<VV> many unhappy returns(not Corvair)

[Chuck Kubin]

----Interesting side effect, am seeing signs in stores that generators are
> > non-returnable items. Guess they are concerned that people will buy one
> > when a storm is coming then try to return it when past.
> I saw the same signs prior to Jan 1, 2000 here in Ohio-apparently people
> afraid the electric would go off.-----

You are dead on, Mike. I saw a lot of this in five years with now-defunct Builder's Square and Home Depot. When a wet snowstorm hit Denver in the spring and took out about 15% of the old trees in the city, anything that would cut wood was out of the store by 7:45 AM. Same thing for shovels, snow movers and generators every time a big snowstorm hits. The sun comes out and there's a line at the returns desk. Retailers got smart on this one years ago.

Too many people treating stores like rent-a-centers is exactly why almost everyone has gone over to a policy where they won't allow you to return high-ticket stuff, especially if the circumstances are obvious. You have to approach the manufacturer under warranty if you have a complaint. You can no longer take home an expensive tool like a snow blower or chainsaw, do the work, and bring it back with some bullshit complaint about being dissatisfied with the product.

This is a legitimate concern for the manufacturers. "Customer satisfaction" goes out of the mix when some jerk brings back the generator, lawn mower or cement mixer after he finished the job. The businesses don't need the hassle of handling an inventory of machines they'll now have to dump at a discount, nor do they need tax write-offs as much as they need to make money. Who pays the price? You, the honest consumer, when you pay higher prices to cover the company's losses.

I'd explain the return policy and pass the customer to a manager. If my manager wanted to accept a high-ticket return on something like a generator, he could explain the lost sales and policy exceptions to his boss. My favorite was the occasional clown who couldn't accept information from the display model. He had to take one out of a new box, then didn't want THAT one because the box is now open. In most cases, I was the first salesman who wouldn't let them get away with it. Why would the next guy want the opened box, and why should I have to discount it for that reason?

Chuck Kubin


		
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