Nordstrom Return Policy Thread!!
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Why would anyone try to return a shirt after 17 years? Don't people have any dignity?
Years ago my aunt worked as a manager in a high-end dept. store with a liberal return policy. She said people would come in with armloads of clothes they had cleaned out from the closet of a deceased mother or aunt. Clothes bought in the 1950s and '60s, most worn and without tags. They would say "My mom bought all her clothes here and now I want to return them." My aunt had no choice but to offer them some token amount even though there was no way to determine that the clothing had in fact been bought there. People would also bring in piles of wedding gifts--from their deceased parents' wedding!--and want to return it. Silver tea sets, crystal vases, etc. Again there was no way to determine whether any of this stuff had actually been bought at the store decades before, but my aunt usually used her discretion and offered them something for it. The store had a back room where old return merchandise was piled for the Goodwill.
I was just in Nordstrom this morning. I tried on five items. Out of the five, three had return stickers. Out of those three, two were missing original price tags. I told the disappointed salesperson I was going to find them online. I don't care how sweet and helpful she was, I'm not paying $238 for a used blouse.
Wow, the audacity of some people! I would be so embarrassed to even think of returning something so old. Honestly, can't believe this return was accepted.
- Aug 16, 2012
- 179,700
- 455,216
Oh goodness me!
Just when you think you have seen & heard everything something else comes along?????
I wonder who will acknowledge that they were the person who excepted the return?
https://www.yahoo.com/style/2-billi...stroms-legendary-return-policy-180331477.html
Lifestyle Yahoo Style
$2 Billion of Retail Fraud Could Be Ruining Nordstrom’s Legendary Return Policy
Alexandra Mondalek 18 hours ago
Photo: Getty Images
Nordstrom’s customer service is the stuff of legend. The Seattle-based retailer consistently ranks as shoppers’ No. 1 choice of department and discount stores for customer satisfaction, even as other stores struggle.
Part of the reason shoppers are so loyal to Nordstrom is the company’s liberal return policy. It’s so great that customers often brag about the kinds of returns they can get away with at Nordstrom.
There are virtually no limits on when you can return, how much you can return, and to where. Per the company’s website, “We handle returns on a case-by-case basis with the ultimate objective of making our customers happy … If we choose to provide a refund and no record of sale is available, a return is provided at current price on a Nordstrom Gift Card.”
But there’s a catch — Nordstrom, acknowledging its liberal return policy, maintains an “internal auditing” log that lets the store keep track of who’s buying and returning what, when, and how frequently. That’s why Nordstrom asks for an ID when you request a refund.
The company’s return policy is evolving as consumers find new ways to abuse it. Special occasion dresses, for example, now have tags stating that if the tag is removed, the dress can’t be returned. That’s because customers were complaining that their special occasion dresses had already been worn when they purchased them, an observation that matched Nordstrom’s own tracking, Nordstrom spokesperson Emily Sterken told Yahoo Style in an email.
And you used to be able to ask for cash refunds on returned purchases; now, a credit is applied to either the original form of payment or a Nordstrom gift card, a change that was made recently.
“Occasionally there have been situations where we have felt a customer wasn’t being fair with us, like when their returns to Nordstrom were greater than their purchases with us or when we have no record of ever having sold the item being returned,” Sterken said.
Nordstrom is finally cracking down on shoppers who take advantage of the company’s leniency by banning them from making purchases online and in stores. Of serial returners, Sterken said: “In cases like this, or other types of situations where we suspect unfair or dishonest activity, we’ll follow up with the customer directly and may ultimately make the decision to stop serving them in our stores and online.”
Photo: Getty Images
The problem isn’t exclusive to Nordstrom, but its return policy makes the company an easy target for scammers. The National Retail Federation (NRF), an industry trade group, found that every retailer surveyed said it was a victim of organized retail crime in the last year.
