The Energon Pub

Okay, I was watching the afternoon news and they say returns can be difficult this season since because of return fraud.

I did some more research and it got me thinking: Was I doing something wrong? Did I contribute to it?

I started repackage transformers only because there's something wrong with the toy but the employees will argue nothing is wrong with it and I am stuck with it. I gotten return problems before (RID Prime but I went to the same Target but got a different employee and they let me have my money back), but the movie line is when I actively try repackaging.

My first repackage was the Target BB pack. I saw it and bought it earlier for 19.99 (on the side note, I saw robo-vision prime for 24.99 but I didn't know what that was; at the time, I thought it was the spin-around statue) and three days later, it was on sale for 15.99. I felt so stupid, and I have already opened mines. So I decide to repackage and try to return it, since my last time was a couple years ago and it was a hassle since I got in trouble with my parents (they scolded me for buying it in the first place and now since something was wrong with it and I opened it, I can't return it but in the end it all worked out) . It was such a horrible repackage. You can see a big hole on the bottom of the box...anyways, they ask me if it was opened or not. I lied and said no. Then they gave back my money. I didn't believed it worked...and there was no hassle. One question and that was it!

My second one was Barricade. The paint job was wrong (this is when I first was warned on the forums to check the toy out first), but I remember my last time returning an opened stuff. So I was worried they won't let me and the Target I bought it at was FAR from my home (hunting since Barricade was pretty rare back then). I wouldn't have another time to return it or look around frequently. However, it was an easier repackaging and the only problem was the bottom with the plastic seal. I taped it and returned it. It looked okay. As long as they don't shake the product and dislodge the tape, it looked new. I went in they ask me why I wanted to return it and I said I didn't like it. They checked it out and gave me my money back. It was pretty sweet.

So afterwards, I learned how to repackage the glued part that sticks to the card on returning my Hardtop. I learn that boxes were easier to repackage than the others. So I would buy maybe three of the same voyager and opened one by one until I got a toy that worked right and the paint scheme wasn't botched. It was perfect: I got my money back (although I did overdrew and got fined 32 per charge ). I didn't go crazy repacking on all the bad figures I got, but I did do a few (six in case you are wondering). Plus, I don't want it to make a regular thing.

I thought returning stuff would be less of a hassle since return repackaging stuff was easy returns. I thought it would be less of a hassle now to return opened or used items and it was more of a hassle to repackage, so I tried returning my BB 08 without repackaging it. So I go to Toys r us and ask for exchange and they ask me what wrong with it and I state the problem. They agreed and I looked around for a BB08. They didn't have it. They asked me if I wanted to come back to check tomorrow or a return. I went with the checking tomorrow since the return money won't completely cover for the BB08 if I find one the next day (they jacked the price up to 10.99 + taxes and the return would be 9.99 + plus taxes).

I show up the next day. Toys r us said it still works. They rolled it on the table. They said I can't exchange it because there's nothing wrong with it. They won't let me return it because it's open and it works. They also told me just because I don't like how the product is that doesn't mean I can return it. Then they went on and said MAYBE they could give me a refund if a tire was missing. So I got pissed and repackage it. I used my unopened one as reference and it was BAD repackage compared to the unopened one. Maybe it was due to the mood I was in. I repackage my Armorhide too (paint scheme was bad. I bought him on Black Friday so...it was a quick glance at it; it's not my usually procedure of taking three of the same toy in store and compare them to each other).

In the end, I didn't return them. Mom was worried that the church won't have enough presents to give to the kids during Christmas. So, in the end, I gave them to the church. Also, gave my Ironhide (opened and checked) to my Dad cause he also asked me for a toy to give away. It was foolish to believe I can pull

Another "scheme" is that I re-buy toys that are on sale that week and return the toys that I bought a week earlier. Target had a 15.99 sale on all voyagers and some I didn't open yet. So I buy them check out all them w/o opening them and compare with the ones I got and choose the best one.

In my research, all of what I did is return fraud. I realized that what I did was morally wrong but it was justified. These toys weren't in the shape they are suppose to be. I want to get my money's worth. The ones at fault should be Hasbro for allowing such bad productions. Basically, I opened one and it's bad. Just trying to return or exchange is a pain because the retailers will lose money. This translate that it's bad for other customers. I know that why returns are such a hassle in the first place. So I know what I did was wrong but not as the level as the main interloper of the return fraud (returning stolen stuff w/o receipts).

But the last one, I don't think that's counts as a bad thing.

So all in all, do you guys think I did a bad thing?

I'm not reading all that, so I'm just gonna say, if you have a defective figure that is all over retail, go ahead and swap it out.

Realy does it matter if Target sold you a bad figure and you brought it back to TRU? It all gets sent back to Hasbro anyway.

Now if your buying a figure stripping it down then returning whats left cause you only needed a part or two but kept as much as you could, that's wrong!

But I'm evil so on ocasion...

