Big Brother is Watching your Returns!!!

[JuliaK]

Sure there are those who buy things at a discount and then return them without a receipt for full price but there are also lots of us who suffer from severe buyers remorse, who comparison shop, or receive and return duplicate or unwanted or un-needed shower gifts, etc... who could be denied returns because some company thinks you return too much? Puh-lease.

Scores of stores may nix
returns using secret info

More than 200 stores in metropolitan New York alone may be using secret blacklists and undisclosed procedures that conflict with their posted return and exchange policies.
The stores are rejecting some returns because of information in an electronic database operated by a California company called The Return Exchange (www.returnexchange.com), which tracks consumer-shopping habits.

Neither The Return Exchange nor its member stores have disclosed how they evaluate consumers, or the criteria they use to approve or reject returns.

Late last year, Sen. Chuck Schumer, (D-N.Y.) warned that 41 stores in New York City, 43 on Long Island, 22 in the Hudson Valley and 96 in North Jersey were violating laws that require disclosure of all conditions on exchanges and returns before customers make purchases.

Schumer asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate, and promised to introduce legislation to require stores that limit returns to warn shoppers in advance.

Recently, Connecticut lawmakers addressed the same issue by passing a bill that requires retailers to disclose whether electronic monitoring is part of their return policies.

If you want to find out if your return activity has been tracked, you can call The Return Exchange at (800) 652-2331.

Just remember that other companies also are monitoring retail returns and exchanges.

Another company, SiRAS, uses UPC and serial numbers to establish a unique fingerprint for products from participating manufacturers, including Compaq, Bissell, AT&T, Apex, Emerson, Fujifilm, General Electric Co., Hewlett-Packard Co., Magnavox, Panasonic, Philips, RCA, Sony, Sega, and Sylvania.

When a product is scanned at the point of purchase, the data are sent to SiRAS and stored in an electronic database.

If the product is returned, information on when and where it was purchased is pulled from the database. That information is shared with participating retailers, which currently include Wal-Mart, Amazon.com, Best Buy, Circuit City, CompUSA, Fry's Electronics, JCPenney, KB Toys, Kmart, RadioShack Canada, Sears, Toys 'R' Us, Babbages and Spiegel.

[shopaholic]

I did read about this being done at Target.

[Tanya]

I'm pretty sure Target and Walmart only allow you 3 returns-w/-no-receipt a year. They track you by your DL number.

[beachlvr]

I had to return something at Kohl's today and the saleswoman told me she was pretty sure they tracked returns, too. That's why they ask for your DL #.

[ejs]

I really don't think this is a big deal. Save your receipts until you know if you're keeping something or not. If you're giving someone a gift, include a gift receipt.

I doubt companies made the decision to do this on a whim. I'm sure they did a lot of research and determined how much money they were losing due to fake "returns."

One thing about Target, if you don't have a receipt, they can verify your purchase using the credit/debit card you paid with.

[thedoorchick]

I really don't think this is a big deal. Save your receipts until you know if you're keeping something or not. If you're giving someone a gift, include a gift receipt.

I doubt companies made the decision to do this on a whim. I'm sure they did a lot of research and determined how much money they were losing due to fake "returns."

One thing about Target, if you don't have a receipt, they can verify your purchase using the credit/debit card you paid with.

I agree with this. I can't imagine that anyone who has a genuine need for the occasional return would be "caught" by this kind of list-keeping and be stuck with something they didn't want.

Returns cost companies a lot of money - I don't see why they don't have the right to limit them. I'd rather the company spend that money on other things.

I mean, plenty of people register at stores (I think BB&B is one?) that allow cash back on returns, with no intention of using the gifts but rather the intention of returning everything so they get cash. I'd hesitate to even call those people "customers" at all. (Frankly, as common as this practice seems to have gotten, I'm rather surprised that any stores allow cash back instead of an exchange).

