Retailers crack down on serial returns (Short-term 'owners' costing firms billions)

Boston Globe ^ | 2-18-2008 | Jenn Abelson

[Cagey]

This may explain why retailers like Best Buy are beginning to charge restocking fees.

[the invisib1e hand]

not me-first but me-only alert.

[ShadowDancer]

This is exactly why Best Buy charges a restocking fee on electronics. Thanks, Jimmy.

[ShadowDancer]

I was thinking it before you were typing it.

[Cagey]

Anytime, Lois.

[Tijeras_Slim]

The way Deignan sees it, he is just a smart shopper

The way Slim sees it, he's a thief.

[Neoliberalnot]

Crooks and criminals come in all forms.

[AT7Saluki]

“”The economy drives people into this behavior - going through their closets and looking for things they can return...”

Ah yes, the big bad economy. Can’t be that people spend beyond their means. Theft has many faces.

[Obadiah]

Plain and simple this is cheating and stealing from the vendor and the manufacturer. They are the ones that take the financial loss.

[3AngelaD]

The way I see it, he is a dishonest weasel.

[squidly]

The economy drives people into this behavior

I'd be more inclined to say that greed and selfishness drives this.

[who_would_fardels_bear]

"The economy drives people into this behavior"

The economy made me do it!

[AppyPappy]

Tammie Faye Bakker was notorious for doing this with clothes in Charlotte

[South40]

Plain and simple this is cheating and stealing from the vendor and the manufacturer. They are the ones that take the financial loss.

Not when they are passing that loss onto the legitimate buyer as Best Buy does with its restocking fees.

[Cagey]

I wonder is she tried to take back her eyelashes too?

[SamAdams76]

I remember a few years ago getting invited to a Super Bowl party that a neighbor was throwing. The neighbor went out of his way to let us know that he was going to "purchase" a wide-screen TV and then return it after the game. He said this like it was something to be proud of...like he was "sticking it to the man" or something.

I didn't go and watched the game on my own big-screen TV that I purchased legimately and still own today.

I am also aware of many people buying portable DVD players, camcorders, etc., to bring on vacations so they can use them and get their money back later (those tips are all over the Internet) but I always thought that was a scummy thing to do.

[businessprofessor]

The business professor sees this individual as an aspiring rat voter.

[craig_eddy]

IOW, it’s all Bush’s fault

[pnh102]

Hate the game, not the player. People wouldn’t return stuff in such a manner if stores did not allow for unconditional returns of non-defective merchandise.