Major retailers didn’t have to give us any more reasons to stay far, far away from them. With rising prices and scammy marketing techniques, it’s difficult to find a retailer that you can trust for groceries and goods. Now, major retailers are trying to take from the American consumer once again. A Georgia woman explains how so many of them have been implementing a new way to take more money from our pockets, and it involves returns.
If you’re not happy with an item you received you should be able to return it free of charge. Right? Well, apparently retailers don’t agree with you, the average consumer. Jina (@ireadhuney) posted a TikTok talking about the recent developments. Jina explains that major retailers are now charging people to make returns with their purchases. When she first saw the news months ago, she said it had to be “10/10 rage bait.” However, she quickly discovered that it is actually happening and it’s infuriating.
Jina laughs in disbelief as she says, “Companies are now going to charge us to return things.” She points at several of the named companies onscreen, which include Marshall’s, TJ Maxx, Macy’s, JCPenney, J. Crew, Amazon, Walmart, Target, and Best Buy. It’s shocking but when you think about it, not as surprising as you may think. These major retailers are always trying to pull one over on the consumer to make more money. Jina says that stores will charge more in return fees if you send it back through the mail in some cases. They’re charging less to return it in store but it still feels like they’re scamming us out of a lot of money.
According to further information provided by the National Retail Foundation, approximately 3/4 of all stores are now charging a return fee. Here’s an example of what to expect: Marshall’s and TJ Maxx will now charge $11.99 just to return one package. This means you won’t get that amount back when you’re refunded. Macy’s charges $9.99 and J. Crew is one of the lowest with a fee of $7.50. But why are stores literally just taking the money we’re supposed to get back? It feels like stealing and I hate it.
Of course, certain retailers like Macy’s have made it feel even more like a scam. If you join their loyalty program, then you don’t have to deal with the nasty return fee. Makes you want to avoid buying from some of these companies, right? As one commenter pointed out on Jina’s video, “I won’t pay for a whole cart because shipping is $6.99. All this is doing is making us realize we can live without all the consumerism.” Another said, “At this point it’s not a boycott, it’s a lifestyle change.” Too true, and I’m on board with it. Who needs them if they clearly don’t want to make life easier on the average consumer? We’re the people who keep these companies up and running.
