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Post by papersilly on Aug 14, 2014 18:28:23 GMT
My son works for Best Buy & the only items they return to floor are items that are checked out by Geek Squad & put in the "open box" area. I've made several electronic purchases (computers) this way. I've saved a ton of money. He said 99% of the time, it's user error, but they can't put an item out as new once it is returned. If you ask for open box they'll direct you. If not, they are not all that easy to find. Usually at the end of an isle in a locked glass case. Now...if you shop at Fred Meyer, they will take anything back! My DIL works there in apparel, & yes, they had to accept a return on used underwear w/ obvious "dirt" marks. It's so gross! Not even washed & no questions asked! sadly, not the best buys I've come across. especially in the computer accessories department. ugg. I didn't know they had an open box area. seems like any area can be an open box areas around here.
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Post by nesser01 on Aug 14, 2014 18:38:11 GMT
When I was 20 and worked in the lingerie department of a department store this woman came in with a crumpled up, worn looking used lingerie set. The thong that came with the set was clearly used as well. She had just come back from her honeymoon and "decided she didn't like it" so she wanted her money back. Of course at the time our store had a very lax return policy so my manager took it back.
We also would get people return their newly purchased large tv right after superbowl because "they didn't work"
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marimoose
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,282
Jul 22, 2014 2:10:14 GMT
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Post by marimoose on Aug 14, 2014 18:39:53 GMT
My first public job was with Sears customer service. This was in 1978 and an elderly couple came in with their radio they purchased in 1947, with the receipt and asked for a replacement. They had with them their warranty that stated the radio had a lifetime warranty with a free replacement. Sears honored that warranty and gave the couple a brand new stereo system! It was really cool! They were very happy with their new "radio". My husbands grandmother was legendary about returning groceries if she didn't like the taste. Buy a new cereal, doesn't like it, takes it back. This post made me smile! I have worked retail and I could share so many stories but for now I am enjoying reading other's posts.
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Post by jmd74 on Aug 14, 2014 18:54:09 GMT
Last week there was a run on bottled water (huge lines waiting for stores shipments) and batteries due to the impending storms predicted for the weekend. People were hoarding water like crazy! The storms didn't end up effecting Oahu so now people are trying to return cases of bottled water and batteries! Seriously people? Hurricane season doesn't end here until November, keep it so the chaos that happened last week doesn't happen again.
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Post by colleen on Aug 14, 2014 19:03:12 GMT
I once had a light fixture catch on fire (yes, flames!) after only about a week of use. When I took it back to Pottery Barn all scorched they actually acted like they were not going to take it back. I started talking in my loud mom voice about my house almost burning down and they hurried up and gave me my money back.
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Post by Outspoken on Aug 14, 2014 19:09:35 GMT
This thread is hilarious. ![:D](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/grin.png) I'm still trying to catch up to your famous posts sharlag!