[BethElena]

thedoorchick - well, BB&B encouraged us to return stuff so we could just get the $$. I kid you not. Our registry person told us to register for Gift Cards, then return them for cash. I can't believe they're not out of business yet.

[thedoorchick]

thedoorchick - well, BB&B encouraged us to return stuff so we could just get the $$. I kid you not. Our registry person told us to register for Gift Cards, then return them for cash. I can't believe they're not out of business yet.

Wow. Well, if it's at their suggestion, I guess that's something they have the right to do. But what a poor business practice! I wonder if that's widespread or just what that registry person tells people.

Some stores really need to rethink their policies or they are just going to eventually fold. There was discussion in the "unscrupulous ways to make money" thread about Kohls and how you can do the "buy $50 worth and get a $10 off coupon" and then return the original goods but still keep the $10 off.

Maybe there's a business opportunity for some of us as consultants to these stores! :D

[jellybeany]

thedoorchick - well, BB&B encouraged us to return stuff so we could just get the $$. I kid you not. Our registry person told us to register for Gift Cards, then return them for cash. I can't believe they're not out of business yet.

The woman that worked with us on our registry said the same thing. She pointed to the utensil wall and said if you register for all of them you can return them for the cash.

[greenbunny]

I've understood it to mean that it also includes returns made with receipt. It makes me furious to think that if a product doesn't live up to my expectations, I might not be able to return it if I've had that problem previously. That makes it easier for a store to make shoddy products, knowing they will refuse returns when stuff keeps breaking. I will definitely stop patronizing stores if they try to pull that on me.

Also, you have to realize that we mystery shoppers very often buy and return items as part of our assignments, both with and without receipts. I've done this with some stores as often as every two weeks. My personal shopping should not be penalized by my doing a job that requires me to make returns.

[thedoorchick]

But greenbunny, if I had repeated problems with things I bought at a store being defective or broken or otherwise unusable, and therefore needed to return them, I'd probably stop patronizing that store. Unless we're talking highly specialized items, there are numerous places to buy most things.

As for the mystery shopping, that is a good point, and I am not sure what to do about that. Do most mystery shopping assignments involve actually returning the item? I have not done a great number of these, but all the ones I've done or even been offered had no mention of a return.

[PookiePrincess]

For most companies, this only applies to returns without a receipt. I used to work at Office Depot and we took a DL# for returns with no receipt. Once the returns equal a certain amount, the system will refuse returns from that customer.

A major reason companies do that is you wouldn't believe the number of people who come in, steal high priced items and then try to return them. Though at OD, the managers have the right to refuse any return. We'd even get fake receipts. When we knew they were fake, we'd refuse them.

It's all to keep from losing too much money. For the typical person, more returns are done with receipts, and that's not a problem.

[BethElena]

thedoorchick & jellybeany: Yes! They told me to register for all this stuff I didn't need, just to return it and get money. At first I was tempted to do that, but then I thought, if somebody makes the effort to drive down here and buy the stuff, I'd better put on there what we need. So as an alternative, I just registered for a ton of gift cards....because I knew that nobody would walk in my house and say "Hey! Can I see your gift card?" They're more likely to do that for things like toaster ovens, etc. :) (And for some reason, my family always checks up on the things they've bought me, and for some reason I feel guilty if I got rid of the gift.... :D )

And about Kohl's, I don't know why they don't require the coupon back?

[thedoorchick]

I can't imagine why Kohls doesn't take back the coupon. You have to have their credit card to even get the deal, I believe, so it should be simple to track.

Although, since it's $10 off $50 and has to be used within a week or so, I suppose they think the extra sales they get from it makes it all worthwhile, regardless of whether people do returns.

[greenbunny]

But greenbunny, if I had repeated problems with things I bought at a store being defective or broken or otherwise unusable, and therefore needed to return them, I'd probably stop patronizing that store. Unless we're talking highly specialized items, there are numerous places to buy most things.

I'm usually willing to give a place a few chances, but I'd be pretty POed if they forbade me from returning something before I'd reached the decision to stop shopping there.

