Posted on 02/18/2008 11:02:07 AM PST by Cagey
Jimmy Deignan's first time was with a $500 portable DVD player.
He bought it a few years ago at Best Buy for a Boston-to-Los Angeles flight, knowing he would return it for a full refund when he got back. More recently, in November, rather than spending $600 to rent a LCD projector for a business presentation, the Holden resident purchased one at Staples, then returned it a few days later and got his money back.
The way Deignan sees it, he is just a smart shopper: He gets the things he needs, uses them for as long as he wants, and saves money. But to retailers, this is wardrobing, a practice they say is unethical, damaging to their bottom line, and increasingly common.
Nearly two-thirds of merchants had items wardrobed in 2007, up from 56 percent the year before, the first year the National Retail Federation started tracking the trend. Merchants blame tough economic times and a "customer-is-always right" mentality gone too far. They say a growing number of shoppers feel entitled to return used items they no longer want, and probably could not afford in the first place - from costly cocktail dresses for big events to pricey plasma televisions bought exclusively to watch the Super Bowl. So, they are striking back, instituting more restrictive return policies, imposing restocking fees, and keeping a blacklist of serial wardrobers.
"The economy drives people into this behavior - going through their closets and looking for things they can return, regardless of when they bought it or how many times they've worn it," said Dan Doyle, vice president of loss prevention at Bealls Department Stores, a retailer based in Florida with stores across the Sun Belt.
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
I am surprised bookstores would allow returns. I could never do something like this, as I would feel guilty and almost like I was a thief. To me electronics should not be returanbale and only an equal exchange is allowed.
Yeah, returning used food would be a sh!tty thing to do.
I went on a trip, and yada yada yada, I had use of a free DVD player and designer clothes for the week.
“And you have evidence to back this up of course.”
Only your own words....
“To: Cagey
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.
20 posted on 02/18/2008 2:12:51 PM EST by pnh102”
Hate the game, not the player? WTF is that? People wouldn’t do it but because the stores allow them to, it’s their fault? That is just gross.
That is absolutely disgusting. I try hard not to judge (very hard for me since I’m sooooooo judgemental) but I truly believe these people do eventually get what they give.
If not while they’re “alive”, it is in their permanent record. Could you imagine the egg on her face when He brings that one up??? hahahahaha.
Love the tag line,,,,that MURDERER is my senator along with that other buffoon gigilo AND I’m sure you’ve heard the story of Obama taking a line from Deval Patrick...well, that clown deval is my gov..........I’m batting zero here!
Years ago a guy passed this on from his brother, who worked in the grocery’s deli department.
After Thanksgiving, a woman comes in with the carcass of a turkey, sans meat except for the untouched wings (brother said it looked like piranhas had worked it over).
She demanded her money back because the “turkey was spoiled”. When asked where the rest of the turkey was, she replied that they didn’t realize it was bad until everybody had eaten it. I kid you not. Sounds like her grandkids are doing something similar with electronics.
Sounds famaliar. See post 82 at http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1969166/posts
This is not a new phenomenon. It was going on at
Sears over 30 years ago when I was working there.
Everything from adding machines at tax time,
to dress shoes for weddings and funerals.
In all fairness, though, I should point out that my earlier post was really a pun on the title of this tread: "Retailers crack down on serial returns."
I would never think of returning any kind of food -- especially cereal.
I knew a guy who was a mortgage broker in the early 90’s, who bragged about geting a Macintosh computer from CompUSA, using it for 89 days, and returning it, and then doing the same thing with an upgraded model. He kept moving up to the next system. And it wasn’t that he couldn’t afford a computer, he just saw it as a way to make money. He had a Jaguar in his backyard rotting away under a tree. He had a BMW motorcycle in his garage. He had an RV in his driveway. He ate at restaurants every meal. He was also a vegetarian, for ethical reasons. Go figure! He didn’t want to harm poor animals for food. But to lowball a price on a computer, and return it because the store’s policy allowed him to, that was just good business.
What a d**k. When I heard he had died, I was actually glad.
Costco now sells coffins. I wonder...........
Yep. it’s all true and the level of dishonest is astounding to me. It also has an ancillary effect. I am also in the business of providing cabinets and countertops to homeowners myself. Because of these kinds of policies on the part of these national chains, you’d be amazed at the extent to which people are conditioned to the idea of simply complaining to see if they can get you to give them some money back. I see where these corporate outfits see it as a way of crushing guys like me out of the business and I hate that, but at the same time, also hate the dishonesty of some of the customers.
I’ve also been told that a reasonably good month at any given Home Depot store is when 25% of the products purchased are returned.
They don’t want to tell the family members that the gifts are not what is wanted or needed.
Several reasons:
1) The store is well stocked
2) They double (sometimes triple) coupons, meaning I get items for free or nearly free.
3) When they make a mistake I get either $5 or double the price back.
I don’t buy fish there. I probably wouldn’t buy it from Walmart either.
I actually buy most of my meat at another store, a market that has fresher and hormone free meat.
I knew this woman who worked with my husband. She would purchase a very expensive dress keep the tags on for a dinner party then return it the next day. During the party all she would continue to say was, “I cannot spill anything on this dress, it’s going back tomorrow.”
You seem to be suggesting this economy is just doing great.
No one buys that BS anymore.
No sale.
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