What is this "you have to" law?

[MustangErin]

I have noticed that I get quite a few customers that say "You have to....". Uh no I don't.

For example, customer has purchased and used a product. My store has quite a strict return policy because so many people have purchased a product, used it and then returned it. It was so bad the owner then decided to make it strict which I agree with. So products must come back unused in original unopened packaging, which says so on the receipt. Lot of times I get customers say I must take the product back. I can take the product back but they must exchange it for a similar item: IE: blender for another blender.

No, customer, there is no law that says that I HAVE to take it back and give your money back. I would love to know where this law is because if there is one I would like to know where is says it.

Anyone else get these people who state "laws" that only exist in their heads?

[Jester]

I get this nonsense all the time from people when it comes to IDs and alcohol. It's especially amusing/frustrating when they are trying to explain alcohol laws to me, despite them not living in the state or even the country in which I work under those laws. The classic example I always cite is th guy from Poland who, when I asked him for ID, handed me a Polish National ID Card. I politely explained to him that I would need either a driver's license or a passport, but that I could not take ID cards from another country.

HIM: "But this is perfectly fine in Poland."
ME: "I'm sure it is, sir. But look out the window. See those palm trees? Does that look like Poland to you? Here in Florida, I can only take a driver's license or a passport."

[Lace Neil Singer]

Usually on fuel refunds. We can give a fuel refund in the case of cashier error (ie, if the cashier mistakenly rings up the wrong pump) or in the case of a pump mixup. However, we can not do this if the customer produces a money off coupon after the transaction. If you forget to use your coupon, then it's just your tough luck. We've had the "But you have to!" reaction from customers who've forgotten their coupon, usually with "But it's the last day!" tacked on after.

[RealUnimportant]

I get this a lot, especially with Oysters (prepaid travel cards); if someone screws up their journey & gets massively overcharged, they need to telephone the assistance line to get the excess reimbursed. I've had people argue themselves hoarse that "[I] have to fix it, because [I am] ripping [them] off, blah blah rhubarb rhubarb." I ain't doing shit, and I ain't gotta do shit about it either; (99% of the time) you brought this on yourself, so put on your adult clothes & go fix yourself... er, fix it yourself!

[Zeddi]

The classic example I always cite is th guy from Poland who, when I asked him for ID, handed me a Polish National ID Card. I politely explained to him that I would need either a driver's license or a passport, but that I could not take ID cards from another country.

Interesting, here in Germany its exact the other way around - the driver license is only used well ... to show the cops that you are allowed to drive a vehicle.

There are sometimes bars, clubs and stores who might accept it, but usually you have to show your "Personalausweis" - a kind of identity card. Everyone here is required to have one, even if you own a driver license.

You may use this card even outside Germany, in other European nations. I think the polish people have something similar, as being in the eu . So in Europe, he would be totally right, but of course not in Florida.

[Kanalah]

Hagglers will try this.

"You have to take (ridiculously lowball offer) - it's the law!"

"I offered you a fair price, if you don't give me that quilt, I'll call the police!"

[Dreamstalker]

I get people with coupons for a size or type they didn't buy..."But the picture looks the same/brand is the same, you have to take it!" I blame whoever has been allowing substitutions (which we do not do).

"I saw a tag that says [sale price], you have to give it to me for that!" Not if the item you have in hand is ten feet away from the item with the sale tag.

[An Haddock]

Hagglers will try this.



"I offered you a fair price, if you don't give me that quilt, I'll call the police!"

Someone actually tried this with you?

Did you tell them to go ahead and call them?

[wordgirl]

At one of my many college jobs, we sold tiny gaming figurines* that you could paint, with a few gorgeously painted examples done by the girlfriend of the owner, that were for sale for WAY more than the cost of the figurine (think $1-2 figurines, $35 painted versions). Also, paints and brushes.

There was a sign up near the figurines explaining that figurines that had been painted could not be returned; same with open paints and brushes. The information was also in our return policy posted by the register, and mentioned to customers purchasing figurines and supplies. I also mentioned to people that if they made a mistake it was important to get the paint off while it was still wet; once it set, game over.

I witnessed, on several occasions, people bringing back figurines they had pretty much destroyed, demanding that they were entitled to refunds. The most common complaints were false advertising (because of the painted ones on display) and just "the law says you have to give me a refund."

But my favorite ones were the moms who came in dragging their kids, saying we had to refund the purchase because their kid, as a kid, could not make a legal contract and thus the sale was void. Notice I said "momS"? Yeah, we had multiple instances of exactly this. One memorable example actually broke open the plexiglas display case where the painted examples were and was trying to pry one off the base it was glued to, saying "We'll just take this one instead." That one got to talk with the mall's Officer Friendly about what the law actually was, though my softhearted boss didn't make her buy the figurine she damaged. (He was the one who made the bases, and he just fixed it after she left.)

*the metal ones. If you're an old-school gamer, that lets you know how old this story is

[mjr]

"You have to take (ridiculously lowball offer) - it's the law!"

Really? Which law is that?

"I offered you a fair price, if you don't give me that quilt, I'll call the police!"

Go ahead.

[redsox33413]

"You HAVE TO" usually immediately preceded by "THEY told me I/you could, so..."
Much shrinking of egos and stuttering/backpedaling ensues when I ask WHO this magical "THEY" is that keeps telling everyone things that are not only 100% false, but possibly illegal. Poor things. I almost feel bad for them. Almost. But not REALLY.

[April]

I get that here, only it's "rights" not "laws"

"I have the right to privacy" No you don't. You are in a correctional facility. You have ZERO rights to privacy.

"I don't understand why I can't have a cell phone. It's my right to have one" Again. You're incarcerated. I can tell you exactly what you can or can't have. Guess what? We just banned playing cards too!

"I have the right to medical treatment". Congrats! you DO have the right to medical treatment. however, since you waited until your case manager walked out the door, and it's outside normal business hours, *I* get to dictate where you go. And guess what? It's not the hospital that hands out Percocet like it's candy.

"Marijuana is legal now, I have the right to use it". Guess what? Alcohol is legal too, and you don't get to use that here either! Remember? you're incarcerated.

[flyonthewall]

Yes please! Do call the police! I heard THEY are super nice to crazy people who waste their time! They'll give you some silver bracelets!

[South Texan]

I cannot count how many times I have had to explain basic contract law to people who come in asking to file criminal charges against a retailer who refused to take back some item and refund the purchase price. So many retailers have such generous return policies that people believe there is some sort of law that forces a refund.

If the seller offered the item for a specific price, and the buyer paid the price and received the item, the contract is finished. The only way the seller could be forced to refund the price is if the item delivered was damaged or was not the item offered. Even then, this usually is a civil matter. There is almost no chance of a criminal case unless it is very clear the seller intended to steal from the buyer.

[notalwaysright]

If a sale or product says "online only" then I don't have to honor the price, and I can't order it either.

If something is excluded in the fine print, I don't have to honor the coupon, it is not false advertising.

I don't have to cut you a fat quarter, our stores don't do that, quilt shops do. Different stores do things different, and we don't all have to do the same thing, it's not a law.

I don't have to work in square yards because you want me to. We work in linear yards. I can do the math for you (probably), to give you the proper square yards, but I'm not going to cut 9" off the width to make it an actual square yard. To be honest, you're lucky that I'm helping you, because 75% of the employees wouldn't even know what you're talking about.