Holiday returns?

csuave · January 2016

Did anybody have any gifts to return? How did it go?

H and I went to a Christmas party this past weekend and did an exchange game. There were 2 parts of the gift we got that we didn't want and gift receipts were not included. One was an adult coloring book and the other was a pack of mini scrapers (for paint and household stuff). I googled the coloring book and saw it on Target.com. Happily we took it back to the store and they gave us the full amount for it! No luck with googling the scrapers. While they are useful, we personally don't have use for them (already have similar tools) so I'll either give them to family or donate them.

Other than that the only gift I got that I didn't want was a $25 Amazon gift card. I'm just not a fan of Amazon and have a hard time spending $35 to get free shipping. I think I'll "convert" it into a gift card to a restaurant or something since it is not returnable.

julieanne912 · January 2016

Every year H's dad's GF buys us pajamas. And, bless her heart, she always buys me a size too small. So I returned those while we were still in WY as she bought them at a store we don't have down here (Herberger's). I got a store credit, so I had to figure out what to buy there for $20 while H and his nephews were waiting in the car, so I bought an eyeliner and still ended up with $3 in store credit. I was going to give to his sister but forgot so I need to mail it to her or something.

And, how do you not love Amazon? LOL. If you stream movies you can use the gift card to buy some movies/TV shows.

csuave · January 2016

julieanne912 said:

Every year H's dad's GF buys us pajamas. And, bless her heart, she always buys me a size too small. So I returned those while we were still in WY as she bought them at a store we don't have down here (Herberger's). I got a store credit, so I had to figure out what to buy there for $20 while H and his nephews were waiting in the car, so I bought an eyeliner and still ended up with $3 in store credit. I was going to give to his sister but forgot so I need to mail it to her or something.

And, how do you not love Amazon? LOL. If you stream movies you can use the gift card to buy some movies/TV shows.

I feel you on the PJs. Over the years I have gotten so many clothes that were too small. Maybe it is a compliment that people think I look like a smaller size than I actually am?

And as far as Amazon goes, I am probably in the minority there! It just seems that for what I typically buy I find it cheaper at other stores or I want something small and then the shipping is a barrier. And, believe it or not, we actually don't stream movies. We usually have a ton of things to watch in the DVR and we see a lot of movies in the theater for free by getting invited to previews and screenings.

smetter04 · January 2016

The only item I need to return is a DVD player from H. It worked out that my parents got H a Blu-ray/DVD player, lol. We don't buy Blurays or DVDs anymore, but we do have some Bluray discs we'd like to watch so we kept that one. I wanted a DVD player to use my 30-day shred DVD, to get me to start exercising.

als1982 · January 2016

csuave said:

julieanne912 said:

Every year H's dad's GF buys us pajamas. And, bless her heart, she always buys me a size too small. So I returned those while we were still in WY as she bought them at a store we don't have down here (Herberger's). I got a store credit, so I had to figure out what to buy there for $20 while H and his nephews were waiting in the car, so I bought an eyeliner and still ended up with $3 in store credit. I was going to give to his sister but forgot so I need to mail it to her or something.

And, how do you not love Amazon? LOL. If you stream movies you can use the gift card to buy some movies/TV shows.

I feel you on the PJs. Over the years I have gotten so many clothes that were too small. Maybe it is a compliment that people think I look like a smaller size than I actually am?

And as far as Amazon goes, I am probably in the minority there! It just seems that for what I typically buy I find it cheaper at other stores or I want something small and then the shipping is a barrier. And, believe it or not, we actually don't stream movies. We usually have a ton of things to watch in the DVR and we see a lot of movies in the theater for free by getting invited to previews and screenings.

You are not the only one who doesn't care for Amazon. I use it for work purchases, but otherwise, no. I can find better deals elsewhere, or its stuff we just don't really need.

I did take back a breakfast sandwich maker to Kohls with no reciept without issue. (Seriously, who needs this item?!) And I also took back a purse to Coach that I recieved from my mom. Fortunately she included a gift recipt, so I was able to get store credit, which I redeemed online for more options and an additional bonus through ebates.com.

cbee817 · January 2016

We usually end up returning quite a bit of clothing for the girls from DH's aunt. They're not really our style (too many bows, sequins, lace, and strange applique.. ick!). Fortunately she always gives us gift receipts so it's painless. We also returned a few toys/puzzles/books (too babyish for them) and got merchandise credit. The girls went back with us (Toys R Us and Barnes & Noble) and picked out what they wanted instead. Worked out well!

dragonstarjk · January 2016

I didn't have anything to return, but I did give some small stocking stuffer items away. Scented lotions and things like that--my family always buys them for me and I never use them because I am extremely sensitive to scents/chemicals. I gave them to one of my coworkers who has 3 pre-teen daughters.

jtmh2012 · January 2016

als1982 said:

I did take back a breakfast sandwich maker to Kohls with no reciept without issue. (Seriously, who needs this item?!)

