The Great Return

[thehuckster]

The problem with the "stolen credit card" theory is nobody would ever have granted him the purchase if he's some preteen kid, unless they were overtly stupid and/or in on the scam. I mean, sure, someone else could have made the purchase on the card and had the kid return them, but I don't see what kind of benefit that would really have to the CC thief except for fear that said thief would get caught.

My thought is he's returning his family's wardrobe out of spite towards his parents or simply to steal from them in order to go on a cash shopping spree. The clothes weren't all paid for at once, he's just returning, say, a year's worth of purchases, all of which were paid for on the same card.

The only oddity is, in my experience, you can't credit the a credit or debit card without having the card itself. The register explicitly required me to swipe the card it was returned on because the credit card information that's stored in the system is encrypted in a manner that prevents you from ever recovering it, and you can only verify that the card info you've swiped matches the encrypted value. Also, I'd immediately find it very suspicious that a kid is making such a large return, especially if the clothes are all obviously adult sizes and not his own.

[Rapscallion]

This isn't the first time she's done this, but we all think there's something fishy going on, we just don't know what. she buys a metric fuckton, using her store charge, and then returns most of it. But its HER card, so we can't figure out how she's scamming us, if she is at all. Since all she gets is a credit for what she already put on her card.

Hmm, does using the store card confer any other benefits? Air miles or similar? If so, do they get returned if goods are returned?

Only thing I could see working.

Rapscallion

[taxguykarl]

That situation just screams "theft." I was thinking that he had perhaps pilfered it all from around the store, then brought it up in bags as though he'd actually purchased it. You'd think someone with $3k worth of clothing would have kept a receipt or two. :/

I have a cousin who tried that sort of scam--he got a short jail stay to show for it.
In the case of the OP, I get the feeling that the kid was simply unfamiliar with the credit card process. My ex-GF tried to return some stuff I gave her (she had the receipt--I paid on a credit card). She was quite disappointed to learn she wouldn't get cash for her return.

[Catwoman2965]

Hmm, does using the store card confer any other benefits? Air miles or similar? If so, do they get returned if goods are returned?

Only thing I could see working.

Rapscallion

Yes, and we think that might be it. You get a certificate for a certain amount wen you accumulate so many points. and if you purchase and use that cert, and return, they credit that amount to your charge. But they also deduct points so not quite sure how it all works. other than that, she may just be a serial shopper and returner.

[Andara Bledin]

Hmm, does using the store card confer any other benefits? Air miles or similar? If so, do they get returned if goods are returned?

This is actually a very good question. I hadn't thought of points fraud, but it does happen.

^-.-^

[sirwired]

The only oddity is, in my experience, you can't credit the a credit or debit card without having the card itself. The register explicitly required me to swipe the card it was returned on because the credit card information that's stored in the system is encrypted in a manner that prevents you from ever recovering it, and you can only verify that the card info you've swiped matches the encrypted value. Also, I'd immediately find it very suspicious that a kid is making such a large return, especially if the clothes are all obviously adult sizes and not his own.

Many stores now keep the credit card information tied to the transaction. On return, the computer already knows what card the purchase came from and processes the credit without the card needing to be present. I know Wal-Mart and Target, and I presume other retailers, do this.

[EricKei]

They technically don't even need to expressly keep the CC info per se -- Just the Authorization info (which would at least include the last 4 digits and name on the card, e.g. the data that shows up in plaintext when swiping -- If you have a swiper, you can see exactly what this is by Swiping your card within Notepad; you should get a bunch of garbage/X's with FIRSTNAME LASTNAME and LAST4 mixed in there somewhere).

re: Debit: When I've dealt with these, most places seem to offer a refund to the card if it was used as Credit, but cash if it was used as Debit. I don't think you can technically run a Chargeback on a Debit Card txn, tho it may vary by state/country.

[Teskeria]

My thought is that the CARD was stolen. American Express takes a dim view of stores asking for ID to use the AE card - businesses have had their license to accept that card withdrawn because of it. It's not that hard to fake a signature that looks pretty much like the one on the card, either.

So someone went on a shopping spree with a stolen card with the plan to return it all for cash. Most places won't do that - around here even if you purchase with a debit card they will return it to that debit card, not give you cash. But dude didn't realize that. Gotta love ignorant thieves.

Actually they have no objection to ID being requested and REQUIRE the CM to sign the card. It is even in the CMA (Card Member Agreement) that the CM is required to sign the card. (Yes I have worked for them - a couple years ago). I've never heard of Am ex withdrawing a license from a merchant because they require ID. However, if they required ID ONLY from Am ex cardholders, that would be a different matter. Discrimination between their card and other cards will cause them to withdraw the license.

[Nijiero]

A thought that amuses me, and another possible explination... if these were clothes that might have been his sizes and things, I mean... is that perhaps parents/family bought this kid an entire new wardrobe, gift or something, and he though he'd rather have a Cash Payout for whatever HE wanted to do with it... which leads me to laugh at his horror, when the buyer see's their generous gift returned to the store... and gets to face the music when said parent asks him why he returned all that stuff.

[El Pollo Guerrera]

A thought that amuses me, and another possible explination...

I was thinking that as well... then I looked at the original post again and saw that lingerie was in with the returns.

[Hawaiian Eskimo]

Hey, maybe the kid liked that

[Rapscallion]

Hey, maybe the kid liked that

Well, we do try to be non-judgemental here...

Rapscallion