Do I look like an idiot?

[going gaga]

This is an interesting one, funny bit is I wasn’t even suppose to be there this day I was covering for a co-worker who had called in sick.

SG-Suspicious looking guy
M –Me

Man comes up to the till, he wants to return an item of clothing that he got given for Christmas,(Fair enough ok we are still accepting them).
Explains that he doesn’t have a receipt, so I offer an exchange, so far I haven’t seen the item. Everything is hunky dory except there is a funky smell, which I can’t place, so I grin and bare it, because you get them occasionally and sometimes you really don’t want to ask.
I ask where the item is from , is it from the main store or one of the concessions that rent space here, instead he launches into the explanation of why he is returning it again.
I smile and nod waiting for him to finish , then repeat the question. Again he doesn’t answer .
Eventually I just ask what the item is,

SG “It’s a shirt I got it at Christmas”
Me-“So it’s a men’s wear item, was there anything wrong with it?”
SG-“Look I’ll show you”

So he takes it out his bag, it’s a men’s item alright looked ok until I realise the stink is coming from the shirt so I unfold it.
It is covered in dye,
Me “Sir how did this happen?”
I didn’t need him to tell me I could tell , it had had a security tag on he had pulled it off, resulting in the dye being released all over the item.
So he goes into the explanation again, I’m not listening this is screaming shoplifter because if you have proof of purchase and the tag has been left on by accident , generally the managers will let us take it off.
So this guy was either a complete idiot,(the tags tell you exactly what will happen if you pull them) or he has lifted it and tried to the remove the tag.

I look closer it isn’t even our brand, you could buy it in other stores in the area , which use the same type of dye tags we do.

Me- “Sir your going to have to take this to men’s wear, I can't deal with this item”
(and am too far away to call security)
Sg “But the tills busy and there’s a huge queue can’t you just deal with this here now?”
(Like hell was I dealing with this and the store manager is no where to be found)

So I turn to my older colleague (who he hadn’t wanted to go to) and catch her eye for her to come back over

Turning to SG “I’m really sorry sir but we are only able to return our stock,

(no we’re not,though given the situation I couldn't return it at all. I didn't think this item was actually ours.Also the security office is a lot closer if this is as suspicious as it looks)

SG complains about going downstairs the hassle the queue, and again the explination, though not why he attempted to remove the tag.

Me “Can you phone XXXXX(big boss) I really think we should get him down here”

“I’m really sorry but perhaps mens wear will be able to assist you better”(he gets paid a lot more than me and will say no way in hell to this )

Not happy he leaves .
I’m actually glad he came to me a lot of SCs assume that because I’m ‘young’ I’ll be a push over and also I can get away with being a bit curt with some Sc's because as one put it "you only look about 14"
(I’m not sure how to take that yet ,I don’t really look that young I’m just short so the customers guess my age and look surprised when I tell them how wrong they are)

Any one else had any returns that beggar belief?

[wagegoth]

I know I've mentioned it before, but the woman who threw the 100% wool sweater, which clearly stated "Dry Clean Only" on it, into the washer and dryer. It came out looking like it would fit a four-year-old child.

The professional thieves who would regularly try to return multiples of the same item (yes, I know your face, your name, you've approached me before), which always, with me, ended in FAIL for them!

Regularly, people trying to return items several years old, which were worn and torn, because they wanted some cash. (This was at Nordstrom. Sorry, no receipt, you get the current, clearance price.)

One of the people I worked with had to take back some underwear (customer had the receipt and it's Nordstrom) and she absolutely refused to touch it. She used tissue paper to pick it up and throw it in a bag. We then scrubbed off the counter in front of everyone. I made a point of getting out the cleaner and towel while the customer was still there. Yes, you're disgusting, let's make that perfectly clear to everyone around.

[mariamousie1]

"So this guy was either a complete idiot,(the tags tell you exactly what will happen if you pull them) or he has lifted it and tried to the remove the tag."

My guess is both.
Seriously, if you 1: steal a shirt 2: ignore dye warnings and pull tag 3: take shirt back to store to return it, 1+2+3= you are an idiot.

[pyxee]

Ugh, My step father is a legendary SC. I refuse to go out in public with him when my mother and him come to visit.
He had bought my daughter a pair of shoes for school. She wore them out in about six months, they were to the point they were not even usable for play shoes. He came down to buy her another pair.( never mind that we had already replaced the shoes weeks before) He actually took the old busted pair back to the store and threw a big enough fit they exchanged them for another. I was amazed when I found out he actually got his way.