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Post by anniefb on Aug 15, 2014 4:40:53 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. That reminds me of a similar story I saw about Lands End taking back a London taxi which had been bought nearly 20 years earlier for $20k. The customer got a full refund ![;)](//storage.proboards.com/5645536/images/Q_m8lDOvc_3Le3r1GKdf.jpg)
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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 4:49:38 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. How sweetly homophobic of you to call this woman butch.
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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 15, 2014 5:06:55 GMT
OMG! I used to live in Chester and bought years of clothes for my daughter in that store! What a small Pea-world! For some reason I can't get my quote outside your quote box. ![:confused:](//storage.proboards.com/5645536/images/gFcgIuKyZogcCNuz36nO.jpg) Anyway, a small Pea-world is right! The store closed 2 years ago. Sad. I like working there. Knowing where our store was, you can see how these crazies from NYC would make us laugh w/their returns. 'Cause they just happened to be in the neighborhood. Uh huh.
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anniebygaslight
Drama Llama
![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star_green.png)
I'd love a cup of tea. #1966
Posts: 7,396
Location: Third Rock from the sun.
Jun 28, 2014 14:08:19 GMT
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Post by anniebygaslight on Aug 15, 2014 5:34:20 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! Oh! Ha ha!
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my3freaks
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,206
Location: NH girl living in Colorado
Jun 26, 2014 4:10:56 GMT
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Post by my3freaks on Aug 15, 2014 5:48:08 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" WTH is wrong with people? ![:sick:](//storage.proboards.com/5645536/images/c2qi57qoGpXKdFvBtXdt.jpg) No shame, apparently. I worked at Michael's for several years. I often wondered about people thought process when they decide to return some things. Like half knitted blanket b/c they decided they didn't like the color. I would see that as my problem, not the stores. People would also bring back 1 silk flower, or bring back their receipt and want a refund b/c an item went on sale a week or 2 later. Multiple Xmas sessions in a craft store will absolutely crush your soul!! Melanie
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azredhead
Drama Llama
![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star_green.png)
Posts: 5,755
Jun 25, 2014 22:49:18 GMT
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Post by azredhead on Aug 15, 2014 6:51:19 GMT
This thread makes me soo not miss my long years of working retail. I worked for Mervyns for 6yrs. In almost every dept. LOVED it for the most part but the Lingerie stuff doesn't shock me. I can't think of anything off the wall except the lingerie.
Although I was at Walmart recently to use their bill payment western union, while I was filling out my form, there was a lady returning some stuff. It was fruit bars and those apple sauce cups. I had send clothes other items returned but that was the first time I have seen someone return food items.
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Post by cupcakepeddler on Aug 15, 2014 7:19:25 GMT
Ohhh man I worked front counter at a supermarket for years and years and some of the stuff that I saw and had to deal with would blow your mind. We used to get a lot of stuff returned that was 90% used or eaten and would be told that it was gross and they wanted a refund but the funniest was a guy who bought back a can of fly spay. I used to do the ticketing as well so was pretty good at knowing what and where a product was and I had never seen this product in our store before I looked it up on the system, went back to the old file system and nothing....this can was so old it was covered in a thick layer of dust that wouldn't come off, the label was yellowed and coming off and the base was all rusty......I dug my heels in, no way was I giving him a refund. He ended up demanding a manger and that idiot gave him a bloody refund....man I hated when people would openly flaunt the system and demand a manager for something they knew was wrong.
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uksue
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,507
Location: London
Jun 25, 2014 22:33:20 GMT
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Post by uksue on Aug 15, 2014 10:55:44 GMT
My Aunt Edna was notoriously frugal (known as 'tight' in my family!) she would iron and reuse wrapping paper year after year and would regift Christmas presents every year.
She once bought a dress from Marks and Spencer's ( UK peas will know they have a pretty generous returns policy.) She decided it was too long for her, cut some off, then discovered she had cut off too much. She then tried to return it! Her game was up when the piece of material she had cut off fell out of the bag onto the counter! My uncle said the sales assistant could barely keep a straight face as my Aunt tried to explain away the material!
