Do you think it's ok to buy a case of figures from an online retailer but then return 1 or 2 of the figures you didn't want to a store you didn't get them at in the first place for store credit? Me: No, it is not ok.
It's not wrong. They give you 10 for a toy, 10 dollars you still have to spend at their store, you can't use it elsewhere.. They sell the 10$ the next day, taking the exact same amount of money from Joe Q. Shopper as they gave you credit for. From a practical standpoint, it's nothing more than them getting another supplier for their stock; you're literally selling them a toy they will resell later for the same price. It's not a net loss for them, so how is it stealing?
Not cool! The few times I had to either buy a set from a wave or a case for a toy, the remainders always went to the Toys for Tots drive!
I think if you explain to the clerk what you are doing and they accept the return, sure it's ok. If you lie to the clerk and tell them the item was purchased there and you lost your receipt, then no.
With my previous post I can not say that I have not done some unethical things at retail. Once I bought a TV tray stand set to simply replace a part that broke on the same one I already had and returned it with the broken part. The other was during the Cybertron line. I found Primus without the Unicron head first that I left sealed. Found Primus with the Unicron head and used that receipt to return the one without the Unicron head...still sealed.
It's not called "stealing". It's called "fraud". And unless the store's policy states otherwise, they are required to submit all returned products to their main branch. Which often has them be refunded its bulk price... Which is not full retail. And I am not saying all stores do this. I am saying that the stores that do this lose money. And the stores that do not do this were also found to be ripped off in similar ways.
As I said above... Fraud is not cool. So no. It is not OK to do this. Especially with the history of fraud, and those (like me) who fell victim to it.
I imagine anyone who buys a case of figures is doing so from a retailer like BBTS, where they offer cases as the only way to get certain sought-after figures, by lumping them in with crap figures or too many extra figures that nobody else wants. Since you'd be returning the figures that nobody wants, you'd be actively contributing to the figures that I assume are already shelf-warming (which is why they don't have the new wave which is why you bought a case of them), and are not only hurting the store by clogging their shelves with figures that they'll have a harder time selling, but you're hurting other customers as well.
Fraud? Hurting customers? Aren't we being a bit melodramatic here? If the store gave a shit they wouldn't make the exchange. A couple action figures isn't gonna break their inventory or put them outta business.
LINK: The Insane $11 Billion Scam at Retailers’ Return Desks LINK: Refund theft - Wikipedia LINK: Retail loss prevention - Wikipedia They are doing something about it. You are too busy dismissing those who are actual victims of this act "melodramatic". And this could have been reconsidered since the facts entail how refund theft, and refund fraud, does cost the store money. And this excludes the "brick-in-box" scam you obviously have never had to deal with. Because the reality is that the scammer is buying items at a bulk rate, keep what they want, and return the remaining products for full retail. They then build up the credit they have acquired, and use this "free money" for anything ranging from buying more expensive items to selling their confirmed credit for a profit. In the end, recovery of this any financial losses vary from store-to-store. And what makes it really hard for the person to be caught, or this from being eradicated, is the fact that the culprit does not do said actions at the same store. Which is why the additional factor to this is that if you did it even once, and they find out, they can still have you arrested if they found you returning to the store. And it does not matter if you are buying something or making a legit return. If they have you on video, and proof that the recorded return were tied to items bought elsewhere... That is all they need. Oh, and yeah... I was a victim of both scenarios. So even if I did have my disability in check, the fact it did happen does bring a lot of anxiety to the table.
I'm positive I saw this happen during the Prime run. Saw lots and lots of the 'commons'. More than even what you may expect. To answer the question, no, it isn't an okay practice. Not only is it fraud, but it skews the store's inventory. They may show X amount of figures on the pegs, which won't trigger a restock, but it doesn't say the X is all the same figure. Store sees lower toy sales, and kids/collectors see less diversity and added frustration. I kind of think army-builders add to this as well, since I'm sure that once the cases hit the online stores we'll see an abnormal amount of Legends Bumblebees at retail.
I don't see a problem with it, as long as the figures aren't opened or damaged they are just going to reshelf them for a future sale
I'm not sure I understand this because, as a retailer myself, I cant see how it could be ok. You are buying stock from an online retailer and returning some of it to a retailer that didn't sell you it in the first place for store credit? First of all the stock didn't come from that store, they have no obligation to exchange it and should not. Are you claiming you purchased it there? I assume they will be giving you retail prices in store credit? Therefore completely losing any mark up they would have made had they actually brought the stock in themselves? It sounds like a scam to me.
Another issue I've seen is when a store sells product for lower and someone returns it to a store that sells it for higher. Saw a lot of Five Below Prime figures end up at Walmart and Target.
Nope, not cool. Plus, you're putting inventory into their system that wasn't there before, thereby preventing them from ordering more product and holding up new product from getting to their shelves. I see this happen at ToysRUs in a different way, though. Clearance merchandise that ends up at Ross or TJMaxx get bought and then returned back to ToysRUs. Someone thinks it's cute that the retailer is giving them full store credit when they bought it at discount and traded it back to TRU. But what they're really doing is screwing up inventory counts and wasting everyone's time, just so that they can get a few dollars on a gift card.
Either take them to Toys for Tots, use them as X-mas gifts for kids in your family, or list them as BST items.
