Returns

Group 5 minus 1 · ‎03-11-2010

My Mom HATED doing returns--not through the mail ( that is another story),but at a B&M store. She would pile them all on my old bed in my old room and they would be waiting for me when I came to visit.

When I observed her making a return she would "clutch her sweater" and say something about the item,BUT never that she wanted a return. I think in her day merchants would be mean to those they thought were immigrants.

I learned the hard way how to make a return:Have a receipt

State why the return

Ask for your refund

Make sure it is w/in the accepted time

Thanks for letting me share these memories.

PS:I forgot one thing: Don't take any junk from the merchant.

jlkz · ‎12-02-2013

@Group 5 minus 1

You brought back a scary moment for me. Was with a group of friends on a ski trip to Austria in the 80's and decided I would visit a shop down the road before dinner. When I was returning to the small hotel, my friends saw my packages and asked did I remember to ask for the VAT, Value Added Tax credit.

Since I relatively new to this option, I went back and when the owner / cashier saw my packages, she pretended to be very busy fixing things behind the counter. I placed my stuff on the counter and said I would like the VAT credit now. There was a very tall fellow in the small shop and the two began speaking in German. The woman said she didn't know how to handle this request basically. The fellow came extremely close, invading my personal space.

I politely requested again but this time said " Okay, then return all these items please." She complied without a word. He stepped back and I left WITH my packages and credit.

As our group was arriving at the airport for the return home, all those who believed they would get their VAT credit at the airport received a surprise: no stores, no counters were open at 6 AM to apply for their credits. Some may have applied once they got home......

We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.
Sir Winston Churchill

Trix · ‎03-16-2010

@Group 5 minus 1 wrote:
My Mom HATED doing returns--not through the mail ( that is another story),but at a B&M store. She would pile them all on my old bed in my old room and they would be waiting for me when I came to visit.
When I observed her making a return she would "clutch her sweater" and say something about the item,BUT never that she wanted a return. I think in her day merchants would be mean to those they thought were immigrants.
I learned the hard way how to make a return:Have a receipt
State why the return
Ask for your refund
Make sure it is w/in the accepted time

Thanks for letting me share these memories.
PS:I forgot one thing: Don't take any junk from the merchant.

@Group 5 minus 1 It wasn't meanness directed only at certain groups. There was a time when many merchants had very firm policies that made it difficult to return anything. Almost anything bought on sale was a final sale. Some only allowed exchanges and/or store credit even if the item was purchased at regular price and that included big-ticket items such as TVs, furniture, and appliances. It definitely wasn't the I changed my mind era unless you were shopping on the highest end of the spectrum at luxury department stores and boutiques. In that case, the merchant felt that they were dealing with upper classes and VIPs, so discriminating in that way, they were more lenient with returns and refunds.