Unfiltered Story #151074

(I’m cashiering at a clothing store. We have a very generous 90-day return policy, which means that for 3 whole months, you can return your item with its receipt and get back exactly what you paid for it, instead of store credit for the clearance amount the item will inevitably drop to. I’ve finished ringing up a customer when she looks down into her purse.)

Customer: Oh no! I had something I wanted to return… I must have left it at home. I guess I’ll have to come back later this week. What’s your return policy?

Me: You have 90 days to return an item.

Customer: Oh really? What if I bought it in January?

Me: Well, it’s June now… so that’s past our return policy. If you bring it in, we can give you store credit for whatever the item is selling for in store now.

Customer: Even if I have my receipt? I don’t get back what I paid for it?

Me: Well, you would if you were inside of our return policy. But since you bought the item six months ago, you’re way past the 90 days. I could only give you store credit for whatever the item is marked down to now. The longer you wait, the less you’ll be able to get back.

Customer: Well, that doesn’t seem right… if I have my receipt, I should be able to get all of my money back.

Me: Well… not if you’re three months past our return policy. If we let you get your money back as long as you have a receipt, someone could bring something back a year later and we’d basically lose that money since the item would be such a ridiculously cheap clearance price at that point. That’s why we have the return policy.

Customer: Well that’s just dishonest!

(At this point she grabs her bag and storms away, leaving me baffled.)