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Post by Goldynn on Aug 14, 2014 19:17:36 GMT
I worked at the Customer Service desk at a large department store when I was younger. I have a ton of stories, but I'll share a few favorites. One lady marched up to the desk and proclaimed she wanted a refund because she no longer needed the item she'd purchased. Then she plunked down a USED pregnancy test on the desk! All refund refusals went through a manager, so we called one down while we all ducked around the corner wall giggling. He came down and told her sorry, no refund. She screamed and yelled and stomped out while he just stood there smiling and shaking his head. He always had to document the refund refusal for loss prevention, so he wrote down "used pregnancy test, FYI - it's positive!" One lady marched up with a glass saucepan (remember that Visionware stuff?) in her hand furious because it had cracked while she was cooking dinner. It still had dried up macaroni noodles covering the bottom. She got a refund. Christmas returns were CRAZY. Our loss prevention team watched a man brazenly march into the store, head straight to electronics, grab a new tv and haul it straight to customer service for a refund. That job was never boring. One day a group of teen boys asked my co-worker to page their lost friend. Next thing you know, "will Mike Hunt please come to customer service" was blaring out. (Say that fast to yourself a few times if you don't get it). Most the managers were men. They all headed to the service desk laughing and teasing my poor co-worker after they'd shooed the teen boys off. Ahhh the memories ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/5645536/images/MNrJDkDuSwqIMVw33MdD.jpg)
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Rhondito
Pearl Clutcher
MississipPea
Posts: 4,700
Jun 25, 2014 19:33:19 GMT
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Post by Rhondito on Aug 14, 2014 19:23:02 GMT
The sad thing is, if someone raises enough stink with a retailer (esp. chain stores) they can return basically anything. At every retail job I've ever had, if a return situation escalated to us having to call a district/regional manager or home office we were always told to give the customer what they wanted. At my current store... We had a man come in one night with an unbelievable story. His family had been in our area a few months back and he had sent his 20-something son into our store to return a Le Creuset pot. The parents waited in the car for him to come out and it took forever. When he finally got in the car they had to rush to the airport for him to make his flight. Before he got out of the car he told them, "Oh, you're going to have to go back to get the money on that return; they were really busy so I just left the pot and the receipt on the counter." The man then said since our store was on the other side of town from where they were driving, they decided to wait to come in the next time they were in town. So, he was now back to get his money. He had no receipt, no proof of anyone leaving the pot or the receipt, and he demanded his money. No one on our staff knew anything about it and if this had really happened, everyone would know about it - just because of the unusual circumstances of finding a pot and receipt on the counter. Our manager had no idea of what to do and had to call the district manager, who in turn had to call a regional manager, etc... and we were told to give the man a refund! For a $350 pot! ![:o](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/shocked.png)
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Post by Mary_K on Aug 14, 2014 19:35:43 GMT
A thread on the old 2 peas was about returning things that wore out before their time.
There was a pea that said she returned a patio umbrella 2 years after they had bought it because there had been a storm and the wind carried it across the yard and broke it.
One, I couldn't believe she had the nerve to do that, and
Two, I couldn't believe she told people she did that.
Mary K
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Aug 14, 2014 19:41:11 GMT
The sad thing is, if someone raises enough stink with a retailer (esp. chain stores) they can return basically anything. At every retail job I've ever had, if a return situation escalated to us having to call a district/regional manager or home office we were always told to give the customer what they wanted. At my current store... We had a man come in one night with an unbelievable story. His family had been in our area a few months back and he had sent his 20-something son into our store to return a Le Creuset pot. The parents waited in the car for him to come out and it took forever. When he finally got in the car they had to rush to the airport for him to make his flight. Before he got out of the car he told them, "Oh, you're going to have to go back to get the money on that return; they were really busy so I just left the pot and the receipt on the counter." The man then said since our store was on the other side of town from where they were driving, they decided to wait to come in the next time they were in town. So, he was now back to get his money. He had no receipt, no proof of anyone leaving the pot or the receipt, and he demanded his money. No one on our staff knew anything about it and if this had really happened, everyone would know about it - just because of the unusual circumstances of finding a pot and receipt on the counter. Our manager had no idea of what to do and had to call the district manager, who in turn had to call a regional manager, etc... and we were told to give the man a refund! For a $350 pot! ![:o](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/shocked.png) That's insane! And that's why scammers get away with these stunts. Because the higher ups are afraid of any bad publicity, so they will do whatever it takes to keep the scammer quiet. Even if they know it's wrong.
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Post by Mary_K on Aug 14, 2014 19:53:05 GMT
My sis-in-law bought me a large, beautiful glass beverage "server". You know the kind with the tap at the bottom for parties and such?
It was still in the box, sealed, from Costco.
I got it for Christmas.
We didn't get around to using it until our 4th of July party.
It was stored in the garage.
We opened the box and the smell hit us immediately and we pulled it from the box, to find nasty juices dripping from a large crack in it and there was what appeared to be a huge rotten apple in it.
Someone had bought it before and obviously broke it while it had some sort of apple cider in it. Then they didn't even bother to drain it or pull out the apple. They put it back in the box, sealed it up and returned it. Costco put it back on the shelf for my sis-in-law to buy it.
