RobandoDeLaTienda

RobandoDeLaTienda OP wrote

Tips? Let's see...

RETURN POLICY -For Wh@leMart, I'll go over their return policy. According to corporate policy, without a receipt, they are to ask for a picture ID and the refund will be issued as store credit, on a gift card. It says items under $25 will be issued as a cash refund, but I don't find that stores in my area are willing to do this without a fight. When you return without a receipt, it is recorded in their system under your ID number. If you have 3 returns recorded under that ID number, you will be banned from doing anymore returns by the system. I think this resets every 3 or 6 months or something like that, so after that many months, the system is cleared and you can use your ID again. I haven't tested it, but I think if you were to have another form of ID with a different number, you might be able to use it for more returns. Like if you have done 3 returns with your driver's license, maybe you could then do 3 more under your passport since it's got a different number, but again, I have not tested this. Anybody know?

I have seen a manager override this once for an angry customer who was claiming that he didn't do the returns they had recorded. She told him she was going to allow it this time, a fourth return without a receipt under his ID number, but that he should save his receipts now because he would not be allowed to return again without a receipt. May be good to note that this was just a week or 2 ago after the holidays that I saw this happen. The man was probably in his late 40s or 50s and seemed like a respectable customer for the area and all.

Most stores in my area will allow you to return an item under $10 without a receipt and not even ask for an ID. Just tell them you couldn't find the receipt and they will tell you that they can only issue you a gift card. I would like to note that sometimes if I have gone up and said something like "I don't have the receipt, could i get a gift card?" they then get suspicious thinking I have done this before and tell me that I can't return that item or that I have to go find something to exchange it for directly and bring it back up to customer service. So don't ask for the gift card, just act like you wanted cash and when they say they'll have to give you a gift card just say that would be fine. Also, at some stores, sometimes, I'd say maybe 1 out of 10 or 20 times, I end up getting handed cash instead of a gift card if it's just $1-10 or so without even asking for cash.

GIFT CARDS -You can use a gift card to buy anything from Wh@lemart including (this is what I use it for usually, along with tobacco products) gas from the Walmart gas station or Murphee USA gas station if it's in the Wh@lemart parking lot. If the Murphee USA gas station is across the street (i.e. it has a different address and credit card phone/data line I guess) they will not accept Wh@lemart gift cards because they are not on the same line for the credit/debit card machine. They will accept a Wh@lemart credit card (like the one you sign up for that has your name and an expiration date and PIN number and all that on it), but they will not be able to accept Wh@lemart gift cards.

TIPS -Well, the return policy treats you a lot nicer, it seems, if you just bring in the damn receipt for what you want to return or exchange, so let's do that! This is really moving from shoplyfting or just lyfting something and returning it into what we call return fraud and the idea of shoplisting, or finding a receipt for a cash or debit purchase (since Wh@lemart will issue a cash refund if something was bought with a debit card) and finding those items and returning them for cash, or if nothing else at least for a gift card if something goes wrong or if the receipt says SHOPPING CARD purchase, for example. Note that is needs to say DEBIT TEND as a CREDIT TEND purchase will still only be refunded back to the credit card it was purchased with to prevent people from buying things with their credit cards and returning for cash which would be credit card fraud I presume. With a debit card, however, I assume they know that you could just withdraw the cash from an ATM once it is back in your debit card account so they allow you to take the refund in cash to save you that trouble.

Note that not all stores share this policy, so T@rgit, for example, will not issue a cash refund for items purchased with a debit card, and instead will only refund the amount back to the debit card or issue a return merchandise card which is like a gift card but it specifically says on the card that is a store credit for returned merchandise unlike Wh@lemart who issues a regular gift card for store credit from returned items which is the same as a gift card that you would buy to give to somebody for their birthday or Christmas or whatever so they can buy stuff from Wh@lemart with it.

RECEIPTS -But that's going back to policy, so let's get back on track here. "Where do I get these receipts?" you ask. Find them anywhere you can. Use your old receipts. Take your mom's old receipts that she doesn't need. Ask your friends to find and save some for you. I find them in the parking lot on the ground or sitting in the trash can on top. If you wanted to, and you could do it without being caught, you could dig through the trash and try to find some more down there. Heck I dunno, maybe you can buy a box of them on eBay or Craigslist. I've never tried, but I wouldn't be surprised if they were on there. They probably shouldn't be more than 90 days old, and if you want cash, they should say CASH TEND or DEBIT TEND on them.

IT IS IMPORTANT to note that for Wh@lemart, once you have used a receipt to return something, you cannot return that item with that receipt again. You can return other items on that receipt, if you can do it without seeming suspicious (I have never had a problem), but when you return something, that item is marked as returned for that purchase on that receipt in the computer system in a central database. In the old days I guess they would just mark a line through that item and write returned on the receipt. I still see some cashier's do this at customer service, but it doesn't really matter if they do or not now-a-days or weather you get the receipt back or not because it will all be recorded in the computer system.

