Two SCs for the Price of One!

[Dave1982]

Just about finsihed with my backlog of stories from my current job (one more after htis, I think).

This happened a couple months ago.

I guy comes in with some wireless networking gear he wanted to exchange. He had this long-winded explanation of what happened, but here's the short version. Bascially, someone had purchased him this gear at a Staples in upstate New York and sent it to him (we are in southern New Hampshire) to use, along with the receipt in case there was a problem. Well for whatever reason it didn't work for him, so he wanted to get somethign else. It's a perfectly legit receipt, so there's no issue taking it back from a NY store.

Problem #1: He's outside the normal 14 day return policy for electronics (The stuff was purchased three weeks prior). So I call over my favorite ASM - Dan - who is awesome and usually doesn't take grief from anyone. Now the stuff he was returning was still being sold, so Dan decided it'd be OK to return it. Fine. THe guy goes off with Dan to find more suitable gear. I stash his stuff at register 2 and continue on until he comes back.

OK, he's decided. Problem #2: the stuff he's picked out is cheaper than the stuff he's returning, so there will be a difference. Now I have only two refund options: 1) the exact form of payment originally used, in this case the same credit card that is on the receipt, or 2) store credit. Obviously, since this was purchaed for him by someone else, out of state, he doesn't HAVE the credit card used int eh original transaction. Therefore, I can only give him store credit for the difference.

And here is where he crossed the line into SC territory.

SC: That's bullshit!!! Just give me the difference in cash.

*pages MOD*

Me: Sir, I can only refund your money onto this credit card, or to store credit. I can't give a cash refund for a credit card transaction.

SC: But I don't WANT store credit. I dont' live near here so I won't ever get to use it.

Me: It'll be good at any Staples, sir.

A different ASM - Alice - shows up.

Alice: Yes, Dave9182. What do you need?

Me: This gentleman (*cough cough!*) is echanging these items *points* for these items *points* and doens't have the dcredit card used to pay for them. He wants a cash refund for the difference, whatever it works out to (I hadn't actually started the return yet).

Alice: I'm sorry sir, but I am NOT allowed to give a cash refund for a credit card transaction AT ALL. If you don't have the card, I can only give you store credit.

SC: But I don't WANT store credit! I have a valid receipt, so I should be able to get a REFUND!

Alice: Yes, you CAN get a refund, IF you have the credit card used to pay for the original items.

SC: Look, I don't live near here. I'll never be able to use a store credit. Can't you just give me a check or something?

Alice: No sir, I can't do that.

SC: Well what the heck am I going to do then?

Alice: Well, let's see what we've got here *she motions for me to begin the return*

So I start the return. I hadn't noticed it earlier, but whoever originally bought the stuff used a $20 coupon, so since there's no cash/credit back for coupons, I had to subtract the $20 from one of the returned items. That made the difference UNDER $1. So all this whining and complaining over a pittance. I hate people who do stuff like that. He could have just gotten a bottel of soda and wiped out the difference. But no. He still had to whine ABIT more about the store credit, then left


So right after this guy leaves, a woman comes up to my register with a whole pile of oversized padded mailers. I begin to ring her out.

Woman: No no. I'm returning these.

Me: Huh? Oh........ok. Do you have a receipt?

Woman: No.

*slams head on counter*

Me: Then I'll need to see some ID.

*girl at service desk pages MOD*

So I process the return and she gets about $40 in store credit.

The moment she walks out the door, Dan hurries over and prints out a duplicate receipt. This confused me at first.

Well it turns out that the woman had taken advantage of the fact the I was distracted by the first guy to sneak over to my register with a bunch of stuff that she had TAKEN FROM THE SHELVES and returned illegally for credit. Damn it all to hell. So I was already irritated from dealing with that first meathead, only to have it turn into a double-whammy with THIS!

I was very VERY unhappy. Though I was assured that I would not get in trouble for it, since they knew exactly why and how it had happened and that it wasn't really my fault. Props though, to the girl at the service desk who saw it and alerted the MOD.

[danegrous_21]

i know how the second part feels, i saw someone try on a UT jacket and just start walking up to the front of the store, i alerted my manger but it was too late to stop him. i was for the rest of my shift. i was kinda watching people before but now im watching people more closely now. i was somewhat bitter before now i wish you would try it.



*note- there are details i left out, that made me know he wasnt going to pay for it.

[wagegoth]

All the thieves were one of the main reasons I was happy to get out of retail. It's a lot easier to deal with SCs than having to deal face to face with someone you know is ripping off the store and costing everyone who shops there more money.

[hawkchick11]

Thats when you go back and cancel the transaction, rendering the store credit useless.

For some reason, one of the associates at the clothing store I use to work at, returned a pair of pants that weren't even from our store... they were from American Eagle, but had our tags attached to them. The woman didn't have a receipt (of course) so she got store credit. Now when we do returns, the customer has to write down their name, address, phone number and sign it. The woman actually put her real information on there (usually they don't if they're trying to scam). So the Store Manager realizes what the associate did, and cancelled the transaction since it was only an hour later. She then goes and calls the woman, who swears up and down the pants she returned were from our store, but didn't bother arguing with the store manager when she was told that the transaction was cancelled and she wouldn't be able to use the gift card with her store credit on it.

[danegrous_21]

reminds me of a return yesterday at work, i go up front and grab the clothes return since we usually get the most return every so often and the CS desk people usually overcom page us to get return. since i was doing the fitting room( a person at my store doing the fitting room, handles all returns) i see a pair of work jeans. as i go to fold them i see the guy has writting his name on the inside pocket, thus making it impossible to sell again and have to send it off as damaged. i was just still cant believe that we took it back.