We threw it away. I don't think I told sis-in-law about it.
Mary K
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tiffanytwisted
Pearl Clutcher
you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave
Posts: 4,538
Jun 26, 2014 15:57:39 GMT
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Post by tiffanytwisted on Aug 14, 2014 19:53:39 GMT
I think I might be able to top that - not the money amount (that's crazy), but the circumstances. I used to work at The Children's Place. We got a call one day from a woman claiming something she had purchased wasn't in her bag when she got home. Fine. Manager says, come on in and we'll either give you the missing item or reimburse you. Customer says that won't work for her. Huh? Manager tell her there really isn't anything else we can do. She call up the chain and we get a call telling us to MAIL HER THE CASH. Yup. And we did. It is completely true that if you make enough noise, you will get your way. All I can do is hope that karma bites them in the ass.
We used to get the stolen returns ALL THE TIME. Yeah buddy (that's right, it was almost always a man), I'm really believing that you came from the Bronx (address on his driver's license) all the way to Chester, NJ just to return that nicely folded stack of shirts (one in every size) that you 'bought'. Uh huh. Sure.
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Post by peasful1 on Aug 14, 2014 20:02:42 GMT
I returned burger shaped ground beef at Costco once. Whomever packed my stuff up put it at the bottom. By the time I unpacked at my car, they were all messed up. Yes, I could have just re-shaped them myself, but it kind of defeats the purpose of buying them pre-formed and paying the extra cost for the extra labour. So I turned around and returned them straight away. The gal was clearly put out that I was returning. Not my problem. Teach your packers how to pack.
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Post by sisterbdsq on Aug 14, 2014 20:46:32 GMT
My son works for Best Buy & the only items they return to floor are items that are checked out by Geek Squad & put in the "open box" area. I've made several electronic purchases (computers) this way. I've saved a ton of money. He said 99% of the time, it's user error, but they can't put an item out as new once it is returned. If you ask for open box they'll direct you. If not, they are not all that easy to find. Usually at the end of an isle in a locked glass case. Now...if you shop at Fred Meyer, they will take anything back! My DIL works there in apparel, & yes, they had to accept a return on used underwear w/ obvious "dirt" marks. It's so gross! Not even washed & no questions asked! Stop giving away my damn secrets. SO was amazed at the deal we got on our 3D TV last year. He said I show boobs, I said I ask questions. I won. But I'm not above showing cleavage for deals.
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Post by sisterbdsq on Aug 14, 2014 20:52:36 GMT
I've posted this before on the old board. In HS I worked at Spencer's. Big butch chick came in a returned a "personal massager", said it "just stopped working". I was not going near the thing, so I called the manager. She came up and started handling the item, turning it over, opening the battery compartment and asking questions of the customer. I about barfed. After she made me refund the money (no, you are NOT touching my register) I told her to go wash her hands. Blech.
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Post by marmargirl on Aug 14, 2014 20:58:38 GMT
I used to work in a lingerie shop, people would actually return pants that had obviously been worn and not washed and expect their money back. The manager called them 'snail trail' returns. ![:|](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/plain.png) Ugh! ![(puke)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/sick.png)
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sharlag
Drama Llama
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I like my artsy with a little bit of fartsy.
Posts: 6,574
Location: Kansas
Jun 26, 2014 12:57:48 GMT
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Post by sharlag on Aug 14, 2014 21:17:58 GMT
I've posted this before on the old board. In HS I worked at Spencer's. Big butch chick came in a returned a "personal massager", said it "just stopped working". I was not going near the thing, so I called the manager. She came up and started handling the item, turning it over, opening the battery compartment and asking questions of the customer. I about barfed. After she made me refund the money (no, you are NOT touching my register) I told her to go wash her hands. Blech. Same thing happened to me. I spent months worrying about how to throw it away.
