"Is there anything wrong with it?"

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Have you ever returned something that is clearly unopened & unused and the store clerk asks

"Is there anything wrong with it?"


>>>>> Looking for creative things to say :laughing:

"It asked too many questions."

"I decided to go a different way in my sex dungeon and it no longer fits with the theme"

"Yes, I can't remove it from the packaging!"

~ Chance

orbital said:

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Have you ever returned something that is clearly unopened & unused and the store clerk asks

"Is there anything wrong with it?"


>>>>> Looking for creative things to say :laughing:

Click to expand...

"See for yourself"

cland72 said:

"I decided to go a different way in my sex dungeon and it no longer fits with the theme"

Click to expand...

Try that one at the local hardware store, if you really want to blow someone's mind.

You can use the one that I use with pan-handlers. When they ask "Spare change?" I always smile broadly and say "No Thanks" without breaking stride. It usually takes them several seconds to parse that one.

Others that come to mind in response to Is there anything wrong with it?"

Daniel

It's haunted. Can't have that in the house.

I think a key concept is what constitutes "Clearly unopened" and "clearly unused".

Having seen packaging, other than some melted seam blister packs, etc, its not really THAT obvious as to if the box had been opened or not. Perhaps if I inspected the box, and found a tape seam that could be proven to be a factory installed tape closure, with a security layer that delaminated if un-adhered, etc...vs the same thing but not delaminated, etc.

In short, I think its a bit short sighted to assume a clerk can immediately tell if a package was opened and/or the product used or not...in most cases.

IE: They don't have the back story we have when we walk into the shop with the item. They see a return, and start asking the questions they have to ask to process a return, as in do you have the receipt, is there anything wrong with it, etc.

The stores sometimes track the responses, such as if it was too large/small, wrong color, defective, a gift, etc.


Essentially, if you are returning something, there's a reason, and they typically record it on the return forms, etc. So, you bought the item, never tried it out, and are returning it...why would you do that?

The answer is what they are trying to get, for the form.




So, while we might feel smug and smart knowing in advance that the box was unopened, and the sex toy for the dungeon was never used, they really just end up feeling even worse about being a clerk than they did moments before you came in and tried to humiliate them/impress them with your superior wit.

A witty good spirited repartee between the clerk and customer is fine of course, but if that's really just the customer making the clerk feel stupid, on purpose, its mean spirited in my book.

Rattling your friend's or cohort's cages is different, as there is a level playing field. The clerk cannot make a snide/revengeful come back w/o jeopardizing their position. The clerk is trapped, and has to take what you dish out.

So, you guys can think of all the ways to make a clerk feel stupid, and go forth, and feel as smart as possible for mentally outgunning the guy behind the counter...or, just suck it up and acknowledge that the poor guy is mostly just going through a standard return process.

It just smells of bullying to me.


If the reply is simply funny, but not insulting, sure...fun is fun.

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Clearly unopened is clearly unopened

like a dvd enclosed w/ security strip intact

TEEJ said:

I think a key concept is what constitutes "Clearly unopened" and "clearly unused".

Click to expand...

Reminds me of another quote:

"It depends on what the meaning of the word is, is."

Could President Clinton be a flashaholic?!

~ Chance

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"yeah, there's alot wrong with it"

fyrstormer said:

Try that one at the local hardware store, if you really want to blow someone's mind.

Click to expand...

They might give you some shockingly candid advice from experience.

Many years ago my father and I were working to complete some repairs on the previous family residence (that had been rented out on and off again) in order to sell it. We had un-cleverly planted a poplar about 30 inches away from the primary sprinkler junction for the yard and it tapped that water source several times, which we dutifully repaired with clever L-joints many times. We simply lacked time to do it The Right Way™ and were going to disclose to potential buyers that the tree needed to go and the sprinkler system had issues. We ultimately decided that some radiator hose would suffice for a year or two, but had the challenge of diameter mismatch. As we stood in the aisle comparing the ID/OD spread, an employee walked up and asked if he could help us. Dad explained the basic problem we were trying to solve, but the clerk seemed unable to help us until dad finally explained the problem and how we were going to solve it. I will never forget the look on the guy's face when he understood then asked Sir, are you trying to rig this? Dad smiled enthusiatically and said yes, at which point the clerk - satisfied that he had done his due diligence - pointed us to some clear vinyl hose with the precise OD/ID combination we needed to achieve a line fit.

TEEJ said:

Having seen packaging, other than some melted seam blister packs, etc, its not really THAT obvious as to if the box had been opened or not. Perhaps if I inspected the box, and found a tape seam that could be proven to be a factory installed tape closure, with a security layer that delaminated if un-adhered, etc...vs the same thing but not delaminated, etc.

In short, I think its a bit short sighted to assume a clerk can immediately tell if a package was opened and/or the product used or not...in most cases.

IE: They don't have the back story we have when we walk into the shop with the item. They see a return, and start asking the questions they have to ask to process a return, as in do you have the receipt, is there anything wrong with it, etc.

