Unfiltered Story #115623

I work as a seller in a small-time retailing store in the city. One morning, a young adolescent in his very late teenage years stormed in the store and stalked over to me. I already saw where this was going. He came face-to-face with me, and I kid you not, he literally tossed a CD case with the Microsoft Windows 8.1 Professional installation disk inside as if it was a cheap piece of junk. I was struck completely nonplussed as I never had this kind of customer before.

Me: [Surprised, but repressing the feeling] “How may I help you, sir?”

Customer: “This OS you sold me, it does not work. I feel cheated, and I demand the return of my money.”

Keep in mind that every single item in inventory, I keep a thorough record on. I take pictures, I collect codes and serial numbers, and I document every piece information regarding the products on sale.

Me: “May I have the receipt, please?”

The customer presents a screwed up piece of paper which I had to flatten out to be completely eligible. In retrospect, the first red flag is that the receipt the customer provided me wasn’t even remotely my store’s receipts. However, I continue to go along.

Me: “And what seems to be wrong with the item, sir?”

Customer: [Hoarsely] “The activation key doesn’t work. What do you think?”

Me: [Calmly] “Okay. One moment please, sir.”

I brought the disk to the back and thoroughly inspected it. The second red flag emerged when I noticed that the product had a small imprinted logo belonging to one of my competitors. It also looked as if the customer had tried to rub the logo off. I took a look at the CD itself and it is heavily scratched. I then took a look at the activation code, still intact. I made a phone call to the competitor the product was bought from.

Me: “Hello, this is [My name] from [Store Name]. I seem to have a customer who is demanding a refund for an item, which I have just discovered was bought from your store.”

Competitor: [Without hesitation]” Let me guess, Windows 8.1 Professional installation disk?”

Me: [Slightly taken-aback] “Yes, how did you know?”

Competitor: “The S.O.B came into my store yesterday and tried to pull off the same stunt. While he was there, I contacted Microsoft and asked them if the key was activated. They told me yes and they also told me it was activated the day before yesterday. The customer you have at your desk, if he is still there, bought the item three days ago. When I confronted him, he got angry and left. Unfortunately we do not know his address, so we now have this punk blacklisted from ever visiting our store. If it’s any worry to you, I can come over–“

Me: [With a big grin on my face] “No, no, no– not yet. Thanks, anyway.”

Competitor: “I already know you have something in store for him.”

Me: “I do indeed. Thanks for the info and have a nice day.”

The moment I disconnected the call, I dialled in the police department’s number and alerted them of the issue. Later, I returned to the counter with the CD disk and receipt in hand. The customer is still there. I then head over to the front doors and had it locked, turned the sign to closed, and headed back to the counter.

Customer: [Starting to feel anxious] “What are you doing?”

Me: “I was wondering. I’d like to know who you bought this from.”

The customer hesitates.

Customer: “It was somebody.”

Me: “Okay, can you give me a name?”

Customer: [Timidly] “I, uh– I, uh–, I — I– I forgot.”

Me: “And, that’s what I thought. “

Customer: [Interjecting] “Wait!”

Me: “Yes?”

Customer: [Slightly with confidence] “I think I bought in the wrong CD disk. I’ll come back with the right one.”

The customer snags onto the disk case I was holding, expecting me to let go. I return a cold face at him.

Me: “Sir, you did not buy this or any item at all from this store, because, firstly, the only person who has been running this store for the past several days is me. Secondly, the receipt you have provided me isn’t our store receipt. [I show him our general store receipt] this is our store receipt. Thirdly, the casing of the disk has the logo of [competitor’s store], which you have done an awful job at trying to have it removed. Fourthly, the CD disk itself is in very bad and unacceptable condition, compared to all other items on sale and bought from this store which are brand new. And, finally, I took the time to talk to [competitor’s store] and, from what I am told, you’re a heartless, nasty son of a bitch whose tactics at defrauding businesspeople are poor at best, that greatly insults me.”

At that point, the customer was completely deflated. So distressed, he couldn’t even utter a coherent sentence.

Customer: [Panicky] “I—I—I—I have–”

Me: [Continuing mercilessly] “I’ve already contacted the authorities, sir, and they should be here within a half-hour. I will also be calling [competitor’s store] to come in here later. I suggest you sit down.”

Knowing his options limited, the customer complies. The police later came and it took a right hour to get everything straightened out with this abysmal con artist. Fortunately, he was let go and given a mere warning. The police also advised me, which I immediately did, to ban this young man indefinitely. He never received a penny of his irrational demands, but I am quite certain that he learnt a valuable lesson that day. This event took place three years ago, and, as far as I and [competitor] are concerned, we never heard from him again.