We have a sandwhich maker (not breakfast specific) and used to use it all the time, but I will admit, it has been some time since we last used it.

KatieCutie05 · January 2016

This is where i'm a little evil... but it didn't hurt anyone!

My MIL got me a northface coat i wasn't a huge fan of - no gift reciept. i thought it was 100 so I took it back to cabelas because i knew thats where she got it. I had looked online the night before and I saw they had the coat i really wanted for 150. I had cash from my FIL so i decided that would be a good trade.

I took it back and only got 75 for it and then i went online to order the coat i wanted and it was sold out! NOOO! I found out that Gander mountain also sold the coat i wanted and it was 10 dollars cheaper there - plus i had a 10 dollar coupon. But I still didn't have 130 to spend at gander mountain when i had 75 to cabelas i didn't know what to do with. So what do i do? I buy a different northface coat at cabelas on sale for 99. Spending 25 after my gift card. Then i go to Gander mountain return that coat without a reciept - get 150 for it! I ordered my coat and i still have 20 left to spend at gander mountain! I win! lol

short+sassy · January 2016

I have to admit, I love both Walmart and Target for their super flexible return policies.

Though twice I've been a little evil with Walmart. Years ago...before the industry made it on tv...I went to a storage unit auction and bought one. In the unit, there was a ceiling fan (still in box) with a Walmart price tag on it. No telling how old that sucker that was, but I took it to Walmart and got a $45 store credit card. I only paid $11 for the storage unit, so that was just one of the many win-wins I found in the unit. I also found a mug filled with $28 in coins, mostly dollar coins. And a real gold ring with diamonds and opals (though small).

A couple years ago, Harrahs gave me a free Jimmy Buffet Margarita maker. $80 retail value!!! But, seriously? Who the heck needs something like that? I love me some margaritas, but that's what blenders are for. Anyhoo...took it to Walmart and got an $88 walmart gift card for it (because they also reimburse you for the sales tax).

als1982 · January 2016

KatieCutie05 said:
This is where i'm a little evil... but it didn't hurt anyone!
My MIL got me a northface coat i wasn't a huge fan of - no gift reciept. i thought it was 100 so I took it back to cabelas because i knew thats where she got it. I had looked online the night before and I saw they had the coat i really wanted for 150. I had cash from my FIL so i decided that would be a good trade.

I took it back and only got 75 for it and then i went online to order the coat i wanted and it was sold out! NOOO! I found out that Gander mountain also sold the coat i wanted and it was 10 dollars cheaper there - plus i had a 10 dollar coupon. But I still didn't have 130 to spend at gander mountain when i had 75 to cabelas i didn't know what to do with. So what do i do? I buy a different northface coat at cabelas on sale for 99. Spending 25 after my gift card. Then i go to Gander mountain return that coat without a reciept - get 150 for it! I ordered my coat and i still have 20 left to spend at gander mountain! I win! lol

I'm sorry but this seems super shady to me.

hoffse · January 2016

als1982 said:

This is where i'm a little evil... but it didn't hurt anyone!
My MIL got me a northface coat i wasn't a huge fan of - no gift reciept. i thought it was 100 so I took it back to cabelas because i knew thats where she got it. I had looked online the night before and I saw they had the coat i really wanted for 150. I had cash from my FIL so i decided that would be a good trade.

I took it back and only got 75 for it and then i went online to order the coat i wanted and it was sold out! NOOO! I found out that Gander mountain also sold the coat i wanted and it was 10 dollars cheaper there - plus i had a 10 dollar coupon. But I still didn't have 130 to spend at gander mountain when i had 75 to cabelas i didn't know what to do with. So what do i do? I buy a different northface coat at cabelas on sale for 99. Spending 25 after my gift card. Then i go to Gander mountain return that coat without a reciept - get 150 for it! I ordered my coat and i still have 20 left to spend at gander mountain! I win! lol
I'm sorry but this seems super shady to me.

