How do you deal with OBVIOUS scam artists in a retail store?

meow: How do you deal with OBVIOUS scam artists in a retail store?
Ok. So I work at a clothing store, and the other day a woman came in who is KNOWN to our store as a scam artist and does all the returns that are either fishy, or obviously fradulent. My managers say there is nothing you can do because you cannot accuse someone of something like that. It’s so frustrating to me to think that she can just continue to do this and think she’s gotten the best of us when we are totally aware of it. It’s ridiculous though- I gave her at least 250 in cash and 60 in a store credit the other day ALONE. She has reciepts that are “for some reason” destroyed and barely readable, tags that are all ‘somehow’ ripped off by the prices and even had handwritten sku numbers on the tags. Different ID’s everytime, gets gift receipts everytime (so she can steal the merchanise and return it twice) It’s such a joke. This really pisses me off. Is there NOTHING our company can do? REALLY?

Answers and Views:

Answer by stmichaeldet
There are certainly things your company can do – habitual return customers can be cut off and informed that their return priviledges are suspended, a manager can go over the merchandise and reject any that seem fishy, etc. But, if your managers are not interested in taking the time and effort to pursue the matter, then there really is nothing that can be done. I suppose all you can do is comfort yourself with the knowledge that you’re a better, more concerned employee than your managers are, and perhaps, if you stick around and move up to manager yourself someday, you can take a more proactive stance in situations like that.

Answer by Amiko-Gabriel
I’m from the USA and from my perspective the heading on this question cracks me up. LOL! please define scam artist in a capitalist, corpratist driven USA

Answer by ScamBuster
let your manager’s boss know about your concern

give them this website

Answer by Feeling Mutual
It depends on the company’s policies. One place I worked, printed “Satisfaction Guaranteed or your Money Back” on every receipt. We would get returns on items such as typewriters that were so old they no longer made ribbons for them. That was why they were not satisfied. The store had to honor their promise. The definition of an unethical business practice is to promise something that you cannot deliver.

The store made about a 90% gross profit margin (they make $ 90 on an item that sells for $ 100 and cost them $ 10), they can charge that much because of their great “money back” guarantee.

When the customer returns a product, most of the time they ship it back to the manufacturer and get a free refund also. They lost nothing and gained any interest and working capital from having the money from the sale for a period of time.

The company makes a profit, even if they return it a year later.

Let management and security weed out the scam artists. Don’t cause a scene in your store and make your other customers wary.