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~This woman had her receipt and wanted to return a $7 two-pack of vitamins and one of those big, plastic, $15 half-gallon jars of vanilla-flavored, food-supplement, drink-mix powder.... stuff. I always start off a return by asking if there is anything wrong with the item(s) so that I know if it can be put back on the shelf or not. She said that her "husband just wanted to return them," so I started things off with the drink mix because I wanted to check if the foil seal had been broken. It definitely had been. Not only that, but half of the product was missing. I'm no expert on what the stuff was supposed to look like, but what was left in the container looked like cornmeal.* Without saying anything, I looked up and gave her a What-the-Hell-is-Up-With-This look.
Its very convenient that she didn't mention anything before I opened the item, but afterward she was very forthcoming with information. She said that it, "was how [her] husband found it when he got home," and that, "he just handed it to [her] and told [her] to return it," because "it was bought like that." One of the store managers was conveniently a few feet away and had heard what was going on. He nodded that I could go ahead and return it, so I moved on to the other item she had brought.
The vitamins looked fine and unopened, but after seeing the drink mix, I took a closer look. I was rewarded for my efforts when I found a smoothly placed piece of scotch tape over one of the flaps. Both of the vitamin jars were in there, but I took the liberty of pulling both out to check their foil seal, as well. Woo and yay! Neither of the containers had their seal and both were filled with raw, black beans. Just to make sure you know that wasn't a typo, I'll type it again: both of the bottles were fill with uncooked, black beans. Come on lady! She rattled off her 'husband purchase' excuse again, but I wasn't really in the mood at this point to hear it and showed the bottles to the manager who was still nearby. Because what she was trying to get refunded wasn't a ridiculous amount, he went ahead and had me give her the money. He happens to play a larger part than some of the other managers in helping catch thieves in the store and it just wasn't worth arguing weather or not she was being truthful over $22 to him. He really just needed to see her face. Be it acts on my manager's part or just luck on mine, I haven't seen her again since.
* I honestly wouldn't be surprised if it really had been cornmeal in the container. The coloring may have been similar to the vanilla power that should have been in it. Cornmeal is pretty dense too, so it felt about the correct weight. With the label on the jar covering all but the bottom, I probably wouldn't have noticed the lack of contents if I hadn't taken the lid off. Besides, why just take half of the stuff when you can just replace it with a cheap alternative?
Its very convenient that she didn't mention anything before I opened the item, but afterward she was very forthcoming with information. She said that it, "was how [her] husband found it when he got home," and that, "he just handed it to [her] and told [her] to return it," because "it was bought like that." One of the store managers was conveniently a few feet away and had heard what was going on. He nodded that I could go ahead and return it, so I moved on to the other item she had brought.
The vitamins looked fine and unopened, but after seeing the drink mix, I took a closer look. I was rewarded for my efforts when I found a smoothly placed piece of scotch tape over one of the flaps. Both of the vitamin jars were in there, but I took the liberty of pulling both out to check their foil seal, as well. Woo and yay! Neither of the containers had their seal and both were filled with raw, black beans. Just to make sure you know that wasn't a typo, I'll type it again: both of the bottles were fill with uncooked, black beans. Come on lady! She rattled off her 'husband purchase' excuse again, but I wasn't really in the mood at this point to hear it and showed the bottles to the manager who was still nearby. Because what she was trying to get refunded wasn't a ridiculous amount, he went ahead and had me give her the money. He happens to play a larger part than some of the other managers in helping catch thieves in the store and it just wasn't worth arguing weather or not she was being truthful over $22 to him. He really just needed to see her face. Be it acts on my manager's part or just luck on mine, I haven't seen her again since.
So now on to my reasoning why I'm 97% sure that she was a fraud:
For starters-
The fact that she didn't mention anything was wrong with the containers until after I opened them is a prime indicator. When I ask if there is anything wrong with the item(s), any other customer that I've had who's purchased damaged or partial merchandise on accident will immediately state what is going on.
Secondly-
She was supposedly sent back to the store to return these items because they'd been opened prior to purchase, but both of the containers were made to look and feel like they had never been opened, period. Who would go to that much trouble unless they didn't want someone to notice the seals had been broken?
Finally-
I know that it is a very real possibility for some other customer to have swapped out and re-sealed these two items. Maybe they had even been returned to the store like that by an employee who hadn't noticed. It is not, on the other hand, a very real possibility for this woman's "husband" to have picked up both of these items on the same day in one transaction.
The fact that she didn't mention anything was wrong with the containers until after I opened them is a prime indicator. When I ask if there is anything wrong with the item(s), any other customer that I've had who's purchased damaged or partial merchandise on accident will immediately state what is going on.
Secondly-
She was supposedly sent back to the store to return these items because they'd been opened prior to purchase, but both of the containers were made to look and feel like they had never been opened, period. Who would go to that much trouble unless they didn't want someone to notice the seals had been broken?
Finally-
I know that it is a very real possibility for some other customer to have swapped out and re-sealed these two items. Maybe they had even been returned to the store like that by an employee who hadn't noticed. It is not, on the other hand, a very real possibility for this woman's "husband" to have picked up both of these items on the same day in one transaction.
* I honestly wouldn't be surprised if it really had been cornmeal in the container. The coloring may have been similar to the vanilla power that should have been in it. Cornmeal is pretty dense too, so it felt about the correct weight. With the label on the jar covering all but the bottom, I probably wouldn't have noticed the lack of contents if I hadn't taken the lid off. Besides, why just take half of the stuff when you can just replace it with a cheap alternative?
4 comments:
I do not understand anything about your manager, he is actually approving people to fraud. This makes your job more frustrating, I think. Why just say, no madam, I am sorry, this we cannot return. And what a nerve people have, isn't it? You do a good job with your stories, I love them!
I really wish he hadn't approved the return, but he was really only half paying attention to what was going on. This particular manager doesn't usually put up a fight during the situation, but he usually makes sure it doesn't happen again.
Interesting blog post. I've run into people like your smooth talking swindler. Usually they're not so dumb as to return 2 items at once...apparently she was an amateur.
But as for your manager, his not turning her (he probably figured it was a 'slap on the hand' misdemeanor offense) in may have only fueled her thought processes into thinking she got away with it once so let's try it again. And if she's like most thieving people she'll move on to more costly items & when she gets caught trying to pull a fast one w/those...it'll jump from a misdemeanor to a felony.
But all that aside...I really enjoyed your blog and I hope to get a few minutes in my busy schedule to read more of your postings!
I agree, Avery. Sometimes people grab the gasoline can, instead of the water bucket, on accident and throw it on the fire before they realize what they did wrong.
Oh well. I recently found out that particular manager will be leaving the store where I work. He's got his own company that he's building for people to rip him off at. Good luck to him.
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