An Ethical Question Regarding Returns

[meowingthings]

I am having a bit trouble deciding how ethical an idea I have is. So I figured why not take advice from an internet forum.

 

Walmart allows you to buy an item at one of their stores and return it to another store. I can buy something in Vermont and return it to a store in Maine. Nothing unethical about doing this as it is their policy.

 

But is it ethical to buy (5) 9472 Attack on Weathertop at one Walmart for $59.99 and return them to a Walmart that is sold out because they clearance them out for $30. Buy them legitimately and keep the receipt. The lower priced Walmart will give back the $59.99 each and then turn around and sell them for $30. Essentially it would be moving the inventory around the Walmart stores so they can be purchased for the lowest clearance price.

 

I can not put my finger on why this may be unethical, but it doesn't exactly seem right.

 

To Clarify:  I am not talking about buying clearance items and returning for higher prices at the same or different stores. That is clearly unethical and most likely illegal.

[Alcarin]

I see nothing wrong on that personally.

[Guest ph4tb0i]

Why don't you just do a price adjustment at the cheaper store (e.***. tell them they're selling it at a cheaper price)? Not really unethical as technical that store is having its own "sale" but the price match would have to be at the discretion of the lower priced store. 

 

Personally for me though the time and effort is probably not worth it, and if that store catches on to you then you might risk a banning, but realistically I think Walmart doesn't really give a crap. 

[meowingthings]

Walmart won't price match their own stores. I agree with you that it is not worth the risk, but I can't figure out what is wrong with the idea that makes it a risk.

[Grolim]

How do you ensure you are the one to grab them at the clearance price once you return them?  Wouldn't they go back on the shelf at normal price for a while at normal price or do they go straight to clearance?  And won't the rest of the public be able to grab them first?

[JoshTX]

How "sure" are you that they are going to turn around and clearance them? It seems like a lot of work and a lot of uncertainty.  

[Fcbarcelona101]

How do you ensure you are the one to grab them at the clearance price once you return them?  Wouldn't they go back on the shelf at normal price for a while at normal price or do they go straight to clearance?  And won't the rest of the public be able to grab them first?

 

Not only that, but I am sure it takes a decent while to get those out for sale again in the first place.

[StarCityBrickCompany]

I am having a bit trouble deciding how ethical an idea I have is. So I figured why not take advice from an internet forum.

 

Walmart allows you to buy an item at one of their stores and return it to another store. I can buy something in Vermont and return it to a store in Maine. Nothing unethical about doing this as it is their policy.

 

But is it ethical to buy (5) 9472 Attack on Weathertop at one Walmart for $59.99 and return them to a Walmart that is sold out because they clearance them out for $30. Buy them legitimately and keep the receipt. The lower priced Walmart will give back the $59.99 each and then turn around and sell them for $30. Essentially it would be moving the inventory around the Walmart stores so they can be purchased for the lowest clearance price.

 

I can not put my finger on why this may be unethical, but it doesn't exactly seem right.

 

To Clarify:  I am not talking about buying clearance items and returning for higher prices at the same or different stores. That is clearly unethical and most likely illegal.

 

Since you are really just returning an item with a receipt for refund - I couldn't say it is wrong. But Walmart could also play the game stating that they can not sell it right back to you for the sale price. They could claim (whether true or not) that the items need to go "somewhere", before being resold.

[Alcarin]

Not only that, but I am sure it takes a decent while to get those out for sale again in the first place.

 

 

How do you ensure you are the one to grab them at the clearance price once you return them?  Wouldn't they go back on the shelf at normal price for a while at normal price or do they go straight to clearance?  And won't the rest of the public be able to grab them first?

 

I think you misunderstood his point.

 

He meant.

 

He buys in store 1 something on 60$ and then he finds the SAME items in the same store (2x Walmart for example) for 40$ and goes there and gives back 60$ item and picks the one in store for 40$ and buys something else.

[Fcbarcelona101]

I think you misunderstood his point.

 

He meant.

 

He buys in store 1 something on 60$ and then he finds the SAME items in the same store (2x Walmart for example) for 40$ and goes there and gives back 60$ item and picks the one in store for 40$ and buys something else.

 

I don't think that is what he is saying:

 

"But is it ethical to buy (5) 9472 Attack on Weathertop at one Walmart for $59.99 and return them to a Walmart that is sold out because they clearance them out for $30. Buy them legitimately and keep the receipt. The lower priced Walmart will give back the $59.99 each and then turn around and sell them for $30. Essentially it would be moving the inventory around the Walmart stores so they can be purchased for the lowest clearance price."

[JoshTX]

I think you misunderstood his point.

 

He meant.

 

He buys in store 1 something on 60$ and then he finds the SAME items in the same store (2x Walmart for example) for 40$ and goes there and gives back 60$ item and picks the one in store for 40$ and buys something else.

 

So he buys some weathertops for 60 at one Walmart, takes them to another Walmart where Weathertops are 40, exchanges for the full 60, and buys the 40 dollar weathertops? Why not just buy the 40 dollar weathertops in the first place? Maybe I don't get it now.

