Today's Special Value

[suzyQ3]

On 7/9/2014 ibb38 said:

On 7/9/2014 suzyQ3 said:

On 7/9/2014 Perkup said:

On 5/28/2014 Happy Elizabeth said:

Just curious, what percentage of returns or cancellations is considered too much? (Asking for a friend, lol)

Answer coming from a neighbor (not an lol!) She's even older than me!! She brought the letter over. It said that the average customer returns about 40%, and her return level was over 50%. I am dumbfounded that they consider a 40% return rate average. They must have an incredible number of returns every day!! Neighbor has just about stopped buying now, and the truck used to stop at her house almost every day. I think they lost more than they gained by the letter. Her account wasn't being closed, but she was terribly offended by the letter, since she is a customer of very long (20+ years) standing.

I hope for her sake that her initial feeling of offense at the letter wore off and that she realized it was a wake-up call for what sounds like a perfect example of compulsive shopping

Shopping to that degree is not normal. At best it's a sign of something missing in a person's life, which can certainly happen at any age but I would imagine it hits the elderly and disabled in particular. At worst, it's a serious disorder.

True compulsive shoppers don't return! Accumulating stuff is part of the disorder.

I'm not so sure that that's true. I think there are different types of compulsive shoppers. The type you describe also might have hoarding issues.

But I'm thinking more of the type who feels guilt and remorse after the high of buying turns into that inevitable letdown, so she or he gets some relief by returning -- then the cycle begins again.

I'm thinking of the shoppers who are especially vulnerable to on-air presentations and who often seem to end up buying stuff they really don't even want and certainly don't need. I've read many times here of posters who have even forgotten what they ordered.

[Perkup]

In defense of this lady, she can't get out anymore and has a very large family that she enjoys buying things for. It brings her joy, and she can well afford to buy whatever she likes.

I totally agree, compulsive shoppers don't return things. They are more inclined to be compared to hoarders, who buy just to be buying. This lady doesn't do that.

And really Clover29, nobody said she returns over 100 items a year. I have no idea where their item count comes from - not my business, but I seriously doubt that the numbers are anywhere near that. Further, I don't know what the truck delivered every day. She orders from catalogs and other shopping networks.

[Marienkaefer2]

On 5/28/2014 xsshopper said:

I have been with QVC for 21 years and have a record of returning but I barely order anything anymore. I suppose I get enthused and order mostly online and then think about it more and most items, I cancel. I was warned that I was costing the company money by doing this. And, keeping customers from being able to purchase. I feel I was being more selective and causing myself not to order and have to return and cost customers by ordering and thus cancelling was good. Oh well, the other channels do not criticize and seem to welcome my business..

When you order something that sells out, then cancel it, you are indeed preventing another customer who is serious from purchasing item at that time.

I would imagine that doing this once in awhile (haven't we all) is no biggie.

But for them to actually move forward and inform you like this, suggests that you do this quite often, and too many people doing this a lot messes with their inventory.

They also lose serious customers who would have followed through and will now look elsewhere.

Continue the same buying habits at other locations and see how long it lasts.

[suzyQ3]

The term "compulsive shoppers" is, by definition, a reference to people who cannot control their buying. It's the BUYING that gives them momentary pleasure. So it makes sense that many of these compulsive shoppers also return on a regular basis -- because the lift they got for that moment or two is now gone and they're so often left with something they no longer want. I've known several people in real life who fit this profile and believe that many posters do as well.

They are not necessarily people who want to fill up their house/closets with stuff. Those people who have tons and tons of stuff in their house may also be compulsive shoppers.

[goodstuff]

On 5/28/2014 sparklestar said:

QVCs 30-day return policy was not meant to support people that can't control their shopping habits. Switch places ... would you want someone costing you more money due to their bad shopping habits?

Exactly. The "satisfaction guaranteed" 30 day return policy wasn't implemented to allow compulsive/impulsive shoppers to repeatedly, excessively, thoughtlessly order items they don't really want or need and then cancel or return over and over again. What a burden on the company filling and shipping orders and processing returns and refunds! It's one thing if you occasionally cancel an order or return an item because you change your mind or find the item not to your satisfaction. It's another if you're ordering and un-ordering willy-nilly, over and over. I don't blame QVC for putting a stop to it, and I'd think you'd want to get your shopping habits under better control anyway!

