Returning a book for a refund? Don't put it on the shelf!

[depechemodefan]

There is a book called "the Secret" by Rhonda Byrne which at first I thought was a fiction book (soon to be made into a multi-million dollar movie with either Nick Cage or Tom Hanks), but just realized it's some self-help book. Or a religious book. I havn't researched it. Now it's a whole series ('mo money. 'mo money).

So two women come in the bookstore to buy these books. One has a paperback copy of "The Secret: Magic" and the other has a hard cover copy called "The Secret: Power". The one with the Power (hard cover) one said she wanted to know if it was in paperback. I tell her no, if we had in paperback that would be the one we would be selling. So she gets her friends copy (the one that says "Magic") and says, "it's in paperback". I tell her "this one is "Magic". The hardcover copy is "Power".

Still with me? In essence they have 2 copies of a book series, one if "The Secret: Power" the other is "The Secret: Magic".

So they pay as one transaction.

Then 10 min latter the two women come in, and the woman who paid said, "I want to get a refund for "The Secret: magic" because it's not the same book as "The Secret: Power". Considering how on each book, respectively, the biggest words are "Power" and "Magic" and me and a cw told them "one is called Power, one is called Magic, that's why we have one in paperback and one in hardcover", and no doubt other clue-by-fours...ok, we can give you your refund.

But her friend put it back on the shelf! So returning something for a refund but you don't have the actual book in hand. How can we tell it's not in the car? So the friend went to the shelf to retrieve the book. Luckily my cw got them, and she said she didn't think they were the type to scam. They did seem more clueless then larcenous.

[Kristev]

I don't think I understand this. They wanted to get a refund on a book, without giving the desk back the book? Either they put it on the shelf, or merely claimed they did? Uh, I don't think that works.

[depechemodefan]

Yeah, a run of the mill person who wants to return an item for a refund will go to the "Returns" desk (since this is a bookstore sans "Returns" desk, just a regular cashier register) with the item and the receipt. These two woman came up to the register with only the receipt because they put the book back on the shelf.

Of course, we have to take their word for it that the woman put it back on the shelf.

Though there is a way to do inventory, so if management wants to take time to do that, they could.

Maybe it's just a brain burp. Maybe they are so fucking stupid.