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Post by jackie on Aug 15, 2014 13:43:20 GMT
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. When I was in college, I returned a top that I changed my mind about. I saw the cashier (a middle-aged woman) actually put it up to her face and sniff it! Right in front of me! I couldn't believe it. I did later find out that two friends of mine actually did the buy an expensive dress for a special occasion and return it, so yeah, it does happen. As far as what they did with the tags, I believe they tucked them in or sometimes even were able to removed them in a way they could put them back on.
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Post by jackie on Aug 15, 2014 13:46:02 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. How sweetly homophobic of you to call this woman butch. Yeah, that's pretty rude. What does the "butch" detail even add to the story? Vibrators used by butch women are more disgusting than those used by fem women? Seriously!
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Post by sisterbdsq on Aug 15, 2014 13:54:21 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. How sweetly homophobic of you to call this woman butch. She was butch. She was not femme. Not homophobic, but thanks for your misplaced judgment and bitchiness (not to be confused with butchiness). Have a gay day!
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Post by sisterbdsq on Aug 15, 2014 13:57:11 GMT
How sweetly homophobic of you to call this woman butch. Yeah, that's pretty rude. What does the "butch" detail even add to the story? Vibrators used by butch women are more disgusting than those used by fem women? Seriously! No, any vibrator that's been in anyone's orifice is not exactly sanitary unless cleaned. If you have problems with descriptors, we can never say black, white, Latino, short, tall (heaven forbid anyone says fat, we already know that). I stand by my descriptor of her as butch. I described her, not slammed her. Two of my very close gay female friends identify as butch. Not an insult.
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~Susan~
Pearl Clutcher
You need to check your boobs, mine tried to kill me!!!
Posts: 3,259
Jul 6, 2014 17:25:32 GMT
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Post by ~Susan~ on Aug 15, 2014 14:11:11 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. ROTFLMAO!!!
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Post by alibama on Aug 15, 2014 14:49:05 GMT
This has been a great thread! I enjoyed all the stories. Wish I could add my own but I have never worked retail.
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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 17:23:37 GMT
How sweetly homophobic of you to call this woman butch. She was butch. She was not femme. Not homophobic, but thanks for your misplaced judgment and bitchiness (not to be confused with butchiness). Have a gay day! Um, no. What you said *is* homophobic and your attitude is smug and rude. Calling a woman that you do not know to be a lesbian "butch," (especially in this context) is akin to calling a hispanic a spic, etc. It's not the 50's. Your attitude could use some updating. You have a gay day, too! Just try not to be totally hateful, okay?
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Post by sisterbdsq on Aug 15, 2014 19:18:41 GMT
She was butch. She was not femme. Not homophobic, but thanks for your misplaced judgment and bitchiness (not to be confused with butchiness). Have a gay day! Um, no. What you said *is* homophobic and your attitude is smug and rude. Calling a woman that you do not know to be a lesbian "butch," (especially in this context) is akin to calling a hispanic a spic, etc. It's not the 50's. Your attitude could use some updating. You have a gay day, too! Just try not to be totally hateful, okay? I'm Mexican, BTW; but equating spic and butch is like comparing basketball and golf.
I am not going to apologize for noticing her appearance. I didn't say "some big bulldyke" came into the store. Butch/Femme - descriptors, and how many gay women (my friends prefer to be called gay rather than lesbian) identify themselves. and yeah, she was gay. She said she was using it with her girlfriend. She was out and unashamed. I just asked my gay, and quite masculine, friend (who gets mistaken for a man frequently) if she would consider me using butch is an insulting term. She said no, but some uptight gays might.
I'm not hateful in the least. I dated a girl for two years, have attended many gay commitment ceremonies and weddings (now that it's legal, yay!) and love people based on who they are not what they do in the bedroom. However, when gay women stop using identifiers like butch and femme, I will too. Same goes for twink, bear and cub - gotta give equal time to my gay males.
