Sneaky way of getting free shipping at AE.

[tinkermom23]

 

[penn19]

Stores build these types of losses into their pricing. Same reason stores like Macy's & Kohl's can offer so many coupons all the time. They inflate the "regular" price so they will still make a profit when a customer uses a discount coupon/code. Stores figure their gross margin on the average "out the door" price, which is usually significantly lower than the regular price printed on the ticket. We think we're getting a great deal, but it's really not as good as it seems when you know how little it costs the stores to make/procure their goods.

The retailers may only pay "X" amount of $$ for a particular item, but do you realize how much more goes into trying to make a "profit" in retail? For every dollar you have to figure in the cost of the item, the employees salary, the cost of running said store (electric etc....) shrinkage/shoplifting etc....So just because an item cost $5 and the store might sell it for $20 does not mean that the store just made a $15 profit. Because for all the items that the store does sell at full price, and that probably isn't many because most consumers are trained now to wait for a sale, there are many items that sell from the clearance rack below their actual cost.
I worked retail for 15 years so don't even get me started on the amount of people that would come in like clockwork returning items that had been worn many times, including UNDERWEAR, and expect a full refund and got it every time. Why retailers would want to keep people like that as customers I could never figure out.

 

[TheLittleRoo]

Along the lines of every misplaced apostrophe "it's" killing a kitten, please also think of the kittens when using the word "lose".

"Loose" money = coins, pocket change, jingling money
"Lose" money = not making any money, going into the negative, wasting money

Whew... got that off my chest!! On to the point I was going to make!

I feel bad for the stores that are penalized for internet mdse returned in their store, but at the end of the day, it's not the customer's responsibility to be mindful of the inner workings of the store's P&L. This does not excuse the customers who intentionally buy things they have no plans of keeping to save $6 on shipping.

I will say though, when I'm shopping online, I almost always have a code or coupon, or I won't buy online. So, along those lines, I guess I'm a negative drag against their profits. Maybe that puts me in the same category I also tend to buy whatever catches my eye online, and I usually end up returning odds and ends that for whatever reason, didn't measure up to the image online. I also might buy two sizes and know I'll have to return the one that doesn't fit. Again, maybe that puts in that category of "bad customer". So I'm trying hard not to judge. And finally, I know those major retailers have a savvy marketing department that has fully accounted for a % of sales being returned. They can forecast what that means to them in shipping costs, and make it up somewhere else.

Can a store be closed if its sales year-over-year are declining? Absolutely, and that's bad for everyone, yes. But that's poor management at a corporate level if they can't separate out organic declining store sales from external factors such as internet returns dragging down profits. If you have a career in retail, it would be a big advantage to know which stores are savvy enough to understand this and avoid working for those who do their store closures like a surgeon who uses an axe instead of a scalpel.

 

[merin]

I will say though, when I'm shopping online, I almost always have a code or coupon, or I won't buy online. So, along those lines, I guess I'm a negative drag against their profits. Maybe that puts me in the same category

I don't think so at all. I think stores put out coupon codes knowing and *hoping* they will get distributed widely, and they plan for the discounts applied to them.

Each code (or offer, such as free shipping on $100) can be thought of as a contract with terms that the buyer and seller are agreeing to by that seller offering and that buyer using that particular discount.

So long as you meet the terms, you get the discount. Fairs fair.

Meeting the terms to get the discount with the sole intention of UNmeeting the terms later is dishonest.

Even if later something doesn't fit/look right to you and you return it, as a party to that "contract" you should be a-ok with the seller saying "Thanks for your business and so you know, you no longer meet the terms of the contract so we'll need to deduct the price of shipping from your return."

Lots and lots of them do that, so it may be a non-issue anyhow...

ETA: This became an interesting post about *ethics*, but looking at the OP, I'm not sure that's what she was asking for, I think maybe she just meant to post about the *logistics* - "anyone done this and can you tell me if it'll work or if I'm going to get stuck with the shipping afterall?" :dunno:

 

[stitchlovestink]

I've worked retail and I know exacly what stitchlovestink is saying. I'm sure she's aware that one person complaining wont get far...but maybe if thousands did? But, more importantly, I think she is trying to say that the anger at on-line store returns taking a toll on B&M stores is being misdirected. If a store allows, even encourages you to do in-store returns then the purchaser should not have to worry if a sales person is affected, the store should worry about that. (Which is not to say that we don't care about the sales person, but it just simply should not be part of the equation when making a return.)

thank you that is pretty much what I was trying to say.

Internet companies get a discount on shipping but their cost isn't zero.

I have no problem with anyone returning an online purchased online to a B&M store. I agree it's up to the store to decide if they want to allow it and if they want to allocate returns to the store or the online division.

