Best Buy Battles Icky Retail Shopping Tactics of Devil Buyers

[mandy]

The age-old saying that "the customer is always right" may soon be put out to pasture. Why? Increasing numbers of stores are cracking down on what they call "devil" shoppers -- customers whose buying and returning practices, some legit, may actually cause the store to lose money -- and the stores believe they're better off without them...

Shopper Tactics That Might Send You to the "Blacklist"

The following practices are among the most common and most offensive in the eyes of retailers. If you commonly engage in any of these practices, you may soon find that your next return is denied or your name has been added to a store's "blacklist" of bad customers...

full article: http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/05/03...sumers.htm

[BellisimaJ.]

Buying a product at a discount, such as from the store's selection of "loss leaders," (low-priced products stores lose money on that are designed to attract customers) then reselling it on eBay for a premium price.

That practice is rampant on ebay.

#

Buying clothing or another item, wearing it (or using it) once, then returning it (the classic example is the evening gown that's worn with tags on for a night, then returned).

Happens a lot, but not enough to make it a big issue, IMO.

[thentavius]

I once had a coworker who would buy books at Barnes & Noble, read them carefully, then return them for a refund. He read hundreds of books that way and I despised him for his dishonesty.

People like him are what causes prices to rise, policies for regular people to change, and small business owners to suffer.

[DecorativeDishes]

the stores believe they're better off without them...


I totally agree.

"The most dangerous image I can think of is a retailer that wants to fire customers," he says.

I disagree. eBay is a good example. They let their worst customers (high volume shipping gougers and high negative feedback sellers) contribute mightily to the degradation of the site. Kim

[BellisimaJ.]

[quote author=DecorativeDishes link=topic=6765.msg40859#msg40859 date=1169413382]

"The most dangerous image I can think of is a retailer that wants to fire customers," he says.

I disagree. eBay is a good example. They let their worst customers (high volume shipping gougers and high negative feedback sellers) contribute mightily to the degradation of the site. Kim
[/quote]

Ebay isn't technically a retailer, but I agree that they need to get rid of their worst customers.

In retail, you are always better off to find a solution that doesn't anger the customer and still solves the problem or makes it manageable.
As the cliche goes (and it's unfortunately true), one disgruntled customer will tell 16 other people and you will have then lost 17 customers.

I can think of a number of solutions for Best Buy which does not involve turning off their customers. 

[thentavius]

I can think of a number of solutions for Best Buy which does not involve turning off their customers.

How about lowering their prices for starters? At least here in Albuquerque, they are the Worst Buy. LOL.

[valleygirl]

Other practices Best Buy has put into play include adding a 15 percent restocking fee

Mine is 10%.

Each store inputs certain criteria, such as a high number of returns or a dollar amount on returns, after which a customer's return can be denied.

If I notice a pattern of return abuse I block their purchases.