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Post by leannec on Aug 15, 2014 19:23:18 GMT
My friend used to work at a major department store here in Canada when we were living together in our 20's ... she would always tell me tales of the gross things that people brought back ... old used bras were probably the worst ![:sick:](//storage.proboards.com/5645536/images/c2qi57qoGpXKdFvBtXdt.jpg)
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gina
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,233
Jun 26, 2014 1:59:16 GMT
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Post by gina on Aug 15, 2014 19:34:02 GMT
I worked at Victoria's Secret. People returned worn underwear all of the time. My manager used to pick them up with the tip of a pencil and toss them in the trash (but the people still go their money refunded). Gross.
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Post by cmhs on Aug 15, 2014 19:41:00 GMT
I worked in the better dress dept. at a major retailer for a year or so and women were always returning special occasion dresses they had worn. They smelled of smoke and sweat and usually had deodorant stains under the pits. Totally disgusting. Management always took them back.
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Post by redayh on Aug 15, 2014 19:42:34 GMT
sisterbdsq...I know where you are coming from. I think some people don't understand that Butch and Bear are types, not insults. I didn't think you were being homophobic at all. Sorta reminds me of thread were people said it was offensive to call someone "brown" (like that;s some kind of insult or something--SMH).
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Post by redayh on Aug 15, 2014 19:48:15 GMT
Two of the most ridiculous take back stories I have are both about one person. One of my best friends. First, she tried to return those little knobs you put on kids shoe strings so they don't come undone. You know the white ones sold by kids shoe stores. You press them down and feed the string through the hole and then release. She returned them to the store without a package and old and dirty. She said she wanted to return them because her son had figured out how to get them off of his shoes. When the girl refused the return (they could have come from anywhere) she started screaming about how her baby could have choked. The girl still said no. I was pleased. I thought it was embarassing and awful.
The second story is way worse. She returned something she didn't actually buy. She took her kids to a large big box retailer to take photos and she changed them into some clothes she liked from inside the store. Got the pictures taken at the store's photo studio, but then didn't buy the clothes. She put them back on the hanger and back on the racks. Her kids were 1 and 3 at the time. I was HORRIFIED. I couldn't believe she told me that story. How on earth could she think that was okay? She said that she "didn't want them."
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Post by sarahyoo72 on Aug 15, 2014 19:57:11 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) I used to work in Marks and Spencer's, and another member of staff who worked in Customer Services told us about a guy who brought back some underwear. He was adamant that they hadn't been worn. Afterwards she told us that he had obviously worn them, as there were pubic hairs stuck in the nice tighty whiteys
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Aug 15, 2014 19:58:30 GMT
sisterbdsq...I know where you are coming from. I think some people don't understand that Butch and Bear are types, not insults. I didn't think you were being homophobic at all. Sorta reminds me of thread were people said it was offensive to call someone "brown" (like that;s some kind of insult or something--SMH). I understand where she's coming from too. And sisterbdsq is a very open person, and has never shown even the slightest bit of homophobia that I have seen.
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Aug 15, 2014 20:00:19 GMT
Two of the most ridiculous take back stories I have are both about one person. One of my best friends. First, she tried to return those little knobs you put on kids shoe strings so they don't come undone. You know the white ones sold by kids shoe stores. You press them down and feed the string through the hole and then release. She returned them to the store without a package and old and dirty. She said she wanted to return them because her son had figured out how to get them off of his shoes. When the girl refused the return (they could have come from anywhere) she started screaming about how her baby could have choked. The girl still said no. I was pleased. I thought it was embarassing and awful. The second story is way worse. She returned something she didn't actually buy. She took her kids to a large big box retailer to take photos and she changed them into some clothes she liked from inside the store. Got the pictures taken at the store's photo studio, but then didn't buy the clothes. She put them back on the hanger and back on the racks. Her kids were 1 and 3 at the time. I was HORRIFIED. I couldn't believe she told me that story. How on earth could she think that was okay? She said that she "didn't want them." That's crazy. And akin to stealing.
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Post by whipea on Aug 15, 2014 20:29:17 GMT
I knew someone whose hobby was returning things to stores. She was financially very comfortable and think she was bored, but... She would go to Goodwill and buy items that still had their boxes or packages then go from store to store trying to return them stating they were a gifts. It amazed me that sometimes the stores would take an item back and gave her a gift card.
