In the early days when this behavior first appeared, I was walking out of an electronics store (don’t remember which) and the doorman said something like “I need to check your receipt”. I waved it in the air and said “I got it, thanks!” and walked right out, without realizing that he wanted to rifle through my bag.
Although I’ve obviously since figured out what’s going on, if there’s a crowd at the exit I have, from time to time, just walked on out.
I see you’re point. They are aware of loss and do track it but it is not the same as other operating expenses. If you as an honest consumer can help keep prices down and prevent identity theft by taking a little extra time I don’t think that’s too much to ask. Most honest consumers probably don’t realize how much theft and fraud cost stores.
Again I see your point. Of course there are stories that concern me of crooks getting my card and pin number from the pump I just entered it into. All these conveniences create some risk as well. They recommend you don’t let your credit card be taken by a waiter or waitress because of small devices that they can scan the card with to get your info. If a store is losing a mere $10 a day in small transactions that’s $300 a month, $3650 a year. If they’re making tons of money that’s small change I suppose and lets not worry about it. The problem is when more people realize how easy it is to do {because of convenience} more people start doing it and justifying this petty theft. Then the loss goes up to where policies have to change.
The classic one I’ve seen for years is rent for free. People buy something to use with no intention of keeping it. They could rent the item but letting a store absorb the loss is so much cheaper and besides the store can afford it. When someone buys a nice new TV for $800 to watch the Superbowl and then returns it for a full refund the store has to sell it as used. If you can sell it for $600 then you’ve lost $200, and that’s profit lost because that same TV still cost the store $500. The same with laptops, Camping Gear, various lawn and garden items, camcorders for weddings and other special occasions etc etc.
If you know your friend or relative is doing that you probably won’t tell them that it’s despicable and theft {they’ll get mad} but when the store charges you the honest customer a restocking fee on the TV you’re returning then you’ll be mad You won’t blame your dishonest friend, you’ll blame the store.
It’s all connected. Even the minor purchases.
There’s another thread here in the Pit about it.
There’s no denying that happens. There’s also a balance between getting your assigned side work done and waiting on customers which can be tricky and some staff just don’t care. They want to chat with each other. It always amazed me how on slow days what few customers we had usually got worse service because the staff would get bored and wander out of their department.
One suggestion. I really understand that people want help without going to ask for it. {except in certain department stores} but on the occasions when you’re not getting waited on and the staff is being less than perfect humans don’t be afraid or deeply offended. Go ask for help. If the staff is noticably negligent {standing around chatting and not helping} then by all means mention it to managment.
I’ve done that a couple of times myself.
NO YOU DON’T!!!. This is a lie. They will automatically bill your credit card for a re-newal, at a rather high rate. Do not fall for this scam. :mad:
You know, all it takes is a simple e-mail before the trial runs out and that won’t happen. I’ve done that plenty of times with Entertainment Weekly (for the girlfriend) and Sports Illustrated (for myself). I’ve had no problems.
I have been told that, at Home Depot at least, the person at the door checking receipts is actually checking up on the checker, not the customer. I suspect at HD at least this is correct, as if you go thru the self-check, the person at the door waves you on. (I was told that the checkers were in cahoots with some people to steal from the store, and that they just rang up half the things in their co-hort’s cart and let the others go.) Does anyone know if this is the case at other stores where you’re routinely stopped at the door?
Yesbut- they automatically charge you unless YOU cancel. And they do so at a rate about twice what they charge normal discounted subscriptions.
Not to belabor the point as I appreciate your thoughtful answers, but a store would build it into expense projections and hence their pricing. They have some allowance for shrink, for fraud, based on previous trends. They’d be fools not to.
So funny to hear so many people bitching about giving address, phone number, zip codes when making a purchase. Hell, dont you people buy things on the internet? You enter all that information every time…does it bother you then? If not, why does it bother you when you do it in person?
Yeah, that’s what I said. But it’s not as if it’s a hard process or a troublesome one. It just takes a simple e-mail to the magazine. Now, if you don’t want the magazine, by all means, don’t take it, but if you’re interested, don’t let the fear of not-canceling stop you. You can always cancel it, and then get a regular subscription later if you’d like to avoid the hike-up.
When I buy something on the internet, they need my address so they can send me what I bought. When I go into the store and carry the product out with me, they don’t need that info, except to put me on a junk mail list.
Not only that, but if you forget to cancel, you can still cancel the subscription and get all your money back. It’s not even a hassle, and they don’t give you a hard time. I know because I signed up for a subscription so a coworker wouldn’t get written up, and I forgot to cancel. Four months later (after I had already received my initial eight free issues), I remembered to call, and got all my money back.
HA! I agree.
Stores also take steps to try to prevent said loss from happening in the first place. They’d be fools not to.
My wife was working for Bank of America last year. THet had something like 200 million budgeted for fraud. In May they were at 187 Million. Wait. That was year before last. Sorry. The point is, fraud is a big deal. Why not stop it?
Well said. I find myself agreeing with you. I think what people really want is for them to be left alone unless they tell you telepathically to help. Not to say that bad situations don’t happen, but aften times all you have to di is ask for some help.
I don’t see why saying no to requests for phone number etc. is so hard. I have never had a problem saying no. Except for zip codes. I usually give my correct zip code. I figure they are using this info to determine if they should build a store closer to my house. Since I don’t like driving, I want that.
Hey! That hurts!! Not ALL data base programmers are dumb.
I do agree with that the marketing crap at the register is really annoying. Just let me buy my stuff. But I can’t see getting bent out if shape cuz someone asked for my ID when I pay with my credit/debit card. Of course, my picture is on my card, so that rarely happens.
The problem is that price, conveinience [sp?] and security all have to be balanced. Adding to one will affect the others. And people will always get mad in retail stores. Some for insufficient reasons, and some are completely justified.
Sorry for the long post.
And on top of that, I recently did this with Entertainment Weekly and found that it was fun enough to blow a little money on - it was hardly “exhorbitantly priced”. In fact, it was quite affordable and not any more than any other subscription offer I’ve seen.
thank you and amen!!! I understand not wanting to be on a mailing list and I think it’s crappy to sell customer info to others, but stores just trying to help prevent bad debt shouldn’t be that hard to understand.
Sure that’s part of business, but as someone already pointed out changing prices isn’t always the best option. Changing policy and how security is handled is another option. If we promise not to check ID on certain purchases and raise the prices instead will that make you happier in some way?
They need you daytime and night time phine numbers to send you your stuff? They need the little 3 digit security code on the back of me card? I don’t like giving that out. It doesn’t seem safe to me. But If I don’t do it I can’t buy the stuff. Those bastards.
Also, when I buy something to be shipped to my kids they still require my address. Why is that?
It’s not always for junk mail. In my store it’s to prevent bad debt and to make sure the sales people are doing their job. I really understand the junk mail objection. I get credit cards offers every dam day. All I’m saying is that these days it isn’t all about junk mail. CC fraud is a real concern.
Yikes. How does that work? :eek:
I don’t think anybody feels that you owe a business politeness. You do, however, live in a society where you owe the people around you a little politeness. The guiding principle of the SDMB (“Don’t be a jerk”) makes a good guiding principle for life.