How Retailers Like T.J. Maxx And Home Depot Quietly Target 'Problem' Returners
Вставка
- Опубліковано 9 тра 2024
- Clarification: Best Buy ended its relationship with The Retail Equation in 2019, according to the company.
It's no secret that retailers are cracking down on returns.
In 2023, 81% of U.S. retailers implemented pay-to-return policies in some capacity. Amazon, Macy's, T.J.Maxx, Walmart and Staples all rolled out changes to their established return policies. That may look like shrinking return windows, charging for some returns, or in some cases simply telling shoppers to "keep it"
Shoppers racked up more than $5 trillion worth of retail sales in the U.S. last year, according to the National Retail Federation. About 14.5% of those sales were returned. That equates to an enormous value in returned goods: $743 billion in 2023 alone.
"Most of the returns that come back cost up to 40% of the original retail price to put that item back on the shelf," said Robert Overstreet, Iowa State assistant professor of supply chain management. "There's no guarantee they can sell it for what they originally asked for it, so they're losing money on both ends."
The recent changes are just the latest effort to tamp down on return losses. Many large retailers in the U.S. have long been engaged in the practice of quietly tracking and targeting return behavior. According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, U.S. retailers use third-party loss-prevention services to track risky return behavior. This doesn't outright mean fraudulent activity, but rather behavior that "mimics" or could be linked to such behavior.
The most notable third-party loss-prevention service is The Retail Equation, a software provider that tracks return behavior that retailers deem potentially fraudulent. It then assigns a return score to shoppers based on the data provided by retailers, giving the software the ability to override a store's return policy, leaving shoppers with no refund and a printed notice directing them to The Retail Equation's website to explain why their return was blocked.
The problem is, many shoppers are unaware this type of tracking is even happening, leaving many feeling blindsided when they get to a return counter and are told they are not getting their money back. Or, even worse, they get banned from the practice of returning products to the store altogether.
According to several now-dismissed lawsuits and Better Business Bureau complaints, customers reported they were following a store's return policy and were still issued a warning. Some customers complained the information found on their report given by The Retail Equation was incorrect and that they were left with no way of knowing or remedying the information until after their return was rebuffed.
Watch the video above to hear more about how this tracking works and what types of behaviors might get a shopper flagged as a 'problem returner'.
Producer: Devan Burris
Editor: Tim Hurt
Animation: Jason Reginato, Christina Locopo
Senior Producer: Jeff Morganteen
Additional footage: Getty Images
» Subscribe to CNBC: cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBC
» Subscribe to CNBC TV: cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBCtelevision
About CNBC: From 'Wall Street' to 'Main Street' to award winning original documentaries and Reality TV series, CNBC has you covered. Experience special sneak peeks of your favorite shows, exclusive video and more.
Want to make extra money outside of your day job? Sign up for CNBC's new online course How to Earn Passive Income Online to learn about common passive income streams, tips to get started and real-life success stories. CNBC Make It readers can use special discount code CNBC40 to get 40% off through 8/15/24: cnb.cx/4dFP9Wa
Connect with CNBC News Online
Get the latest news: www.cnbc.com/
Follow CNBC on LinkedIn: cnb.cx/LinkedInCNBC
Follow CNBC News on Instagram: cnb.cx/InstagramCNBC
Follow CNBC News on Facebook: cnb.cx/LikeCNBC
Follow CNBC on Threads: cnb.cx/threads
Follow CNBC News on X: cnb.cx/FollowCNBC
Follow CNBC on WhatsApp: cnb.cx/WhatsAppCNBC
#CNBC
How Retailers Like T.J. Maxx And Home Depot Quietly Target 'Problem' Returners
I hate when retailers put returned items back into inventory without making sure the item works or has all the parts.
Definitely! Bought a $20-25 coffee maker from Target, had to return it because it was obvious that it was used, you could smell the coffee grounds when you opened the box. I wonder how that would impact my "return" score.
Exactly. Companies should be charged with FRAUD for every used item sold as "new".
Yea I ordered something that should have had 8 items, mine arrived with only 1. I was not pleased.
I've also had this happen several times.
Then when you return it, you get smacked on your invisible score for fraudulent returns. 😩
One day I overheard a guy saying he bought a snow blower the day before a storm and returned it two days later. People like these ruin everything for us.
This is what TRE is exactly for. I am a manager in retail. I see this EVERY day. Our company uses TRE
@@DavidWardJr
...then why not... you know... OPEN the package and check to see if it shows signs of use??
If it's been used, that should be an automatic denial for return.
@jasono2139 that is crazy levels of impractical. How is a person supposed to be trained to be a detective lol.
@@DavidWardJr It also blocks people like me where people are doing returns using my phone number across the country and are being helped by store employees by getting overrides from TRE yet i cant return 1 item for the first time in years.
Hope u called him a pos
They'll refuse to process your return, but not refuse to process your purchase without telling you that you are banned from returns. Something a state AG should look into pursuing.
Right, you should be notified before making the purchase. If they’re tracking credit/debit cards then there’s no reason they can’t send a notification to the payment processor that returns will not be allowed… and then let the costumer decide if they want to follow through with the purchase.
AG won't do anything lol, we've left the era of honor in our system. Companies rule the roost and do what they please--just look at how poorly made items have become, the amount of excess, unnecessary tech to track usage and have control in household appliances, etc...
There is no law that says you have to be able to return or refund. It does not have to be mentioned, explained or posted. Returns and refunds are a courtesy not a right. What would AG do? Like 4 second of research would alleviate your idiocy.
@@KhroweDontYouKnow
WRONG - there are consumer protection laws in each state. Furthermore, if an individual purchases an item from another individual or a store expecting the item to be in new or working condition but then discovers that it’s damaged or doesn’t work, they can absolutely sue in court for compensation. The seller will find out REAL FAST that they should have accepted the return vs the inconvenience of court. A ‘purchase’ is a contractual agreement of sorts & both parties are required to hold up their end of the deal. If a retailer doesn’t disclose their return policy it leaves them wide open to all kinds of liability. Like 1 second of research would alleviate your own massive idiocy.
@@fluffy177 nope in no state is a refund policy maditory, yes you can sue which is a civil not criminal matter. Saying a bunch of nonsense like quoting consumer law is a new level of call8ng out your own ignorance.
Interesting how they blame everything except for the fact that their inventory is increasingly being filled with made-to-fail and cheap products that rarely live up to the descriptions, expectations, and information listed on their websites.
I agree. When the product doesn’t meet the expectation, u should be able to return it.
@nolan if you’re buying from places like Amazon you can expect made to fail. Go in person to a local business for better quality and service and feel good that you made a positive contribution to society 😊.
u get what u pay for.
@@balagan79985 Of course you can expect made-to-fail junk if you purchase the cheapest option possible, and that's true for local businesses also. But Amazon certainly offers products at the higher end of the quality scale also. Well, at least inasmuch as higher quality products are produced at all. You can get Snap-on brand tools the same as you can get Northern Tool brand tools, for example. Buying online doesn't automatically mean inferior products.
And whether or not it's a positive contribution to society is completely subjective. Money leaves your pocket and goes into somebody else's pocket either way. Maybe try to keep they money in your home country if possible, but other than that there's no net difference.
