I know it is unethical, but isn't it illegal, too?

[Jbridge337]

I took my son to a toys r us a couple weeks ago to spend some money he had gotten for his birthday. He bought a cartridge for a video game. When we finished checking out the clerk gave me the receipt and told me it could be returned inside of 45 days if it was defective for the same game. I started thinking that I know there are kids that could whip through a game inside of that timeframe. How many are returning perfectly good games that they have already gone through to exchange them for a new unopened copy. Most stores will let unopened software be exchanged for anything so they could then exchange the game at a different location for a different game...and so on and so on.

I can't imagine that this type of thing isn't happening as well.

[rjwaldren]

Many times if you return an electronic item, game CD/DVD etc for the same item they will swap the packaging, so you don't leave with a unopened item... I've seen this several times at various major retailers.

There are generally different return policys on electronics items, ie 7 to 14 day return policies to prevent "vacation rentals".

[Rand]

Unethical? yes. Illegal no.

Speaking of unethical: I was at the Borg a while back and observed someone returning a Milwaukie angle grinder that was obviously a couple years old and heavily used. I heard the manager telling the girl to cut the power cord off before throwing the tool in the dumpster. He felt the tool was so beat up that it would be a safety hazard for someone rescuiing out of the dumpster. (Abraided power cord)

I asked the manager why he accepted the return. He told me it was a customer relations policy. They felt it was better to take the loss on a refund than to risk creating a scene that would disturb other customers.

[stormdog74]

Unethical? yes. Illegal no.

Speaking of unethical: I was at the Borg a while back and observed someone returning a Milwaukie angle grinder that was obviously a couple years old and heavily used. I heard the manager telling the girl to cut the power cord off before throwing the tool in the dumpster. He felt the tool was so beat up that it would be a safety hazard for someone rescuiing out of the dumpster. (Abraided power cord)

I asked the manager why he accepted the return. He told me it was a customer relations policy. They felt it was better to take the loss on a refund than to risk creating a scene that would disturb other customers.

How about the customer relations problem of charging higher prices to the rest of us to cover people like that?!