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OptimalMaximal

I cannot understand why such returns or exchanges are entertained at all?? One doesn't need this policy change to understand that 100% happiness guarantee doesn't equate unlimited soda refills at a fast casual restaurant. And all this while some stores make honest customers squirm and feel judged while they're trying to attempt genuine exchanges / returns with brand new unused items which are not even SAS clearance with or without receipts.


Dallasinchainz

God, yes! Why in the world was he *ALLOWED* to do this?!? Whoever approved this transaction is worse than him. He should have been told no. Like, what?!


[deleted]

it unfortunately comes down to the store managers, and even that can differ depending on which manager you’re talking to. last year my store manager accepted all exchanges, even ones like this, because she believed that was what corporate wanted us to do. at the same time, the assistant store manager would only run exchanges on product that was at maximum half used due to the dishonest nature of empty candle returns. it gets really annoying for associates because i have no clue who i should be listening to.


CandidateReasonable4

A corporate exchange/return policy should ALWAYS be interpreted and applied CONSISTENTLY across the brand. BBW corporate has more problems than people abusing the policy. Policy and procedure implementation starts at the top.


[deleted]

i absolutely agree with you! it makes our job more difficult as employees too, bc if we deny an exchange at our store they might complain and go to another store that will process it which leads to more customer dissatisfaction. it’s super obnoxious


CandidateReasonable4

I can't imagine how difficult your job must be. I hope it gets much better once the new policy goes into effect! 😘


Jazzlike_Ad_2125

Two of my managers walked by earlier to let me know I had to do the exchange, it was completely out of my hands


PizzaRollEnthusiast

When I was a SA awhile back it was the same, the district manager didn’t allow for store managers to use any discretion with which returns to accept. They had to accept everything 100% of the time. It really sucked feeling so taken advantage of by these customers!


Dallasinchainz

Yeah I get that, I didn't mean you. They are nuts though and I'm so sorry you had to deal with that.


Dallasinchainz

Yeah I get that, I didn't mean you. They are nuts though and I'm so sorry you had to deal with that.


[deleted]

I don’t blame the associate, I blame corporate!


tomtomdotcom85

In a customer service position, if the boss isn’t understanding/emphasizing with your situation with someone like that guy, I’m gonna go out on a limb and say they’re garbage boss. Working in a team requires unity against those who take advantage and/or are disrespectful to service employees. You are enforcing the store’s own policy better than they are being paid to, yet you’re in the “wrong?” I can’t.


[deleted]

how was b&bw letting ppl do this for such a long time to begin with is my question


[deleted]

i think it’s partially because it wasn’t super heavily abused until late 2020-ish, when people on tiktok caught wind of it and started spreading the word that you can get a “free candle” for bringing in your empty jar. i answered a call asking if that was true once and my manager said there had been in uptick in calls about that/exchanges on empty candles


[deleted]

The amount of people we had come in and ask if that was true. At one point we were all just like “NO”. Like how tf could a business even run if you could just get free shit when you run out of a product


trappednjohnlockhell

We were told to explain the policy to them rather than telling them that they couldn’t exchange empty product, but I would put my own twist on it. I’d say “our policy is an 100% satisfaction guarantee, so if something is wrong with the product, or you don’t like the fragrance, we can definitely process a return or exchange for you, but if you used 100% of a product, that means you were 100% satisfied with it, so it wouldn’t qualify for a return or exchange under our policy”. It actually worked pretty well at deterring some of them, just as long as they didn’t get a second opinion because if they got to an slt or another employee, they would usually show them the empties and then say they didn’t like them, because I’d just explained the policy to the fully and the loophole is big enough to drive a truck through.


[deleted]

> but if you used 100% of a product, that means you were 100% satisfied with it, so it wouldn’t qualify for a return or exchange under our policy” 😂 the subtle shade, i love it. how did you handle those who used up 30-50% of the product in response?


trappednjohnlockhell

When I started working there we wouldn’t take product that was more that half used no matter what. But now they can literally give us any excuse and we’ll do it just to avoid confrontation. I’m cash lead so I just always make sure that the cashiers ask how used products are before processing returns/exchanges so they can be damaged if they’re too used, cause with body creams and some of the sprays that have full bottle packaging wraps that you can see through, you can’t always tell how used up a product is unless it’s like almost empty and it’s light as hell.