Looks like public lobbying. This is just a way for them to change laws/rules without being the bad guys. They are not fooling me. Damn near every seller on amazon is from the same set of manufacturers in China. Most of their products are hit or miss. Walmart is no different.
If The Retail Equation told the reporter, as stated, that consumers have the ability to request their data related to a retailer, they were lying. The data can only be requested AFTER a particular retailer has rejected or "warned" a return. TRE's website explicitly states this. Congress should provide that consumers have the right to view information collected about them, just as the Fair Credit Reporting Act does for credit reporting bureaus.
I also checked their website, you are very right.
Congress should provide consumers have the right to explicitly be told that their information will be shared with a third party and what info and in what regards
1000000%
No health privacy laws after covid
@@keithhibbard5651Per the video, sounds like there have been a couple class action lawsuits from 20-23 but looking hard to prove. This is definitely a data privacy issue and foresee changes soon hopefully...
A classic case of enshittification. Online retailers had to implement very permissive return policies to get people comfortable with online shopping and put local shops out of business. These policies were never sustainable. Now that they have the market share they're walking them back.
I agree but would retailers have walked it back if it weren't for abusers and fraudsters taking advantage of worry-free return policies.
^^ This. Not to mention the fact that their sites are increasingly being filled with shittier plastic versions of everything. Many of my returns are because I knew I didn't want to be stuck with something that felt like it wasn't going to last me 6 months.
Enshittification or the current state of entitlement? That can go both ways, retailers making it easy for people to shop online with easy returns. Then entitled idiots abusing it because is says easy returns? The TRE isn't flagging your everyday shopper, they are tagging the abusers and rightfully so. Give someone and inch and they take three feet and this is what always happens and why we can't have nice things. Not sticking up for big corporations, eff them too. But in this case, the abusers are to blame.
Most of what retailers describe as return fraud is people returning products within the return policy.
@@laughingshaman1 Purchasing something with the INTENT to return it is still return fraud, regardless of company return policy.
I've encountered FAR more retail fraud by RETAILERS. Knowingly sending broken items, outright junk, delivering liquid items that have leaked out visibly in the package, etc. If a retailer has a restocking fee, I'm not shopping there.
Exactly
....or items that are expired.
Lots of construction adhesives and similar wet products have expiration dates... they'll gladly sell you a tube of caulking or sealant that's years old and won't work properly, even though they should know which lot numbers they have and when they were received.
Then you've never worked in retail. A retailer isn't going to send broken items if they have a decent return policy because they'd expect to get them back. Sounds like items damaged in shipping or fraudulent returns that got sent back out without proper inspection.
Me too , they sent me licking products and doesn’t give me refund for it
@@brycek3434 retail no 👎 but the policies to refund back to costumer , when is happened
My wife used to shop at Costco a lot. Let's say she wanted a new vacuum cleaner. She would buy like four of them, bring them all home, decide which one she wanted to keep, and then return the other three. She didn't do this much for groceries of course, but she did it for other product categories all the time. I kept warning her that Costco would cancel her membership if she kept doing it. I explained that she's going to be a net-loss customer returning such a high percentage of purchases. She said they wouldn't even know. I told her that was naive, because every transaction is linked to her membership account number or whatever. I said it's pretty silly to think they wouldn't keep such records, and have some sort of algorithm that flagged excessive returners. I didn't realize it might be a third party doing the analysis, but the concept seems pretty obvious. She argued that she was just following their policies, and wasn't doing anything sketchy.
She wouldn't listen to me, and continued the behavior. Six months after that conversation, she got the membership cancellation letter in the mail.
Can’t blame the store. While she had all that stuff at home, they couldn’t sell it to a legitimate buyer
she got what she deserved, tbh. that’s a stupid way of buying stuff, anyway. why didn’t she just read reviews for stuff before buying multiples to decide “which is best?”
@@pabloescobarschanclas Because she's a woman? Her logic circuits don't work too well.
😂
@@pabloescobarschanclas Because her logic circuits don't work right?
🤔 I've had to request a refund on items recently that were being sent to me broken in padded envelopes. I specifically called customer service, told them the items arrived broken and requested for them to please send them in boxes next time instead of padded envelopes. They said they'd change the mailing method. They sent them again in padded envelopes broken again. I reached out to customer service for a second time to request my money back and they offered to send the items again instead. I had to insist on a cash refund instead. I was done playing this game with them. At some point there are process issues with the retailers that are reducing their profits. If they had sent the item in the correct type of packaging originally, they'd have gotten their money and we'd have all been happy. There are definitely people who are returning things fraudulently, but frequent returns doesn't necessarily indicate fraud.
Good points!
Had that happen twice with Amazon on the same item. Ordered two cute terra planters. I did see negative reviews with the items coming in broken but they were older reviews so I took a chance. Nope...planters came in a box twice the size of the planters but there was no padding of any kind. Nothing! Took a chance again because I really liked them. Came in broken again and I returned again. Maybe I am now on that list. I'm still annoyed about those planters 😁
@@sbffsbrarbrrit’s not worth the perceived savings and the Terra pots were probably made by children anyway. Try a local nursery and enjoy face to face and customer service. If you can afford it I highly recommend paying up for quality and service.
No, it doesn't automatically indicate fraud. But frequent returns CAN make you a net-loss customer overall.
@@sbffsbrarbrr there are some things that Amazon ABSOLUTELY FAILS TO DELIVER: furnace filters; THEY ALWAYS ARRIVE CRUSHED! No matter what, they are utterly destroyed, and I don't mean a little. It's like they go out of their way to ruin them.
Simple fix for me, might not be for everyone: curtail shopping as much as possible and be really finicky about the quality of what I do buy in store. More money in my pocket, that much less in those of participating retailers.
This is exactly it!! I used to buy a ton on Amazon. Now I almost never do, and I almost never have to return anything. I used to have lots of returns (broken, wrong size, etc.). I was also spending tons. Now I save both money and time not falling for all their pushes to buy more Amazon sh*t all over UA-cam, Insta, Pinterest, and Amazon itself.
This!! Also, I used to get angry and annoyed at my mom for taking hours to try on clothes in person and analyzing any product she was interested in buying. With the tedious work, problematic customer service and time it takes to return a product you bought online, now I fully understand my mom and take my time to try on and see products in person. Yes it gets really annoying but thanks to that, I’ve never had to deal with returns neither online nor in person and though it takes a long while, I know that the product I’ll buy is used for a long time and won’t regret it. Mom does know best 😵💫
Agreed. This just makes me want to be very critical of where and on what, I spend my money. They need to do better. I can live with fashion from the last couple of years or even learn to make my own clothes. I can learn to make do with what I have. I won’t suffer, but the retailers will.
@@ladylove34 Same, especially since I got rid of Prime.
@@Dontneedahandle0 Exactly!
Knowing I can return something that may not work for me causes me to purchase more. Change the return policies and I will make less purchases. This is especially true with online purchases.
“Causes me to purchase more crap I don’t really need because if I actually needed it, the return policy wouldn’t matter”
There, fixed it for you.
