Are people this cheeky with all retailers?

[Yearly]

You know how if you sell your old stuff online, you sometimes get people asking for ridiculous discounts, stupid requests, and sometimes lie about it arriving broken because they changed their mind etc?

Is this just an Ebay and second hand selling thing, or do people also do it with normal retailers? I already know about stuff like people returning clothes that have blatantly been worn, and each company chooses how they respond to that, but I mean like, do people email random companies and ask for discounts for no reason, or send sob stories about how they can't afford it etc?

They definitely try and return things that they have broken themselves!

Yes to things being broken on return they claim was sold that way when we know for a fact it wasnt. My fave was a customer returning an item where the decoration on top had been forcefully torn off by her toddler and she swore blind she walked out the door and it just fell off 🤣

Also getting asked for discounts for absolutely no reason and trying to haggle the price as if we are on a market stall.

A lawnmower that suddenly doesn't work anymore come autumn

Xmas lights that are faulty returned dec 27th

A chainsaw bought to do one job then returned as it 'keeps cutting out'

It's like hire purchase!

Asking for s as n item at half price because it's 'the last one on the shelf'

Yes they some are massive CFs.
I used to work on a customer service desk in a large well known retail outlet. I could write volumes about the CFery of some customers trying to return stuff!!
Lots of "I want to speak to the manager" incidents. Sadly the managers often gave in and let the customers have what they wanted , despite the obvious CFery involved. Used to make my blood boil at times

Why don't people just hire stuff in the first place?

Why don't people just hire stuff in the first place?

Because they have to pay for that - rather than handing over more to start with but then getting it all back!

When I worked in retail circa 2012-14 I had the following within 6 months:

• woman tried to return a suit without receipt that turned out to be from 2001

• man walked in, acting a bit odd shuffling around the place, picked up an item and went to the till... to return it. Even though he'd just picked it up.

• woman asked for a discount as item had chocolate on it. Her child's hands were covered in chocolate.

• A woman accidentally shut a door on my hand/fingers I screamed and passed out (broken finger) When I woke up she was relieved but asked me if they had the dress she was wearing in a size 12. Like... wtf

So yes people are cheeks fs in person too

Probably about 15 years ago chatting to to an employee in M&S. she told me how they sell a lot of hats in the summer, that then get returned on a Monday (often with makeup marks). I looked at her blankly, and she replied “weddings”.

She said the same thing happens with mens suits. Buy something to wear to a Saturday wedding, and take it back for a full refund.

That opened my eyes to the CF, nothing surprises me now.