The STUPIDEST approved refund request ever!

[Estil]

As I was doing gobacks/reclaim a few days ago, I happen to come across a DVD of the new Land of the Lost movie. There's a post-it on it saying the customer returned it complaining that it was supposed to be PG rated and it had scenes with bad language and sexual content (well, not R-rated variety but you get my drift). And since it was in my reclaim basket, I have to assume the refund was actually approved.

Now here's the kicker. I flipped the DVD over and guess what? It's actually PG-13 rated AND the rating descriptor clearly states that the movie does indeed have strong language and sexual content. Geez, did the customer just not bother to READ the rating and descriptor if the customer was that concerned about the rating and content, or did the customer just ASS-U-ME?

If I was working the front desk, I would've been very tempted to refuse the refund request, even if I knew a manager would just overrule me later; it's the principle of the matter, you know. Seriously, what were they thinking??? That's about $20 worth of shrink down the drain and it was the customer's own fault.

[bainsidhe]

Same goes for when someone returns a movie because they "Didn't like it". Or a meal they've completely consumed, etc...

[Ree]

We've had people return empty cans of paint, complaining that the colour was wrong once they got it on the walls and it dried, or even that they didn't like the colour.

They demanded a refund rather than a replacement can of paint tinted correctly.

Way to attempt to get a free paint job.

The sad part is, our company has a "no quibble warranty" on our paint, so they usually get it.

[RichS]

Way back in my college days, when VHS was still the format of choice (and I've just now aged myself ), I had to stop in at Meijer to return something or other. Unfortunately I was behind an old man complaining about the "blood and violence" of the movie he got for his grandson that he was trying to return, despite the "no refund on movies" policy.

The movie? Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. He expected it to be like the '60's Batman, despite the PG rating clearly on both sides of the box. Besides, this is Batman for crying out loud - there is going to be violence! I debated buying it off of him (I'm a fan of Batman TAS that this was based on), but he complained enough that he got his refund.

[Lace Neil Singer]

I remember at my days at the pizza place, people who'd ring up and ask for a refund for their cold/burned/wrong pizza. When asked to bring back the cold/burned/wrong pizza, the reply would be, "But... but I ate it!" Soooo, you don't get the refund then. XD My boss was fantastic; he'd never give people like that a refund or replacement. XD One woman even brought in a pizza box that was empty but for a few chewed crusts and tried to get a refund. EPIC FAIL.

[jjllbb]

I can top that:

Customer buys a $2099.99 swingset.

Customer takes it home and pays someone not affiliated with my company to assemble that swingset.

ONE YEAR LATER

Customer's swingset breaks down. The swingset's manufacturer tells the customer that parts cannot be replaced because the assembly was done wrong and that is what caused the breakdown. Manufacturer refuses refund.

Customer comes to my store, demands refuned. Goes to corporate.

Customer gets back $2099.99 for a swingset THEY broke and used for a YEAR.

the end.

[protege]

Hechinger's used to issue all sorts of refunds...usually for things that the customer had destroyed in some way. We'd get lawn mowers (usually the shitty MTK ones) returned with shattered blades, seized engines, etc. and 9 times out of 10, the customer would get their money back. You name it, someone brought it back destroyed. Then, management couldn't understand why the company went bankrupt a few years later

[ditchdj]

Yeah nothing destroys a company faster than bad management.

[orcprincess]

I have a couple ones. This didn't happen at my store, but another one out of state. (my friend, same store) Customer came in with an item which had been "bought" at least 1 year prior. Based on the "season" on the tag. Our policy is 60 days...states it on the receipt. She didn't have the receipt. (of course) The associate refused (politely) and the customer was upset! she expected a full refund on something she had no proof she bought!!! K. Fast forward. Corporate sent an email, with this whole story as well... which stated to us basically, go ahead and follow the rules we make you. Get yelled and screamed at, and be threatened with losing your job....when the customer contacts us, we will apologize, tell them that they are right, and then give them a full refund. Yeah, she got her FULL refund on something that was over a year old, and could have been stolen! Awesome.

Next:

Customer buys dress. It's white with black trim. Brings it back 2 days later wanting refund. She never got to wear it as it was damaged, stained, yadda, yadda. For whatever reason we called our DM. (Store manager was on vacation) We were told, do not refuse her, just give it to her.
She saw the dress a couple weeks later and was pissed (her fault)
Here is why we did not want to take it back (don't read if squeamish or eating)

The moron obviously had her "monthly gift" The dress was red, and stained on the back....she tried to wash it off, and it had coffee, or some other stuff on front.

Just sick! like we would sell a "used" health risk dress!!!!

[jjllbb]

that is just plain WRONG!! And totally infuriating. People should NOT get away with that!!!!!!!!!! That is what makes customers feel so entitled.

[MadMike]

Hechinger's used to issue all sorts of refunds...usually for things that the customer had destroyed in some way.

At my old job, I'm not sure about "things the customer destroyed", but the idiots working the office would take all kinds of junk back, including stuff we didn't even sell.

Then, management couldn't understand why the company went bankrupt a few years later

The same thing happened there, luckily for me not until over a year after I had already jumped ship.

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

I already posted about the guy who brought in a PS3 that he had NO RECEIPT for and we could not verify where it came from that GOT a corporate approved refund on it so he could by a Wii. Even my manager was fuming at that one.

[SG15Z]

Unfortunately I was behind an old man complaining about the "blood and violence" of the movie he got for his grandson that he was trying to return, despite the "no refund on movies" policy.

The movie? Batman: Mask of the Phantasm.

Ok really. Yeah that movie is kinda dark, but it's not THAT bloody. But I mean come on, did he never watch the Animated Series? Or hell what about the two Tim Burton movies. Has he been that aware of what to expect in a Batman movie not done by Adam West, or Joel Schumacher?

[BrenDAnn]

I remember at my days at the pizza place, people who'd ring up and ask for a refund for their cold/burned/wrong pizza. When asked to bring back the cold/burned/wrong pizza, the reply would be, "But... but I ate it!" Soooo, you don't get the refund then. XD My boss was fantastic; he'd never give people like that a refund or replacement. XD One woman even brought in a pizza box that was empty but for a few chewed crusts and tried to get a refund. EPIC FAIL.

This happens all the time at the c-store. Cause we make the best pizzas in town, y'know. We even had one woman standing in our store, ranting and raging like a lunatic taht she worked for <c-store> and she always fixed her own mistakes and never made anyone bring their pizza back, blah blah blah. Sorry, but we have to have visual confirmation that the pizza was really messed up. If they say, "we ate it" we usually end up giving them $2 off their next order. If they just plain and simply don't want to come back to the store, the manager handles it. The one thing she's great at, is shutting down habitual bitchers. I love that!

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

A vacuum cleaner, returned because its belt broke. Evidently it never occurred to to the former owner to buy and install a replacement belt, which can be easily obtained.

But if the customer had their receipt, we couldn't do anything about it.

We ended up sending it back defective.