Returns/refunds? - Do you return stuff? Is there an amount you won't bother with as it is too small?

[Car-Guy]

For on line stuff, $50 or more to return
Local Stores $20 or more

 

[ncbill]

For Amazon, any amount since UPS store is just a couple miles away.

 

[CRLLS]

I don't have a dollar amount. If the item is not as described or is defective, then yes. I return it. If I am just unhappy with an item and it is not over $10-$15, I usually just chalk it up to life's experiences and move on. I don't know how many times I buy stuff at the hardware store for a project and end up not using them all. I often just put them in my box(es) of spares.

I really hate it when an eBay seller wants to give me a partial credit on a defective product. I stand my ground until I get a full refund. They usually don't want the item back as they have to pay the shipping of a defective product.

 

[HI Bill]

If it's an Amazon purchase, I won't return it if it's less than ~$20 because I hate standing in line at the UPS store. If it's COSTCO, I'll return a $6 bag of fruit if it's bad. Something about being charged for bad fruit you can't eat makes it worth it to me to stand in line at the refund counter (but I usually ask my wife to start the shopping while I do so).

 

[UpQuark]

I don't think I have a dollar limit, I mostly just put the items in a box to donate later. Usually (with a few exceptions for times when I was grouchy) I only return items if I'm exchanging them (e.g., I got the wrong toilet seat shape, or I got one way bulbs but needed 3-way lightbulbs).

 

[foxcreek9]

If it's an Amazon purchase, I won't return it if it's less than ~$20 because I hate standing in line at the UPS store. If it's COSTCO, I'll return a $6 bag of fruit if it's bad. Something about being charged for bad fruit you can't eat makes it worth it to me to stand in line at the refund counter (but I usually ask my wife to start the shopping while I do so).

Fruits a gamble, I know that going in….

 

[Koolau]

If it's an Amazon purchase, I won't return it if it's less than ~$20 because I hate standing in line at the UPS store. If it's COSTCO, I'll return a $6 bag of fruit if it's bad. Something about being charged for bad fruit you can't eat makes it worth it to me to stand in line at the refund counter (but I usually ask my wife to start the shopping while I do so).

Yes, and I look at it as part of the overall quality control process at Costco. They won't know they have bad produce if I don't return it. I'm a member - not just a consumer. Returning bad stuff is helping everyone get good stuff in the future.

 

[karen1972]

Depends,

I work with a charity that does a lot of baskets for auction, if its something that would be a good item for one of those, I'll give it to them instead, along with all the times they send you something wrong or "extra" by mistake and tell you to keep it.

I'm more likely to return it if I need to exchange it for something else or if its just the type of stuff I'd rather not see in a landfill which is where it would likely end up otherwise.

I don't have an dollar amount, its usually an effort amount.

 

[dunkelblau]

As a general rule I never return anything I buy, but as it happens I did my first return in over a decade just yesterday.

Our new corporate landlord has a policy of requiring cashier's checks for rent, and my cashier's check from last week couldn't get through their check scanner. Apparently all the other tenants' cashier's checks from that same credit union had exactly the same issue all of a sudden. These checks worked fine for years and there were no layout changes, so we're suspecting something in the scanner software got hosed. So the manager asked for a personal check which I wrote immediately, and she confirmed it scanned just fine.

I've never returned a cashier's check before, so I wasn't sure what kind of delays are involved in getting it refunded, but my credit union was able to quickly confirm that this check was never cashed, and my account was credited with the refund immediately. I just have to remember to ask the office next month whether they have resolved their scanner issue before getting my rent cashier's check next time-- if not hopefully they'll just accept my personal check straight away so I don't have to go through all of this again.

As for refunds, I will request a refund for items that get misrouted. A couple of months ago a $5 item from Amazon was marked as delivered but never appeared on my doorstep. The delivery photo shows this package was left on someone else's doorstep because the welcome mat is different and the door handle is on the opposite side. I just asked them to compare this delivery pic to all of the much higher value items that previously were delivered just fine to my address. Seems to me Amazon can have an AI do this comparison on the fly as the delivery pic uploads and give the driver a warning in case of mismatch; maybe they already do this and this one fell through? If so maybe they can send their customers a QR code sticker to attach to their welcome mats to make this verification easy.

 

[JohnRM]

Amazon returns are so easy. Other things, we have not had anything need returning in recent memory. I would probably sweet talk my wife into doing those and putting the refund in her personal funds if possible. It's not worth dealing with people.

