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I worked for five big box retailers. In four of them I had the task of certifying the electronics/electrical/motorized items after the return was made. In nearly every situation I'd call it either the weekend rental (usually video cameras) or the one day before the return policy expired returns. It was extremely rare to find something that was DOA from the factory. I'd have to go on long past memory, but I could probably make a pretty long list of what I found that was caused by the customer. Being on that side of the counter was around 20 years ago. As a customer, thinking about all the electronics I've purchased over the past 20 years I've had only two actual returns as there wasn't a replacement in stock. Outside of electronics, all my returns (less than a dozen) were usually clothing that didn't fit (ordered online). Anything else has been an exchange due to damage in shipping.
I am astounded by how many stores put obviously defective or smashed merchandise back on the shelf but "assure" me they thoroughly inspect it first. As someone who works in retail, can you explain why so many other workers like about this?
Thoroughly inspect depends on the POV of the individual stores GM itself and where they want to spend their payroll. It's not chainwide. What do you call obviously defective or smashed merchandise by just looking at the box?
Most of the returns I make is because I changed my mind or the product wasn't going to work as I thought it would. I never return anything that I've already used though.
The last return I made was to the container store. I bought a shower caddy, but the suction cups wouldn't stick to my shower walls and I returned a hair dryer holder that didn't fit on my bathroom cabinet doors.
Before that it was a hanging shower caddy from Bed Bath and Beyond that wouldn't fit over my shower head (Hence why I switched to one that suctioned to the side).
Those are the only returns I've made in the past few months that I can think of.
I am astounded by how many stores put obviously defective or smashed merchandise back on the shelf but "assure" me they thoroughly inspect it first. As someone who works in retail, can you explain why so many other workers like about this?
What sort of odd places are you shopping that do this? How often do you grab obviously defective merchandise from the shelf and take it to an employee to ask if it was inspected before being placed there?
Damaged packaging is fairly common due to the way a lot of products are shipped, and usually it has no affect on the product inside because of Styrofoam, bubble wrap whatever. I'm fairly certain most reputable stores do not put "obviously" smashed or defective mdse 'back' on the shelf after supposedly thoroughly inspecting it.
And I speak as the person in charge of handling most of the returned mdse at my store. The majority of if goes in the trash unless it looks to be unopened or in 'like new' condition, some of it goes off to stores that sell seconds, like Marshalls or Big Lots, and some of it gets donated to charity.
Oh, and as I said earlier customer themselves open packages, damaging the packaging and often using or sampling the product inside and then will set the package back on the shelf.
I ordered a make up product from Nordstrom. They ship free of charge. The make up didn't work out for me because it dried out my skin. I didn't return it as Nordstrom would have lost money on a product they couldn't resell and the shipping. I kept it and gave it to my daughter. She loved it. In my opinion it was my fault. I could have tried the foundation at a store but I took a chance, it didn't work out but I didn't think it was up to Nordstrom to do anything. My daughter has a foundation she loves, I found a different foundation (this time at a brick and mortar store), and Nordstrom wasn't left holding the bag.
I open skin care products to smell them if there is no "tester" available. And I have placed a drop on my skin as well. The places I shop will also make a sample for me to take home. I love that!
I only started returning clothes about 15 years ago. When I was young it never crossed my mind. Now I will return even food (grocery, not restaurant) if it is old, and I never buy food without seeing an expiration date.
I don.t return worn clothes that.s just tacky. I have bought bras and worn for a few hours out and left the tag on, as they can be tricky and you just don t know how uncomfortable it is after a 1 minute try-on. Plus theyr $40-$50 minimum now for a nice one.
I open skin care products to smell them if there is no "tester" available. And I have placed a drop on my skin as well.
I hope not opening sealed packages, thus making them unsalable? That can lead to charges of vandalism if the shopkeeper wishes to pursue it, just as an FYI
I open skin care products to smell them if there is no "tester" available. And I have placed a drop on my skin as well. The places I shop will also make a sample for me to take home. I love that!
I only started returning clothes about 15 years ago. When I was young it never crossed my mind. Now I will return even food (grocery, not restaurant) if it is old, and I never buy food without seeing an expiration date.
I don.t return worn clothes that.s just tacky. I have bought bras and worn for a few hours out and left the tag on, as they can be tricky and you just don t know how uncomfortable it is after a 1 minute try-on. Plus theyr $40-$50 minimum now for a nice one.
Part of what you do is vandalism and theft and the other part is just disgusting but I find it ironic that you think returning worn clothes is tacky but you see nothing wrong with leaving a tag on a bra, wearing it for a few hours then returning it. Dare I ask how you deal with panties?
We do not return anything unless it does not work out of the box and we exchange only, no cash refunds.
Cothing items that do not wash and dry well get donated, under items get burned or thrown away, never donated, returned or exchanged.
Everytime I go to just about any department store or speciality store, I always see at least one person returning items. I can understand if people return items that don't fit, are broken, etc. But are ill-fitting clothes and broken merchandise the most common reason for returns or are people actually "renting" items instead of buying?
I used to work with a woman who owned a hair salon with her husband and on Saturday nights they played in a band. She would buy something dressy, wear it that one night and bring it back the next day. Ditto for the shoes, she would put masking tape on the bottom so it looked like they weren't worn. After she was "saved" she stopped doing it.
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