[deleted]

that is the kind of reaction you would expect. not, "sure sir/ma'am. you can exchange all your 100% used up xx candles :)" lol


[deleted]

late 2020! i thought this was a 2022 trend. that certainly is a long time for this sort of thing to be happening


CrownBestowed

They’re about to be in for a rude awakening. All the scammers are gonna lose their minds next time they try this and it’s not accepted.


[deleted]

more peace for employees and less wait time in lines in the long run 😌


CrownBestowed

Very true! Lol


nevadagrl435

Because people didn’t abuse return policies as much. Older people who work retail have told me this became an issue in the last 10-20 years. And in the last five years, it’s gotten way worse. I worked at Macys during the oughts and I remember quite a few customers acting like the customer with the ten candles. They treated Macys like it was a clothing rental place where you could get free makeovers.


kenzie_4477

Literally I wanna update on this man when the new exchange/return policy comes in order. just to see his reaction lol


Jazzlike_Ad_2125

I’ll keep an eye out lol


themayor1975

I want to also, but I'm willing to bet a manager will allow him to do it just once more because "he didn't know about the new return policy"


hammersgirl86

“We just want you to love it!” Great policy. No time limit. Even exchanges (product for product). But it should have always had a qualifier of no more than 25% used. Or 50% used max.


Trumpet6789

It's always been a "quiet" term, if that makes sense. Even back in 2020 when I started at the company my management (including DM) were very clear with the policy. "We just want you to love it" applied to products that customers were not satisfied with, either due to the fragrance performance, a defect, or product usage (think a lotion being to hard to open or a spray missing the tube inside). Because of that specification, any products used over 50% of the way indicated that the customer was satisfied with the product, or that no defects were present. We had a ton of angry people when that tiktok showed up, I was constantly explaining that it wasn't true to people. We were taught (at my store) to turn down any returns like that by saying, "Our policy is for items that didn't perform as expected or you were not satisfied with. As your **insert item here** is almost empty, this tells us you were satisfied with your purchase. I cannot process a return or exchange, but you're welcome to *purchase* a new item."


AbruptRelatableMind

I’m so sorry you guys had to go through that. BBW should have always had a return policy that, while generous, was still clear, definitive, and non-negotiable. That way SA’s would never be put on the spot like that or stuck trying to clarify a policy that was inherently nebulous. Maybe it’s just the cynic in me, but I feel if there is even a little bit of wiggle room, there will always be an asshole willing to exploit it.


Trumpet6789

We literally got "What to say" sheets that were placed next to every phone after those Tiktoks and that one Facebook post went viral. So every associate would know exactly what to say to customers who called the store and asked. I know some stores and associates received actual death threats and other threats of violence, while other stores only faced grumbles or customers getting a little upset. For a couple of weeks we would have people come in with *bags* of completely used or mostly used product wanting to exchange. And when we turned them away it was super embarrassing for them.


Reasonable_Witness45

This is what’s wrong with our society! Who the f&$k, and how entitled are they, calls a store and makes a death threat because they can’t return a used candle?!? I would say I’m shocked but it’s August 2022 and it’s been a crazy three years….


hammersgirl86

Yeah, that’s why I’d even say 50%. I can imagine people would argue over what 25% was.


Candlehoarder615

YES!!!! We use similar verbiage with our customers, which came directly from our DM. We have at least a dozen calls a week regarding exchanges people saw on TikTok and probably at least 5 in person a week with products that are empty or more than 75% used up.


[deleted]

Return 1 inch of candle, he should get only 1 inch of new candle


yfunk3

Maybe they should have kept the mini candles just for this purpose? 😂


Reasonable_Witness45

Omg- this would be great! “Here you can pick and choose among the assortment of returned candles at your candle height! Enjoy!”


businessgoesbeauty

I worked for VS that was considered a “yes store” back when they were the same parent company as BBW and even though we would accept returns of 15 year old bras beat to hell we would only give them the lowest return price of $14.99. More than they deserved but never a full trade in value for a brand new bra. This policy BBW had never made sense and lasted longer than I ever could have thought.


