws. Who knows how it could have been tampered with. Or in what unsanitary conditions it sat before it was returned.
Here's a good way to get back at customers!
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/80437303/
Granola? I was under the assumption that it was illegal for a store to accept food back after it's left the store. Maybe I'm wrong. But it seems like a dangerous practice reselling food returned some random unknown person. That has to violate some food safety laws. Who knows how it could have been tampered with. Or in what unsanitary conditions it sat before it was returned.
It's not illegal to accept it back. It would be illegal to resell it, though. Just because you accept returned food doesn't mean you resell. Those are entered as spoils.
That makes sense, Lizzie. Now I just have to convince myself that stores actually have the scruples it would take to throw a product away rather than slipping it back on the shelf when no one's looking.
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