Gauging The Temperature Of This Return

I got automatically entered into a contest at work and ended up winning a fancy programmable thermostat that wouldn’t interface with my house’s older heating system, so I had no use for it. I tried asking around at work, but nobody wanted it.

I knew that the local home improvement store sold these exact systems, and the one I’d been given was still shrink-wrapped, exactly like they came on the shelves, so I decided to take a chance. I went into the store and told the employee at the customer service desk that I had received this as a gift with no receipt and I wasn’t sure where it had been purchased. I knew it was a long shot but was there anything they could do for me?

The employee checked a few things on her computer, consulted with her manager, and a few minutes later, I handed over the thermostat in exchange for a gift card loaded with its full retail price in store credit. 

Not sure if any policies were broken or bent, but apparently, being polite really will get you everywhere sometimes!