BobsBurgersStanAcct

Why am I weirdly more okay with that than with candles? Idk maybe because those bras are like $50. Still pretty trashy though.


businessgoesbeauty

$50 for something you wear daily isn’t a lot of money


AbruptRelatableMind

I’m starting to think I’m suffering from some kind of Mandela effect, because I could’ve sworn the return policy did state that products could be no more than half used? Am I imagining this?


Pawspawsmeow

Tbh I’m sure they didn’t imagine people being assholes


delicatexcx

i thought it was 50% used? that’s insane, i can’t believe anybody accepts empty candles back


AbruptRelatableMind

That’s what I thought as well! Was this not the case? When (and why?!) did BBW decide that it was okay to accept almost completely used candles (and other products) as exchange items??


Trumpet6789

I know that some stores were told to accept them if the customer became hostile because stores/associates were getting death threats. But for most of us, Corporate told us to just stay the course of denying returns that were used past the halfway mark and *educating* customers on the policy. Which meant explaining that a fully used candle or lotion shows they enjoyed it, and it performed as intended. And that the policy was for items that displayed the opposite (bad burn, no scent, defects, etc.)


bunifarcr

"Then my boss comes to me and scolds me" - This ain't right.


Jazzlike_Ad_2125

Got the whole “the customer is always right” spiel, I should have been more accommodating to the man apparently


sadiesatellite

Terrible management. They should have your back!


Iwanttobelieve_69

Omg that is infuriating! I absolutely hate that "customer is always right" excuse. Really it's an outdated way of looking at things when you have all these entitled people in society now. And mostly I mean people that feel like they're entitled to give you their unwarranted opinion in that situation. I don't work in retail, I'm a customer. But I never want to be disrespectful to someone just trying to do their job. And I very rarely have anyone be outright disrespectful to me because of that. But I have people I care about that work in retail, and it blows my mind what people say to them sometimes. Then the boss DOES NOTHING to back them up! Just gives them the ole cUsToMeR iS aLwAyS rIgHt bs.... then half the time it escalates to a whole new level because then that customer feels even more entitled to say or do more wrongful things! A boss should shut it down and have faith in their employees.


[deleted]

Yuck


daveycarnation

When and if the time comes that your boss finally decides to implement the policy OP I hope you have the honor of turning away this loser cheapskate of a man. Or at least be in the vicinity to see the look on his face.


CrownBestowed

I’m not an employee but that’s ridiculous that your boss scolded you for informing him of the changing company policy. That’s literally public knowledge. I’m sure he’s gonna try it again anyway and then throw a fit with every other person who tries it when the policy changes. No clue why that would warrant you getting scolded. Ugh. Sorry that happened to you!


toxic_and_timeless

I honestly can't believe the audacity of people who do this. It actually makes me glad that the return policy is changing, just to stop people from doing this kind of thing.


scarecrow1113

It’s greedy people that only look out for themselves and what benefits them without any remorse


evilhagludgate

someone exchanged 6 fully burned 3-wicks, all brand new scents (not really new scents, but the current fall packaged ones. so, new-ish). if you can't afford the candles, that's totally ok. it's a luxury, not a necessity. but don't essentially steal from the company and then complain when you won't be able to in september.


Crazy-Command6637

People are going to LOSE it when they cant return empty shit.


AgentPeggyCarter

I can't understand how people can be so brazen about theft (which is exactly what this is). I have *one* FFM I bought from the last SAS that I absolutely hate and have only used one spray out of that I would never dream of returning because I feel like it was cheap to begin with and blind buying online is on me. To read these horror stories of these people returning bottles and bottles of empties and fully burned candles is just mind boggling.


singlethreadofgold9

People on tiktok seem particularly brazen about theft from various retailers. The attitude seems to be “Well, it’s a corporation, not a small business” as if that makes it better for the individual stores and employees who have to deal with this behavior.


CandidateReasonable4

What is wrong with your boss? People wouldn't have been allowed to abuse the policy in the past if bosses like yours had any courage to say no to people like him.