 

[deserat]

Just returned an item for $1.58 at Home Depot BUT I also had to get a refund on a shelf bolt that was defective and buy some more shelving system items. Two weeks had passed since I did the original purchase, so I waited for a few tasks to stack up and then did all at once. For items that I purchased online, yes, I do return and have lately. Amazon makes it easy. Wayfair wasn't too bad either. I do live a bit in the country, however, there is a UPS and Dollar General nearby that offer the pick-up/drop-off services which makes it quite convenient. Interestingly, IKEA used the Dollar General for drop off services. Chuffed about that as it is an hour+ drive to my nearest IKEA and I have returned items there....as for a Dollar amount, not really. It's about the convenience and my time. Now the stuff I've accumulated over the last few decades that sat in boxes and had cruises across the Atlantic twice....no returns or selling. Goodwill or Salvation Army...do not want hassles of selling....I estimate 25-30% of stuff has been donated.....

 

[meleana]

Do you return stuff?

Is there an amount you won't bother with as it is too small? I'm talking about new, undamaged, unused items only. Not defective or damaged shipments or return policies that allow you to return things years after purchase . . .(I'm trying to keep this from going off the rails here).

I mean just like last week you ordered $10 worth of X and subsequently decided you do not need it - do you return it? donate it? throw it out? Just curious.

I had a tiny purchase I regretted (and did end up returning) but a year ago I'd have just chucked it in the trash as not worth the effort. Not sure if I am just getting cheap(er) or simply I can return things now mostly without much waiting as I have more free time to do so. The item would have been completely re-sellable so I don't see the store being "harmed" if you are about that sort of thing.

Yes. I return everything no matter the price. I refuse to pay for something damaged, not needed or whatever. I just returned a $4 item and next week I’m returning a $2 item.

 

[RetiredAndLovingIt]

Amazon returns have an option to return the product to Kohls in my area. I just did my first return to yesterday since I did not have a large box to pack the 2 boxes of faucets. They scan the Amazon return bar code on my phone, take the product and gave me a receipt plus a coupon for a discount off Sephora products. In and out within a couple of minutes with no hassle at all and I got an Amazon credit for the return the same evening. If I selected credit my credit card it could have taken up to two weeks for it to post.

 

[Sanstar]

Every time if it isn’t what I expected or won't work, as the local
UPS is next to the grocery store we frequent.

 

[sunnysideup]

If I can return it to a store that’s local, typically will return it. But with mail order that requires shipping it back, my threshold is $20-$25..Quite a few brand new things get donated to the local thrift shop.

 

[Texas Proud]

LOL... today I returned 3 clips that cost about $10 each for our Honda Pilot... some stupid dealership in Dallas took off parts of the car and did not put them back on... I did not notice for many months...

One part was not clipped in... it requires 9 clips... but I did not notice that there were 3 clips there... so back I go...

It was very little out of the way as we went to Lowes just down the street.. but $32 back on my CC...

 

[Jeb-NY]

If defective or not as advertised I will return an item. If I changed my mind or misread and bought the wrong thing I will usually keep it or give it away, figure it was my mistake unless it was very expensive. Luckily a UPS store and a shipping store are both on the way to place we go a lot for mail order/Amazon returns.

 

[Dean56]

Our stupid Walmart story: wife buys a cat watering station (we don't have a cat). When it arrives, she walks it into Walmart for a return/refund. Gets the receipt. A month later, no credit on the cc. I look at Walmart.com...credited to wrong cc; a cc we don't own. Wife calls, "we will credit this within 2 days". Weeks later, nada. Wife calls again..."we will credit this within 2 days". Weeks later, nada. Wife calls again, "we will credit this within 2 days". Nada. three months later, I told the wife that it's not worth another hour on the phone for $20.

Call your credit card company and dispute the charge. They will make it right.

 

[NeilDH]

I or DW will return items if it's easy enough. She's more willing to go to an actual store for a return. I almost certainly would not have gone to a store to shop in the first place , which means it was shipped. I rarely have to return; last time I had to with Amazon, they didn't even want the item returned and gave me the refund, as it was under $20 to begin with. A more common scenario for me is if something was unsatisfactory, I will file a complaint online or by email, and I'll get a credit or refund or replacement item.

My late mentor and client/side employer, who was FI, returned items often by going to the store, largely regardless of price, even if it turned out he just didn't like it. Meanwhile, I also had to give up on a mistaken health care payment, years ago. This year, however, I managed about a $600 refund from Walgreens when I learned a prescription's cost got much lower under our new insurance plan (ACA) this year. It took me a few online filings and phone calls, then a couple of months, but I got it.

 

[Cerys]

$10 or $20 is still worth it to me, even if it takes a bit more patience and followups. But one area where even I've admitted defeat is health insurance reimbursements.

