Do you consider this DISHONEST?

[JudicialTyranny]

I have only ever done something like this one time.

I had a part on the head of my weed wacker that I couldn't get off, and I needed a big wrench to do it.

I really didn't want to buy one because I knew I would rarely if ever use it again and they aren't all that cheap.

So I took the head to a local hardware store and went down the wrench aisle and used one of the wrenches to get the part off and left. It was a plastic part, so it did not do any damage to the wrench - not even a scratch.

But thinking back on it, it was probably wrong to do.

 

[JudicialTyranny]

I used to work in retail and this is basically stealing. And it results in higher costs to you. (I had a woman try to return a fur she had spilled red wine all over and claim that she bought it that way!)

My wife used to manage a retail clothing store and it would drive her crazy. The store (a big chain) had a liberal return policy, but it's just her nature to care about people doing that type of thing.

She would have people returning party dresses because of "size" and the dresses would smell like smoke and sweat - it was obvious that they were worn already, probably for some particular event where a dress like that was only needed once.

 

[JudicialTyranny]

I rarely return anything as a matter of fact. Shorts too short or shoes too tight? I just donate them to Goodwill.

I'm the same way. Mainly because I hate to try stuff on. My wife tells her friends about all of the clothes I have in my closet that still have tags on them.

Every year, we donate a bunch of clothes to the St. Vincent DePaul Society, and they get several new items from me....

 

[kadaten]

I bet everyone has done it at least once in their lives.

Nope. Never have, never will.
I work in retail, and know most of the tricks, but I'd never do it.
I think it is wrong and I stick to my morals.
My husband has never done it either. Why? 1--also has insanely high morals and 2--has never once returned anything.


I actually have immense amounts of fun on a regular basis keeping some of our (unfortunately) regular customers from committing fraud. Like the lady who buys everything at full price, brings it back 6 months later, and tries to REBUY it 20 minutes later at 75% less....too bad we don't restock customer returns on the same day. (She was able to return it 6 months later because it still had the tags on....she tries to buy ahead for her kids the next year. She buys/returns/rebuys it to guarantee the pieces she likes will still be available by the time it's marked down 75%. ) Yep. It's theft. She's illustrates PERFECTLY why the company I work for has changed their return policies, hurting many honest customers.

As for returning used things.....a guy in front of me at customer service at WalMart was returning a futon....fully put together, with STAINS on the cushion....claiming it was never used. Since this was right after the holidays, what you wanna bet they used it for a guest bed and brought it back the next week? Scum.

 

[bubba's mom]

I remember hearing on the news that there was a 20 or 30 percent return going on all those big screens that were bought. I think best buy had a LOT of returns. I'm assuming businesses like that will put some kind of clause of something in their sales receipt that will make it harder to do this...or a hefty restocking fee to discourage it! why not just use rent-a-center??

 

[jx3smom]

I think it is just plain wrong.

 

[C.Ann]

Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy did this all the time - except with smaller items: clothing; nail polishes; perfumes; evening gowns; shoes; etc.. The story goes that she never really knew just how wealthy they were so if she could find a way to "save a buck", she did..

When she died at over 100 years old, the furniture, carpeting and draperies in the house on Cape Cod were still the original ones that were there when they bought the place..

 

[skiwee1]

What is a re-tagger. I bought a carpet stretcher from Home Depot. My husband took it back when he was done. I bet everyone has done it at least once in their lives.

Um, no. I consider that stealing. That is a horrible thing to do. There is no way I could do anything like that. I would love for it to be illegal but there isn't a way to prove intent. Other then that I find it very dishonest.

 

[JudicialTyranny]

I remember hearing on the news that there was a 20 or 30 percent return going on all those big screens that were bought.

If it was being done around the Super Bowl, I'd say there were some people trying to get away with a free "rental".

However, I have read other things about there being a lot of returns on the big screen TV's because people just didn't know what they were getting into.

In the store, they have high def video being pumped to each of the TV's and the pictures look awesome.

But when you actually get one home (and I have one), unless you are watching a DVD or an HDTV channel through cable or satellite, regular old standard def channels DO look pretty bad, because they are broadcast at a lower resolution and it has to spread that picture out across the screen. Plus they are broadcast in the standard TV (4:3) size instead of the 16:9 ratio of the large screens.

There are ways to make the pictures look better, but that means looking at the picture centered between two black bars (like a letterbox edition of a move, except the bars are on the sides instead of the top). Which kind of defeats the purpose of having a big screen.

Once people find this stuff out, some of them end up returning the TV's because they weren't ready to pony up the extra cash to get HDTV. (Yes, you can get HDTV over the public airwaves, but who is set up now to use an antenna?)

 

[JudicialTyranny]

Like the lady who buys everything at full price, brings it back 6 months later, and tries to REBUY it 20 minutes later at 75% less

But I've had staff at department stores tell me that I could simply bring back my receipt (within a reasonable time frame, not 6 months) to take advantage of a sale price.