If the items on the receipt are small, conceal them and leave the store with them then return later or at another store. If they are bigger and can't be concealed easily, try to do a walkout or save up store credit/gift cards from smaller items that you have returned without an ID, and purchase the item with a gift card then return it at another store with the cash receipt for cash. I once bought a Vicks humidifier for $30 half with cash and half with gift cards. I had found a cash receipt for one. I returned it with the cash receipt and got all cash. Then I bought another one the next day with all gift cards and used the half cash/ half gift card receipt to return it. The guy issued the refund in all cash.

Be creative and see what you can do. Be confident and dress and act like a legit shopper and they will see you as one. If you look and act like a shoplyfter, they will probably treat you like one.

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RobandoDeLaTienda wrote

Reply to by !deleted8180

Congrats. My first walkout today also :) Walkouts I participated in years back sometimes, but only sitting in the car waiting for my buddy to walkout with the cart of food...

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RobandoDeLaTienda OP wrote

Policy will vary from store to store. I'll use WallShart as an example to answer your questions, since that's where I shop the most. You can return something from one WallShart at any other location anywhere, as long as that location carries that product usually. The system at WallShart is that they have a bar code with a TC number at the bottom of the receipt. When you make a purchase, that purchase receipt is stored in a central database with the date, time, location, and other info along with all items purchased, method of payment, etc... pretty much everything on the receipt. So when you go to return something, they scan the barcode on that receipt and the computer pulls up that exact purchase. It will mark off the item you return as returned for that purchase in the computer system. They will give you the receipt back, but aside from usually crossing the item out with a pen as returned on the receipt so you cant use that receipt to return it again, nowadays, it's also flagged in the computer as already returned on that receipt for that purchase. So for WallShart, no you can't reuse receipts like that. Other stores, maybe.

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RobandoDeLaTienda OP wrote (edited )

Note that I think the Lowe's refund on day 4 I could have gotten cash for but she just quickly assumed it would be fine going back to the card and didn't even ask. I think if I would have quickly asked something like if I could please have the cash instead of it going back to the card because I needed it to buy something out of the store right now and for example my wife has the debit card or something I would have gotten the cash. As long as you don't sound suspicious. The girl just did it all so fast I didn't get a chance. I should have asked before I handed her the receipt, before she even started the process.

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RobandoDeLaTienda OP wrote (edited )

The ones I did in the post were I think all using receipts I found in the parking lot on the ground or in the trash can sitting on the top (not digging through the trash or anything like that, but if you're into that and can do it without being spotted... Go ahead I guess). Oh, and I got a few from friends. The receipt needs to say the items were paid for with cash, then when you find or lift those items on the receipt, upc/number under bar code needs to match receipt or be sure it's the same items exactly somehow by price, number, or description, then take it in for the return to customer service. Some stores will also offer you a cash refund if the receipt says a debit card was used to pay. But if you look at the post, Target would only refund debit back to the same debit card and one out of 2 i did for Lowe's ended up like that (see day 4). Read post for more details.

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RobandoDeLaTienda wrote

Reply to comment by !deleted11235 in by !deleted12796

Agreed. Sometimes in the corner in one of the automotive/car accessory type isles. There are sometimes some blind spots in some areas of clothing or crowded clothing racks help make blind spots. If you find any isle with only one of those random small camera's in a tiny dome that stick out from the shelf, take a look and you'll see that they are not wired to anything and they only have a fake antenna on top (I'm not talking about the ones with the screen where you can see yourself). At least I have concealed in isles with no people around in front of these cameras and never had a problem. Also possibly the restroom for removing packaging and tags on small items and such. Flush trash down the toilet or hide in the bottom of the trash and throw toilet paper over it.

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RobandoDeLaTienda wrote

Reply to by !deleted12630

Is it possible they haven't installed them yet? Or that they have a new super hidden secret invisible system of some kind? :o

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RobandoDeLaTienda wrote (edited )

For cash? Anything that you have a receipt for that says "cash tend" printed on it. Debit tend receipt will also work for most stores.

Target, for example, will only refund debit back to the card it was purchased with.

Walmart, for example, will only give you a gift card with store credit without a receipt. And if the total for the item is over $10, they will require an ID. You can only return 3 times like this on your ID within a 90 day or so period. Items under $10 require no receipt or ID, but they are supposed to give you a gift card. I find about 1 out of every 10 times or so at certain Walmarts they will just hand you the cash if it's only $5-9 or so if they are maybe out of gift cards or don't have any handy or just randomly decide to hand you cash.

There are a few ways to turn gift cards into cash.

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