Sometimes I return stuff when it breaks during the first week or so. I never thought it was a big thing, and I never thought that they actually try it out to see if it works. Most of my returns are to Wal-Mart and the Customer Service is always jammed, so I don't think they have the time to squabble, but I have seen some grumpy, penny-pinching employees before.I think It's more wrong in my case than in yours, especially if the toy's breaking is your fault, and not the toy's mechanics.

That was a lot of words, OP.

Behavior such as yours is why several retailers have adopted restocking fees for "non-defective, opened" merchandise. Ultimately, continued behavior of this sort only contributes to the rising costs across the retail sector due to the sinking profits of everyone except Target, Walmart, and Best Buy.

If you're going to regret buying something, don't buy it. Or resell it on places like e-bay. If something is wrong with it, then by golly, take it back.

But don't contribute to the rest of us having to pay for it because you got buyer's remorse. Please?

This is one of those times when I'm completely disgusted with this fandom. It really saddens me when only two of four posters who've replied seem to have any shred of morality.

Yes, this is bad. That is to say the least. This is fraud, and in none of the cases he brings up, is M Burn justified of his actions. I really don't see how a person can even try to justify lying, cheating (the stores), and stealing, much less find supporters--or maybe the need of justification is evidence of some conscience?

If a toy has quality issues, tell the company that produces the toy about it. If the toy is on sale the day after you purchased it, you're out of luck--but even then, some managers or customer service people are nice enough to refund the difference. But to defraud the store because you don't think you got your money's worth is wrong.

Is it the store's fault you didn't pay closer attention to the toy's paintjob? Heck, is it even the store's responsibility to guarantee that every toy has a paintjob of your standards? The answer, in both cases, is no. The first is your own responsibility, and the second rests, in part, with that of the producer's. In neither case should you think you're justified.

I'm not just trying to flame on M Burn, who at least seems to have some sort of conscience to ask if it's wrong, but come on! You're giving everybody a bad name, and a harder time for people who actually have legitimate reasons for a return. Furthermore, this doesn't help anybody; if your toy had a crappy paintjob, take it up with Hasbro, or start a thread on it so that people can collectively take these issues with Hasbro. Otherwise, Hasbro's just going to keep putting out bad products, and then, your only recourse will be to defraud retailers. This does nothing but perpetuate a vicious cycle, and I can't believe there are people out there who think this kind of behavior's acceptable.

Hold on...let me get this straight...

You reseal opened products, then return them, passing them off as new?

Yes, that is very wrong.

EDIT: I got some elaboration:

If there was a major defect, (As in a piece being put on wrong, preventing it from Transforming properly, NOT a paintjob problem) and you can't find any other cases of it, and return it to the store, with the original box and the receipt, and tell them what was wrong, THEN and ONLY then, is it okay.

ScottyP wrote:If you're going to regret buying something, don't buy it.

Exactly.

And re-sealing an opened fig to return as new is wrong.

ephbot's statements are excellent as well.

i didnt read all of it, but i will say:
resealing merchandise and returning it as new is wrong. it's better to say that there was something wrong with it (if there is). otherwise, it is basically lying.

Liege Evilmus wrote:Realy does it matter if Target sold you a bad figure and you brought it back to TRU? It all gets sent back to Hasbro anyway.

Now if your buying a figure stripping it down then returning whats left cause you only needed a part or two but kept as much as you could, that's wrong!

I don't strip a toy down...ever. Also, I try to stay within chains. I swap out maybe once.

Redimus wrote:If you honestly have a problem with something, return it to a branch of the company you bought it from. Really you should not be able to get a refund without your recipt anyway (though most places, including my own place of work, do credit notes instead).

If you are returning an open figure just cuase you saw it cheaper somewhere else, that is wrong too. So what, bad luck, next time you may be lucky, dosnt mean you can return a perfectly fine figure that at best they will have to reduce to sell, and at worst wont be able to sell at all.

There's usually something wrong with it but most of the times it's the paint job. I have all the stuff and receipts; I never throw those away until past the refund expire date. I can't get a refund or exchange because "there's nothing wrong with the toy" even though there's like a blotch here or there that mess up the toy. I am a collector that plays with the collection. What's the point of having a messed up toy when you are going to display it? Wouldn't a mess up toy be easier to break? So that's what hit me.

For the BB 08, the door doesn't pop in all the way making it tippy toppy. They said it was fine. I didn't like how they just basically told me. Is it right for them to refuse you a refund or exchange that you bought a camera, open it then find out that the lens cap that won't stay on and pops out? That's my rationale. I didn't extreme kit-bash fiddle with it expect transformation. They didn't give give me an exchange or refund, even though the first time they allowed me to exchange it. It's that situation I worry about that drove me to repackaging in first place. It's like the whole time talking to them they make it seems like I did the damage, when I didn't.
Either way, it's a whole run around at least to me.

