When doing a return/exchange....

[Android Kaeli]

....please make sure that you didn't put the item you want to return back on the shelf already and expect the cashier to just give you the exchanged item based on your word alone.

Had a lady come through my line about an hour before I went home for the day, she had a couple of items, one was a $1.99 item [ can't remember what it was ], and a circular bamboo knitting needle. She told me that the person that she talked to said she could return the package of crochet needles and exchange the ones she brought up. Strike One was that she didn't specify who she talked to so I could ask about it, Strike Two was that she already put back the needles she wanted to return, Strike Three was that she said she didn't have her receipt, and Strike Four was that she said it was the same price and expected me to just do the exchange without the actual return.

I can't do a return/exchange without first making sure that it's the same EXACT item that's being returned, and I'm not going to just give her these needles without doing the return -- I tell her to either go to the person who told her to do the return in the first place, or grab the item from the shelf and bring it up to me.

She got back in my line a few minutes later and gave me the needles she wanted to return, at which point I told her that there's a 20% fee we have to take off of the return without a receipt and any remainder that's left over will go on a return card. Customer gave me a dumbfounded look, said she'd just keep the needles she wanted to return, and got the $1.99 item before leaving.



Now had she had both items in hand when she checked out and it was the same price, I would've overlooked the 20% and just done the return/exchange. Either this woman didn't understand our return policy, or I just stopped her from scamming us.

[simplyanother]

I bet you stopped her from scamming you guys.

I had a lady come through my line the other day who wanted to return some yarn AND she had a receipt! Only, this yarn wasn't on that receipt. She claimed that she'd done an even exchange before, and they hadn't done it through the register.

Yeah, no. Those are only done if...ya know, it's the same damned item. With the same UPC! Plus, they weren't the same price. The yarn she was trying to return was MORE than yarn she'd originally bought.

She was not pleased with the whole having to deduct 20% and putting it on store credit. But it's not like she HAD to return it either. Then she lectured me about the policy, and blah blah blah. But she still did it. If it was THAT important to me (over less than 3 dollars), I'd have...ya know. NOT done the return, and found my receipt.

She actually gave me two stories. First was she'd done the even exchange. Then it was ...oh she didn't have her receipt...but she does have the card she purchased it with (like I give a flying...we are not Target).

My tip is this: If you have a bagful of items to return...and a handful of receipts... it's helpful to make sure you have GONE THROUGH YOUR receipts. That way the cashier doesn't have to spend 20 minutes going through 20 receipts for 30 items.

Extra fun: Don't go through your receipts. In fact, just pile them on the counter. Then when the cashier, plus 2 or 3 other people tell you that some of the items you're trying to return aren't on any of your dozens of receipts... act like this is somehow the fault of the store. Be sure to be pissy and bitchy toward EVERYONE who tries to help you.

It makes the Christmas Season ooh so much more special.

[EvilEmpryss]

A trick I once caught someone doing was to go get two items and bring them up to the register and say that one was a return that they wanted to make for the other. The "customer" had never purchased either item, so even if the cashier refused the "exchange" of the first item, the scammer got to leave with the second item.

This is why whenever I go into a store with something to exchange I make sure it is in my hands and I actually wave it in the direction of any security cameras I see so if I can't find an associate to let them know I'm bringing it into the store I can at least cover my ass if they accuse me of trying to steal it. "We should check the security footage" works wonders on SCs and LPs, too!

[Whiskey]

"someone" and "that girl" drive me nuts. I just want to get on the intercom and go "Excuse me, could [store] employee That Girl please come to register 2? I repeat, That Girl we need you at register two, thank you!"

[dalesys]

"someone" and "that girl" drive me nuts. I just want to get on the intercom and go "Excuse me, could [store] employee That Girl please come to register 2? I repeat, That Girl we need you at register two, thank you!"

Marlo Thomas, stat!

[Imogene]

I bet you stopped her from scamming you guys.

I don't... no receipt, and she just came up to the OP empty handed the first time? THEN went and got one of whatever she claimed to be 'returning'? And walked out with said item with no proof it was actually hers?
You got Scammed.

[ChaoKuang]

I think you actually did end up being scammed, because she had no proof what she BROUGHT to you was hers.

[Amina516]

I agree with the last two posters. She left with the item that she couldnt prove was hers in the first place.

[Android Kaeli]

I figured the same thing but there was nothing I nor the person the customer had originally talked to [ who I found out by talking to later ] could do about it, sadly.