 

I was thinking that he was trying to buy Weathertops at a Walmart that doesn't typically clearance, and then taking them to a Walmart that does clearance a bunch, turning them in, and then "hoping" that they would clearance them for cheaper because they had clearanced the same item in the past. 

[M4x18]

He'll buy them for 60 at Walmart A, can't buy them for 40 at Walmart B because they were clearanced. After that, he'll return the 60 ones to B, expecting that they'll be able to offer him to buy them back at B's price.

 

I see nothing wrong with this, but as others stated, it's uncertain that they'll be able to offer you the items right away.

[meowingthings]

M4x18 said what I meant to say much clearer than I did. Thanks.

 

So he buys some weathertops for 60 at one Walmart, takes them to another Walmart where Weathertops are 40, exchanges for the full 60, and buys the 40 dollar weathertops? Why not just buy the 40 dollar weathertops in the first place? Maybe I don't get it now.

 

 

 

[stephen_rockefeller]

How do you know this walmarts clearance methods is my question...

[Ed Mack]

Why don't you just write a nice email to corporate and see what they say? You can also call customer service and sweet talk a representative. Unless you have inside connections at a store, your plan has a good chance of failing.

[JoshTX]

M4x18 said what I meant to say much clearer than I did. Thanks.

 

Ok, so what I had thought originally was correct.

 

Basically you just have to bank your hopes on them clearancing what you returned to them for a lesser price, and you are assuming they will because of previous behaviors.

 

It's been awhile since I've taken an ethics course (ironically I have to take another one next month) but I'm sure there's some theory that covers this. I guess you could make the argument (as a walmart advocate) that you as a consumer are depriving one store from being able to sell an item that, priced at 60, is fair market value for that item in that demographic. By removing the item and returning it to another demographic in which they clearly aren't valued at 60 (because they had to clearance their last batch at less) you are not only depriving people of buying the set in the original area, but you are rearranging Walmarts assets involuntarily to take advantage of a weaker market. Yes, you can return the item to any store, but an ethics debater would probably say you were using this system in a means not intended.  

[meowingthings]

Thanks everyone for your responses. it isn't anything I have done but I have been wondering for a while if viable.

 

I am going to follow Ed Mack's advice and contact corporate and see what they say. Until then I am going to follow JoshTX advice. Seems returning for the purpose of buying on clearance is not in the intended meaning of their return policy, thus making the policy void or irrelevant.

[Lateral-G]

The items you return at Wal-Mart generally are not re-stocked.

 

If you buy item A at store #1 for $xx then return it to store #2 for a full refund and then use the refunded money to re-purcahse item A at store #2 for a lower $$$ amount then go for it.

 

But you are not going to re-purchase the exact item A you returned at the discounted price at store #2 since that item A is going to be sent back to either the main distribution center or the manufacturer.

 

And yes I know this because my wife works for ICS at Wal-Mart.

 

As far as what goes on red tag clearance and the price it's marked at is up to the individual store manager's discretion. They can discount as much or as little as they want. The only thing they really nead to do is move the merchandise off the main shelves and put it in the clearance ailse as those items are inventoried differently. That's why you see red tag discounts at one store and not another.

[Darth_Raichu]

Ethical questions aside (I will let stephen_rockefeller handle those), how are you going to guarantee getting the sets at clearance price at 2nd Walmart ?  You said the 2nd Walmart was out of stock beacause the price was so good ($30).  How do you guarantee if and when those returned set will be back on the floor ? 

Or how do you guarantee no one is going to snap those sets at $30 right after you return it to 2nd Walmart ?

 

Too many uncertainty for a good plan

[TheOrcKing]

......This has to single handedly be the most confusing topic question ever posted in the history of BrickPicker......

I feel like I'm in the middle of a conversation between a bunch of attorneys.

[Guest ph4tb0i]

OP I'll just simplify this for you.

 

 

BEGIN

 

Buy product from more expensive walmart();

drive/bus/bike/walk to cheaper walmart();

bring in receipt to customer service at cheaper walmart telling them to price match as they have it cheaper();

 

if (accepted) {

    enjoy your new cheaper product();

}

 

else 

{ return product};

 

END

[Anakinisvader]

I think trying to rationalize your problem by bringing it up on an internet forum should answer your question.

[TheOrcKing]

OP I'll just simplify this for you.

 

 

BEGIN

 

Buy product from more expensive walmart();

drive/bus/bike/walk to cheaper walmart();

bring in receipt to customer service at cheaper walmart telling them to price match as they have it cheaper();

 

if (accepted) {

    enjoy your new cheaper product();

}

 

else 

{ return product};

 

END

This whole setup made perfect sense to me. Actually, that looks like something I just did at work!

[TheDarkness]

As long as you are prepared for it to be a complete waste of time should it fail, and you think it is worth it, sure why not.

[LowestFormOfWit]

If you're this hard pressed for the set, you don't really have anything to lose trying this. Worst thing that can happen is you get your money back, or maybe a few nasty looks.

 

If I wasn't lazy, I'd take all 11 Weathertops at full retail at a Walmart 30 minutes from me and cart them to the Walmart that cleared them out for $20.00 just to see if they'd put them back on the shelf.