ScottyP wrote:Behavior such as yours is why several retailers have adopted restocking fees for "non-defective, opened" merchandise. Ultimately, continued behavior of this sort only contributes to the rising costs across the retail sector due to the sinking profits of everyone except Target, Walmart, and Best Buy.

That's what I regret. I didn't know it would affect others like this.

ScottyP wrote:If you're going to regret buying something, don't buy it. Or resell it on places like e-bay. If something is wrong with it, then by golly, take it back.

But don't contribute to the rest of us having to pay for it because you got buyer's remorse. Please?

Nah, it's not like that. It's more of there's something off on the toy and can't return/exchange it. Often, there are reviews on the galleries and I check them out to see what's fun or not before I buy. Plus, it's hard to sell on e-bay because some people preferred unopened items or items without problems.

ephbot wrote:If a toy has quality issues, tell the company that produces the toy about it. If the toy is on sale the day after you purchased it, you're out of luck--but even then, some managers or customer service people are nice enough to refund the difference. But to defraud the store because you don't think you got your money's worth is wrong.

Sometimes they don't. I felt like I could have used that money to get another figure, so the money would end up in their hands anyways. But it's wrong or that's what the news says.

ephbot wrote:Is it the store's fault you didn't pay closer attention to the toy's paintjob? Heck, is it even the store's responsibility to guarantee that every toy has a paintjob of your standards? The answer, in both cases, is no. The first is your own responsibility, and the second rests, in part, with that of the producer's. In neither case should you think you're justified.

Sometimes, the paint job likes in the robot mode so I can't see everything. My first thundercracker had paint chipping off it's head, and I didn't even bash it against anything. All I did was hop it along the desk and I see a big black ship fall off it's plastic completely orange head. Some of the ones with problems I keep cause I figure that I can spruce up somehow. My leader Brawl had sharp point plastic due to bad mold cuts. I cut them off myself (badly but lucky it's clear plastic so it doesn't stick out).

ephbot wrote:I'm not just trying to flame on M Burn, who at least seems to have some sort of conscience to ask if it's wrong, but come on! You're giving everybody a bad name, and a harder time for people who actually have legitimate reasons for a return. Furthermore, this doesn't help anybody; if your toy had a crappy paintjob, take it up with Hasbro, or start a thread on it so that people can collectively take these issues with Hasbro. Otherwise, Hasbro's just going to keep putting out bad products, and then, your only recourse will be to defraud retailers. This does nothing but perpetuate a vicious cycle, and I can't believe there are people out there who think this kind of behavior's acceptable.

It's true it's not their fault. It's Hasbro's fault. I thought I wasn't doing anything that bad. Seriously, Hasbro was the last company to help. They are not going to do anything for me and they are making a lot money for those who are fine with it. Thus I started my cycle. It's unlikely that Hasbro will make changes from a handful of people. It's bad enough that Hasbro even allowed the toys to be out. It's not little though; out of the three Ironhides I got, two had unfinished mold cuts on the left side doors. Chances are moderate that'll keep doing what they do. I see my bad though. Hasbro screwed me over and I screwed the stores over. I didn't know I was screwing everybody else over.

Maximum Burn wrote:
My first repackage was the Target BB pack. I saw it and bought it earlier for 19.99 and three days later, it was on sale for 15.99. I felt so stupid, and I have already opened mines. So I decide to repackage and try to return it. It was such a horrible repackage. You can see a big hole on the bottom of the box...anyways, they ask me if it was opened or not. I lied and said no. Then they gave back my money. I didn't believed it worked...and there was no hassle. One question and that was it!

I'm not going to comment on every thing you posted but I will in this one case above.

You wasted your time repacking it and returning it to buy another one.I have worked retail all my life and its standered story policy to give you the money difference if a item goes on sale within a two week period of when you buy it.

Meening if you bought a toy today for $20.bucks and it goes on sale in the same store next week for $10.bucks the store will refund the difference with out even seeing the toy...as long as you have your reciet.

Also if it goes on sale at a different store outlet....if you bring the store you bought the original toy some proof of the other stores sale like a flyer or a news add the store will not only match the sale price but beat it by at least 5% and refund you the difference.

Every thing that you put in your post is an example of bad consumerism. The fact that you are returning them based on the paint apps is silly in its self. No toy is going to have perfect paint apps and if you play with them you are going to damage the paint in one form or another anyways. Like someone else said, its not the stores fault that the paint is not up to your standards.

Just think of the people that wanted to buy figures that your "exchanges" cheated them out of just so you could get rid of a splotch of paint on barricades back that no one sees anyways.

And to answer the original portion of your post. Yes it is part of the reason that so many stores now have a more stringent return policy. Because people scam them out of toys based on things that the kids that the toys are meant for would never bother with, they would play with the toy until they broke it.

You can't justify any of it.

Well, that's it then. I've done what I done. I never knew the store policy of one week sale thing. All I can do is try to be lucky and get what I want without no problems. I know Hasbro have done better jobs before.