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Post by eebud on Aug 14, 2014 21:51:30 GMT
I returned a pair of jeans once that I am sure the clerk handling the return thought I was lying. I bought the jeans and wore them once. The day I wore them was a work day so nothing unusual..........sitting at a computer desk most of the day, etc. I then threw them in the wash and the jeans literally shredded. There were areas of the fabric that was now threadbare and you could see through them. This was not in the days where you paid extra for this kind of look. LOL These were jeans I wanted to wear to work and now I couldn't after one wear and one wash. I returned them and never bought that brand again. Funny thing is, now I can't remember what brand it was.
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Post by bianca42 on Aug 14, 2014 22:30:28 GMT
I returned a pair of jeans once that I am sure the clerk handling the return thought I was lying. I bought the jeans and wore them once. The day I wore them was a work day so nothing unusual..........sitting at a computer desk most of the day, etc. I then threw them in the wash and the jeans literally shredded. There were areas of the fabric that was now threadbare and you could see through them. This was not in the days where you paid extra for this kind of look. LOL These were jeans I wanted to wear to work and now I couldn't after one wear and one wash. I returned them and never bought that brand again. Funny thing is, now I can't remember what brand it was. I once returned a bathroom scale because it wasn't giving the right weight. I'm sure they thought I was lying and just being vain. But it was a digital scale...and every time I got on it would give a different number....like 15 pound swings within seconds.
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sharlag
Drama Llama
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I like my artsy with a little bit of fartsy.
Posts: 6,574
Location: Kansas
Jun 26, 2014 12:57:48 GMT
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Post by sharlag on Aug 14, 2014 23:08:26 GMT
I returned a pair of jeans once that I am sure the clerk handling the return thought I was lying. I bought the jeans and wore them once. The day I wore them was a work day so nothing unusual..........sitting at a computer desk most of the day, etc. I then threw them in the wash and the jeans literally shredded. There were areas of the fabric that was now threadbare and you could see through them. This was not in the days where you paid extra for this kind of look. LOL These were jeans I wanted to wear to work and now I couldn't after one wear and one wash. I returned them and never bought that brand again. Funny thing is, now I can't remember what brand it was. If you don't remember, you might be wearing that brand right now! ![:o](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/shocked.png)
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Post by eebud on Aug 14, 2014 23:15:30 GMT
I returned a pair of jeans once that I am sure the clerk handling the return thought I was lying. I bought the jeans and wore them once. The day I wore them was a work day so nothing unusual..........sitting at a computer desk most of the day, etc. I then threw them in the wash and the jeans literally shredded. There were areas of the fabric that was now threadbare and you could see through them. This was not in the days where you paid extra for this kind of look. LOL These were jeans I wanted to wear to work and now I couldn't after one wear and one wash. I returned them and never bought that brand again. Funny thing is, now I can't remember what brand it was. If you don't remember, you might be wearing that brand right now! ![:o](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/shocked.png) No chance of that. I have found that plain ole Levi's seem to fit me best and I can't beat the price so that is all I buy. I do have one pair of Lucky. It was definitely neither of those. LOL Also, I think if I saw the brand, I would remember immediately.
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scrapaddie
Drama Llama
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Posts: 5,090
Jul 8, 2014 20:17:31 GMT
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Post by scrapaddie on Aug 14, 2014 23:45:18 GMT
These stories are hilarious and sad.... And then I think.... I AM PAYING FOR THIS STUFF! Arrrggghhhh
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Grom Pea
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,944
Jun 27, 2014 0:21:07 GMT
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Post by Grom Pea on Aug 15, 2014 0:51:52 GMT
I've returned broccoli to Costco, I bought it and a day later my fridge smelled like rotting so I brought it back after quadruple bagging it. The guy took one look at me and said "rotten broccoli? I'll get your refund" so either he could smell it or there were lots of customers doing the same thing. I'm guessing it was bad when I bought it, I was just in a rush and didn't notice.