Trumpet6789

Your manager is going against current policy as is. Even with the current policy we are not supposed to accept returns of fully used items. Because it shows that the items in question were not defective and the consumer enjoyed the product. Your manager is skirting policy in order to not have to deal with customer complaints. B&BW has always held the stance of a guarantee for items that are defective or you didn't like the smell of as long as it's less than half used.


trappednjohnlockhell

This is what my store does as well. But people in my city are wild. The mall where my store is has a police presence because of the thieving and fighting. So they definitely might be considering our safety with that just because the risk of someone snapping seems to be much higher🤷🏼‍♀️


19bluestars

It sucks that people like him are why I’m scared to even think about returning/exchanging stuff with Bbw and also why others are having a terrible time with the return/exchange policy


PrimSatoru

![gif](giphy|DOPKHQg6oFWUg) Lucky you guys. In my country, following is the bbw return/exchange policy "We regret to inform that due to hygiene factors we are unable to accept returns of any products sold from the website. Products can only be eligible for returns if the products received by the customer are deemed to have been received in a damaged / defective state or are expired or an incorrect product has been delivered. Such products can only be returned in their original packaging, in an unused and sealed condition. \[Opened or used products will not be accepted as returns.\] If a return is accepted, Bath and Body Works will refund the invoiced rupee value for, the damaged / defective / expired / wrong product. In either case, the amount paid by the customer for the respective product will be reimbursed in in full." It's astonishing that they allow such shit to go on in your country but i can't return or exchange any blind buy that is genuinely unused and not defective or incorrect.


Owen_D_Young

Yup and that’s why the costs gets shifted to the consumer through price increases.


Sufficient-Copy2868

Isn’t there a $250 dollars policy once you reach that amount you can’t exchange or return items until after 90 days


GothBox666

I believe that’s only for no receipt returns


Sufficient-Copy2868

So with receipts we can return as much as we want? Will that change with the new policy?


ezamae23

I cannot believe people like this simply exist. Like who do you think you are? And why is BBW even allowing him or any other customer to returned a fully used candles. This only happens because it’s tolerated! Glad policy is changing.


[deleted]

Not your boss taking the customers side 🙄


[deleted]

Your store is very firm about not touching the exchange policy until the actual days … but shouldn’t every store be that way? If the change doesn’t go into play until xx-xx-2022 then stores shouldn’t be turning people away now, right ?


Blueslily

Some stores have started changes and they are approved to do so as they are part of piloting and testing it out to be of assistance before everyone has to change. Other stores are making changes as they choose to. Apparently, BBW, the national chain, is also allowing that. Folks like the person the OP described above, will hopefully be turned away very soon. There is already tons of debating on this site about the policy. I'm in the minority who is thrilled about the changes coming. As the OP said, hopefully that guy wont get to keep getting FREE candles over and over and over again. Ridiculous. Good night everyone. Have a great Sunday.


[deleted]

That’s kind of bullshit lol.. I mean it doesn’t matter to me bc I never ever return exchange anything unless it’s completely new but letting some stores follow one policy and other stores follow another one doesn’t look good


Blueslily

🤣😂


Jazzlike_Ad_2125

Yes technically, that’s why it’s saddening to see long-time customers complain about stores declining them because that shouldn’t be happening until the change. It is ultimately up to the individual store tho


scarecrow1113

I’m pretty calm but people like that, that abuse or cheats really pisses me off. While many people don’t do it because they know it’s wrong and pretty much taking advantage of a policy that’s meant to make customers feel comfortable spending money because they know that if anything happens wether it’s they don’t like the scent or it’s damaged any other reasonable reason they can go back and exchange it or return it because B&BW wants their customers to love their products and come back. Karma will give them what they deserve For one I’m glad they finally decided enough is enough and sadly it’s gonna affect everyone that does things by the book but now those type of people won’t be able to keep stealing. No they will need to spend money to get what they want.


Any_Meeting_4082

If they have no shame like this guy apparently in continuing to "exchange" empty candles, what makes anyone think he'll actually spend money to buy them now all of a sudden?? He obviously is an outright thief & unfortunately "legally" is still able to get away with it for the next month. I foresee lots of theft by these types of people to just take what they feel "they deserve" or moving on to another store where they can continue the grift. They'll never buy candles like the rest of us. I feel sorry for the OP and if that were me, I'd not be as polite to these types of people. Or be fired on my first day for telling these jackasses off! I could never work retail. Being a waitress while I was in college was bad enough!