I gotta agree. It's one thing if you don't know where a gift came from and you find that Walmart or Target (or whoever) carries it, but otherwise... I dunno, it kind of rubs me the wrong way to buy something at store 1 and intentionally return it to store 2 to get more money back.

This is very similar to one method that CC churners use to manufacture spending, and I've just never been able to get on board with it.

Xstatic3333 · January 2016

hoffse said:

als1982 said:

This is where i'm a little evil... but it didn't hurt anyone!
My MIL got me a northface coat i wasn't a huge fan of - no gift reciept. i thought it was 100 so I took it back to cabelas because i knew thats where she got it. I had looked online the night before and I saw they had the coat i really wanted for 150. I had cash from my FIL so i decided that would be a good trade.

I took it back and only got 75 for it and then i went online to order the coat i wanted and it was sold out! NOOO! I found out that Gander mountain also sold the coat i wanted and it was 10 dollars cheaper there - plus i had a 10 dollar coupon. But I still didn't have 130 to spend at gander mountain when i had 75 to cabelas i didn't know what to do with. So what do i do? I buy a different northface coat at cabelas on sale for 99. Spending 25 after my gift card. Then i go to Gander mountain return that coat without a reciept - get 150 for it! I ordered my coat and i still have 20 left to spend at gander mountain! I win! lol
I'm sorry but this seems super shady to me.

I gotta agree. It's one thing if you don't know where a gift came from and you find that Walmart or Target (or whoever) carries it, but otherwise... I dunno, it kind of rubs me the wrong way to buy something at store 1 and intentionally return it to store 2 to get more money back.

This is very similar to one method that CC churners use to manufacture spending, and I've just never been able to get on board with it.

This sort of thing happened a lot when I worked retail at the VS/Bath and Body works chain of stores (which is hilarious in retrospect, considering how not stylish I am at this point in my life and how much I hate malls). People would buy stuff on sale with a good BOGO coupon and then exchange it without a receipt for full price goods not covered by the original coupon (i.e. a BOGO on bras becomes $60 to spend on underwear). It was pretty obvious, but we weren't allowed to call them on it. It's definitely a moral grey area. No, doesn't hurt anybody, but not something I could ever do myself. It probably does drive pricing up since the companies need to account for it.

Sidebar relevant to the original discussion, Bath and Body Works will exchange stuff pretty much forever. If you have a weird scented lotion from several years ago languishing in a closet somewhere, it's probably not too late for you to turn it into some useful hand soap.

hoffse · January 2016

Xstatic3333 said:

This sort of thing happened a lot when I worked retail at the VS/Bath and Body works chain of stores (which is hilarious in retrospect, considering how not stylish I am at this point in my life and how much I hate malls). People would buy stuff on sale with a good BOGO coupon and then exchange it without a receipt for full price goods not covered by the original coupon (i.e. a BOGO on bras becomes $60 to spend on underwear). It was pretty obvious, but we weren't allowed to call them on it. It's definitely a moral grey area. No, doesn't hurt anybody, but not something I could ever do myself. It probably does drive pricing up since the companies need to account for it.

Sidebar relevant to the original discussion, Bath and Body Works will exchange stuff pretty much forever. If you have a weird scented lotion from several years ago languishing in a closet somewhere, it's probably not too late for you to turn it into some useful hand soap.

**********SIB**************

It hurts the store, and they have to cover their losses on those items, so it definitely drives prices up.

Stores are very intentional about which items they discount and which they do not.

littlemushroom · January 2016

Yep, that kind of stuff costs stores millions of dollars a year. We learned about it during the theft portion of training at Kohls. It is a large reason why most places have a return policy that makes it hard to return anything without a receipt. It is also why you only get store credit when you return something with no receipt and when given store credit for a return you get the lowest sale price from the last 30-60 days and not what it costs that moment.

formerlyGDaisy09 · January 2016

working returns like that is definitely a little evil. I worked in a small independently owned gift shop and people playing games with returns and theft were definitely factors in pricing. and especially in that case the shop did get hurt.

I did have one return to make this year, H decided (I think at the suggestion of MIL) to buy DD a pair of diamond earrings (little stones, they were $50). He wanted to take her out to get her ears peirced when MIL is in town. I had to explain to him that DD would not be getting her ears pierced until she could first ask to get them pierced and understand what she was asking and when she would be able to care for them on her own (I'm thinking like 10 or 11 years old), and even then she doesn't need expensive earrings because it is likely that she's loose them. anyways, I think maybe he was a little insulted that I returned them, but I certainly wasn't going to hold onto them for a decade or more, and $50 is $50...unfortunately it was only good for store credit, but I've already used part of that to put a new battery in H's watch.

hoffse · January 2016

formerlyGDaisy09 said:

working returns like that is definitely a little evil. I worked in a small independently owned gift shop and people playing games with returns and theft were definitely factors in pricing. and especially in that case the shop did get hurt.