Click to expand...

Having been on the other side of the counter previously, I can attest to the fact that glancing at a package that you well may never have seen before for a few seconds while simultaneously trying to determine the precise nature of the transaction in no way grants the clerk a commanding authority about its state. Pretty much everywhere there is a standard repertoire of questions asked to determine the nature of the transaction, the desired outcome, the condition of the merchandise, and the reason for the return. A theme is to determine if the issue could be resolved via some manner other than a costly return (which might cost 10x or more than receiving said good).

Based on the highly specific questions some return desk clerks ask - electronics retailers in particular - the Q&A seems like it's built into the electronic RMA form the clerk is typically filling out during the process. Some of these might even be specified by the manufacturer.

In a world seemingly full of more people with an axe to grind on anyone below them on the status scale at that immediate moment, being kind and understanding will get you far when dealing with frontline customer-service people. Clerks processing returns have multiple pressures to simultaneously manage - the inherent pressure of dealing with customers, pressure from management to reduce returns, soul-crushing boredom, the occasional self-righteous jerkface customer, and pervasive detest for their employer dangling them out there like a punching bag in the first place to make bricks without straw on a daily basis. Much like calling a toll-free number for tech support or customer service, your transaction will tend to go smoother if you have reasonable expectations and a specific goal in mind within their personal capabilities and scope of authority to provide. Demanding a 500% refund for a thoroughly used product because you're angry at the world, might have ruined something else using it, and are strongly implying it's the fault of the person you're dealing with will rightfully be a difficult transaction with the clerk playing bad cop. Reasonably requesting a refund for something unused (or in effective BNIB condition) that was purchased in error and pleasantly humoring the clerk while they go about the formalities demanded of them will turn them into your advocate and be a pleasant experience all around.

Tangential - when Radio Shack used to ask for phone numbers all the time, I found it easiest to dodge the issue by giving out fictional numbers. I'd often just rattle off 10 digits. The vast majority of the folks "got it" and smiled to themselves. Only the occasional management trainee would give me a suspicious glance and one random person challenged me - at which point I gave a random legitimate number for some local business rather than argue that surrendering a home phone number was hardly necessary to complete the transaction.

idleprocess said:

Tangential - when Radio Shack used to ask for phone numbers all the time, I found it easiest to dodge the issue by giving out fictional numbers. I'd often just rattle off 10 digits. The vast majority of the folks "got it" and smiled to themselves. Only the occasional management trainee would give me a suspicious glance and one random person challenged me - at which point I gave a random legitimate number for some local business rather than argue that surrendering a home phone number was hardly necessary to complete the transaction.

Click to expand...

I'm guilty of giving companies their own telephone numbers when they ask for one

I asked an employee of Radio Shack why he needed my phone number for a return. He told me it was so management could check up on its employees. "They might call you and verify that you did indeed return merchandise. They use it as a way to keep us honest."

~ Chance

Along with the OP's experience, I've also battled the opposite situation.

A regional electronics store is notorious for poor handling of returns. An expose a few years back said the clerks got a bonus based on the percentage of returns that were refused. They changed that poloicy, thank goodness, but it was still a pain.

Many times I've been grilled on "what was broken" and "how did I test it". In recent years it seems that as often as not they would accept my explanation and then mark it in the computer as "customer did not want." Once I found my defective return on the shelf a few hours later when I went back for other parts.

I've started putting a note in the user's manual when I return broken / defective items. At least the next buyer has some idea why it does not work.


Daniel

gadget_lover said:

I've started putting a note in the user's manual when I return broken / defective items. At least the next buyer has some idea why it does not work.


Daniel

Click to expand...

Excellent idea. I'm going to start doing that.

^ I was having dinner at a restaurant when I noticed lipstick on my wine glass. So I put some black pepper in the glass, called the waiter over and showed him the lipstick. Five minutes later he brought me a clean glass with the peppered wine in it. Yeah, just as I thought. Since our dinners had already been served I knew lousy waiter couldn't defile them and called him over again. I told him I didn't want the wine since it had been in a dirty glass, and that we would be leaving now.

~ Chance

I'll go with these ones:
"I heard it ticking at night."
"It set off my Geiger Counter."
"I found a website online showing my bedroom through a webcam from the viewpoint of this product. Stop spying on me!"
"My doctor said I got leprosy after touching it."
"For some strange reason, my dog keeps trying to bury it in the back yard."
"After looking at it, my goldfish jumped out of it's bowl and bit the cat."
"My parrot keeps telling me it's evil."

Chauncey Gardiner said:

I asked an employee of Radio Shack why he needed my phone number for a return. He told me it was so management could check up on its employees.

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He lied. When a company gets your phone number they have a year to use that number for marketing purposes. It overrides the do-not-call rules. Clerks are required to get the numbers for corporate, and graded on how well they do. Luckily, any ten digit number will satisfy them.