This week’s reader comment of the week comes from Jake, who was rather ticked off that I gushed about Hubby’s nearly free exchange of a broken Roomba vacuum cleaner for a brand spanking new one at Bed, Bath and Beyond. Jake’s take on Hubby’s actions:
This seems criminal to me. This isn’t far off from shoplifting. And it certainly is lying and cheating. This isn’t anything to be proud of in my opinion.
What is interesting is that the disagreement – was Hubby in the right or wrong to exchange the Roomba – comes down to interpreting the store’s return policy. Bed, Bath and Beyond has one of the most open-ended return policies I’ve ever seen. From their site:
Merchandise returns get you down? Not at Bed Bath & Beyond; we make it free and easy! You may return a purchase for a refund, merchandise credit, or exchange to any of our stores nationwide or to our returns processing center.
There is only one mention of needing a reason to return an item in the BB&B return policy. The store is bending over backwards to please shoppers. In other words, BB&B is a retail pushover. Again, from their site:
Please remember to bring the original packing invoice and the credit card used for purchase. Without the original packing invoice and your credit card, you may receive an exchange or merchandise credit.
This leeway means customers have a LOT of discretion in how to interpret the store’s return policy. Hubby interprets the policy to be that if he is not satisfied with a purchase he can return it. Jake has a more limited interpretation, though he did not specify his exact parameters.
[poll id=”36″]
Welcome to Bargain Babe! I’m Mara, and I’m so glad you’re here. I am an obsessive bargain hunter and penny pincher, and I am determined to live a full life without EVER paying full price. 
If you return an item that you have broken (accidentally or because it was misused) then, yes, that is simply criminal. If the item breaks within a reasonable timeframe after purchase – to no fault of your own – then return it. If the item is YEARS OLD and it stops working then be responsible and own up to the fact that you have to purchase a NEW item to replace the old worn out one. BB&Beyond simply puts returned items back on the shelf for some other unsuspecting customer to purchase the broken item. I’m sure other big stores do the same.
If any reputable store takes back an item the customer says is broken or defective, they send it back to manufacturer for credit. They do not put it back on their shelves to sell as a new item.
recalling the facts you articulated about your husband’s return, in this case, yes… after using the item for several years, your husband is guilty at the least of fraud…
At least it could have been said that it was defective. Policy is pretty open & quite good. BBB is going the extra mile for business, but should be treated fairly too.
Yes, jerry, the operative word in your comment is “reputable”. I’ve unfortunately purchased electronic items from BB&B that had pieces missing and/or broken. Save BB&B for little things like throw rugs or towels.
Hopefully that’s only the BB&B by me that’s not terribly reputable.
I think it’s reasonable to return something you don’t like after trying it a few times, or if it breaks through no fault of your own within the warranty period. Beyond that, I think it’s an abuse of their return policy.
I appreciate stores like BB&B, Costco and Nordstrom that have generous return policies, and I am more likely to shop at these stores knowing that if I have a legitimate problem with an expensive purchase, I will be able to get a refund. Obviously, these corporations realize that some customers will take advantage of their generosity and factor those costs into their budgets. But I don’t think that justifies being one of those customers. Companies also budget for shoplifting losses as well, after all.
I also have a 3 year old Roomba (and all the original packaging) that no longer works and money is too tight right now to replace it. With a todder, a dog and a cat in the house, that thing is a godsend and your husband’s course of action is tempting, but I wouldn’t feel right about it.
BB&B has a clearance section where customer returns are sold for reduced prices. I would not like to have bought one of thses reduced items only to discover a USED and BROKEN item. Your interpretation of ther return policy is a bit too literal. This is a similar forte used by Home Depot customer who will by a user specific tool for a job. Use it and return it. IE. the purchase of a wet saw returned after a tile installation.
Cyndi
cmdann@msn.com
While I can see both sides of the argument here, I can say that I would have done the same thing. And I have. LL Bean has a similar return policy–or lack thereof, if you will. Simply, they want their customers to be happy & lifetime customers…so most of their products have a lifetime guarantee. My Dad had some slippers from there that were like, 20-some-odd years old. They were falling apart, so he brought them back. They couldn’t fix them, so they gave him his choice of a new pair (since obv they weren’t still making the style he had). Similarly, I had a large duffle bag from them for a few years, and during one trip, somehow a big hole was ripped in the side of it on the airplane or while being handled. I couldn’t decide if I wanted another one or something different, but when I brought it back, they just gave me cash, no questions asked.
SO, the moral is, LL Bean has won over my family’s life-long support with their customer service, and I suspect Bed, Bath & Beyond is trying to get a similar following with their return policy, etc. And Julia, I suspect you and Hubs will continue shopping there!
Kudos to you Susan! The values which fuel your refusal to cheat the retailer will help teach your toddler an all-important lesson in honesty. Our children are watching us, and whether we know it or not, they see everything we do and understand more than we realize.
