Folks need to take responsibility for their own actions. If the policy is a receipt is required, then that is the policy. Period. It's not the store's fault you didn't save your receipt.
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edited 08/20/08 09:42am by an administrator/moderator *
Maybe if you read what the OP wrote you will see how obvious it was that it was purchased there.
Frankjake wrote:
I go back to the store to return the jack but I don't have my receipt. BUT the stores glued on name and price tag are still on the box.
Since when does a tag on a box mean that the item was actually purchased? Without a receipt the store owner has no way of knowing if the item was stolen or not.
Not saying you stole the item Frank, just saying there are LOTS of people in this world who steal from stores and later return them to the store for cash. It's not the store's fault that they have to implement strict return policies. It's your fellow human beings that have caused that to happen.
oh come on, it would be pretty difficult to steal a jack from a mom and pop store. Sometimes you just have to be realistic if you want to stay in business.
I have been in business a long time because I am realistic, stuff happens. You work with customers when appropriate it is not just good will, it makes ME feel better to rise above any feeling I have of distrust and accusations of these customers. Some things can't be explained away to a equitable resolution. As a store owner, I would look at the product being exchanged or returned, see if I sold it, see if realistically it could have been shoplifted, then act accordingly.
But that is me and that is one of the reasons I am successful
When we had our Hallmark store, we did have shoplifters and a couple of "strange return tries". A man walked into the shop one day, picked up a large $40 stuffed animal and brought it up to the counter and asked for a refund. He had no receipt of coarse but we also knew that tiger was sitting on the shelf 2 minutes ago. He did not get his "refund", based on our knowledge and common sense.
However we had a friendly return policy and never once had some one stomp out angry because we had some stiff, stupid rules.
Bottom line is, people lose receipts period. Sometimes a judgement needs to be based on a individual custormers return.
Like Julies example of a bad return, we've had a few try to return something used or something we didn't even sell. Sometimes we had to say "no return", sorry...
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edited 08/20/08 09:46am by an administrator/moderator *
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Mrs. Mik wrote: You don't have a retail store, Joe. Just about ANYTHING can be shoplifted, including jacks . . .
.............
Ain't that the truth, we had more than our fair share of items stolen from the lobby of the parts store, large & small. One guy was on his way out the door with a pair of air shocks (a large box) that were on display in our performance area. I caught him... of course he laughed at me since I was a 14 year old girl and was there "alone". He stopped laughing when the big burly man from the machine shop in back took them away from him after I hit the I need help button under the counter. As I recall we didn't have him arrested but we did advise him he wasn't welcome in our business again.
I think a small business, due to the low number of employees, is much more susceptible to shoplifting. When I got into management of a large chain of auto parts stores I realized that theft was a real problem, not only from shoppers but employees as well.
Of course, that doesn't mean I think Frank stole anything I'm just sharing one of my experiences in a small retail business.
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Mrs. Mik wrote: If the policy is a receipt is required, then that is the policy. Period.
It is that type of inflexibility that is usually associated with the "big box" (BB) stores, not the "Mom & Pop" (M&P) type. If a store's first thought when someone comes in with a return item is that the item was stolen, that store is in trouble.
One of the things a M&P store should be able to is make a judgment about the person returning the item. Does this person have a history of returning items without receipts? Do you remember this person buying the item (if it is a M&P, they should have a good memory of their customers)? Do they want cash back or would store credit be enough?
These are the type of judgments a M&P store should be able to make and do better than the BB stores. It is called customer service. Now if a M&P store is not willing to be flexible about some things, then they are no better than the BB stores. The only reason I would shop in a M&P store is if they had a better selection, more convenient, or had better customer service. If not, then I'm off to Wally World (or Lowe's or Home Depot or...).
Why do business with people who won't work with you.
The store very well could have accepted the return of the item and given a credit. The store choose not to, so don't do business there, I wouldn't. Maybe you would do business with a store that doesn't trust you and won't work with you and that's okay, until you need some help from them, then you too can go pound sand. What goes around comes around.
This is all funny reading some of the comments written by some of the people who evidently have NEVER worked in a retail environment. If it isn't nailed down, it can be stolen, and it will be. No doubt about it. So you are a little inconvenienced having to keep a receipt. Theft is theft, and the American consumer is paying for it. Think about what it costs you, most Big Box stores are adding in 5% to the price to pay for theft, softline stores are closer to 10% as I recall. So the next time you go in and buy a $2000 television, a hundred bucks of that is for theft, maybe then you will understand why when they say a receipt is required for a refund, it is required. More and more stores are going back to basics for refunds and the basic reason is there are way too many thieves out there. Not in any way calling anybody a thief around here, but the truth is, ...... there is. Simply a fact of life. Nothing more, nothing less.
topflite51 wrote: This is all funny reading some of the comments written by some of the people who evidently have NEVER worked in a retail environment. If it isn't nailed down, it can be stolen, and it will be.
I agree with this for sure. I took a shoplifting complaint at a grocery store. A lady was on her way out the front door when a very large ham fell out from under her dress. According to the witness statments from both the manager who was at the door and another customer walking out behind her, She jumped back and said "Who throwed that ham at me" We later determined she had it handing between her legs with some rope.
At a retail store that I work at part-time, we had a recent shoplifting stop of a person buying a cabinet that costs about $150 and inside the cabinet was about $2500 worth of unpaid merchandise.
I do agree that for a small business, there has to be a reasonable enforcement of the policy. I don't think this thread would exist if the owner had said, "You know, our policy is that there are no refunds without a receipt, but I will offer you store credit." The MP store I worked at essentially did this and had been in business for many years prior to my working there and is still in business after these many years that I haven't worked there.
One of the best things I ever did was keep a reciept.. You see, I got sued, for "knowing and willingly allowing an unsafe vehicle" and such, some ungodly amount the ambulance chasing Kentucky Coronal of an attorney wanted.
The got 3,000 and change
The receipt I kept was for the part that failed causing the crash
I'm normally very careless about receipts.
Nothin adds excitment like something that is none of your business John is Near Kenwood TS-2000 housed in a 2005 Damon Intruder 377
At a retail store that I work at part-time, we had a recent shoplifting stop of a person buying a cabinet that costs about $150 and inside the cabinet was about $2500 worth of unpaid merchandise.
Some here would say that you had no right to look inside the cabinet. Shame on you for not trusting that customer!
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He had no receipt of coarse but we also knew that tiger was sitting on the shelf 2 minutes ago. He did not get his "refund", based on our knowledge and common sense. 
When I got into management of a large chain of auto parts stores I realized that theft was a real problem, not only from shoppers but employees as well. 
