Refunds?

            Yesterday I went to take one of those large bags your forced to rent back to a popular chain store which you are required to rent when you purchase sand, grave, or crushed rock. When I parched the material, I needed for that portion of the project I was told you must return it here, and we’ll refund your money. I am not completely fished sand the project but I am finished with their prices of the material I purchase a small mom and pop establishment for a more reasonable cost, so I decided to return their bag.

After waiting in the proper line for returns until it was my turn, I was told that I would be given store credit. Without thought I muttered bullsh–. The lady turned to me and stated it was the store policy. There are laws concerning such matters in most states the law is, they must honor the specific return policy they promise to customers at the time of sale. So, I requested to speak with the manager. Who in fact informed me that it was the stores policy. I told her that I did not like having to come to the establishment because after a few classes they call their sale associates pros, and they still have never worked in the trades. They are trained to sell their merchandise. I also told her that the chain had just settled a large settlement for switching their prices at the registers, then asked how do the costumers receive their money back form the lawyers. She looked concerned and I told her I wasn’t told I’d be given store credit; I was told I’d be given my cash back. I further explained that if I excepted the store credit  the parent companies headquarters area was assured their profit which added to that community at the expense of mine. (I am a firm believer that as a whole our towns would be better off if we paid the small mom and pop establishments prices and keep our earnings local than to give it to the chain stores headquarters to build up their communities. If you wish to know what happened to small down towns in America, look at the effect of chain store shopping.

She told me it probably rented for$15.00 but she was refunding $27.47 and wanted me to think she was doing me a favor. She refunded $27.47 because the cash register it a computer and it knew what I rented the bag for and it also knew the tax I paid on that portion of the sale. She gave me my money back. Be careful not to let people take away your rights. Some may think it was only a few dollars. Was it? If it was only a matter of a few dollars why did the chain store want it so desperately that they would make a policy about keeping it. Because a few dollars time the thousand of times they can pull it off is not a few dollars. It’s a lot of money and aid for their communities at the expense of the communities they took the money from.

I do support the local mom and pop shops. I believe that I get better service I them. I believe that they are far more knowledgeable about the products they sell. Many time they give better pricing on the main products they sell. I also like keeping the money locally and help my community. For me it wasn’t the $27.47; for me it was the ramifications of them keeping the $27.47 hundreds of times and the effect it would have on our communities. From time to time we need to look at the cost of those places we shop and consider the cost of the big chain store convenience verses the true costs of the material. The true cost would include the opportunity cost as well as the dollar amount. Isn’t it strange that we don’t talk much about the opportunity cost anymore. It in times greatly effects the cost we pay for our materials. Look to down town USA and ask yourself, was accepting “their deals” worth the opportunity cost.

Note: Images on this blog site are from a free source or taken by the author. No image or group of photos is intended to represent the people the author serves. The author does not care about Race (that is a politically correct term that he does not like because we are all of the same Race, the Human Race. He prefers the term ethnicity, color, religion, sex, gender, marital status, disability, genetic information, national origin, source of income, Veteran or military status, ancestry, citizenship, primary language or immigration status.) He is a service provider for all people. We will all rise together when we band together and help one another. Joseph Erwin is a Real Estate Broker, DRE # O2131799, and a CA general contractor # B 696662. He’s a member of the CRMLS and The East Valley Association of Realtors located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California.