[Rembrandt]

I heard this from personnel at both Scheel's and Cabela's, people buy gear and clothing for a hunting trip....use it then return the items for a refund. Items are charged on credit cards then returned in time to clear their statement. Employees jokingly refer to it as their "rental program". They get everything from high end binoculars, boots, camping equipment, clothes, knives, ......the list goes on.

Tacky doesn't seem an adequate description for someone who would do this.

[countertop]

I had a neighbor growing up who would do that with video camers, etc every time they went on vacation.

Yes, its a bit unseemly, but its something that those stores allow so I wouldn't cry too many tears for them.

[PT1911]

the old prom dress scam.... if they take it back it is on them....

that said...I find it pathetic.

[RockinU]

Pathetic or not, it sure stocks the Bargain Cave with some good stuff!

[Rembrandt]

Bargain Cave is not much of a bargain.....most items are only about 10% off and come with no warranty.

[X-Rap]

Yea they get to come out west and be high rollers with their gear and then drop it off and b___h that it is defective on the way home. That is pretty scummy but as someone said they (the retailers ) allow it. Any loss is passed on to the rest of us, thats what ticks me off.
It would be interesting to track and see if certain individuals or groups did it every year and what the policy is then.

[sheepdog]

...I know wimmen who do that regularly...it sucks and they should be ashamed...but they're not....

[RockinU]

Bargain Cave is not much of a bargain.....most items are only about 10% off and come with no warranty.

I've done much better than that at the in-store Bargain Cave...takes some digging, but there are occasional deals to be had. Others, not so much.

[countertop]

Having had worked retail at one point, it's worth noting that it's a pretty small portion of customers who do this. The impact is minimal, and the benefit from the good will a liberal return policy generates, far outweighs the cost of the few deAd beats.

Compared to shoplifting, or theft during transport, it's nothing.

But I still find it unseemly.

[sleepyone]

Cabela's is using a third party to track "excessive" returns and exchanges. They could not tell me what the criteria are, but I was notified after returning some Christmas gifts, so I could buy more Cabela's stuff, that I would not be allowed to exchange or return anything for 60 days. Since November 2009, I have purchased four rifles, one hand gun, four scopes, two pairs of hunting boots, clothing, ammo, knives and numerous other items. Of course with that kind of volume there will be exchanges and/or returns. Mostly small ticket items. I did return one of the four scopes. They said the system does not take in account how much you have purchased; just how much you have returned/exchanged. I asked if I was still allowed to purchase during my 60 day "probation period" and of course they said yes.:D

[Flintknapper]

IMO, it speaks to a poor upbringing and low moral standards.

Someone' s parents ought to have their butts kicked up around their ears.

Honesty and Integrity are dying a slow death, what a shame.

[chas08]

Pathetic or not, it sure stocks the Bargain Cave with some good stuff!
I've seen boots with mud still on them, in small amounts, in the bargain cave at the Buda, Tx. location. I bought a $125 pair of "Mudders" (snowshoes for soft mud) for $35. There are bargains to be found. And at least at the one in Buda, you can make offers on items with multiple inventory stickers. The set of mudders I bought had been reduced from $99 to $70, I offered the clerk $35 and he scanned and printed a price tag for that amount.

[Tim the student]

Tacky, to say the least. It would be hard for me to respect someone who did this I think.

But, as others have noted, there are some great deals to be found in the Bargain Cave.

[kanook]

The wife and I were looking for a cigarette lighter powered coffee maker. Found one that looked like it had been open. Asked the clerk if we could do a quick look to make sure everything was still OK. When opened, the bottom of the pot still had coffee stain in it.

[Speedo66]

The wife and I were looking for a cigarette lighter powered coffee maker. Found one that looked like it had been open. Asked the clerk if we could do a quick look to make sure everything was still OK. When opened, the bottom of the pot still had coffee stain in it.

You don't think it was just "testfired" at the factory? :rolleyes:

[Magoo]

There are definitely deals in the Bargain Caves at individual stores. On the web, not so much.

[Onward Allusion]

I heard this from personnel at both Scheel's and Cabela's, people buy gear and clothing for a hunting trip....use it then return the items for a refund. Items are charged on credit cards then returned in time to clear their statement. Employees jokingly refer to it as their "rental program". They get everything from high end binoculars, boots, camping equipment, clothes, knives, ......the list goes on.

Tacky doesn't seem an adequate description for someone who would do this.
How about just "no class".