@@anthonydomench6871 I didn’t need you to fix anything. I said what I said.
Exactly. Companies are just gonna lose customers this way. People stop shopping in the establishment altogether cuz you can’t make returns or it costs you.
@@anthonydomench6871I'm sure you don't need clothes then.
@anthonydomench6871 have you ever bought clothes or shoes online?
This is exactly the reason why I stopped buying LEGO at Wal-mart and Target… sets were missing the minifigures and some “system abusers” went to the extent of replacing the LEGO with uncooked pasta, then sealed box up gluing the tabs and/or placing clear tape over the original tape!! Never again, I will always buy directly from LEGO.
I had the same thing happen to me recently.
Wow
Used to work at an electronics retailer. We had a couple that would come in frequently and talk to salespeople for hours about some fancy tech product. Invariably they returned it within 3 days. The sales manager printed out their transaction history and they had never actually held on to anything. Next time the couple showed up, the manager told them we would be unable to sell him anything ever. They never came back.
Sounds like a clear case of return abuse...
bruxi78230-Some people are so wasteful that it makes me sick. Your example is one I have heard of before from someone that worked at an auto parts store.
Why would they only return after 3 days? Sounds like they just have mental issues.
@@timr.2257 ----- Not sure why they chose 3 days. But yes, mental issues definitely. It was kind of like this was some weird form of entertainment for them.
They probably bought a high-end video camera to record a wedding or something, then returned it when they were done. I heard of someone doing that with a big TV for a superbowl watch party, then return it after they were done
Some companies have been charging a "restocking fee" for years now.
When the retailer ships an item to the customer, the retailer has to pay for postage. When customer returns the item for a reason that is not the retailer's fault such as "size does not fit" "change mind" "no longer needed", the retailer needs to charge a restock fee to cover the cost of the postage. Some times the items the retailers get back are also used or damaged and they would assess a restocking fee. This is fair.
Best Buy
A restocking fee is completely fair for opened products.
Amazon sent me the wrong armchair that I purchased for $400 and when I returned it the restocking fee was $370 for a chair that I didn’t order. I don’t think it’s appropriate when the seller makes a mistake and we have to pay for it
It costs money to pay an employee to inspect a product and put it back.
When ordering large, heavy items like window air conditioners, I pay online and have them shipped to store (Lowes or Home Depot). When picking up, I get the store employees to remove the heavy item from the box for my inspection, because there is often hidden damage from boxes being dropped, but the box itself does not appear damaged.
Great idea!
I will not purchase anything from a retailer that charges a fee to return an item!
Sounds pretty entitled to me. People constantly abuse return policies and we all pay.
Idiots abusing the system makes it worse for everyone
Lmfao abusing the system starts with these massive companies, not the handful of customers returning their cheaply made, planned obsolesce products 😂
It is the handful of customers "fraudulently" abusing the system making it bad for all
Look up the word “fraud” and apply it to the promises on 99% of the products you buy. And then tell me consumers are the problem. I’m glad people are returning 15% of this deceptive junk and that number should probably be higher.
You’ve gotta consider that these companies have grown as much as they can. The only way to make profit is to cut cost. Which means cutting labor, real estate, amount of items, and ability to return.
@@rileyjoseph3488 And jacking up prices.......
This happened to me. A retailer, LOFT, who offered tall sizes on line only (I am tall) but allowed in-store returns, used TRE to flag my returns (tall items ordered that did not fit). I used to purchase most of my clothes from them and bought A LOT. I got cited by them during a busy shopping season when the store was crowded. I had no idea I was doing anything wrong and was following their own policies. I never returned worn items. I was a loyal customer up to that point but was treated like a suspected criminal by store employees. Totally blindsided. Didn't know I was doing anything wrong and had no recourse. When my 30-day return suspension ended, every unworn item that still had tags from LOFT were returned, and I haven't patronized them since. That was 2015. l
The loft filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy lol
nowadays, stores are desperate to flag real customers instead of actual criminals to make up the loss profit from theft
I’m tall too so I get most orders online from JCrew and Banana in tall sizes. But many still don’t fit across the bust etc - I have to return them but equally I have to order online because they don’t stock in store
Wait... so you're not allowed to buy items online, try them on, then return them to the store with tags? 🤔 I too have to buy sizes that often are not carried in store and have no other choice so... what do they want us to do?
I'm also tall and have bought my clothes almost exclusively online for the last 10 years. I don't know what retailers want us to do if they don't carry items in store. And especially in womenswear where clothing sizes vary significantly by store, item, even color. Returns are a given.
When I ran a store, I generally felt that a lenient return policy was good business. Customers felt comfortable purchasing because we stood behind the product and pretty much guaranteed satisfaction. Also, I didn't want conflict between my customers and my staff. In general, I ignored our posted return policy and just used my judgement. It's a value proposition. I could refuse to return a $20 item, but if the customer gets upset and stops shopping at the store I could lose far more value from all the other purchases they would have made in the future.
However, as the video states, there are people who are net-zero or negative-value customers because of their returns and the time demands they place on staff. For those customers I instituted a very strict return policy, compliant with our posted policy but nothing else.
Retailers are completely within their rights to "fire" customers who they no longer feel comfortable doing business with. And yes, people (or companies) who abuse the system are why we can't have nice things. Companies are often guilty of being greedy, but customers are often not any better. It's a problem of parties not acting in good faith, not being okay with both sides coming away with equal value.
Exactly, it is a kind of social contract that once broken is difficult to mend. Your approach seems the best. Customer satisfaction is important but net negative customers with verified patterns of return abuse are not customers you need in your business.
Great video, The first $100,000 invested was amazing. But when you hit $300,000 it’s like smashing the glass ceiling! I cried.
I completely agree with you! My first 100k took a long time and wasn't that special to be honest with you. Once I hit 300K that is the game changer in my opinion. At this point my money is basically making me a pretty good yearly salary. When I go to sleep at night I know my money is making decent money with the help of my FA"
Nice. People often underestimate financial advisors' importance. Over 50 years of data reveal that those who work with advisors typically earn more than those who go it alone. I've been fortunate to work with one for 13 years, resulting in a $1 million portfolio, largely from early investments in AI and other growth stocks.
I've been considering but haven't been proactive. Can you recommend your advisor? Could really use some assistance.
"Angela Lynn Schilling" is the licensed advisor I use. Just research the name. You’d find necessary details to work with to set up an appointment!.
I looked up her name online and found her page. I emailed and made an appointment to talk with her. Thanks for the tip!
They should just be upfront about it. "You are allowed to return X number of items per year."
I know Walmart has a limit like that for items returned without a receipt, but they don't list what that limit is on their return policy web page.
EXACTLY! And if it's a very expensive item, put "sales final" or "store credit" only returns on it SO PEOPLE KNOW. all this shady stuff is so unnecessary for everyday shoppers because most people will understand that there should be limits on certain things in order to prevent abuse. For example, thrift stores like GoodWill, all sales are final. (only exception i've seen is if something was broken i.e if u show the clerk that a battery powered radio doesn't work when you put the batteries in you'll get STORE CREDIT.)
I think it's the cost they have more of a problem with then number of items... If you return x2 50k items vs 10x 2$ items.. The x2 items are more likely to get you banned.. because you are costing them more money...