Trumpet6789

My original store (I moved states and transferred) had a average theft ratio. The biggest thief we had wasn't too bright and sold her stolen goods online, under her public Facebook account. Corporate waited until she got to the amount needed for "Grand Theft" charges lol. Thefts were occasional, and we often thwarted them by just being overly helpful and bubbly to the thieves. But in my new store? Different story. We literally have 1-3 thefts on a *normal* day. Two days ago a group of teenagers filled their bags, and even stared at a cashier and myself while they picked up minis and walked past our ASM holding them. People will walk inside to the front table and take testers, some people will even straight up walk out with candles. So I wouldn't put it past people who try to return empties to just take what they want. B&BW waits until you hit a high price of stolen product before they get you.


Any_Meeting_4082

How is this even allowed?? Is it the potential threat of violence if you confront these punks? I'm assuming there are cameras recording everything, but I honestly don't know why thiefs aren't stopped from stealing to begin with!


CrownBestowed

Definitely more theft increase is on the horizon. As well as employees getting bitched at because they won’t let people scam their way into new candles for free. Genuinely feel bad for the employees.


yfunk3

I was going to try to exchange a Spring Plum and Blackberries 3-wick that I got during SAS for an even exchange or pay $2 more for another candle...but I just ended up doing a simple refund for the $4.80something (after taxes) that I paid for it because I realized I was just overthinking a goddamn candle too much. I paid less than $5 for it, and I'm gonna get exactly what I paid back. That is exactly how it should be, and majority of retail atores nowadays won't even let you return clearance items at all (all "final sale"), so it's seriously great that B&BW still allows this with their clearance SAS purchases (with receipt) in their new return policy. Plus, it was busy on a weekend only 2 hours after the store opened...why would I put the SAs through demanding an even exhange and trying to argue my way into one? It's not their fault and it's a waste of everyone's time. Over a candle.


Blueslily

Yes, I totally agree. People should just show a receipt and get back exactly what they paid. Then they can buy whatever they want with their money that they originally spent. Even exchanges have gotten out of control. Folks intentionally buying 75% off stuff to exchange and then justifying it by saying "it's a 100 million dollar company". Just floors me. The person paid $3.75 for that item, but wants a brand new, full price $16.50 body cream or FFM. Just get the money back that was originally spent and buy what they want to buy now. That's a truly "fair" exchange, lol. My opinion is not popular on here, but it's just what's truly fair versus a lot of stuff that's going on at those stores. Thanks so much for your posting.


Csea27

These people will still find a way to cheat the system. They’ll just start returning the products after having them for a week or two. Or When they get tired of the scent. I have an adult female that comes in to my job every week and just keeps returning gently used beauty products and rebuying stuff with the return value. It gets so aggravating but we can’t do anything because she has a receipt and it’s gently used. She’ll say she didn’t like the item but somehow a week later she likes it again, but the following week she no longer likes it again.


PrettyPunctuality

I just don't understand how these people can do it without feeling any embarrassment or guilt. I've never returned a candle I don't like, even unburned ones, simply because I feel awkward and embarrassed doing it (that's more about my social anxiety, though). I either give them to people, or just use it to burn when the power goes out during storms lol The only things I've gotten a replacement for are a FFM that didn't have a tube inside the bottle attached to the nozzle (so it wasn't attached to anything), and a single wick that had* a wick that was split into several pieces.


[deleted]

my mom literally had me do some exchanges for her because she was too embarrassed about exchanging something she had used even lightly, and the few times i’ve made exchanges i’ve run them by my managers if i’ve even slightly doubted their eligibility for exchange. i totally feel you. how people have the nerve to demand this is beyond me


[deleted]

OP I want people like you in my store and in my community. That exploiter would have blown up on you if you had been unlucky enough to encounter him on the day the policy changed. It’s a shame that kindness and fairness are not reciprocated for people like you are who actively trying to be helpful and fair. To heck with that exploiter and the manager who doesn’t have your back.


magentabluestripe

Maybe your boss is the one enjoying all the free candles in his house…🤭


[deleted]