Return fraud is rampant in January, since customers try to return holiday gifts without any indication they were actually purchased at a given store. A separate NRF report found that 3.5 percent — over $2 billion — of holiday returns are fraudulent. (Nordstrom declined to comment on how many returns the company handles as a percentage of sales in January, but says it’s a topic that will be discussed during the company’s earnings call in February.)
The damage that one malevolent shopper can do to a store’s bottom line can be massive. There is the viral story of the woman who returned 226 “designer” bags — that were actually fakes — to various department stores in a year period, and made more than $400,000 off the scam.
Lifestyle Yahoo Style
$2 Billion of Retail Fraud Could Be Ruining Nordstrom’s Legendary Return Policy
Alexandra Mondalek 18 hours ago
Photo: Getty Images
Nordstrom’s customer service is the stuff of legend. The Seattle-based retailer consistently ranks as shoppers’ No. 1 choice of department and discount stores for customer satisfaction, even as other stores struggle.
Part of the reason shoppers are so loyal to Nordstrom is the company’s liberal return policy. It’s so great that customers often brag about the kinds of returns they can get away with at Nordstrom.
There are virtually no limits on when you can return, how much you can return, and to where. Per the company’s website, “We handle returns on a case-by-case basis with the ultimate objective of making our customers happy … If we choose to provide a refund and no record of sale is available, a return is provided at current price on a Nordstrom Gift Card.”
But there’s a catch — Nordstrom, acknowledging its liberal return policy, maintains an “internal auditing” log that lets the store keep track of who’s buying and returning what, when, and how frequently. That’s why Nordstrom asks for an ID when you request a refund.
The company’s return policy is evolving as consumers find new ways to abuse it. Special occasion dresses, for example, now have tags stating that if the tag is removed, the dress can’t be returned. That’s because customers were complaining that their special occasion dresses had already been worn when they purchased them, an observation that matched Nordstrom’s own tracking, Nordstrom spokesperson Emily Sterken told Yahoo Style in an email.
And you used to be able to ask for cash refunds on returned purchases; now, a credit is applied to either the original form of payment or a Nordstrom gift card, a change that was made recently.
“Occasionally there have been situations where we have felt a customer wasn’t being fair with us, like when their returns to Nordstrom were greater than their purchases with us or when we have no record of ever having sold the item being returned,” Sterken said.
Nordstrom is finally cracking down on shoppers who take advantage of the company’s leniency by banning them from making purchases online and in stores. Of serial returners, Sterken said: “In cases like this, or other types of situations where we suspect unfair or dishonest activity, we’ll follow up with the customer directly and may ultimately make the decision to stop serving them in our stores and online.”
Photo: Getty Images
The problem isn’t exclusive to Nordstrom, but its return policy makes the company an easy target for scammers. The National Retail Federation (NRF), an industry trade group, found that every retailer surveyed said it was a victim of organized retail crime in the last year.
Return fraud is rampant in January, since customers try to return holiday gifts without any indication they were actually purchased at a given store. A separate NRF report found that 3.5 percent — over $2 billion — of holiday returns are fraudulent. (Nordstrom declined to comment on how many returns the company handles as a percentage of sales in January, but says it’s a topic that will be discussed during the company’s earnings call in February.)
The damage that one malevolent shopper can do to a store’s bottom line can be massive. There is the viral story of the woman who returned 226 “designer” bags — that were actually fakes — to various department stores in a year period, and made more than $400,000 off the scam.
I have a Givenchy bag that I bought from Nordstrom 4 months ago, and I've been thinking on returning it for a little while now because I regret the color I chose and there aren't other colors that interest me now. I have never used it and of course have receipt, etc. It's a classic style and current color so it would go back on the shelf, not the the Rack. Is it tacky to return it after waiting 4 months? I am a regular shopper with them and am sure I will buy something else soon enough lol.
IMO it's ok to return since you never used it. And good on you for being considerate. There are many other less scrupulous people who would take advantage of Nordy's lenient policy.
Its sad people take advantage of the generous return policys. They just ruin it for everyone. Before long we may not be able to return anything.