The holidays with her were a nightmare. One year all she talked about was wanting a Costco membership. So a group of people at her office pitched in and bought her a membership gift certificate. She decided she could use all of her friend's membership instead and tried to return it to Costco. Non-refundable, but she ended up selling it to someone. Almost every gift she ever received she returned. She would spend days trying to locate where it came from, going from store to store. People started to catch on so they joined forces and gave her homemade gifts.
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Aug 15, 2014 20:34:56 GMT
I knew someone whose hobby was returning things to stores. She was financially very comfortable and think she was bored, but... She would go to Goodwill and buy items that still had their boxes or packages then go from store to store trying to return them stating they were a gifts. It amazed me that sometimes the stores would take an item back and gave her a gift card. The holidays with her were a nightmare. One year all she talked about was wanting a Costco membership. So a group of people at her office pitched in and bought her a membership gift certificate. She decided she could use all of her friend's membership instead and tried to return it to Costco. Non-refundable, but she ended up selling it to someone. Almost every gift she ever received she returned. She would spend days trying to locate where it came from, going from store to store. People started to catch on so they joined forces and gave her homemade gifts. That's a special type of strange.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 26, 2024 5:17:28 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2014 22:30:46 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) I used to work in Marks and Spencer's, and another member of staff who worked in Customer Services told us about a guy who brought back some underwear. He was adamant that they hadn't been worn. Afterwards she told us that he had obviously worn them, as there were pubic hairs stuck in the nice tighty whiteys That's both hilarious and gross.
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Post by Pahina722 on Aug 15, 2014 23:31:54 GMT
During high school and college, I worked for (what is now) Dillard's. At the time, it had a "you can't ask for a receipt policy" coupled with "we will take anything back, no matter what." I remember vividly having one woman pointed out to me. When her son was born, she'd bought him several full outfits, including shoes. Every time her son outgrew an outfit, she returned it, pointing out a frayed seam or hole in the sock or the like. The store then allowed her to replace the outfit in a bigger size. They didn't force her to stick with same brand or figure out a price point or anything. She did this for 18 years, until her son graduated from high school and joined the military.
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Post by Outspoken on Aug 16, 2014 0:13:14 GMT
During high school and college, I worked for (what is now) Dillard's. At the time, it had a "you can't ask for a receipt policy" coupled with "we will take anything back, no matter what." I remember vividly having one woman pointed out to me. When her son was born, she'd bought him several full outfits, including shoes. Every time her son outgrew an outfit, she returned it, pointing out a frayed seam or hole in the sock or the like. The store then allowed her to replace the outfit in a bigger size. They didn't force her to stick with same brand or figure out a price point or anything. She did this for 18 years, until her son graduated from high school and joined the military. ![:shocked:](//storage.proboards.com/5645536/images/JvSt42CUoZ9LG952aAaF.jpg) I guess its it's too late to start this practice as my kids are now 13! Geez! How incredibly crazy!!
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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 16, 2014 0:23:49 GMT
Um, no. What you said *is* homophobic and your attitude is smug and rude. Calling a woman that you do not know to be a lesbian "butch," (especially in this context) is akin to calling a hispanic a spic, etc. It's not the 50's. Your attitude could use some updating. You have a gay day, too! Just try not to be totally hateful, okay? I'm Mexican, BTW; but equating spic and butch is like comparing basketball and golf.
I am not going to apologize for noticing her appearance. I didn't say "some big bulldyke" came into the store. Butch/Femme - descriptors, and how many gay women (my friends prefer to be called gay rather than lesbian) identify themselves. and yeah, she was gay. She said she was using it with her girlfriend. She was out and unashamed. I just asked my gay, and quite masculine, friend (who gets mistaken for a man frequently) if she would consider me using butch is an insulting term. She said no, but some uptight gays might.
I'm not hateful in the least. I dated a girl for two years, have attended many gay commitment ceremonies and weddings (now that it's legal, yay!) and love people based on who they are not what they do in the bedroom. However, when gay women stop using identifiers like butch and femme, I will too. Same goes for twink, bear and cub - gotta give equal time to my gay males.
I am also Mexican American. Justify it how you want, but, in the context of your story, the way you used "butch" was insulting and it was intended as such.
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