Percentage also makes a big difference. If you purchase 20 items a month and return 1 a month, it's not as bad as a person who buys an item every month but returns it.
I would rather see a fixed price to return and item. Say 10% of the price or something like that. Kinda the way retailers used to be.
There were problems even 50 years with people returning clothes that they bought to wear once to a special event and then returning them. They didn't just try them on but wore them and returned them.
Need a digital nose to "sniff" out the problem.
Yep one woman said she'd buy a dress for an event leave the tag on tucked in then return it after the event.
I worked in the fine china department of Macy's in the 80s. People would buy 12 place settings of an extremely expensive China pattern, throw a party then return the China used and unwashed and Macy's North would make us accept the return. We'd then have to damage out thousands of dollars worth of fine China. It would make us mad!
My grandma has said she's done this
Got a nice dress for an event. Wore it a few times and then returned it for full cash back.
To this day, people still do this.
@@kstreet7438she’s a bum
All the thieves stealing from retailers and going back and returning merchandise without recepts is probably a big cause for these return policy changes!!
Yup. I am not buying this story. The returns largely referred to here are people returning stolen merchandise, the retailer just can’t prove it. So, the act like the return problem is our fault.
I buy everything online. Brick and mortar have passed shoplifting costs to us. Now, as this story says, we r to blame. Screw them, I don’t need them
"consumers have a right to a report from any particular store, by going to our website you were never aware of in the 1st place" such transparency, much honesty 🙄
THISE FOLKS GET PAID UNDER THE TABLE!!! DO YOU UNDERSTAND HOW WEALTHY THIS GUY IS HE HAS OVER 2200 STORES MAKING 378 BILLION. THIS IS THE 1% WHO MAKE TGE WORLD TURN.
I used to like shopping at brick and mortar stores so I could try things on and get a feel for the items , unfortunately there’s fewer and fewer of them around which has “forced “ me to shop online. Don’t get me wrong, I love the convenience but it’s really hard to get the right fit when you can’t try stuff on first.
I hear you. I’m also wondering what percentage of “wardrobing” is actually customers buying multiple items to try on then returning what doesn’t fit. Plenty of people purchase online, or if in the brick-and-mortar store, just skip the dressing room completely. I can’t even remember the last time I’ve been in a dressing room, to be honest.
I don’t doubt people are “wardrobing”, but I also wonder if retailers are taking into account that people will purchase more than one item with the sole intention of returning whichever doesn’t fit.
@@kissesforthemisseslol... I do this even with certain tools and hardware.
You can't tell which tools are good quality until you can actually see and hold it in your hand as nearly half of the pictures online anymore are COMPUTER GENERATED RENDERINGS of what they wished their tools looked like.
I absolutely hate that.
This too. I always order multiple sizes and see which fits the best!
Exactly, this is why I’m worried about the whole denial factor. I have to order multiple things to see if they will be the right size or if the color is even correct in person to the online photo. Then I return whatever doesn’t fit me. Sometimes I have to return the whole order which looks bad but honestly nothing fit me, I did not wear or wash it for an event, I have dotted my i and crossed all my Ts. I don’t want to get denied from my favorite retailer but if nothing worked, nothing worked. It’s too bad that bad people ruin things for good people.
@randomgirl2994 you're not the only one! I've had to return entire orders before because every single piece of hardware I bought didn't actually fit/work the way it was sold online.
🤷
It's a self-inflicted wound, and I bet every one of these corps knew this would happen when they use easy return policy to encourage and lure consumers to spend money on stupid things, estimating that a large enough percentage of them wouldn't bother returning unnecessary stuff.
Exactly! They can’t have both ways.
True
Yep, the amount of clothing that didn't fit that I've bought, tried on, never worn, and never returned because it wasn't worth the hassle could probably clothe a city at this point. A city of people with very oddly shaped bodies.
You're one of those idiots who will blame everything on corporations instead of consumers, huh? It the returns are easy, why wouldn't consumers take advantage of it? Your argument makes no sense.
@@PerfectoKissThey're trying to make returns easy for good faith consumers. How is that "trying to have it both ways"?
I remember working retail years ago and the absolute worst was luggage. People would purchase premium 5-piece sets to go on the occasional vacation and they'd always return them a few weeks later packed neatly in their pristine boxes and the damn airline flight tags would still be on all the handles. It got to the point that we basically considered our luggage section a free rental service.
What I’m really shocked about is CNBC actually did some journalism for once.
A hoarder like myself who impulse buys clothes and never return a single item is who these retailers are giving a high five 🙌 I admit it, I have a problem.
I used to impulse buy when online shopping and for whatever strange reason never even opened the package for years once it arrived. I've wasted probably hundreds of dollars like this. Recently, I've really practiced being more mindful about my purchases: opening up the package in a timely manner, testing it out or trying it on to see if I like it, and returning what I don't need without any guilt or shame. And it feels amazing!! Seriously. It feels so good to only keep what I need and genuinely like; otherwise, back to the store! Sorry for randomly sharing that with you, but try it one day when you're ready. I'm like a semi well-oiled returning machine now, and it feels fantastic😂🎉
@@chai_lattesdon't be sorry for sharing something that will help other people, and good for you controlling you shopping addiction
What problem? Donate your surplus to a 501c(3) and get a tax write off and feel good about. There are many local stores that buy clothing to resell.
The problem isn’t the returns, it’s the cost cutting push. There will always be individuals committing fraud, but the general public shouldn’t be treated as criminals.
Preach. Shrink is, was, and always will be a cost of doing ANY form of business, yet it's only recently that corporate behavior has become toxic and anti-consumer to this degree.
As I’ve always seen it, there are too many people too comfortable with returning items. Free returns to some people mean they can try after they buy and decide if they like it or not. They can buy 3 or 6 items and see which one of the 6 is better and return the rest. Or use it and abuse it then return it. Simply unsustainable behaviour. I’ve always researched the crap out of an item before buying and rarely return things even if I didn’t like it.
@@latestarter7761 Exactly, some people are using it as a trial period or as a free rental.
@@latestarter7761 One of the places I shop at got rid of their fitting rooms during covid. On top of that, it seems like everything is sewn so wonky these days. Sorry, but I'm not going to keep an item that doesn't fit me right because they don't provide a place for me to try it on before I buy it. I truly do not understand why they did that. They must get a huge amount of clothing returns. Must be cheaper than paying for a fitting room employee I guess. It wouldn't hurt my feelings if we got rid of all these profit-driven corporate stores that don't pay their employees enough to care about customers, and went back to having talented local clothing makers and tailors in every town.
Exactly. It's like the move towards entirely using self-checkouts because they don't want to pay cashiers. Of course this will lead to losses from theft or mistakes. It's their own fault, as is the way many companies had or even still have extremely lenient return policies. They can't blame people for using these policies to their advantage.
Many years ago, our local Best Buy had a customer who bought a video camera, recorded their entire wedding, and then returned the camera. They forgot to remove their precious memories, and Best Buy figured out what they'd done. The person with whom we chatted told us that one was going to court, as they weren't going to give back the film unless a judge told them to do so.
