Reply #161: The time I accepted store credit it turned out to have an expiration date...

[Hekate]

This was for a store I may not enter for months at a time. It meant I had to come back and make sure I found some random item(s) so as not to lose my money entirely.

By the way, I did have my receipt. I simply wanted to return a book past the one-week deadline for returns at my local independent bookseller. That experience and one other where I wanted to return a couple of books that turned out not to be suitable gifts -- making sure I hustled in there before the week was up -- where the owner basically treated me like I was trying to put something over on her, have made me very cautious about shopping there at all.

This bookstore is out of my way to begin with, and Costco is way cheaper for bestsellers. No doubt because of their sheer volume, Costco has no difficulty at all accepting my returns. It means I can make a snap decision when I am in a hurry and then examine the item at home before making my final decision. With my LIBS, on the other hand, I try not to go in there at all if I don't have the time to thoroughly consider my purchase. I will patronize her for special books that I already know the title of, have read the reviews of, and so on -- things Costco is unlikely to carry. I will do special orders with that store, and they are still very accommodating about that service.

But my past unpleasant experiences mean I spend less money in that store. Store credit for someone who has a receipt and an unused item? That's just wrong.

Hekate