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Post by julieinmd on Aug 15, 2014 1:23:59 GMT
I went in to Best Buy the day after Christmas to return the Kindle I bought for my husband because of my error. I bought the wrong model. The people there were very nice about it but I sure got an education watching the people in line in front of me trying to return things - it was unbelievable - a guy trying to return a digital camera without the battery in it. He claimed the battery worked so he shouldn't have to return it, he just wanted to return the camera. Well if the battery came with the camera, which it did, you have to return it too. The police got called to deal with that guy. Another lady was trying to return a "brand new" tablet (ipad?) with a big crack down the middle of it. Strangely enough the brand new tablet came complete with a screen protector covered in sticky fingerprints. Then there was the guy trying to return the same set of computer speakers that are not sold at Best Buy for the third time (somehow they had kept track of this at Best Buy on the computer). The customers trying to return things were so disrespectful and abusive to the workers I was glad to see the police come and get involved. After all this the salespeople were incredibly polite to me and treated me like I was their favorite person. I was very impressed with their professionalism!
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inkedup
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,837
Jun 26, 2014 5:00:26 GMT
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Post by inkedup on Aug 15, 2014 1:37:47 GMT
People can be extremely shady. My husband and I own a couple of retail stores. On multiple occasions, we have had people try to return items they didn't even buy from us. (We know this because they were items we do not, and have never, carried in our store.)
There are a lot of people in the world who want something for nothing.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 26, 2024 5:35:19 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2014 1:46:05 GMT
My aunt worked as the manager of home goods in a local department store in the 70's and 80's. She had an older gentleman who returned his coffee pot every year, the day before the one-year warranty expired, and got a brand new one. Usually it was because the carafe had broken. She suspected he dropped them on purpose. This went on for about 10 years. Finally the manufacturer put a stop to it and refused to take his coffee pots back and give him a new one. They actually wrote him a letter and copied the department store on it.
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eastcoastpea
Prolific Pea
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Posts: 9,252
Jun 27, 2014 13:05:28 GMT
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Post by eastcoastpea on Aug 15, 2014 1:47:55 GMT
My first public job was with Sears customer service. This was in 1978 and an elderly couple came in with their radio they purchased in 1947, with the receipt and asked for a replacement. They had with them their warranty that stated the radio had a lifetime warranty with a free replacement. Sears honored that warranty and gave the couple a brand new stereo system! It was really cool! They were very happy with their new "radio". My husbands grandmother was legendary about returning groceries if she didn't like the taste. Buy a new cereal, doesn't like it, takes it back. I love this story about the radio.
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Post by mcscrapper on Aug 15, 2014 2:03:19 GMT
I worked in the same department store for about 3-4 years through the holidays. One year when I worked the Coach counter a woman that I knew brought her bag back in. She actually told me that I must return it because someone spilled coke on it and it wouldn't come out. "An expensive bag like this should not stain."
Another time I worked in menswear. This dude brought back these jeans that were obviously worn. I didn't want to return them because he had cut the tags off, etc. The manager took the jeans back and I got to keep the $10 he left in the pocket.
I also remember working at Wal-Mart way back when and this guy brought back a box fan. He had his receipt and wanted his money back because it no longer worked. The receipt was 6 years old. Yep, WM gave him his money back.
Then I'm the girl who takes back the brand new package of undies that I just washed and one pair came completely unravelled....mind you this is less than 24 hours after I bought them. I got the stink eye and they refused to return my 'wares.
m
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Post by snappinsami on Aug 15, 2014 4:27:58 GMT
OMG! I used to live in Chester and bought years of clothes for my daughter in that store! What a small Pea-world!
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Post by spitfiregirl on Aug 15, 2014 4:40:19 GMT
When I was at school I had a Saturday job in a Shoe Shop (Freeman Hardy and Willis for the UK peas). People regularly returned shoes that they had clearly bought for one occasion, such as a wedding. They would return them, and the little indentations and scratches in the sole gave the game away, as would the smell of the Cif they had used to clean them. It is not uncommon nowadays for people to buy high end clothes for a specific occasion, leave all the tags in place, and return them, stinking of perfume, deodorant, fags and BO, after one wearing. The practice has a name, but can't remember what it is. I call it dishonest. If you said something stunk like a fag here in the USA , you might get punched!
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