For example, I was buying an item at a department store (Strawbridge's if I recall) and the salesperson told me that the item would be going on sale next week. So I said that I would wait until then to buy it. She said I could just buy it that day and bring back the receipt when it went on sale and they would give me a credit for the difference on my credit card (which they did).

 

[drgnfly30]

I think it's wrong... now admittedly I've purchased items like a portable DVD player for a drive down to WDW & then resold it on Ebay but I also took a slight loss on the item but what they are doing is dishonest... I used to know someone who would buy clothes, wear them to work with the tags tucked in & then returned them!! Gross!

I think in the end Karma is gonna get them..

btw many stores now have lists of cronic returners & retain the right to refuse returns from those listed offenders.

 

[wdwgirl03]

That is ridiculous.

 

[ericamanda01]

But I've had staff at department stores tell me that I could simply bring back my receipt (within a reasonable time frame, not 6 months) to take advantage of a sale price.

For example, I was buying an item at a department store (Strawbridge's if I recall) and the salesperson told me that the item would be going on sale next week. So I said that I would wait until then to buy it. She said I could just buy it that day and bring back the receipt when it went on sale and they would give me a credit for the difference on my credit card (which they did).

Some store will do what is called a price adjustment if the sale is within a week or so. That is very common. But I think it's petty theft to keep it 6 months and try and get the same item at a lower price. The honest consumers are the ones that suffer.

 

[CharlesTD]

The biggest things this happens with are digital cameras and camcorders. People will buy them to go on vacation and then return them when they get back it happens alot more often than people think and honestly I could care less. I bought and paid for my stuff and if somone else does this so be it I have far more important things to think about that somone buying something and then returning it after a trip or party etc. One electronics store up here openly tells it's regular customers that have purchased items when the same item comes back so that they can return theirs get a full refund and then re buy the open item ad a greatly reduced price.

 

[kadaten]

But I've had staff at department stores tell me that I could simply bring back my receipt (within a reasonable time frame, not 6 months) to take advantage of a sale price.

For example, I was buying an item at a department store (Strawbridge's if I recall) and the salesperson told me that the item would be going on sale next week. So I said that I would wait until then to buy it. She said I could just buy it that day and bring back the receipt when it went on sale and they would give me a credit for the difference on my credit card (which they did).

My store does offer price adjustments. If any item you bought is marked down or goes on sale within 7 days of the purchase date, we will happily refund the difference.

6 months however...no.

 

[dcentity2000]

It's not strictly illegal as the contract formed at the exchange is one that permits this; however, I think that this is a dishonest act insofar as it defrauds the shopkeeper out of EXPECTED earnings.



Rich::

 

[Hopetobee]

It's stealing, and I hope all stores start keeping track of the people that do this.

I have a closet full of daughters clothes that after I removed tags and washed, she's decided that she doesn't like, should I take these back? What about clothes that shrink, even tho washing them by directions? Am I stupid to keep these clothes?

 

[dcentity2000]

It's stealing, and I hope all stores start keeping track of the people that do this.

I have a closet full of daughters clothes that after I removed tags and washed, she's decided that she doesn't like, should I take these back? What about clothes that shrink, even tho washing them by directions? Am I stupid to keep these clothes?

If they can sell them again as new (ie. there is no noticeable detriment to the product) I'd say that you could return them; it would be a bit dodgy, but not that bad in a bad world. It's not stealing as the law goes and it's not immoral because they weren't bought with a view to returning them



Rich::

 

[ChrisnSteph]

It's stealing, and I hope all stores start keeping track of the people that do this.

I have a closet full of daughters clothes that after I removed tags and washed, she's decided that she doesn't like, should I take these back? What about clothes that shrink, even tho washing them by directions? Am I stupid to keep these clothes?

Not ethical, yes. Stealing? No. If it's returned in resaleable condition.

I'll return clothing if it malfunctions within a few wearings, or if, despite following washing instructions, it shrinks to the point it no longer fits right. I expect quality products for my money.

 

[MELSMICE]

I'll return clothing if it malfunctions within a few wearings, or if, despite following washing instructions, it shrinks to the point it no longer fits right. I expect quality products for my money.

I agree with this.

Example: Bought DD a dress for homecoming - washed it according to the instructions on the garment tag. It was totally ruined when it came out of the washer.

Although we bought it on a deep discount clearance I still returned it. I explained to the clerk what happened, she got the manager & they took it back. Of course, she said to me "You really shouldn't have washed it", which kind of annoyed me because I followed the instructions on the tag - even washed more gentle than it called for.

Anyway, there are some instances that I have returned something. I would imagine they would just return this to the manufacturer as a defective produce.

There are many times, however, that I purchase something, it doesn't fit my DD's & I just don't get the chance to return it so it eventually goes into the Goodwill bag with the tags still on.