When you return an item, sometimes a store charges a fee. So for example a $300 phone, they take $35 off your return, so you only get back $265 if you decide to return it.

  • Rivalarrival
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    6 days ago

    If they lose customers because of the fee, then aren’t they in essence paying the price anyway?

    If I buy something from you, and then return it for no reason whatsoever, am I actually a customer? Or am I just some asshole you never want to hear from again?

    • Passerby6497@lemmy.world
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      6 days ago

      Is this my 1st purchase or 50th? What if it’s my 500th?

      Being anti-consumer harms you more than it helps, because it will drive business away from you for being an asshole. I know, I’ve stolen business from big box stores to my personal by pointing that out to people (and I only got kicked out once for losing them a sale lol).

      • Rivalarrival
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        6 days ago

        Is this my 1st purchase or 50th?

        Oh, if you’re trying to return it arbitrarily, it is definitely your first purchase. I’ve got years of data supporting that. Repeat customers just don’t make arbitrary returns. If a repeat customer makes a return, it is because I screwed up, and I don’t charge a restock fee on my mistakes. Quite the contrary, I usually offer a replacement without a return, and toss in some goodies as well.

        Being anti-consumer

        I’m not being anti-consumer. “You” are not a consumer. You’re returning the product arbitrarily, not “consuming” it.

        What you actually are is a “borrower”. Which would be fine if I was a library, but I’m a small business with tight margins.

        Catering to borrowers takes time away from serving my customers. I don’t feel a pressing need to convert a borrower to a customer.