AS LONG AS HUBBY TOLD BB&B THAT THE ITEM WAS USED AND/OR BROKEN (OR DID NOT LIE WHEN ASKED IF IT WAS USED OR BROKEN) – I THINK IT IS FINE.
I WAS RECENTLY TRYING TO DECIDE WHETHER TO BUY A $150 SONICARE ELECTRIC TOOTHBRUSH WHEN THEY SEEM TO BREAK EVERY COUPLE OF YEARS. THE BB&B EMPLOYEE HELPING ME SAID “JUST KEEP THE ORIGINAL PACKAGING AND RETURN IT IF IT BREAKS – WE TAKE BACK ALMOST ANYTHING”.
LIKE THE OTHER READER SAID, THEY EITHER RETURN IT TO THE MANUFACTURER OR SELL IT IN CLEARANCE (WHICH I FREQUENTLY PURCHASE FROM KNOWING FULL WELL WHERE THE ITEMS HAVE COME FROM).
One needs to carefully toe the line between legitimate returns and taking advantage/fraud. When you make a practice of questionable returns, you push the company that much closer to restrictive return policies.
Some companies — like LL Bean, Eddie Bauer, REI — put a lot of effort into their purchase choices and can stand by their warranty practices in confidence (maybe their clientele is more honorable…). Costco, too, is a straighforward business; it also moves massive quantities of merchandise so is more able to absorb returns.
If you’re lying by omission making a return, that’s fraud. If you disclose everything and they still want to take it back, you can do it with a clear conscience.
Lands End has the same policy, if you brought and you become unhappy if it breaks down, Return it , today, the next year or what ever. I brought a nice all metal Fan from BB & Beyond a few years back . After I had it about 6 months it start to make a odd sound when it was moving. I tried fixing it, no luck, I paid about $60. Took it back, I had saved the box and paper work. They wanted to give me my money back, I said No, can you get another, and they checked around and got another one. Because of their policy, if Im going to buy something for my home, I check out BB&B first. BTW high price items are always return to the Mfger for credit, they fix’em and re-sell them again. I was in retail sales for 23 years.
its not to bad you helping the economy to buy things hell i have gotten things and they broke right after the warrenity peroid like cellphones so im always over paying so if you can save here good for him
From your original story it seems Hubby did not say it was broken, just that he wanted an upgrade. If that’s all he said then he mislead the sales clerk. It is also not clear in your story exactly how many years you guys used the Roombie before it broke. Please tell us the whole story. Thanks!
Holy Smokes – This sure did throw-up a lot of passionate feedback. How about your readers place this similar passion where it could be more valuable! Instead of picking on Hubby for making his personal choice, how about focusing on your own daily choices, the walk you walk and the talk you talk. There is likely room for improvement in your own back yard … peace out 🙂
I am all for the BBB return policy, and while it may be wrong I can say I’ve taken advantage of it, though not with a broken item. My mother tried to buy me pillow shams to match my bedcovers for Christmas from a Linen & Things that was going out of business because the prices were great. However, the ones she bought were not the same style as my bedspread, and with the store out of business we were screwed. However, throwing caution to the wind, we tried to exchange them at BBB for the right shams, and guess what, they exhanged them without a hitch, the generic upc (it didn’t say L&T on it) even scanned into thier system. Was it wrong, probably, but I enjoy my pillows tremendously.
I think if the store is going to take items back, even if wrong or damaged its their way of showing loyalty to the customer. I know REI does similar, they say you can return anything anytime and 99% of the time they will take it back. Whats great about REI, is the items that are returned, but not broken or worn out, they save and every couple of months have a gear sale for members where you can buy the used gear (but still good) at heavily discounted rates.
It’s the employee’s responsibility to apply the store’s policy, not the customer’s. As I remember from the original post, you mentioned something to the effect of “BB&B didn’t care that it was 3 years old. And broken.” This indicates that the employee was AWARE that it was 3 years old and broken. In this case, your husband did nothing wrong. The store’s employees were free to refuse the return if policy allowed them to. However, they instead gave him full exchange value on the upgrade AND a discount.
I rarely return an item. I would only return something if it was the wrong size, was broken or malfunctioning or stopped working within a reasonable amount of time such as a warranty period (in which case I would inform the store this is the reason for the return). I think to return an item that was used for 3 years and receiving a brand new one in its place IS a form of stealing, unless that item was still under warranty.
It was definitely fraud. I’m all for a bargain, but to return a broken item that you’ve use for 3 years…Where is your honesty and integrity. I don’t care that they have a liberal return policy – you husband clearly took advantage of it and deceived them.
This is certainly not fraud. There was no lying or misleading. BB’s husband told them why he wanted to return it, and they accepted it. This is simply a good business tactic on behalf of BB&B. L.L. Bean does the same thing. People are more likely to shop at places (and make their bigger purchases at places) that have expansive return policies, because we can purchase with more confidence. If the store accepts the merchandise with full knowledge of its condition, then what’s the problem? Don’t throw around terms like fraud.