If you have the receipts for the items you purchased, there shouldn't be any problem at all.

It may affect your relationship with that particular store ~
however~ it will not red flag you as far as credit reporting.

If it raises red flags, I'm in deep doo. I probably return something to Home Depot once a week.

My Mom's friend doesn't like to use store dressing rooms so she often buys tons of clothes to bring home and try on. She did have a store card cancelled because of excessive returns.

If a store cancels your credit card because of excessive returns it may effect your credit rating.

I think the number of returns that flag your account probably varies from store to store. If you are worried about a chain store, I would make an anonymous call to their customer service center

I've wondered about that, too. I have several chain stores which I frequent and always feel bad about returns, but then I rationalize it by the fact that I do keep most of my purchases and their easy return policies are one of the reasons I'm a loyal customer. Haven't answered your question but I do like the suggestion of calling the store in question and asking.

Dee has a good point about calling the store anonymously. I guess it depends on your idea of excessive compared to theirs.

If you have receipts, especially with credit cards, they usually have no issue. I recently learned that the large stores have a separate company to flag returns of question, especially no receipt. I had this happen twice and they would not take the items back. But with manager's approval (since I'm there too much), he contacted the company and had my name taken off while I was waiting for a return transaction. Not sure what the other company may be used for in other transactions. No issues since then. I am far better at keeping receipts now.

The only place I've ever heard of limiting the number of returns, even with a receipt, is Target. That was years ago, though, and I'll bet with their recent problems, even they are not following that policy.

Like many others, I buy items that I think will fit in a space or blend well with my decor, only to discover I was wrong.

I carry a tape measure and a small notebook with the dimensions of any space I'm looking to fill ... sometimes I have a snapshot of the area on my phone so I can see the rest of the room.

If you return too many things - and every store has its unstated limits - you may be asked to improve your decision-making ability before returning.

But the worst example of exploiting a return policy I've heard of was the woman who returned a sterling tea service and flatware for 12, saying her husband didn't like the style. There were bits of food still in the tines of the forks!

duplicate

This post was edited by lazygardens on Sun, Jan 25, 15 at 12:58

Hi - store receipts often have the store return policy printed on them, IMPE, including how long you can wait before returning something - & of course having the receipt is required for a refund. Smaller businesses that are not part of a chain will do whatever they decide w/in the law, I believe.

& AFAIK, Target still has a 30 day return limit. These days, you can often find such info @ a store's website.

Thinking as long as merchandise is being returned in good condition & w/ receipts & easy to restock, there shouldn't be too much of a fuss....

Some stores use an outside company to track returns made by customers, supposedly to cut down on fraud somehow. They don't disclose much info on what their parameters are, which is particularly frustrating because they're collecting a lot of information on people. The link below is a news article on the practice.

Here is a link that might be useful: Companies Tracking Returns

I was in line at the customer service desk at Target a few years ago and overheard them telling a man that he had exceeded the return limit -- no more returns for him! but I do not know if he did not have receipts, or how many times he had returned items.

I have returned probably 5 things in the past month (to Target) without issue, and got cheerful service. Also got refunds for things that went on sale the week after I bought them.

I was reading on another board about a return scam that completely follows a store's return policy. To pull it off, a person would have to be savvy about how the store manages sale items but I'm sure you could easily find out the info on the web.

Someone purchases a popular sale item after the first permanent mark down. The purchaser returns it near the end of the return time period. The store takes the item back and marks it down to the current lower price. Here's the scam part. The original purchaser has an accomplice who hovers around until the item is put back on the floor and then they snap it up for the discounted price.

Situations like these make me wonder. You're obviously bright and industrious. Why don't you just get a real job?

I'm with LazyGardens. I carry a tape measure and notes of what I'm looking for before I shop. Granted there are times I come across something I'm not looking so I don't have all the info I might need to make a proper choice. In that case, especially if it's a great price, I'll go ahead and buy it. I wouldn't say I over return things though. I personally hate to return things with or without a receipt so I'm careful what I buy.

I don't believe there's much "anonymous" calling anymore. They have the same caller I.D.s in their business as most people have at home or on their cell's.

I think several stores have a limit on how many "no receipt" returns you can make. I return a lot and have never had a problem.

Sorry for the duplicate post....

This post was edited by redcurls on Mon, Jan 26, 15 at 18:38

"If you return too many things ... you may be asked to improve your decision-making ability before returning. "

I have never heard this said so well before in my entire lifetime.

Target's return policies say "F.U." so well that I haven't been back there for several years, all over one defective piece of electronics. Nobody likes being accused of trying to scam a store.

However, you can take a 2X4 that's been laying on the ground for so long it's turned into a light gray pretzel splashed with production Navajo White eggshell and twelve nails in it and return it to HD without so much as an odd blink. They get more of my business than all the other stores in town combined.

Which one has a better way of dealing with profit generating customers?

I used to hear about JC Penney's custom drapery service having a great return policy. So great that many people would order custom draperies for 'just-in-time' delivery before Christmas, and then call back on Dec 26th or shortly thereafter and say they weren't happy with their draperies and come get 'em. This was several years ago, and I don't know if this is still happening. I suspect not.

I return things all the time--mostly to Walmart, Target, Macy's, and TJMax/Homegoods. I always have my receipt and have never had a problem. If you use your store card at Target and Macy's, you don't need a receipt, they can look it up via credit card.

I have wondered if there is tracking as I often buy online at Macys in multiple sizes and colors and sometimes end up returning over large amounts of clothes or shoes that don't fit. So far, no problem.

I have a retail shop and I always take credit card returns with a smile but cringe inside with each one. What most people don't know is that the cc company charges a fee and a percentage not only on the initial sale but also on the return. I much prefer a cash return but I value my customers so I take the hit with a smile.

Before I retired, I shopped every two weeks at Walmart, for the items I needed for work.The nature of the business made it hard to predict exactly how much to purchase in the first place, so I always had some returns to do as well. One time I was told I had been flagged for making too many returns.

I'd never heard of that before so I asked why it mattered how often I returned items with a receipt within two weeks of purchase, that were still in their original unopened packaging. The response was simply that I was returning too many things, so I would be unable to continue to do so. I asked to speak to the manager and opened my wallet to show him receipts totaling about $450 for the month, and returns totaling about $50. I told him that if I was no longer allowed to return unopened unused items within 2 weeks of purchase, with a receipt, I'd shop elsewhere. I also pointed out that Walmart receipts say nothing about a limit to returning things, nor does the sign above their customer service counter which shows their return policies. I guess they 'unflagged' me, as I never heard any more about it.

Question, *who* sees the red flags? When I worked at Nordstrom many moons ago, this was a store policy if there were numerous returns, but I was never told the exact number.

I think Target keeps track of returns also, especially if you don't have a receipt.

Uh oh, could I be in trouble with Zappos? I order and return stuff to them every few weeks, it seems.

I've read that QVC sends out warning letters after too many returns.