The question is if it's OK to deliberately order extra merchandise, you know in advance you'll return to a B&M store, for the sole purpose of qualifying for a discount (free shipping) that your order doesn't otherwise qualify for. This kind of behavior result in companies having to change the way they process returns. Back out discounts from returns. Consider stopping returns to B&M stores. Actions that impact honest shoppers.

Keystone pricing plus 30% isn't dishonest. Major department stores have priced that way for years. That's why it takes a great sale to get a good price in any B&M department store. One reason retailers aren't doing great is many people aren't willing to pay the kind of markups that are required to profitably run a B&M store.

I understand what you're saying, but I still think companies anticipate some of this happening. My DH works for a global company. He has several customers a month that experience buyer's remorse w/ a product after using it for several months (sometimes abusing it) and then they expect him to come out a fix an abused product for free or to completely replace it w/ a new product. Oh, and since they really didn't like that model, let's change to a different one. He then refers them to the customer relations dept designed specifically to handle these types of issues. Customers take their frustration out on him for their poor choice. But, that is a part of the job. You deal w/ it or find a different one.

The retailers may only pay "X" amount of $$ for a particular item, but do you realize how much more goes into trying to make a "profit" in retail? For every dollar you have to figure in the cost of the item, the employees salary, the cost of running said store (electric etc....) shrinkage/shoplifting etc....So just because an item cost $5 and the store might sell it for $20 does not mean that the store just made a $15 profit. Because for all the items that the store does sell at full price, and that probably isn't many because most consumers are trained now to wait for a sale, there are many items that sell from the clearance rack below their actual cost.
I worked retail for 15 years so don't even get me started on the amount of people that would come in like clockwork returning items that had been worn many times, including UNDERWEAR, and expect a full refund and got it every time. Why retailers would want to keep people like that as customers I could never figure out.

bolding is mine....
I am thinking that the reason that they do this is to keep the customer happy. when you have a great shopping experience how many times do you run around and tell everyone about how wonderful it was to shop at "X"? Once in a while you might. Yes, occassionally people do share positive experiences. BUT, if you have a bad/negative experience with a store how often do you share that experience with others? The negative publicity happens far more often. I have no actual basis for this idea. But I do think that they allow these types of returns for a reason.

Along the lines of every misplaced apostrophe "it's" killing a kitten, please also think of the kittens when using the word "lose".

"Loose" money = coins, pocket change, jingling money
"Lose" money = not making any money, going into the negative, wasting money

Whew... got that off my chest!! On to the point I was going to make!

I feel bad for the stores that are penalized for internet mdse returned in their store, but at the end of the day, it's not the customer's responsibility to be mindful of the inner workings of the store's P&L. This does not excuse the customers who intentionally buy things they have no plans of keeping to save $6 on shipping.

I will say though, when I'm shopping online, I almost always have a code or coupon, or I won't buy online. So, along those lines, I guess I'm a negative drag against their profits. Maybe that puts me in the same category I also tend to buy whatever catches my eye online, and I usually end up returning odds and ends that for whatever reason, didn't measure up to the image online. I also might buy two sizes and know I'll have to return the one that doesn't fit. Again, maybe that puts in that category of "bad customer". So I'm trying hard not to judge. And finally, I know those major retailers have a savvy marketing department that has fully accounted for a % of sales being returned. They can forecast what that means to them in shipping costs, and make it up somewhere else.
Can a store be closed if its sales year-over-year are declining? Absolutely, and that's bad for everyone, yes. But that's poor management at a corporate level if they can't separate out organic declining store sales from external factors such as internet returns dragging down profits. If you have a career in retail, it would be a big advantage to know which stores are savvy enough to understand this and avoid working for those who do their store closures like a surgeon who uses an axe instead of a scalpel.

My twin shopping partner!
You just described me!

I don't think so at all. I think stores put out coupon codes knowing and *hoping* they will get distributed widely, and they plan for the discounts applied to them.

Exactly, if they really didn't want the code to be transferable there are ways to achieve that goal. Disney has managed to make some of their codes like the pin codes non-transferable. So it can be done. It just has to be important enough to the retailer.

Each code (or offer, such as free shipping on $100) can be thought of as a contract with terms that the buyer and seller are agreeing to by that seller offering and that buyer using that particular discount.

So long as you meet the terms, you get the discount. Fairs fair.

Meeting the terms to get the discount with the sole intention of UNmeeting the terms later is dishonest.

Even if later something doesn't fit/look right to you and you return it, as a party to that "contract" you should be a-ok with the seller saying "Thanks for your business and so you know, you no longer meet the terms of the contract so we'll need to deduct the price of shipping from your return."

Lots and lots of them do that, so it may be a non-issue anyhow...

