Let's say product x is something you buy regularly and doesn't have an expiry date eg. toilet paper, nappies if you have a baby or cleaning products.
First I buy product x at full price when I need it. Keep receipt.
When this product goes on sale, I check how many receipts I have of this product at full price, buying the same amount of this product. Then I wait for this product to be selling at full price again and I return the products for full price. The point of doing is that I don't need to wait for these products to be on sale and can still pay discounted price. Is this smart, unethical or too much of a hassle?
Purchasing Items on Sale, then Returning with a Previous Receipt for Full Price. Smart, Unethical or Too Much Work?
ribenaboy on 26/08/2018 - 01:05
Last edited 26/08/2018 - 12:59 by 1 other user
Last edited 26/08/2018 - 12:59 by 1 other user
Poll Options
- 35Smart
- 291Unethical
- 254Too much trouble
Comments
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It used to be profitable just hanging around outside and pick up thrown away receipts then go into the shop to steal the stuff. Nowadays with cashless transactions so prevalent, you could be hanging out for ages without a decent receipt (cash with high priced items that’s easy to steal). I think most people are now stealing then selling on gumtree.
Can you remind me again who is immoral and the thief?
Still the person who needs to lie to get a refund. The "needing to lie" part I thought makes it clear.
Apparently someone did this. Cycled through different supermarkets with stolen goods from other stores to get refunds out of them.
I heard his mate got caught! Got to greedy by sticking 2 salami down his daks and aroused the female staffs attention.
i belive in Karma. Be good live good
I guess the main point is, is this something you feel comfortable telling friends/family about? You openly tell them you do this?
Most would say it's unethical, but I'm in it to save money and so is everyone on this site. I do it for nappies a lot, since Woolies and Coles goes on rotation with sales sometimes, but there are some times where I need it when they are both not on special.
I've also done this with IKEA stuff, they seem to drop their prices about once or twice a year. I've saved a lot by doing so.
I am here to save money, but I draw the line at crossing into illegal activities to do so.
Not only is it unethical and basically fraud, I actually value my time, and just don't see how the effort required here outweighs the few dollars saved.
How much money are you genuinely saving? And what are you doing with your new found wealth? Looking at your post history, I guess you'll be buying useless Amiibos and Lego sets that end up being thrown away in a few years anyway.
Do you also put more expensive items through as much cheaper products at the self-service checkout because you are "in it to save money"?
How is it fraud when the policies enable you to do so?
For example IKEA, purchased a chair 6 months ago, then they dropped their prices for $100 less. I just went in and bought a new one at the new price and went to return counter with my 6 month old receipt. Their policy allows you to return up to 365 days if it hasn’t been opened. This is not fraud but going along with their policy but taking advantage of a loop hole.
Likewise for Nappies. When they aren’t on special the ones I use are $16 a bag, normally I’d need 3 bags to last us to at least the next special.
The effort is minimal. The next time they drop to $10 I just go in and buy and go back out and return with the $16 receipts.
No I don’t scan items as different, you’re just making assumptions and false allegations now. That’s obviously outright stealing. But what I’ve done as I noted above is within policy. If Coles or IKEA feel that it’s not right they can well and truly put in a 30 day policy instead.
It is fraud though, and you just admitted to it: "I just went in and bought a new one at the new price and went to return counter with my 6 month old receipt." The 6 month old receipt is a receipt for the original item, not the new one you just bought. This means you are passing off the newly bought item as an item from 6 months ago in order to return it (which is fraud).
You can make yourself feel better all you want, but what you are doing is most definitely fraud.
I have done it on several occasions, but never with something like nappies, they tend to change their packaging a lot, I suppose they wouldn't change their UPC, but if they did, you will come undone.
If you want to justify it, console yourself with the fact that you did pay this price for the product (maybe not the one in your hand, but an identical one), just months ago, now convince them on why you need to return it after so long.
Is it just me, the end result is a waste of time. There is no financial gain.
That's some ethically challenged shit, OP; check yourself before you wreck yourself…
You are committing fraud, getting financial gain through deception.
As a long term strategy this is not worth the hassle - just buy stuff when it's on sale and be done with it.
However if you bought something at full price, then it went on sale a few days later then I could see myself buying and and returning at full price to get a refund of the difference. But it would have to be a significant saving to justify the time and effort.
Or even better if you shop at places like Costco that have a price guarantee just use that and they will happily refund you the difference, instead of trying to game the system.
Why not both?
Also it wouldn't work with a lot of higher priced items that have serial numbers.
This is fraud, and surely not worth the savings (petrol, effort, etc).
Probably the scummiest thing I've seen on this site. Don't people have a moral compass?
