I believe it.
Our local store has banned at least 3 people that belong to our club.
Returns do cost the store money:
1. Opened returned items can not be sold as new. So now the store has to take your returned item and sell it as an open box or used item. I don't know about you, but if an open box item is only marked 15% off, I'd rather just get a new one that no one has messed with.
2. High end astronomy items like eyepieces and telescopes only have a 15% mark up, sometimes less. An opened item may have to sell at or even below cost to move it out of the shop.
3. Stores have to always worry about getting back "sealed" boxes that actually have the original contents replaced by junk. Scammers know how to lift seals with heat and re shrink wrap boxes. The more returns they take in the greater their exposure to risk.
4. You mess up inventory with returns. If a small store only stocks one binoviewer, you buy it, they order another and then you return the first, now they have two expensive binoviewers in stock (and one at a discount).
5. Every bit of time you spend in the store cost the store money. If the employee (who might make $15 an hour) spent 30 minutes talking and ringing you up, that cost the store $7.50 . If you spent 15 minutes explaining and transacting your return, that cost the store another $4.00 .
If you are the type of person who walks around for an hour, looking at items you have seen 100 times before, some employee has to keep an eye on you on the security monitors.
If you are the type of person who is an incessant talker ( you feel the uncontrollable need to tell the employees "Wow, you should have seen M13 last night!!!! It was the best you have ever seen!!!!" or "Have you ever seen the Coin Galaxy, NGC253??? A lot of people haven't...") you are costing the store money. Even if an employee is stocking or facing shelves, he can still only work at half speed because he needs to occasionally give a nod in your direction.
6. If you paid with plastic, the store paid a "transaction fee" each time the card terminal was used. This is a small network access fee added on regardless of the amount of the charge. It might only be .35 cents, but still that adds up over a year. On top of that, the store paid 3-4% of the amount charged depending on if the card was a check or credit card.
If a customer requires a cash refund on a large ticket item, the transaction can leave the till short.
7. The additional bookkeeping of the return costs the store money. A return entry needs to be made, inventory adjusted, sales tax payment adjusted. The sale may have occurred in the prior month or prior bookkeeping year, so the month end or year end tally may have to be adjusted.
So yes, I believe that a store would ban a customer to keep from losing money.
Our local store has banned at least 3 people that belong to our club.
Returns do cost the store money:
1. Opened returned items can not be sold as new. So now the store has to take your returned item and sell it as an open box or used item. I don't know about you, but if an open box item is only marked 15% off, I'd rather just get a new one that no one has messed with.
2. High end astronomy items like eyepieces and telescopes only have a 15% mark up, sometimes less. An opened item may have to sell at or even below cost to move it out of the shop.
3. Stores have to always worry about getting back "sealed" boxes that actually have the original contents replaced by junk. Scammers know how to lift seals with heat and re shrink wrap boxes. The more returns they take in the greater their exposure to risk.
4. You mess up inventory with returns. If a small store only stocks one binoviewer, you buy it, they order another and then you return the first, now they have two expensive binoviewers in stock (and one at a discount).
5. Every bit of time you spend in the store cost the store money. If the employee (who might make $15 an hour) spent 30 minutes talking and ringing you up, that cost the store $7.50 . If you spent 15 minutes explaining and transacting your return, that cost the store another $4.00 .
If you are the type of person who walks around for an hour, looking at items you have seen 100 times before, some employee has to keep an eye on you on the security monitors.
If you are the type of person who is an incessant talker ( you feel the uncontrollable need to tell the employees "Wow, you should have seen M13 last night!!!! It was the best you have ever seen!!!!" or "Have you ever seen the Coin Galaxy, NGC253??? A lot of people haven't...") you are costing the store money. Even if an employee is stocking or facing shelves, he can still only work at half speed because he needs to occasionally give a nod in your direction.
6. If you paid with plastic, the store paid a "transaction fee" each time the card terminal was used. This is a small network access fee added on regardless of the amount of the charge. It might only be .35 cents, but still that adds up over a year. On top of that, the store paid 3-4% of the amount charged depending on if the card was a check or credit card.
If a customer requires a cash refund on a large ticket item, the transaction can leave the till short.
7. The additional bookkeeping of the return costs the store money. A return entry needs to be made, inventory adjusted, sales tax payment adjusted. The sale may have occurred in the prior month or prior bookkeeping year, so the month end or year end tally may have to be adjusted.
So yes, I believe that a store would ban a customer to keep from losing money.
clear dark skies
dave b
Astromart Moderator