ETA: This became an interesting post about *ethics*, but looking at the OP, I'm not sure that's what she was asking for, I think maybe she just meant to post about the *logistics* - "anyone done this and can you tell me if it'll work or if I'm going to get stuck with the shipping afterall?" :dunno:

I understand what your are saying, but completely disagree. But for me, if that's the case, then the retailer will get back EVERYTHING. Sometimes, when you order something online, it does NOT look the same, whether it's style, color, whatever. If they are going to play that card, then I will play the card that they can have everything of theirs back and I can shop elsewhere and they can make no money from me. It is about choices on both the side of the retailer and the shopper. But I'm not going to play that nit picky game of "Well, you returned something (that didn't fit) and now your total is $96.15 instead of $110.50, so you no longer qualify for free shipping." Now it is going to cost me $10.95 in shipping. NO I DON'T THINK SO. You can now have all $110.50 worth of stuff back.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

And people wonder where the mysterious 'restocking' fee was born....



In the interest of kittens and disingenuous posters everywhere... adding a wink at the end of a serious post serves what purpose, exactly? It's like those people who begin their sentences with, "No offense, but...." and end their sentences with something offensive.

 

[Floridagal23]

I think there are a few different situations. I would rather go to the store and pick merchandise out even if I had to pay for gas or parking, particularly if the store, like J Crew, charged 12.95 shipping. I'd consider it an errand and just do it while i was out - if that store had the products in. I wouldn't overorder with the intention of not keeping things just to get free shipping.

But again, take J crew. I have J Crew nearby, but they don't stock one piece swimsuits. There is that pesky 12.95 shipping charge and the swimsuit is only 80 bucks. I have no idea how sizing runs on the one pieces and nobody who works there can help me out. I have no problem ordering both a size 2 and a size 4 to meet the $150 free shipping requirement knowing that ultimately, I will have to return 1 of them. It saves me time to order both sizes at a time. What if I ordered a 2 only to find it didn't fit in the bust? I'd need to return it and re-order it, both times paying shipping because it didn't meet the free ship min. I think that this is pretty common with out of stock or online only items, but I am sure as heck not paying 25 dollars in shipping for an 80 dollar swimsuit just to find the right size. Now that I'm thinking about it, I don't think there's a big difference between OP's behavior and mine other than I simply can't buy my item in store - I've checked 3 area J Crews, and nobody has them in stock. In-store customer service told me to order both sizes and return whichever one that doesn't fit.

 

[dsny1mom]

Okay, maybe this sounds mean and I don't mean for it to, but as the consumer, why do I need to worry about the sales person's numbers? If I have a return, I have a return. Complain to your em


Sorry I'm not 'buying' that returning online purchases to a B&M store is going to cause the retailer to close their B&M stores. There are still way too many customers who do not shop online. Look at the holiday #'s, while online shopping has gone up, more people still shop in B&M stores.


bolding is mine..
EXACTLY


bolding is mine...
Come on now...they've already built that 'anticipated' expense into the prices of the items. Who do you think you're fooling.


bottom line is I'm not going to take the time and effort to box up an internet return and go stand in that horribly longer line at the post office to return it and wait even longer for them to credit my acct or deal w/ a lost pkg when THEIR POLICY IS that I can return any online items to the store. If they clerks don't like it, then they need to complain to corporate. It's not my job to fix their dislike w/ their employer's policies. Sorry....

No one says you have to worry about anyone other than yourself. However, some people do.

You don't have to agree that returning online purchases to stores can contribute to stores closing. That won't change the fact that it is beginning to happen in the industry.

The cost of doing business is factored into the retail prices. The more the costs are the higher the prices go.

Yep some retailers have bent over so far to get customers they are now kissing their profits goodbye and closing stores.

None of this effects my business, as our customers aren't doing these types of things, for the most part.

What bothers me is that the couple of bucks that some save by not going to the post office and returning their online purchases to where they got them from, are being converted into price hikes for all. Sure, the company tells you to return it to the stores. What they don't tell you is they will be raising their prices as they absorb additional costs when you do.

dsny1mom

 

[maxiesmom]

Bottom feeders like Kohls are known for inflating their prices. In the industry it is well known that they do keystone plus 30%. They did this way before online shopping existed. They count on the ignorance of some consumers to buy at full price so they can pad their pockets.

Most retailers don't operate like Kohls, thank goodness.
dsny1mom
(who apologizes for thinking of someone other than myself)

That is funny, I don't know anyone who ever pays full price for anything at Kohls. If it isn't on sale, wait a week. It will be!

And while their prices might be higher, they also have what is probably the easiest return policy out there anymore. So while you may be paying more for some things, at least you know they will take it back if it falls apart in a few months. Unlike Target, or Meijer, or even Kmart. Heck Target won't even do even exchanges without a receipt!

You can say that retail stores build in the cost of on-line returns into their bottom line, but keep in mind that they also build in things like theft too. That doesn't mean they approve of such things, but that they realize that they will happen no matter what they do. I think it would be smart of all stores to charge some kind of restocking fee for things bought on line and returned at the stores.