Ethics re: buying then returning stuff

[handsome]

A lot of students around here don't have money. Walmart and Target have a 3-month return policy, so I often hear cases of my friends taking advantage of them for stuff like can openers, mirrors and computer games like Counterstrike (for the cd-key). I have one friend "E" who is a buy/return maniac... he has bought/returned a screen projector, a laptop and even a Sonicare toothbrush. Yes, it's pretty sad. E, however, is heavily in debt due to a gambling problem. On top of that, he loves to spend lavish amounts of money on things he doesn't need, but he doesn't work to earn money, and any time he needs cash he just asks his parents.

I have another friend, "H" who I have mentioned before in my Uhaul story (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=exchange&Number=3229461&Fo rum=,,,,All_Forums,,,,&Words=&Searchpage=3&Limit=2 5&Main=3229461&Search=true&where=&Name=31551&dater ange=&newerval=&newertype=&olderval=&oldertype=&bo dyprev=#Post3229461), who has caught the buy/return bug. He just bought a 42" Flat Screen Plasma TV for himself and his 2 roommates and he's planning to return it in 3 months (minus 1 day of course) for a full refund. He plays poker and is decently well off in terms of money.

Now..
1) Who is worse: broke guy "E" or cheap guy "H", or are they equally horrible? Or are their actions perfectly justified against these monster conglomerations?
2) How should one approach E if he's sick of this behavior? How should one approach H?

[STLantny]

I once had on about 500$ worth of clothes, between my shirt/pants, and puked all over myself at 3am, after a fun night. I returned everything, after I hosed them off and washed em. I felt terrible, after saying they didnt fit to the sales dude. Id never buy something with hte intention of doing it though.

[HopeydaFish]

1) Both are equally horrible. They are a waste of skin. They are parasites.

2) Why approach them? Do you think they'll listen to you? If their own conscience isn't making them stop, you won't either. Just don't be friends with retards like this.

[Alobar]

H better be careful, lots of places keep a database of how often you return stuff, im gunna laugh when they dont let him, or he fucks it up within the 3 months

I buy/return stuff on occasion. Usually tho its situations like where I think my motherboard went out, so ill buy a new one install it, and then realize it was my CPU that went out, so ill return the motherboard, etc.

I dont think ive ever bought something with the intent to use it for a while and then return it

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

A nice scratch on the 42" plasma ought to make for a nice lesson.

[mason55]

The scam my friends always pull is when something breaks, you go buy a new one, put the broken one in the box (usually computer parts that you can't really tell are broken) and return the broken one, saying it didn't work and you just want a refund.

[rusellmj]

I knew a guy who did this at Costco because they apparently have a no questions asked policy. If he needed a camera or video camera he would buy it then return it when he was done. He bought and returned an $1800 telescope when Hale Bopp came through.

[BigBaitsim (milo)]

I did this a few times with books when I was 15. Pretty lame to do it as an actual adult, or with something that can't be resold.

[mblax10]

When I was in college I was as unethical as your friends.

I bought an X-Box on release night and it had all kinds of problems. After a couple years it was barley even functional. I ended up buying a new one about a year and a half ago from Shopko and returned my original in the box. I bought a memory card from Walmart and returned it so I didn't lose the saves from my hard drive.

I also have "rented" numerous radar detectors and power invertors for road trips. One time I was on a lacrosse trip which was scheduled to be played outdoors. When we arrive at the school, there's still snow on the field and were playing indoors. I went to the local K-Mart and bought their nicest pair of sneakers $29.95 a pair, only to return them before I left town. I paid the price though. My feet badly blistered up. I couldn't walk for over a week without my feet hurting.

[handsome]

[ QUOTE ]
One time I was on a lacrosse trip which was scheduled to be played outdoors. When we arrive at the school, there's still snow on the field and were playing indoors. I went to the local K-Mart and bought their nicest pair of sneakers $29.95 a pair, only to return them before I left town. I paid the price though. My feet badly blistered up. I couldn't walk for over a week without my feet hurting.

[/ QUOTE ]

Do you not feel shame?

Why does (mostly) everyone think this is ok? This is pretty much theft to me.

