re: Woman makes over 1,700 fraudulent returns to Home Depot

Over 50% chance she has a gambling addiction or other addiction.

quote:

---

Investigators said James’s scheme totaled $266,699 in fraudulent store credit

---

Only $83,301 to go….

Well...
That explains why the Milwuakee M18 2888-20 variable speed angle grinder that I just purchased is 279.00 at Home Depot but only149.00 on Amazon and even less at JDTCO.com

I want to support local local brick and morter stores but losers like her are making it unaffordable

quote:

---

POS

---

Agree

Felt like an absolute bum. Still do. But it was a tool that they will put right back on shelf

Absolute trash.

I had a friend that went to work for HD straight out of high school. This was 1989. He quickly worked his way up to front end manager by the time he was 22. He was so proud of his quick progress and was seen by his co-workers as a guy sure to climb. He truly had a lovable happy and energetic demeanor and was great with all customers as they were checking out at the registers. All of the cashiers loved him also.

Except, he thought he was smarter than their loss prevention system and ended up going to jail due to a fraud racket he devised.

As front end manager, he would gather receipts of customers who left the store without them. A drill here, a circular saw there type of stuff. Small but moderately expensive items.

Then, after he accumulated enough receipts to total $500-$1000 bucks or more, he made his play. He would go get a $75 filing cabinet that was packaged in a large box and take it out and assemble it to be used as a display. Then he would go gather all of the receipts items and put them in the box. He would have a friend come in and buy the “filing cabinet.” He would act like his normal jovial self and act like he was give that “customer” special customer service attention. Go to a register and make the transaction and even help roll it out to the vehicle. The cashiers and lot guys thought he hung the moon! What a leader! Then the friend would take the items I. The box to other nearby HDs with receipts and return them. They split the money. He did that for about 1 1/2 years.

One day, he walks into work all happy as usual, and was escorted by cops to the back room. They had him busted and walked him out in handcuffs in front of all of his colleagues. Went to jail for a brief stint and his parents paid HD back their calculated losses which was over $15,000. He never recovered. His whole image and self worth was decimated.He was really banking on a superstar rise within HD ranks. He ended up getting mixed up with a bad crowd when he was released from jail and doing some hard core drugs that fried his brain. Legit went schizophrenic crazy.

Hope they throw the book at her. We have a major fraud and dishonesty problem in this Nation. She’s no different than the Somali Pirates scamming daycare money. Lock them all up.

quote:

---

I knew a guy 20 years ago that would treat Wal Mart like rent-a-center. He'd buy a TV and game console and use it until the day the return policy elapsed then he'd return it. At the time they had a no questions asked return policy.

---

Several years ago I’m walking into a Lowe’s in Baton Rouge and there’s 4 Honda powered pressure washers outside just before you walk in the doors with big “Discounted” signs on them.

I asked a guy who worked for Lowe’s that was nearby what the deal was with the pressure washers. He says, “People buy them and use them for a little while and return them. There’s nothing wrong with them. We send them to a local repair shop and they send them back after checking them out.”

I looked at them and one especially looked like it was brand new. Probably used to pressure wash a house over a weekend and returned. It actually had the paper still attached to it that said, “Customer stated that it would start but would quit running. Oil and gas seem normal. Started on first pull, ran for half hour with no problems. Changed oil afterwards.”

It was marked down from $375 to $175, I bought it immediately. It’s been perfect for years now.

It really sucks that I've got money in my pocket.
These schemes seem brilliant.
I just buy it if I want or need it.
Shame I work hard and make an honest living

quote:

---

I really don't understand why companies like HD and DG aren't spending tons of money on rfid'ing every product and creating instant checkouts. Seems like it would pay for itself in no time.

---

It is far easier to bake the cost of shrinkage into the margin of their products.