For example, DH and I bought a really cute floor lamp at WalMart, it was their generic home collection and I hadn't seen a similar style elsewhere. It took a three-way bulb, which kept shorting out. They determined after we returned the lamp four times that the whole shipment had been wired defectively. Once they got a new shipment, they gave us a fifth one that worked fine. I don't think something like that should count towards my "return limit", and it didn't make me stop shopping at WalMart.

ETA: As far as the MSing, I do a grocery shop and a convenience store/gas shop in which I have to buy X dollar amount of goods, go to the car, and immediately come back inside and return an item. So it is pretty common for me to do that. And the women on an MSing forum I frequent were freaking out about this returning limit thing, so it must be a relatively common assignment.

[ejs]

Greenbunny, it sounds like you were exchanging the lamp instead of returning it. I think that's a completely different animal.

[JuliaK]

I really don't think this is a big deal. Save your receipts until you know if you're keeping something or not. If you're giving someone a gift, include a gift receipt.

Actually, some stores are taking your DL# even when you have a receipt. I'm super anal about keeping receipts because I don't want to accept the lowest sale price for something I paid full price for. I just don't think it's fair that my legitimate returns could be denied because some company labeled me as an excessive return/exchanger. I have two babies so #1- I don't always have time to try things on at the store, #2-I really have no idea what sizes I wear in which styles anymore, #3-my kids growth spurts are unpredictable and they outgrow clothes very quickly so I could very well need to exchange their clothes before they get a chance to wear them, #4-I'm a remorse buyer. I'll go on a shopping spree and two days later after I'm done paying the bills, I'll go back into the bags and rethink my purchases so as not to squander all of DH's $$.

Maybe it's just me, but I'll be pretty p!ssed if one store tells me I can't return something because I returned too much even with a receipt at another store.


There was discussion in the "unscrupulous ways to make money" thread about Kohls and how you can do the "buy $50 worth and get a $10 off coupon" and then return the original goods but still keep the $10 off
Ironically, that was me that brought that up. I don't agree with it and even mention to the store mgr (a former mgr of mine) that the store was losing $ and he said it's more of a marketing thing to drive up sales.

[JillyBean]

well, BB&B encouraged us to return stuff so we could just get the $$. I kid you not. Our registry person told us to register for Gift Cards, then return them for cash. I can't believe they're not out of business yet.
Wow! That's not something that BB&B (corp) encourages. The registry person is only supposed to mention that they have hassle free returns. I can't believe they were telling registrants to register for stuff they didn't need, just so they could return the items for cash. I'm very surprised. I'd imagine the store would get in trouble if that was reported to corp.

ETA that gift cards aren't normally allowed to be cashed out. You have to have a store manager's approval for that.

[kam]

I can't imagine it would ever be corporate policy (as explained above) that returns are encouraged. Returns cost a whole lot of money in comparison to normal stock/sales.

[PG-rated]

I personally don't have a problem with this, as long as it's clearly stated in the store's return policy. And I think that's the biggest issue - you could be a disorganized or indecisive shopper and have no idea that you're being watched as an "excessive returner," until suddenly a return is refused. If the store tells you upfront that they track individual returns, or that each customer is only allowed X returns per year without a receipt, at least you know what you're getting into.

[BethElena]

jillybean & kam - i wouldn't encourage it either. that's why i thought it was weird. we did return things that we no longer needed (we bought a house and weren't sure what we needed). Took FH 45 minutes there to return stuff. And he only returned like 4 items. i wouldn't want a store clerk to lose their job over it, so we didn't say anything to the store.

[Jodi AKA BostonTeacher]

JUST A RELATED TIP: I bought one of those small filing systems (like for coupons or checks) and labeled it with the stores we frequent (i.e. groceries, walmart/target, home depot/lowes, clothing, etc). I keep it in my purse and immediately file all my receipts in it. That way if I see something on sale I am able to get a price adjustment. Also, I can easily return an item.

I've saved SO much money this way.