Stopped the suck

[Rosco the Iroc]

I had a guy come into the large chain autoparts store I used to work at. We can call it AZ.
He had a Wallymart bag with 4 sets of high end headlights all of the same part number. Muttering in broken English that he wanted the cash for them. The new guy he took them to couldn't approve it so I got involved. No receipt of course.

These bulb sets for $50 ea at the time. He didn't really want the store credit and tried to insist on cash. So I asked what store he got them from, he said the next town over.
Oh the one on Jay St? he said ooh yea that one! Funny it's on Main! ah-hemm-ha
What day? I can call over and have them look in the computer even if it was cash.
(possible but a real PITA) I got more nervous looks, ahh I'll check my car...
The guy took off and left the bag.
We waited 2 weeks and just added them to stock.

[earl colby pottinger]

That is why it should ALWAYS be store policy that "No Receipt, No Return".

[sirwired]

Clearly we are not dealing with a master criminal here... I wonder if he lifted them from W-M or another auto parts store? Either way, it's hilarious that he didn't think that returning four identical sets of bulbs at once, with no receipt, and asking for cash, would be the least bit suspicious.

Do you guys EVER do returns for cash without a receipt? I suppose it might make sense if the customer is trying to return something that's just a few bucks, like a quart of oil... but not anything with any real value.

[Catwoman2965]

I'm surprised stores still give cash back, unless you paid with cash. Because whenever I've returned anything, i get back how I paid initially. The only exception, and not every store does this, is if I used my debit card, some will give me cash back. But most of the time, I pay by cc, i get a credit to the account. And a lot of stores, no receipt, if they'll even take the merch. back, its store credit only.

[sirwired]

I'm surprised stores still give cash back, unless you paid with cash. Because whenever I've returned anything, i get back how I paid initially. The only exception, and not every store does this, is if I used my debit card, some will give me cash back. But most of the time, I pay by cc, i get a credit to the account. And a lot of stores, no receipt, if they'll even take the merch. back, its store credit only.

The grocery store I usually shop at always refunds in cash. But I think that's because a lot of the items get you a double-refund (Produce, Meat, Dairy, and Deli) and if that's all you bought, they'd have to figure out how to tell the register to give half the refund in cash and half as credit card.

(As a side-note, because of the way their computer counts BOGOF purchases, if I return BOGOF meat, I end up with a refund four times what I paid.)

[taxguykarl]

I can't recall the last time I received cash for a return...but then I can't recall the last time I returned an item for which I paid cash.

[rvdammit]

I'm surprised stores still give cash back, unless you paid with cash. Because whenever I've returned anything, i get back how I paid initially. The only exception, and not every store does this, is if I used my debit card, some will give me cash back.

My I am not a Banker understanding of cebit crads is that using one cuts out the withdraw cash from bank, give cash to retailer element of shopping. If they're giving you the cash back, rather than crediting back to your account, then it's because the small transaction cost saving adds up accross the business.

[Rosco the Iroc]

No receipt- no cash. If it was a hardpart (alt/dist/brake caliper) with a warranty it's all done with your phone # and I could return it based on that. I was sure he swiped them from Wally world, they were missing the mag tags in the blister pack that they were packaged with. Company req it.
One issue is now you can sell the store cards to places. So even if you don't get full value the guy could still clear $75-100. Or even used it for the part he really wanted.
We did have known roaming type of people come through the area and test the hard part policy. They would use the restroom in the back, distract and swipe something and try to return it. 1st store they tried this put out the APB on them. Being it's a replacement only warranty unless you convince us otherwise. While the parts guy was trying to explain this, someone to help pulled the box off the shelf to "replace it" low and behold it was empty. The guy just walked out at that point. We aren't allowed to stop them. They tried to hit 5 other stores and got shut down. No arrests but they moved along.

[EvilEmpryss]

In most places, debit cards are treated as cash after at least 24 hours. If you return with receipt and paid by debit, you usually get handed cash, though you can opt to have them just put it back on your card.

Now recently I had to return something to a part store where I'd been in there so much in the last month that they knew my name, car details, and which part I was currently working on (as well as how many other issues I had left to fix). I was sold a set of brake pads that didn't match my car, so I took them back. I didn't have my receipt, but not only was I one of their loyalty card holders, they could find the receipt in the computer. But the cashier was trying to tell me that he couldn't give me cash back. Uhm, excuse me? You can see it in both my loyalty file and in your computer that I paid by debit. If they wanted to put it back on my card, I'd have been fine with that, but they wanted to give me store credit. No, I am not going to take store credit when you've got everything you need right there to complete the transaction. Bah.