I worked at a bricks-and-mortar retailer with a few customers that returned 75%+ of all their purchases, to the point staff knew their personal info by heart. These folks were banned from returning anything and one was eventually trespassed.
I don’t blame the store
While people obviously abuse return policies, if people have a legitimate return within the policies, and the return is denied, they should dispute it with their credit card company by filing a fraud complaint, or sue the store in small claims court.
Absolutely. This is why you should always use a Visa/Mastercard for this sort of thing. The store is the one doing the fraud here, not the customer!
if you knowingly and deliberately made the purchase, it is not a fraudulent purchase. You can't later claim it is because now you don't want it. That IS fraud.
@@ryanroberts1104it isn't fraud to not accept a return. if you ever bothered to read a return policy, you would see that the store has the right to refuse any return.
@@kitfisto1827 The store has to honor the written return policy at the time of sale. They cannot change the rules later and say "no returns", this is fraud.
Everything is facilitated through Visa/Mastercard, they are the ones who get to determine fraud. If they don't want to accept returns from certain people, they need to say this before the sale.
@@kitfisto1827 Wrong. They cannot simply change the return policy whenever they like. The bottom line is Visa or Mastercard will always take the consumer's side here, it is not fraud, this is common business practice.
If a company may refuse a return they should put that in the description of the product. They have built up their business and put high street shops out of business with this free returns offer. They should be made to fulfill their promises.
I agree and was going to write a similar comment.
Street shops lost due to many reasons duh
I can't speak to every retailer, but some have a return policy explicitly saying that management has final say on returns.
I guess they don’t do it cause they are afraid of losing potential buyers. I would not purchase anything from a store with not return policy. Imagine if products come broken. NOT THANKS.
😊😊😊😊😊pqp9l9
I worked for nearly two decades at a retail store, and we had a few customers who had (chronic/habitual "buyers remorse")! It didn't matter what they purchased it was guaranteed to be returned in a couple days! Most of the employees knew them by name and would refuse to wait on them whenever they would enter the store.
Too many people abuse return policies such as buy a dress for an event and return, but a TV for SuperBowl and return. When this happens, a retailer Hass to sell it at an open box price or are used markdown price. They lose money when people buy things and use them and there’s nothing wrong with him. They should have to keep it only unless it’s unused and they change your mind, should they be able to return it? Imagine if you owned a store in all people did was buy use for an event and return it. You would go under right away.
So gross to buy something to wear then return after wearing. I always wash my clothes before wearing in case someone bought and wore it, I don’t want their smell on me.
Yes, they are CROOKS.
The cost of returns is paid by all the consumers that don’t return items driving up purchase prices.
Unfortunately even if they reduce returns, shoppers will not see it in the form of price cuts
Exactly. That’s why it really irks me when people flippantly buy and return things all the time.
Try to be a more conscientious Shopper but if you got to return some s*** return it.....80% of this s*** is cheaply made Chinese Goods with huge markups...I'm sure most of it disintegrates the minute you open the wrapper
Yep
Same with buy now pay later, same with credit cards, same with financing anything
Not long ago, a return was based on the honor system. No receipt, no explanation needed. It was a kind courtesy towards responsible customers.
The courtesies have gone because the responsible customer is nearly extinct. Replaced by hordes of selfish, greedy, lazy, thieves
Exactly! People buy things (like TV before superbowl and bridal clothes and tools, USE THEM, and then return them -- often damaged or broken. That’s Fraud, and those thieves are the reason for the return policies.
I’m a small eBay seller and unfortunately I have to deal with scammers trying to abuse the return policy
hummmm the influencers are a big part to blame... lol buying items and returning them. I knew a stylist that would buy items and returned them after a photoshoot and said everyone did it then one day she walked in Zara to return items and they told her no......over a grand with of Zara junk she had to keep....
Glad to hear that fraudster got busted!
I work at target and I can tell you people do this every single day especially with electronics. 😅
No health privacy laws after covid THANKS DemonRats
as long as you have a receipt it shouldn't matter.
That’s me 🤷🏿♂️
@@junemoran4550stop being a bad customer. There is such a thing as
I work at Target too. My coworker who works at the customer service desk came over to me yesterday to complain about someone who bought something and didn't even leave the store before they returned it 😂 and it was already extremely busy yesterday, being the day before mother's Day, and people like that doing unnecessary things like that to make people's job harder.
Years ago I dated a woman who was a crazy shopper. Example, she finds a sweater at Uniqlo. She buys one in her size and one size up and down, and in every color. She would take them all home, try them on, then return the rest. Insane.
Maybe she had a phobia about a hidden camera in the dressing room, someone opening the door, etc.
@@kaohsiung99 Could be but she also did the same thing at Costco and Walmart. She is a psychiatrist. Go figure.
I do the same thing because I don’t want to try on clothes in a dirty fitting room.
Some companies ask you to do that. If the Wall mart fitting room is unmanned for any reason the TELL you to do this! Also, how to you try cols on at Sam's club. There are NO fitting rooms?
I hate doing that, but I'm having to do it more often because the fitting rooms are locked and no one is around to open them.
My brother in law bought a leaf blower at Home Depot just to find that someone replaced it with an old one. Employees don’t check they just put it back on the shelf.
😂
Have seen shoppers abusing generous no questions asked return windows to wear fancy dresses shoes gadgets etc and then returning it just before the expiry window and then the loop continues
I once purchased a color laser printer that was on display at a local Office Depot. The item was labeled as "last item". According to the store, the item had been returned. I bought the printer and drove home. When I prepared to print, the printer information application warned of depleted printer toner. Apparently, the customer who returned the device did so after printing thousands of color pages. Color laser printer toner cartridges retail for about US$100 each. A color printer uses black, cyan, yellow, and magenta toner cartridges: a whopping US$400. I took the printer to the store to report the incident. They kindly provided new toner cartridges free of charge.
Liar 🤥 you used them 🤡 we are not stupid 🫵🏻
@@walterwhite1why would someone make that up in a UA-cam comments section. Makes no sense
@@CJ.1998X.Y.Z cj my guy are you blind!?? of course this man is a criminal and Walter is doing the right thing!!!!
@@marvin19mejia you’d be surprised how many creepy liars are on this platform
Those printers are ripoff. They can give you the printer for free and still make money from selling you overpriced ink cartridges.
A retailer ahould be required to tell you if your return will be auto banned before you give them money.
The ban takes place when you’re returning the item, (because you made too many returns, especially no receipt returns). There’s no ban on making purchases and no identification is requested on purchase. How would they be able to tell you if you have a return ban if they don’t even know who you are as you’re buying the item? Don’t make frequent returns and always have your receipt, problem solved.
No health privacy laws after covid THANKS DemonRats
@@donnadixon289...if the ban doesn't occur UNTIL you are returning the item... that's a problem. 🤦
That's like saying you can get a "free" car inspection... unless you bring in your car to get the free inspection.
If you're on the cusp of being banned from returning items... you should know beforehand.
They talk about problems with returns but you let people walk out of your stores with even paying in California??????? This is the problem
So you’re upset retailers value the lives of their employees over money? Cool.
New York is FAR WORSE!