Given where most of the things on this site are made and how they come to be so cheap, not so many people as you would think.
Given where most of the things on this site are made and how they come to be so cheap
This is a stupid argument. Ask me why.
What are you doing with your new found wealth?
Whenever you are considering the ethical implications of a given personal activity, consider what would happen if everyone did it.
Let's say product x is something you buy regularly and doesn't have an expiry date eg. toilet paper, nappies if you have a baby or cleaning products.
Then why not buy up when its onsale!!!?
OzHighHorse
You are effectively getting the sale price on an item bought much earlier (when not on sale).
cheater
It is unethical- but more importantly, for someone that organised, unnecessary. I think a person of your organisation and ability to plan should be able to find ethical ways of making money with no problem.
You could be good friends with the guy who uses public BBQs for his own personal cooking.
Aren't all public BBQ's used for personal cooking?
Aldi seem to have a policy in place that they wont refund full price if item is on sale. I've seen it happen to the lady in front of me who wanted to return something Say item x cost $10 but was on special for $5 they will only do a $5 refund. I thought that they werent allowed to do that and if someone challanged it they would get a slap on the wrist. but probably would just say we dont have to do refund at all if we dont want to.
Not true, at least for me with a receipt. Returned ski helmet with receipt to Aldi for full refund, then 5 mins later repurchased identical item from same Aldi store on markdown for $10 less.
a few years ago i used to buy this particular cat food on sale from pet barn. i would end up getting about 50% off because pet barn used to stack sales and coupons.
then the cat food got recalled because many cats had died so i returned my stock. i originally had paid about $150 for it all but ended up getting $400 back as it rang up as the regular price and you didn't need a receipt because it was a recall.
i didn't feel bad because the pet food was in the wrong. they did nothing to help the families who lost their pets.To be fair there's not much they have done for the families who had lost pets except maybe buy them a new one.
It's worth noting that certain online retailers are wise to this, eg Amazon will ban people from purchasing that make too many returns. I'd expect if stores notice this is a problem they'll take your ID when returning and begin limiting your access to their change of mind policy.
I think for most stores if you return with a valid receipt they won't ask for ID. You only need to show ID when you can't find the receipt anymore.
It’s fraud…
I think I understand OP’s root concern.
- OP paid full retail price for an item, but had no other option because it was not on sale back then and it was needed.
- After some time the same item goes on sale when OP does not need it and OP got upset over paying full price.
- So OP buys the discounted item and returns with past receipt so it seemed like OP paid for discounted price back when it was needed.
Well, we’ve all been with situations like this where you buy an item when you needed it but not at discounted price and all of a sudden few days later it goes on sale and you feel bad for it. It’s just part of life and deal with it. Some stores offer price gurantee upto 30 days later for things like this… but beyond that doing what OP though of doing is morally wrong and if can be proven is a fraud.
It’s not, it would be if you go back to the shop with your receipt, grab the item from the shelf and pretending to return it
OP you remind me of the scene on Big Daddy. When Adam Sandler's grocery shopping and gets his son to throw the cans on the floor to dent them, to get a cheaper price.
Microsoft went down 3 points!
Options B and C. Far out.
are you single? i could imagine this would turn the ladies / men on
It could turn them on if they are both into saving every little cent.
what the person is doing is fraud, and unethical. I am a tight a$$ but would not hang around any woman / friend with such behavior. id leave in 5 seconds.
You know how some girls keep falling for law breakers. Somewhat the same.
It’s all that work and you’re not actually saving anything, since even if you return it you have back the full price you paid earlier
The saving is the full price minus the sale price.
If you buy once at 10 (full price) and then at 5 (on special) you spend 15. Then return the product paid 5 and have 10 back, in total you have spent 5 and used only one product. The only advantage is having a special price in any given moment, but no financial gain.
??? The example I gave I bought kids play equipment for $250.
It then went on sale 2 days later for $200
So I bought it for $200 then returned it 5 mins later on the initial receipt for $250
So I got $50 back that I wouldn't have if I hadn't done this, which was definite financial gain?
I have once done this when something I had just bought at full price suddenly went on sale a couple of days later. I bought it again at the cheaper price and returned it on the full price receipt. Better than returning the original item (which I had opened but would have been entitled to do) just to reopen again…
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Because you would need a receipt.
Coles woolworths and more charge rental to manufacturer's on their shelving space so they're making money like a landlords then they can still make a profit selling at 1/2 price if the manufacture doesn't pay the rental price they wont stock the item.
You'll never see them selling their own abattoirs meat or vegetables they screwed over the farmers at 1/2 price as they own it.
Can you remind me again who is immoral and the thief?