Community Chat

[scatcat]

Most stores are on to the fancy dress return. They hang large tags on the outside of the dress that must still be attached if you want to return it.

I saw someone wheel in a very used BBQ grill to Costco. They took it back. But Costco is a thriving company. If their return policy wasn’t working in their favor, they would tweek it. 

When you return an item in store, chances are you are going to stay and shop 

[haddon9]

Some of those returns are really so unethical I don't know how people can live with themselves...so selfish!  Then others are simply disgusting!  Aren't they embarrassed?

[handygal2]

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@LUV 2 SHOP wrote:

While all the antecdotes listed below are “one ups”, I fail to see the point of this topic. Another gripe topic that has no redeeming value. 

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@LUV 2 SHOP: l think the redeeming value is that the article-- and all the anecdotes-- are informative, interesting, and sometimes very surprising. But everyone doesn't have to agree...

[AuntMame]

There's a locally-owned restaurant we enjoy going to for dinner. The food is always superb. I can't tell you the number of times we've heard diners in nearby booths complain to servers that they weren't going to pay for their dinner or some portion of their meal because the food was not up to their expectations. And this was after they had eaten everything mind you. 

The last time we were there we heard the server arguing, "If the steak wasn't up to your standards you should have sent it back to the kitchen. Since you've eaten the entire steak our manager is not going to be inclined to take it off your bill." 

Desert drinks. You know those frothy things with a little booze. People are constantly sending them back half-drank complaining "This one tastes funny. Could I have another one?" One time we heard a waiter arguing with diners that he had already returned and replaced three desert drinks for them for "tasting funny" and he was not going to bring them anymore. 

[Mindy D]

I don’t have a problem understanding that there are honest people that return half eaten food items. Sometimes food is served to people and doesn’t taste good do it is returned later. I’ve even tried something twice to see if it was still as awful as the first time I tried it. Sometimes a food item has parts that are cut that look fine and then a disgusting part is revealed when you cut deeper into it. I’ve also ordered a giant carrot cake which was served at a function. It was labeled in the package as carrot cake too. I had not had any cake yet when two people came up to me and complained. They said, “I thought we agreed on a carrot cake.” I said, “It is a carrot cake.” They told me to take a look at it and it was butter cream, cream cheese icing with chocolate inside. The cake was for the birthdays of two coworkers; one of whom disliked chocolate. I didn’t ask for money back or return any leftover cake but I can see how someone might be miffed enough under similar circumstances to ask for their money back. 

[AuntMame]

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@Mindy D wrote:

I don’t have a problem understanding that there are honest people that return half eaten food items. Sometimes food is served to people and doesn’t taste good do it is returned later. I’ve even tried something twice to see if it was still as awful as the first time I tried it. Sometimes a food item has parts that are cut that look fine and then a disgusting part is revealed when you cut deeper into it. I’ve also ordered a giant carrot cake which was served at a function. It was labeled in the package as carrot cake too. I had not had any cake yet when two people came up to me and complained. They said, “I thought we agreed on a carrot cake.” I said, “It is a carrot cake.” They told me to take a look at it and it was butter cream, cream cheese icing with chocolate inside. The cake was for the birthdays of two coworkers; one of whom disliked chocolate. I didn’t ask for money back or return any leftover cake but I can see how someone might be miffed enough under similar circumstances to ask for their money back. 

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I can understand returning food if it's under-cooked or something tastes off, but not after you've consumed the entire thing, and then demand after the check comes that your whole meal be comped, which is what the steak guy was doing. That's just wrong.

I think in the end he got a $5 coupon for a future visit. 

I've ordered birthday cakes too and gotten a cake that was different in flavor than what I ordered. That must be a common problem.  I've considered returning to the bakery to complain, but then I think of a Judge Judy show in which someone sued a baker for not getting the cake they wanted. "Did your guests eat the cake?" demanded Judge Judy. "Well then, if they ate the cake you pay for the cake! Because that's what a cake is for, to be eaten! Case dismissed!" 

[lovesrecess]

I worked in a fabric store many years ago. Brides-to-be would come in and buy multiple yards of silk chiffon brocade, velvet, and other expensive fabric for bridesmaids dresses....after the wedding,shebwould bring in the dresses with a slit cut somewhere on each dress and claim the fabric had a flaw in it...and get their money back. Free bridesmaid dresses! This Halle ed many times, so somehow the word was out on how to cut your wedding costs down I always let the manager handle the return....I couldn't do it without showing my aggravation. It was a chain store and this was allowed in the return policy. I have always had trouble returning anything to Target so am amazed to hear these stories.

[kivah]

Years ago I saw a program about these types of people --- they have Disorders!!!!!!!! Others are just GREEDY, SELFISH and like to take advantage. The stores need to NOT allow them to return items they used, are old, or they damaged.

[drizzellla]

Oh the stories I could tell. I worked over 6 years at the Disney Store. I loved the other castmembers, the company but not always the guests.

You should see our store on November 1. There is a line of parents wanting to return Halloween costumes. And then there are the parents that buy clothing for their kids. The kids wear the clothes all season. And at the end of the season the parents bring the clothing back for a refund. 

And when the Warner Bros closed their stores, people would bring Warner Bros items into our store for refunds. 

Or you would have the shoplifters. They would steal anything and everything. And return it.

We had one guy, he would buy high ticket items (cells and collectibles). He would pay with a check. Then he would rush to another Disney Store and return it. He would make sure he was quick before the bank realized his check was bad. Or people who would buy thousands of dollars worth of merchandise on Sunday evening and pay by check. Monday morning, we would  find out the checks were bad.

Disney is now closing some of it retail stores. I don't know why they stayed open as long as they have.