Man…it feels so creepy that these stores stoop so low as to collect external data on the humans that walk in the store. It truly is a violation of trust and privacy.
Yeah, I'd like the full list of participating retailers.
They are just tracking your frequency of returns and other information related to your returns. If you don't want them tracking this information, then make sure you don't buy stuff you don't want. I am willing to put up with this so that stores can reduce fraud and keep the generous return policies in place for customers who don't abuse the policies.
@@user-hc9lp3hb1r What about when the item is faulty and doesn't not operate as advertised? I've had things break right from the first use.
It’s probably deeper than you can even imagine. Anything you do electronically is being collected and sold
Is so many shippers weren’t blatantly committing FRAUD, this wouldn’t happen.
Well if they’re going to move all their stores to e-commerce then of course they should expect returns. I can’t see or touch the item in the store before I buy it, how will I know if it certainly works for me before it shows up at my house?
I work for a large retailer and whilst most returns are legitimate there are a significant amount of people abusing the system and its increasing as more people find out ways to defraud us (claiming they sent back multiple items in a package) or simply abusing the returns system like doing 600 orders in a year and returning everything (probably wardrobing). These people should be blocked as theyre increasing prices for the rest of us.
There's also the people who use the return process as a free rental service or as a way to buy something new and return something old.
Then you have people looking on the ground or trash looking for trashed receipts and coming inside claiming they "forgot" to grab one of their bags or something.
Exactly black list them
Probably UA-camrs doing hauls. Maybe those specific people should be blocked based on their profession?
@@covfefemaga7918 i agree, I saw somewhere that After christmas, there's a long line of people trying to retun the biggest of christmas trees and decor. I m sure they buy it for Instagram pics and vlogs.😂
No health privacy laws after covid THANKS DemonRats
These retails and large corporations are sucking the blood of common people. 🤦🏻♂️
they give it willingly
As a small business that gets abused by devious buyers, I think everyone should be responsible for their actions turns. Both ways. The abusers ruin for all of us
Yet another reason why we need stronger consumer protection and privacy laws in the US
Retailer activity report. Sounds a lot like a credit report.
A social credit score. ;-)
No health privacy laws after covid THANKS DemonRats
...except you can find your credit score BEFORE being denied credit.
Use cash and solve the problem
Way back before they changed their return policies I knew a few people that would return their ink jet printers at Costco to avoid having to purchase new ink jet cartridges... It always bothered me that they thought it was OK to do because their policy allowed it... and they felt justified because of the prices of ink cartridges...
Yup... those people should be banned from Costco for life for that kind of crap.
They were thieves and caused this problem. We all pay because of thieves.
One big reason I buy from Amazon is their return policy. If there is an equal choice, I'll pick Amazon over other online retailers because I know I will not need to pay return shipping if there is a problem. Want to lose my business? Give me a hard time returning.
Makes perfect sense to me. Mass products being stolen, but go after the people with receipts.
The theory behind return policies is that it induces spending by giving customers an option should they find their purchase not suitable for whatever reason. It's understandable why retailers would amend their policies if this is no longer the case, but it's also quite concerning that someone operating within the bounds of a return policy would not be told they had been flagged BEFORE making a purchase (with the understanding that the return policy still applied to that transaction).
Also, everyone knows that 99.99% of people never read T&Cs in full, it's problematic that legal claims still rely on this, especially when the vast majority of people do not have the legal expertise to fully comprehend that 'wall of text'.
This is good to know because I didn’t know that retailers were doing this. I rarely return anything because I rarely buy anything without doing a lot of research first and really pondering the purchase. Stores try to get people to impulse buy and then they penalize them when they return the item.
They are only trying to prevent Fraud
It would be nice if retailers would go after the people who are actually brazenly walking out of the store with stolen items. My husband works big box retail and they lose thousands of dollars weekly due to thieves who know there will be no one going after them. Employees are not allowed to intervene. Police are never called no matter how expensive the item. It makes everything cost more for the rest of us.
My neighbor works at Home Depot. There's been a guy that hangs around the parking lot and looks for receipts thrown away that were paid with cash. He picks up the receipt and then goes back into the store and finds all the items on the receipt and loads them in a cart. He then takes the cart straight to the return line to get the cash. LOL
They have cameras, he will be caught.
And wild guess, he’s an illegal migrant? Just here to “ make a better life”
Met an Italian guy and he told me they don't even allow returns over there. I will say he was very psyched about the American return policies
Same in Japan and Korea, returns are almost never allowed
America is the most consumer friendly country on the planet. We have it so easy here, but very few people appreciate it.
@@WillieFungo
I must be related to someone over there because I hardly ever return anything unless I haven't opened it or ordered something by mistake
EU has super open return laws. Italy is a member of the EU therefor it also has the policies.
Example you have 14 days to get a refund even if there is nothing wrong with the product. They also have the right to request a refund up to 2 years from the purchase date. So if they buy a shirt and its seams come apart within 2 years they can get a refund.
europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/consumers/shopping/guarantees-returns/indexamp_en.htm
Mexico bans any store returns
Thrift stores are the ones winning
Very large in their receipts do they print:
ALL SALES ARE FINAL.
Even for brand new items with tags
And no one has ever had a problem with that because they tell us up front.
Examine before you buy
there #1 actual cause of all of this... by far is from stolen merch/fraudulent returns becoming more and more and more common. Also, I work corporate for a big box retailer so yeah this is fact
I wonder how influencers who get “hauls” much of which is returned, impact this situation.
If Amazon is so concerned about fraudulent returns, why have they made it self service at Whole Foods (which is a miserable experience)?
Its because influencers are just paid actors. They’re not some random person making TikToks in their home makeshift studio.
Retailers helped create the return problem.
Because they gave in to the whiny babies who didn't follow the stricter policies to begin with.
People COMMITTING FRAUD caused this.
"The Retail Equation" is lying about "all consumers" being able to request a copy of their Retail Activity Report. To get the report, you need a Transaction ID found on a warning or denial receipt. If you don't have this, you can't get a report.
So you can't know there is an issue until it's too late.
what
If commercial retailers have implemented this practice most certainly the government is behind this data collection and found ways to track citizens. This is why you see the border influx with immigration. The government tracks the relationship migrants crossing the border giving them free cell phones and cash to digitally track potential non citizens behavior. Using social media to persuade the behavior of a cheap labor force for capitalism.
Most customers won't ever have to deal with this.
I think a bigger issue is fraudulent sales: items that are returned because they're either the wrong product shipped (I've seen my local UPS store have a queue of several people just trying to return Amazon items that weren't what they ordered) or reselling a broken product (thinking back on buying video cards and motherboards at Fry's electronics that had giant burn marks on them, as they'd been returned and sold again as new how many times).
Thanks for highlighting the issue, though I do doubt the legitimacy of any of the figures due to the above. If Amazon ships you the wrong item and you have to return it, do they clock the return as the $10 item they erroneously shipped you or the $50 item you paid for but didn't receive?
I worked for Best Buy and the rule of thumb was you could NEVER make a return. It was so bad I have memories of disabled people and veterans screaming at the store manager trying to make returns that were not approved. I know people who even had trouble returning legitimately broken or incorrect items. After working there 4 years (college), I learned never to shop there. It's just the way things are now. Expect to get scr**** by retailers. Buyer Beware.