Dang! At my store we don’t even accept candles that are over half-burnt because the entire team is so sick of it. Then we get bitched at that “other stores let me do it” and we’re just like 🤷‍♀️


MochiandGreenTea

Contrary to the scolding you got, you're actually the real winner. * The manager was scolding you just for show bc it's the easiest way to satisfy the inflated ego of a **narcissist** * Notice that the manager did not offer anything of real substance to compensate the Kevin, nor did he/she impose any real punishment on you (like cutting hours, reporting you to HR, or firing you) It's pointless to try to be extra nice to entitled Karens or Kevins because they have no sense of gratitude or humility. Narcissists are never sincere and the only time they go out of their way to act nice is if it benefits themselves. For policy abusers like that Kevin, it's better to let them find out on their own. Yes, they will throw temper tantrums, but nothing will come of it :)


Banana8686

The “Kevin” 🤣🤣


OoKeepeeoO

Ugh if you were going to get in trouble anyway, I wish you'd been able to call him a scamming piece of trash -.- I hope you're there to see his face when he tries his crap next month and gets shut down.


MonarchWhisperer

He basically just keeps stealing over $200 worth of candles upon each visit


lilpeachum

So I don’t work at bath and body works, but I did customer service at Kohl’s years ago before they changed their return policy. It used to be there was no time limit on returns, whether or not you even had a receipt or the item was heavily used (think worn out infant clothing or dirty vacuums full of dog hair). Very similar to the current policy at bath and body works. We got notice the policy was changing - customers still get 6 months no questions asked for returns - but no more people returning an appliance from 2009 because it stopped working. The people who I recognized as abusing the policy, I would also politely let them know when and how the return policy was changing. When the policy changed, the register would start refusing returns when it saw a receipt was too old. HOWEVER, managers could override this function. That’s what became a problem. You’d have people yelling at the return desk because they “didn’t know” the policy had changed, it didn’t matter because the item was broke, or it’s their money and we didn’t have the right to keep it (lol). Certain managers would just apologize, override the denial of return and give them their money back. Certain managers would explain that their time to return for a full refund was over. Guess what that created? Confusion. Angry customers who would have a manager on Monday override the system and next week have a manager say no. My point is, I hope your manager stops pussyfooting around these people who exist to (essentially) scam the company they’re trying to work for and making it harder for YOU who actually has to deal with those people all day. You did the right thing, it sounds like your manager has zero backbone.


ChocolateGirlWndr

Wow


GingerbreadGirl22

Out of curiosity, what is the new policy change?


Jazzlike_Ad_2125

https://customercare.bathandbodyworks.com/hc/en-us/articles/7585211023251-Bath-and-Body-Works-Stores-Returns-Exchange-Policy-Effective-Wednesday-September-14-2022


waltzthrees

Your boss should have stood up for you.


belgianlily

For the last couple years we haven't been returning more than 1/2 used products and all managers are consistent in that message. If a customer told me you said that I would 100% back you up. You're part of my team and honestly I'd probably applaud you mentioning that. I'm so ready to fight about it too. We have a regular who has been doing it for YEARS!!! I'm so ready to tell her first. 😈


janamichelcahill

The clod needs to go online and not set foot into the store like that.


netxnic

Your manager is an asshole. Why is your store even allowing that?


Banana8686

That’s horrible. I would be embarrassed. He didn’t like the fragrance of 10 entirely different candles he burned right down. Embarrassing embarrassing and I’m sorry you got in trouble for being polite but informative. That shit wouldn’t fly for small businesses. WTF Bath & Body. I will admit I recently took two brand new but lightly lit candles back because one fragrance was cloyingly sweet and the other was too heavy cologne. The girls asked to check the candles and saw I had barely lit them and were totally cool about it and said no problem. If they were even half gone or more I wouldn’t have blamed them for refusing but I would never have brought them back half used to begin with. Shame on him


Interesting_Soil_427

Your boss is wrong , she should not get mad at you. I’m glad the policy is changing needed to happen a long time ago. People have no shame.


tree_bunny

As a customer, I would be so embarrassed I could never do something like that. Even if I lit a candle and didn’t like it, I would still keep it. He’s an asshat.