I did have one return to make this year, H decided (I think at the suggestion of MIL) to buy DD a pair of diamond earrings (little stones, they were $50). He wanted to take her out to get her ears peirced when MIL is in town. I had to explain to him that DD would not be getting her ears pierced until she could first ask to get them pierced and understand what she was asking and when she would be able to care for them on her own (I'm thinking like 10 or 11 years old), and even then she doesn't need expensive earrings because it is likely that she's loose them. anyways, I think maybe he was a little insulted that I returned them, but I certainly wasn't going to hold onto them for a decade or more, and $50 is $50...unfortunately it was only good for store credit, but I've already used part of that to put a new battery in H's watch.

That was my parents' approach as well. I got my ears pierced on my 13th birthday. It was my "you're now a teenager" gift, and I had been asking for a couple years by then.

It still hurt so much that I never got a second hole, lol.

als1982 · January 2016

formerlyGDaisy09 said:
working returns like that is definitely a little evil. I worked in a small independently owned gift shop and people playing games with returns and theft were definitely factors in pricing. and especially in that case the shop did get hurt.

I did have one return to make this year, H decided (I think at the suggestion of MIL) to buy DD a pair of diamond earrings (little stones, they were $50). He wanted to take her out to get her ears peirced when MIL is in town. I had to explain to him that DD would not be getting her ears pierced until she could first ask to get them pierced and understand what she was asking and when she would be able to care for them on her own (I'm thinking like 10 or 11 years old), and even then she doesn't need expensive earrings because it is likely that she's loose them. anyways, I think maybe he was a little insulted that I returned them, but I certainly wasn't going to hold onto them for a decade or more, and $50 is $50...unfortunately it was only good for store credit, but I've already used part of that to put a new battery in H's watch.

No pun intended, but baby piercings make me stabby.

jtmh2012 · January 2016

als1982 said:

No pun intended, but baby piercings make me stabby.

Ditto. They should at least be old enough to ask for them. Or at least refuse them.

dragonstarjk · January 2016

jtmh2012 said:

als1982 said:

No pun intended, but baby piercings make me stabby.

Ditto. They should at least be old enough to ask for them. Or at least refuse them.

Double ditto!

vlagrl29 · January 2016

dragonstarjk said:

jtmh2012 said:

als1982 said:

No pun intended, but baby piercings make me stabby.

Ditto. They should at least be old enough to ask for them. Or at least refuse them.

Double ditto!

yeah, thinking of having to maintain yet another baby thing is just too much for me. I didn't get mine pierced until I was 8.

short+sassy · January 2016

hoffse said:

formerlyGDaisy09 said:

working returns like that is definitely a little evil. I worked in a small independently owned gift shop and people playing games with returns and theft were definitely factors in pricing. and especially in that case the shop did get hurt.

I did have one return to make this year, H decided (I think at the suggestion of MIL) to buy DD a pair of diamond earrings (little stones, they were $50). He wanted to take her out to get her ears peirced when MIL is in town. I had to explain to him that DD would not be getting her ears pierced until she could first ask to get them pierced and understand what she was asking and when she would be able to care for them on her own (I'm thinking like 10 or 11 years old), and even then she doesn't need expensive earrings because it is likely that she's loose them. anyways, I think maybe he was a little insulted that I returned them, but I certainly wasn't going to hold onto them for a decade or more, and $50 is $50...unfortunately it was only good for store credit, but I've already used part of that to put a new battery in H's watch.

That was my parents' approach as well. I got my ears pierced on my 13th birthday. It was my "you're now a teenager" gift, and I had been asking for a couple years by then.

It still hurt so much that I never got a second hole, lol.

I wanted my ears pierced when I was about 11. My parents told me I had to wait until I was 12. And so that was one of my presents.

Speaking of little girls and things that make me super stabby, I was downtown on Sat. and there was some big cheerleading convention/competition going on. I swear, I saw a 4-5 year old wearing a super short and tight cheerleading skirt with a mid-riff almost backless top. And gobs of make-up. Can we please not sexualize toddlers? That would be great.

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