
Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and David Castillo Dominici
I had an interesting experience while doing a purchase and return mystery shop at a high-end shoe store.
My job was to go in and purchase shoes around $200, and then return them the next day. Because I try to stay away from credit cards as much as possible, I paid cash. This particular store prides itself on customer service, and had me fill out customer paperwork when I made the purchase. I gave my real first name, but a fake last name, as I’m always paranoid that people will Google me and discover I’m a shopper.
When I returned the next day, the store did not have enough cash in their till to refund me the $200. So, they had to put it on my debit card. This of course made me a bit wary, as I used a different last name. They didn’t notice, however, (Luckily they just swiped the card and didn’t bother to look at it closely) and so no issues arose. Of course, I could have always used the story that I had just gotten married and didn’t change my name, or whatever…but it also made me think.
And so, I offer this warning to you folks out there: if you have to do a high-end purchase and return shop, keep in mind that when paying cash, they may not have enough to refund you the next day!