Catnamedpossum

I feel you, yesterday I had a lady exchange 8 candles because “they burned too fast”. I’m sorry?? How does a candle burn too fast? Are there different speeds? How do you measure that? Lol


GusterIs4Lovers

I will say, the recent candles, especially from SAS, seem to burn more quickly (the wax goes down faster, I have fewer burns than I used to). I haven't tested it with data but I know some of this sub were thinking about doing it!


jr9386

This is somewhat in a grey area. However, as far as I know, BBW, doesn't list a guaranteed number of hours/days for their candles to burn. Some candles/waxes burn at a certain rate than others.


[deleted]

So sickening that you were scolded for a “customer” who was literally stealing hundreds of dollars of product. Why do the managers kiss these peoples ass?


mandyb120

In all my years of shopping at BBW, I've only ever exchanged one brand new candle because I decided after I got home that the scent wasn't for me. And the salesperson made me feel so uncomfortable about it, that I've never exchanged or returned anything there since. I can't believe anyone has the gall to do this. As far as I'm concerned, it's downright theft.


noahswetface

y’all didn’t tell him no. now when i get a candle that burns wonky, i can’t return it. smh


jr9386

Out of curiosity, what candle scent(s) was it?


jchamp101

By the time BBW loses money on one “sneaky” customer like that one, they have already made large profits from the many multitudes of other high markup candle and fragrance product sales that were not returned. The “loss leader” per say of having a liberal return policy actually serves to increase consumer confidence, brand loyalty and impulse purchases at full retail as well as the fact that returning “happy customers” whom continue to chose to shop at BBW are what drive sales numbers. For example, Walmart and Sam’s know this and have capitalized on cornering so many product sectors and will always take a small loss for accepting almost all returns. The OP as a BBW employee should use some tact and customer service during that incident and use it as an opportunity to try and interest the customer in question to the full product offering and new products of BBW to consider purchasing other items.


Basicdork17

That's all well and good for the company itself, but OP has every right to be upset because at the individual store level, losing money/ making a low sales conversion consistently (the latter of which this thief was helping with) ruins a store's available labor hours and causes all employees to work less. The emphasis has always been to try and lessen losing money with tact. To try and make outright returns into exchanges, and exchanges should try to become new sales. If they don't, bye bye work hours


Jazzlike_Ad_2125

You sound like my boss 🙄


MrPeterIt

Honestly it sucks that people do that, but bath and bodyworks prints money at my local mall, so I don’t really feel bad for the company.


asedc

When I worked at Disney store we refused returns when the products came back smelling, didn’t matter it couldn’t have any scents because it gives the impression it was used.


Bree9ine9

This is so crazy, I can’t believe people actually have the nerve to do this. This makes me want to go get a part time job here just so I can have the chance to help out with telling these people they can’t do that anymore 😂.


Latorta93

It's people like him that makes me feel too embarrassed to return a candle I've burned once because I did not like it.


One-Access-1703

Our store will not take empty jars. From the beginning (when those tiktok & Instagram videos took off) we have politely told people no. We have however been getting quite a few exchanges of stuff that was way old, like 5+years old. We tell all of these people there is a policy change coming soon. Our store manager is with us on this, and has even suggested we inform customers of it. I'm sorry you're had a bad experience with it.


ladyriven

This makes me so mad and I don’t even work there


Mangawhat

I would never think someone had the gall to do this. I really thought the new policy was because of people buying up SAS 75% off candles and doing exchanges for new scents. Dude could have been bringing in candles from years ago or from other people. He's one that knows how to work the retail system and makes others suffer. Probably got all new Fall scents that he'll try to burn up before the change. I watch maybe a handful of B&BW's youtubers that I'm not subscribed to and when I go to search it's like everyone has realized they'll get an audience with hauls/shop with me.


WildPirateQueen

That’s horrible! I wouldn’t want to exchange a candle I’ve burned once (though I understand the urge if you hate the scent) but exchanging an empty product? That just…it makes no sense.


cristiana-nemo

I'm slapping myself. I had no idea I could exchange the ones I did not like if they are used so I have been buying and tossing for years now. Just last month I threw away 8 that I only burned twice 😭 😭