[chickenbutt]

On 7/9/2014 suzyQ3 said:

On 7/9/2014 ibb38 said:

On 7/9/2014 suzyQ3 said:

On 7/9/2014 Perkup said:

On 5/28/2014 Happy Elizabeth said:

Just curious, what percentage of returns or cancellations is considered too much? (Asking for a friend, lol)

Answer coming from a neighbor (not an lol!) She's even older than me!! She brought the letter over. It said that the average customer returns about 40%, and her return level was over 50%. I am dumbfounded that they consider a 40% return rate average. They must have an incredible number of returns every day!! Neighbor has just about stopped buying now, and the truck used to stop at her house almost every day. I think they lost more than they gained by the letter. Her account wasn't being closed, but she was terribly offended by the letter, since she is a customer of very long (20+ years) standing.

I hope for her sake that her initial feeling of offense at the letter wore off and that she realized it was a wake-up call for what sounds like a perfect example of compulsive shopping

Shopping to that degree is not normal. At best it's a sign of something missing in a person's life, which can certainly happen at any age but I would imagine it hits the elderly and disabled in particular. At worst, it's a serious disorder.

True compulsive shoppers don't return! Accumulating stuff is part of the disorder.

I'm not so sure that that's true. I think there are different types of compulsive shoppers. The type you describe also might have hoarding issues.

But I'm thinking more of the type who feels guilt and remorse after the high of buying turns into that inevitable letdown, so she or he gets some relief by returning -- then the cycle begins again.

I'm thinking of the shoppers who are especially vulnerable to on-air presentations and who often seem to end up buying stuff they really don't even want and certainly don't need. I've read many times here of posters who have even forgotten what they ordered.

ITA, SuzyQ. After I stopped being a career person I did a short (5-6yrs) stint running a mailing shop (like an independently owned UPS store type shop). Anyway, there were many others but one that stuck out in my mind was this lady who would come in every week with an armload of packages to return to QVC and hsn.

She helped out another lady who was somewhat housebound and would buy tons of stuff from the shopping networks. But, often, there were a bunch that she wanted to return. So, she most likely got the 'thrill of the kill', so to speak, of making the acquisitions. But then she would return a lot of it.

The amount she paid to return stuff was really huge, especially at a place like that instead of just going to the post office where postage cost less. Some times she had 15-20 packages but usually it was more like 5-8 packages a week. That's a lot of money spent on returning stuff (it was before the return labels, which you actually pay more for on these small ones anyway).

[MaggieOla]

Perkup.... I saw a post where someone said they bought 300 items in a year and kept 180 of them....that would lead one to believe that 120 items were returned in that year. I would guess maybe that's where Clover got her numbers from

[Theoriginallacey]

When part of your policy is that your have 30 days to return, you shouldn't "warn" anyone. It's online shopping, so you aren't there to look at the items in person and let's face it a good deal of the time they aren't all they are cracked up to be on tv or there would be items with low ratings.

[stewmagoo]

I am writing as to the "LETTER" saying you are cancelling too much or returning too much. I did not get a letter yet and I cancel a lot and return a lot. You don't have a chance to try things on, look really good at things until you receive the items or taste foods that they are making yummy faces about until you get it home and find out it is lousy or earrings that are too heavy, cosmetics that do not do what they say they do. This is where I shop most of the time and it costs me money to buy it plus S&H and then it costs me too send it back. I am not complaining at all......just saying, QVC should expect this to happen and I have been shopping here since it was CVN. As far as the hosts saying this is selling out quick, you should get to the phones before it sells out.......you order it by phone quickly if you want that item, then you check it out online and find out the bust line is too small or too big and that the measurement is different than usual. So you have to cancel. I would be highly insulted if I received "THE LETTER". QVC would have to be consistent in all sizes in all brands and stop saying everything is so yummy and so on and so forth. I feel they are partially responsible for the reason why they get returns, so I say it would be pretty nervy of them to send a letter. They are a shopping venue and it goes with the territory.

[Ibby114]

I truly believe people need to take responsibility for themselves- no matter what obstacles might be in your way. (in this case, the hype presented by hosts).