Well your wrong, I ordered a shark cordless vacuum like over $250.00 a few months ago from Best Buy, we don’t have one in my town, and when I got it, the box was smashed, crushed and tore up from the fed ex driver. I called Best Buy up and told them that I am not excepting this box it’s smashed, the battery could be damaged etc, but I want a vacuum. I said I’d drive to your store with this box and video from my ring camera of the drop off. They took one look at the unopened smashed box and gave me a new one. I buy lots of things there, washers, dryers, tv iPads, etc so they no I’m no joke, plus I live in a nice home.
@@sharonmenzel7791okay rich girl we get it, because you live high end and luxurious. You think you are exempt from what’s going on. Just because this hasn’t happened to you doesn’t mean that it isn’t happening currently.
Only someone living above their means or has a man who’s dumb enough to pay for everything would feel the need to even brag about half of what you bragged about.
Yeah, I have NEVER had issues returning items to Best Buy. I don't frequently return items so I probably have a good "return score".
I've returned things at best buy.
I just returned a universal charger yesterday because they said it would work on my daughter's lap top and none of the 12 adapters fit. They found one that fit, tested it on the lap top and happily exchanged it. Good thing because the first one was $65 and the one that fit was only $15. I would of contacted my bank if they had refused a 65 dollar purchase made under their guidance.
I hope retailers flag companies that low quality easily breakable products on the shelves also.
Customers have a problem: They sell you a defective product and it fails 31 days after purchase. You have no recourse. They sold you a broken product.
Customers in the U.S other developed countries like Australia and the UK do not have this issue
That's my experience ordering from Amazon.
If this ever happens, I buy a new one and return the broken one. I'll never let a retailer slide with selling me a crap product.
@@tayl0r612 The downside is when it's an electronics item with a serial number. But otherwise I do the same thing lol if something breaks like just outside of that return window and they won't replace it with a warranty then I just buy a new one and return the broken one lol.
Just happened to me. Got a defective toaster oven from Wayfair that completely broke down just a few months after I bought it. For a month, I wwnt back and forth calling the manufacturer and Wayfair, with each side saying the other should give me a refund. Of course, I eventually tired out and never got a refund. Just had to buy a new one on Amazon smh
I used to work for a Walmart in Ohio. I was helping in the return department one day. I opened a box to make sure it had what it was supposed to have in ot. It didn't. People will buy a tv,keep the tv and put something in the box that feels and weighs about the same ,like a piece of plywood. Return it to the store in the hopes that the persin working the counter doesn't open the box. This was the problem at the store I worked at. I brought it to the managers attention and cut our losses by 75%. I saved the store tons of money and never got any recognition for it. The manger took all the credit
Thieves
Give us stores to go into, a pleasant shopping experience where we can see items in person and make better choices on what we buy and you’ll see less returns. I absolutely hate online shopping and end up returning a lot of the junk that I order once I see how awful it is in person. Going to stores is miserable nowadays bc the inventory is not there. I would much prefer to go to a real store stocked with the things I need so that I can browse and enjoy myself. Punish the customer with bad return policies, people will buy much less.
No, there will always be people looking for ways to commit FRAUD.
Wow, I have never been denied the ability to return an item. This is all news to me.
Probably because you’re not one of these people abusing the policy
Having worked in retail in the past it's _always_ been something that happens, just fairly rare. Stores share info on known shoplifters and those people would end up not being allowed to return stuff.
@@omgness1234 People frequently get flagged without ever abusing policy, even on receipted returns. Most people won't ever deal with this issue but it can and does happen often with people who are just normal everyday shoppers.
@@canela904 it's not only those who don't use it fairly though.
Because this isn’t that common. It’s people who are trying to defraud businesses
Maybe when they ship and package a product it should come in a good to excellent condition instead of having the box smashed, ripped and/ or, dented. It looks really bad when you give it as a gift.
Even if the box looks fine otherwise, doesn't mean it's contents are undamaged.
I've had many broken candles, lightbulbs, mirrors, microwaves, coffee makers... You wouldn't even know about it until you pick up the box and notice it sounds like a maraca.
They only want your money and not deal with the responsibility.
yeah but how often does this happen? I buy plenty of things and very very rarely have to make returns
Right because retailers observe and control the product as it crosses the country and hitting multiple transfer docks along the way..... Dear God the abject stupidity of the consumerist public sucks the air out of my lungs.
We ordered a plumbing piece from Amazon and the brown bag was ripped and the piece wasn't there. Usps still put it in the mailbox, maybe they didn't notice. Immediately reordered a replacement. Amazon and/or the seller reached out and wanted to charge for the first piece weeks later saying it wasn't returned. Had to explain once again we never got the first one.
A friend of mine works at Target and you get customers returning a tent and camping stove on a Friday and return both items back on monday saying that they didn't like it. Really? Karma will get those who return items with the idea of returning it. It will cost everyone more in higher prices. People, lets do the right thing. Its that simple.
again what is the issue it's not banged up and they have the receipt!!??
@@yourfavpersuasion9385 it comes down to your intention of your purchase. Is it for permanent use or just used as a so-called rental. Let your conscious be your guide.
@@yourfavpersuasion9385For starters, it’s dishonest and does cost the store. They are not in the FREE RENTAL business. The item can’t be sold as new when it obviously has been used, so the store loses money. If you see nothing wrong with this, then you are part of the problem.
About time retailers hold these people accountable. I’ve seen people that proudly return items as a habit after events. Costco needs to implement this.
The day I'm charged or denied a return when I'm complying with the return policy is the day they lose me as a customer.
If you are costing the company more money than they make from you for being a nuisance returner, then they would gladly lose your business.
You must not own a business. Plus you might be one of those return people the video is talking about
Good, please leave, you are net loss.
@@phyliciasadler9596i bet !! Sounds like
Or how about you do some research on the product before you buy it.
I wonder if they have considered just offering some type of discount if you waive the return policy? I almost never return anything
This is a good idea. But then again, you would probably need to be registered and that's more info they have on you and sell your info if not hacked.
No health privacy laws after covid THANKS DemonRats
I used to work for UPS as a Customer Service .. boy .. people kept returning stuffs after the holidays or even during the regular days. They returned everything and most of them had been used. Unbelievable !
I worked in retail a lot in my 20’s. Return fraud is a huge thing and extremely common. I would bet every store has those 3-4 people that are always shopping there and always bring stuff back.
Tried to get the “Retail activity report” just to see what my score was. Well you can’t get it unless you’ve been issued a warning or denial letter already.
What a scam
I believe you can email them directly for it.
I just did it because some companies or retailers sell me on saying, "Try it out. If you don't like it, return it." Which does get me to purchase at that moment but I definitely will return it if I don't like it.
@@lewispedraza996 You can't. I got a denial from Home Depot long ago and when I requested my return score or retail activity report from other stores they declined. I return maybe 1-2 items TOTAL for all retailers combined in a year. I asked for a specific retailer as well because I had gotten some odd emails from them despite not shopping there and they denied me recently as well.