I've forfeited a few when I ran into one too many brick walls fighting a huge, convoluted system. Many billing errors, none ever in my favor. I don't want to think about the # of hours lost to calls, emails, escalated appeals, pass-the-buck transfers to other depts that go nowhere.

Insurers, pharma middlemen & physician networks don't communicate well with each other and love pointing the finger elswhere when an issue arises.

I've won a few with help from state/federal agencies via complaints and investigations. But the time, anger and stress just aren't worth it.

A few insurance companies ago, they decided that they would cover any vaccination given by the doctor at the doctors office. It was the same year that most of the doctors that I had were not giving out vaccinations anymore. If you got the vaccination at a drugstore you had to pay for it and then get reimbursed.

Which of course they really didn’t want to do. So I kept calling and it was like $65 that I was going to get back. Totally worth it to me. MONTHS later, I called — yet again…and I very nicely said to the last woman I talked to — And listen, my afternoons are free, I can keep calling every week until I get this check, it is no skin off my teeth.

I got the check the next week.

 

[AbbA]

$10 or $20 is still worth it to me, even if it takes a bit more patience and followups. But one area where even I've admitted defeat is health insurance reimbursements.

I've forfeited a few when I ran into one too many brick walls fighting a huge, convoluted system. Many billing errors, none ever in my favor. I don't want to think about the # of hours lost to calls, emails, escalated appeals, pass-the-buck transfers to other depts that go nowhere.

Insurers, pharma middlemen & physician networks don't communicate well with each other and love pointing the finger elswhere when an issue arises.

I've won a few with help from state/federal agencies via complaints and investigations. But the time, anger and stress just aren't worth it.

:-( just reading about HC billing issues someone else has, it already makes me feel angry. We haven't (yet) experienced such problems because luckily we don't see many doctors yet, but just glancing at our EOB's makes me think how untransparent HC system is as if it's rigged and set up on purpose to benefit anyone except patients. This is the area I feel that people should fight the most so all HC parties wake up and start fixing, but who has energy to do it when you are weak and sick and wish to get better in addition to all the riddles and mistakes on the bills and no one wanting to cooperate with you??

Regarding refunds for goods, I used to do returns even for small refunds when we were still building/ accumulating savings, but now I don't do as much unless I'm heading in the same way. I would say, I fall into a category of people who seek efficiency and are anti-waste. So, sometimes I naturally come up with other things to do in the same area, so I can stop by and make a return in order not to have unnecessary things lying around the house. We are really lucky in the USA that merchants allow refunds/returns. It's not so in other countries.

 

[AbbA]

A few insurance companies ago, they decided that they would cover any vaccination given by the doctor at the doctors office. It was the same year that most of the doctors that I had were not giving out vaccinations anymore. If you got the vaccination at a drugstore you had to pay for it and then get reimbursed.

Which of course they really didn’t want to do. So I kept calling and it was like $65 that I was going to get back. Totally worth it to me. MONTHS later, I called — yet again…and I very nicely said to the last woman I talked to — And listen, my afternoons are free, I can keep calling every week until I get this check, it is no skin off my teeth.

I got the check the next week.

Cool story and great perseverance but I understand why FightingForward has given up.

Your story reminded me of the Covid home tests that insurance companies were told by the gov't to reimburse people for a certain period. Reimbursement forms were not created to include a box for such a thing. Our BSBC was aware of this new mandated benefit, but told me to call CVS to figure out what forms to send in to CVS. I called CVS and of course I got a website to look for some kind of vague reimbusement form. I sent it in and needless to say, I saw no check in the mail. I was 100% positive that I would be chasing my tail if I decided to hunt for it and there were those time contraints for claiming. It wasn't worth it for $30-50 I spent on those Abbott home tests at the time.

 

[Maidensong]

Sometimes when you buy online and try to return something, there's a "RE-STOCKING" fee. It pays to check the return policy before you buy.

 

[euro]

If it's an Amazon purchase, I won't return it if it's less than ~$20 because I hate standing in line at the UPS store. If it's COSTCO, I'll return a $6 bag of fruit if it's bad. Something about being charged for bad fruit you can't eat makes it worth it to me to stand in line at the refund counter (but I usually ask my wife to start the shopping while I do so).

I tend to approach it in a similar manner. I have to consider it "worth my while" (some dollar amount cut-off and a "convenience" multiplier") for most returns, except for those I feel I must return ON PRINCIPLE (such as spoiled groceries like @Bill mentioned).

 

[motley]

I'm an "it depends" too. I'm far less likely to return something I bought online due to hassle and possible return shipping costs. I'll return most things local but even that can vary. For ex. last week I bought some weather stripping for my doors and turned out I bought the wrong kind...about $30 total. Heck yeah I'm returning. $30 is $30.