[JustSomeJackass]

You can "rent" video games (movies/CD's) for free by buying it from the store...come home, play (watch) it as much as you want. Then take it back to a different store. Since all stores have a "no return" policy on this type of stuff...you take it back without the receipt, say you just got it as a gift, and it doesn't work (screen freezes, skips, whatever). They let you even exchange for the same title. Now you have an unopened product that you take back to the original store with the receipt...full refund granted. Just can't do it often at the same store

[HesseJam]

This only works because Americans at large are honest and possess good ethics.

This would never work in Continental Europe. In Germany you have a week, need the receipt of the store and in most cases the product needs to be unused. If they grant you the return very often you do not get cash - only a voucher that is valid only at the same store.

[Tron]

[ QUOTE ]
One time I was on a lacrosse trip which was scheduled to be played outdoors. When we arrive at the school, there's still snow on the field and were playing indoors. I went to the local K-Mart and bought their nicest pair of sneakers $29.95 a pair, only to return them before I left town. I paid the price though. My feet badly blistered up. I couldn't walk for over a week without my feet hurting.

[/ QUOTE ]

You should have bought those sneakers with the velcro straps that old men wear. They are only $9, and they're sick.

[x2ski]

When I was younger I used to go out to Avon, CO (Vail/Beaver Creek) with friends every winter break.

We'd drive out from Wisconsin in a couple SUVs packed to the gills.

Since the condos we rented had TV only, we always went to the local Wal*Mart and "bought" the nicest mini stero system they had so we could have tunes during our stay.

It was subsequently returned at the end of our stay, but we kept the remote in the plastic wrap (still worked anyways), and made absolutely sure the stereo itself remained in brand new condition.

I'm not saying it was okay, but we needed tunes, man.

[smokingrobot]

Yah, costco has a return policy for its members thats just unbelievable.

you could basically "rent" a big screen TV for 2 years and then return it w/ receipt.

i dont think they're losing money on this, and if it were theft, they would probably change their return policy.

i think the only things that do not apply to that policy are computers.

[emonrad87]

Think of some way to covertly mess it up for them. Something like trashing the packaging so they can't return it. You could even try calling the store and telling them what they're doing. The people who do this crap are going to ruin easy returns for all of the ethical and honest people. They should not be allowed to do it.

[emonrad87]

[ QUOTE ]
i dont think they're losing money on this

[/ QUOTE ]



explain how the hell they are NOT losing money on this.


/images/graemlins/confused.gif /images/graemlins/confused.gif

[tek]

No class--shame.

The class act is the arbitrage I do with HalfPrice books and B&N. I'll find a new book at HalfPrice that is still being sold at B&N. Buy it for $6.98 at HalfPrice and get $24.98 credit at B&N.

My poker library is being built very cheaply, my man. /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[Jack of Arcades]

BestBuy does this but you have to buy the extended warranty. Enough people probably fail to take advantage of the warranty that they make money in it.

[DougShrapnel]

Tell your freind to forget the penny ante [censored]. Once every year or two I convince a car dealership that I would like to test drive a car for a week. It's usually a caddy. Just so I can go on vacation, and not have to rent a car.

[oreogod]

[ QUOTE ]
http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/2876/blashpehmy8hq.jpg

[/ QUOTE ]


BLASPHEMY!

http://www.mwscomp.com/movies/brian/jpgs/blasphem.jpg

[jackdaniels]

It is one thing to buy items with the intention of returning them. It is something all together different to buy items knowing that if you get home you can always change your mind and return it.

Case in point: My wife and I were going on a cruise earlier this year and the night before the cruise, while packing, she realized she didn't have enough clothes that fit her well (insert random joke about women and clothes here). Anyway, we went to Walmart and rather than take 4 hours trying a bunch of clothes on, she bought anything and everything that could possibly fit (we're talking shorts, bathing suits, t-shirts -stuff like that). $700 or so later, we're at home - she is trying stuff on and creating 2 piles - the stuff she is gonna keep and the stuff she is gonna return (about 50-50 I would say). For the store this is a win-win situation: If they did not have such a good return policy, we would not be shopping there. Simply put - they would have lost about $350 worht of business from us (plus all the other crap we bought cause we happened to be there already like paper towels, coffee, tooth paste etc...). I like to think of many of these stores as offering the "try before you buy" policy. If the item you bought works as advertised and you are satisfied with it, great. If it doesn't, bring it back.