[TehK1w1]

Having sold electronics for a while, I've seen this happen quite a few times. It was not uncommon for people to buy large plasma TVs or game systems for a party, then try to return them 3 days later, usually claiming they were factory defective (For some reason, they always seemed to assume that we wouldn't test the product before taking a return)
That's a primary reason why some retail stores have restocking fees.

[LEVRLOVR]

Yeah, I love the bargain cave.

Horton legend 175 scoped crosssbow package reatailed for around $400.00.
I walked out the door with it for $125.00.

[Art Eatman]

Some clods take it even one step farther: A guy returned a "defective" TV to Walmart and got his money back. Later, somebody did a more thorough check inside the box. The guy had kept the new TV, and had returned his old TV instead.

[CoRoMo]

Compared to shoplifting, or theft during transport, it's nothing.

I see it as theft. It devalues the items. That value was stolen by the clod.

[Rembrandt]

One better Art, local Lowes employee told of a guy returning a toilet. They put the box back on the shelf, when the next guy purchased it they discovered an old used toilet inside.

[ArmedBear]

One better Art, local Lowes employee told of a guy returning a toilet. They put the box back on the shelf, when the next guy purchased it they discovered an old used toilet inside.

Now that's interesting. Did he install and use a toilet because he had guests over, then return it? Or was it the toilet he replaced?:D

[Rembrandt]

....Did he install and use a toilet because he had guests over, then return it? Or was it the toilet he replaced?


More than I want to know....

[amd6547]

I encountered this when I worked at MC Sporting goods. On a big weekend, like Memorial Day, some folks would buy tents and return them after their trip. Of course, they were "picky" customers, needing lots of service and help to pick out a good tent...Help time taken away from real customers, as well as product denied from those same real customers. The trashed, returned tents were sent back to corporate wet, filthy, missing parts...I believe they were trashed.

[Tim the student]

Some clods take it even one step farther: A guy returned a "defective" TV to Walmart and got his money back. Later, somebody did a more thorough check inside the box. The guy had kept the new TV, and had returned his old TV instead.

I saw something like this, but with an 870 barrel. The box said it was fully rifled (and a return), but I opened it up and found that it was a smooth bore with rifled sights. I hope the store it happened at pursued charges - that was no mistake.

[RDA 226sig]

My first job was at a discount retailer and every fall people would bring back fans that were bought in the spring and buy heaters. Vice versa in the spring. Is it any wonder retailers are skeptical when you call with a real problem?

[rocky branch]

They wasn't raised right.

[memphisjim]

know folks that work at bass pro shop
they call it bass pro rent and return

[Snakum]

Honesty and Integrity are dying a slow death, what a shame.

I must say, when starting to deer hunt for the first time this past season I naively expected hunters to be - by and large - good, honest folks tending toward the conservative side who do what they say and have a certain amount of personal integrity. To my utter surprise, I actually found that a not-insignificant proportion of hunters in my area are prone to things like offering a mentoring opportunity and then never returning an email or call again but me reading all about the hunt later as if they'd forgotten to let me know (three different hunters/occurences), offering shooting space and sending their phone number or even setting a date to go shoot/sight-in then never returning a call or email again (two hunters/occurences), acting like I'd spit at them when I asked a relatively close friend of almost ten years to go hunting with him (after years of him telling me how wonderful deer hunting is and suggesting I get off the range and try it), watching hunters trespass onto clearly posted land to hunt and being encouraged to do the same, watching two guys buy scopes (one scope each) and camo GorTex weather jackets for a hunt then return it all on Monday evening after the trip and laughing about it later ... I could go on and on but you get the picture, I'm sure. This is just one season.

One season. Seems about 75% of the hunters I met this past year lacked personal integrity or any hint of a sense of "doing what you say you'll do". This is compared to roughly 10% or less of the people I've met while shooting 3-gun or NRA matches who acted like that, or in any other hobby or pastime such as flying, golf, etc. Very strange. And very dissappointing, as well. The one group of folks I'd expect to embody values that have evidently gone out of style seemed to be the worst of the lot. I don't get it. :(

Your mileage may vary of course.

[usmc1371]

All I can say is I hope these are the same folks who show up in hunting camp with their "superbadassuberexpensive" boots still in the box and end up bagging a week of sore legs and massive blisters.

If they can't afford the gear maybe they should take up a cheaper hobby.

[308win]

Some customers like some shop keepers will stoop to any level. When we owned our store returns were not much of an issue as we had our policies posted. Basically our policy was that buyer's remorse while real was the customer's problem not ours; if it was defective they got a replacement. The only push back we had in 15 years was from people who weren't regulars and were looking for a free ride.