I certainly hope they let you know that it is a final sale up front
No health privacy laws after covid THANKS DemonRats
Good to know. Yet they let thief’s walk out the door and do nothing.
I have worked retail my whole life and returns are a nightmare. It's not even the fraudulent returns, but the chronic returners who are the problem. These are people who buy items because they are shopaholics. Then they have buyer's remorse or realize the credit card bill will be too big or they actually can't afford it, and finally return all their stuff.
We used to keep a list at Customer Service of chronic returners that we couldn't accept returns from. Their only crime was buying stuff and returning 80% to 90% of what they purchased.
This happened to my mother YEARS ago. My dad owned a handyman/car repair business so he routinely made lots of trips to Home Depot. My mom was returning unused supplies for a job he didn’t end up needing. They were all unopened and not used. Her return was denied. Why? Well Home Depot at the time used the same 3rd party return company that Advance auto parts used and her CORE returns (ie the money you get back when you return your old alternator, old battery for disposal) flagged more than 3 times in 6 months.
That’s right this company was counting the money the auto parts store held hostage from her as a “returned item” and flagged her name in the system so a totally separate return at a totally different store would not go through. This was around 2013 I believe.
These companies must be stopped.
Wow I mean this without exaggeration but that's devastating. That's just effed up for these companies to have done that to your mom when she wasn't even fraudulently returning. I'm learning from all these comments and this video I have to be super careful with my returns now.
@@stacysaurusrex If I recall around the same time there was a prominent realtor in my area who encountered the same issue but at Best Buy. He purchased 3 phone cases each for his 2 sons (so 6 total) for Christmas. He wasn’t sure which ones they would like so they could each pick one to keep and he’d return the other two. Best Buy accepted the 4 returns after Christmas but a few months later denied a much smaller return he had on a similar inconsequential item because “he’d been flagged in their system” for having too many returns. He went to the local news station with his story so not only did Best Buy get a ton of negative PR over what was probably at the time barely $100 in returned merchandise but the best part is the realtor was planning on totally upgrading all his major home appliances that coming spring (new washer, new dryer, fridge etc) so they lost out on a massive sale.
It reminds me of when I worked retail ages ago. A guy and his family which included his siblings and their family. came to a shoe store at a local outlet mall I worked at. They bought a lot of dress shoes for a wedding. It was strange as my impression of them are like they are not the type of people who would wear dress shoes regularly. But we not gonna say no to someone who buys something. But a week later they came back and returned everything, they claimed they used something else but the shoes looked like they were lightly used on the soles, and not brand new. I know they used it for the wedding and returned it. It’s like a free rental. Why did the store take it back? It wasn’t too obvious they used it. At least they did a decent job of cleaning up the shoes after the wedding. Store employees have to treat customers with respect. But the store did lose a lot of money and we had to restock the shoes.
That should be an automatic rental fee.
That was really low. Good example of why we need to scale back on H+M, Amazon etc purchases and other giants. You had to take those shoes back because Amazon and others will take anything back.
This happens a lot with wedding clothing
I noticed Amazon has made it a lot harder to return products lately. Now you have to either ship it yourself instead of taking it to kohls, and also I had a weird situation where I had to wait for ups to pick up my return. Not knowing when he would come it took a whole week to get them on time and I had to leave the package outside for them to get it and not leave a note on my door. My neighborhood I’m surprised it didn’t get stolen. Makes me second guess buying from them lately.
Many years ago I learned that in retail, people will use what you sell them. If you sell them on a return policy, you shouldn't be surprised when they use it.
I’m tall and curvy but not fat. Clothing is hard. Online has more options but also it’s hard. I could not order online if it weren’t for returns. I’m not a standard size
The few times I needed to return items, when I was stuck in the return line, I would often be astonished at the GALL of many people who had cockamaney reasons for returning stuff. Sometimes the item was obviously used. Or for stuff the store didn't even sell (they still gave that guy money). Once I saw a guy, with his son, return "one" shoe of a pair of shoes, with no receipt - and they were expensive $250 sports shoes. That guy got his money, in cash, and as he walked past me, he said to his son "See - thats the way you do it".
The kid is now a criminal in the making
i'll take things that never happened for $500 lol
No health privacy laws after covid THANKS DemonRats
And everyone clapped
I was there. I was the shoe.
My question is if you’re denied to return items, is the consumer being made aware that the sale is now final?
This isn’t like your credit score when you can look it up. I never heard of this before this video. It’s an arbitrary line in the sand so you could very well be swept in it like others who aren’t returning fraudulently.
So in essence you can buy something get a faulty product or a product that doesn’t fit your needs and standards return it and they deny you. Based on a system you had no idea about.
To me, if this is essential to doing business then the consumer should be aware what’s going on when you’re checking out.
I know someone who purchased a folding ladder and a paint sprayer to paint the interior of his house and returned them after he was done. Hate that sh*t.
He was a crook, and that’s the reason for these policies
I work in an electronics store and let me tell you how much open boxed inventory we have that don’t get sold because the box is broken or just for the fact that it’s already been opened and people don’t want to buy that. We have to remind and tell customers that once your earphones are opened (cuz they may have touched your ears) or your appliance has touched food, it is unreturnable (unless clearly defective).
What store do you work at that doesn't allow earbuds/earphones or headphones not to be returned? Or appliances?
I returned my Bose earbuds a few years back because they made my ears hurt a ton and I had zero issues. I've also seen people return like used blenders, juicers to GNC, Kohls, etc.
I’m in Canada. Maybe it’s different here. In-Ear Earphones cannot be returned because of hygienic reasons-it’s unsellable once your earwax has touched those buds. Same for appliances that have already been used. Food particles in your returned products? Too unhygienic. How can you sell those again?
@@rbartow22that’s disgusting and a disgrace dude
When I worked at Marshals customers would cut the labels out of dresses then sew it into a dress they made and return it.
oh my goodness!
Oh no. Sometimes I buy two sizes and return the one that doesn’t fit.
Report it as a fraudulent sale get your money back and never buy from the seller again
That isn’t fraud. If you wore it with the attached tag tucked out of sight, and then returned it, that would be fraud.
Hint to customers. Do NOT buy anything, before you sure it works, fits etc. Do NOT assume you can simply return stuff for a full refund. Those days are numbered.
I have noticed this at Nordstrom Rack. People be returning stuff like crazy everytime I go in there to shop. The line be moving so slow because everyone in front of me has a bag full of returns. 🙄
Yes, because many r shoplifters returning stolen merchandise.
Buying something over the internet is always a gamble. How about creating a profile on manufacturers and online sellers that sell misrepresented and/ or junk!
As a 3rd party Amazon seller we have almost no way to stop fraudulent returns. Just eat the cost or raise it for everyone.
Since the pandemic i have seen both products and services become crappier. At first I excused it, now I don't. There is no excuse for shoddy workmanship. If you are paid to do a job, then DO it right. Retailers need to examine what they are selling, and not use those manufacturers. When you don't get what you pay for, return is the only option.
True, but what the retailers are trying to prevent is Fraud, not legitimate returns. What so many aholes are doing is dishonest, such as buying something, using it, and then returning it. That’s theft.