Refunder Blunder, Part 65

I work at a discount retailer, and we use our own price tags for everything rather than whatever the manufacturer puts on their items. Our tags usually have a basic description on them, like size and color, so it’s generally easy to notice if someone switches the tags.

I recently had a couple come in to return several things. Everything was fine with all of their items until the last one. It was an area rug, and while it wasn’t used or anything, nothing about it added up. The tag said it was supposed to be eight feet by ten feet for $110 when it was significantly smaller and should’ve been much cheaper, and the manufacturer’s label, which had a picture of the full pattern, wasn’t even close to the same design.

Me: “Sorry, but I can’t return this. This tag doesn’t go to this rug; nothing about it matches.”

Female Customer: “Well, that’s not my problem. That’s how we got it.”

Male Customer: “This is [Store]. Nothing here matches!”

They clearly didn’t accept what I was saying, so I called a manager over to take a look.

Manager: “Sorry, but this rug isn’t $110. We can’t return it for that.”

Male Customer: “Well, that’s what it is on the receipt!”

Female Customer: “If you scan the tag, what does it say?”

Manager: “It says $110, but it doesn’t matter because the tag doesn’t go to this rug.”

They still wouldn’t accept it, so the manager borrowed their receipt to review the transaction on the security camera. We didn’t have any customers at the time, so they just stood at my register talking loudly to each other about how they were clearly overcharged for the rug.

A few minutes later, the manager came back and even had a clip she recorded on her phone. It showed them buying TWO rugs: one was the one they had brought back, and the other perfectly matched the tag and label they brought in. The actual price of the rug: $50. Suddenly, they stopped insisting they had paid $110 for it, but they kept insisting that all this was our fault somehow.

Female Customer: “Well, you put the tags on wrong, so you need to go back there and fix them!”

Male Customer: “I don’t get it. What’s the problem? Just refund us for the right price.”

The manager explained everything, but it still wasn’t getting through to them, so I took it upon myself to step in.

Me: “Look, we’re going to fix the tag, and you’re going to get your refund — for the correct price.”

Male Customer: “There’s no need to raise your voice.”

I didn’t, but hey, there was also no need to tell bald-faced lies to our faces, and that didn’t stop him, did it?

Related:
Refunder Blunder, Part 64
Refunder Blunder, Part 63
Refunder Blunder, Part 62
Refunder Blunder, Part 61
Refunder Blunder, Part 60