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Your store returns are being tracked and some get cut off

Your store returns are being tracked and some get cut off
>> I CAN’T EVEN BEGIN TO TELL YOU HOW UPSET I WAS AT THE TIME. >> WHEN RENE RULIERA TRIED TO RETURN THIS COAT AND THI SWEATER LAST DECEMBER, BOTH ITEMS WITH THE TAGS ON, BOUGHT JUST A FEW HOURS BEFORE, AND ACCOMPANIED BY A RECEIPT. SHE COULDN’T BELIEVE IT WHEN THE STORE, DICK’S SPORTING GOODS IN NATICK, DENIED HER. >> NOBODY HAD ANY ANSWERS. THEY WERE JUST UP AGAINST A WALL >> HER DENIAL CAME WITH EXPLANATION FROM DICK’S CITING THE RETAIL EQUATION, THAT’S A COMPANY STORES HIRE TO TRACK AND MONITOR CUSTOMERS’ RETURN ACTIVITY. >> THE SECOND YOU MENTION THE RETAIL EQUATION, EVERYBODY’S HANDS GO UP IN THE AIR AND A WEIRD SILENCE HAPPENS AND NOTHING. THEY CAN’T DO ANYTHING. RENE SAYS SHE DID MAKE TWO RETURNS LAST YEAR AT DICK’S WITHOUT A RECEIPT, TOTALING ABOUT 75 BUCKS, AND THE SECOND TIME SHE WAS ISSUED TH WARNING, IN WHICH DICK’S SAID SHE COULD NO LONGER MAKE NON-RECEIPTED RETURNS OR EXCHANGES, BUT THE WARNING SAYS NOTHING ABOUT GETTING CUT OFF ENTIRELY >> I WAS VERY CONFUSED BECAUSE THE WARNING TOLD ME THAT I WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO RETURN ANYTHING WITHOUT THE RECEIPT, BUT THAT WAS NOT THE CASE. I HAD THE RECEIPT. >> I WILL BET YOU MOST CONSUMERS DON’T REALIZE THEIR RETURN HISTORY IS BEING TRACKED. BOSTON-BASED CONSUMER ADVOCATE EDGAR DWORSKY POINTS OUT THAT DICK’S RETURN POLICY DOES INCLUDE A CLAUSE SAYING THEY RESERVE THE RIGHT TO LIMIT RETURNS OR EXCHANGES REGARDLESS OF A RECEIPT, AND MASSACHUSETTS LAW SAYS STORES CAN HAVE WHATEVER RETURN POLICY THEY WANT AS LONG AS IT’S DISCLOSED PRIOR TO PURCHAS BUT WHEN DICK’S WARNED RENE, IT ONLY SAID SHE’D BE PREVENTED FROM MAKING NON-RECEIPTED RETURNS, LEADING HER TO BELIEVE RETURNS WITH A RECEIPT WOULD BE FINE. >> DO I FEEL BAD FOR THIS WOMAN, ABSOLUTELY. SHE WAS MISLED. IT SHOWS THE POWER OF THE RETAIL EQUATION, WHICH WORKS WITH NUMEROUS STORES BUT WON’T SAY WHICH ONES. IT SAYS IT DOES NOT SHARE RETURN INFORMATION BETWEEN STORES AND CUSTOMERS CAN REQUEST A COPY OF THEIR RETURN ACTIVITY REPORT WHICH THEY’LL CALL TO DISCUSS, ALTHOUGH THAT REQUIRES CONSUMERS SUPPLY THEIR DRIVER’S LICENSE NUMBER. ANOTHER VIEWER TOLD US HOME DEPOT CUT HIM OFF FROM RETURNS, CITING THE RETAIL EQUATION, BUT SAYS THE STORE RELENTED AFTER A CONVERSATION WITH THE MANAGER. >> IT WAS SIMPLY, YOU KNOW, WE’RE SORRY. IT’S UP TO THE RETAIL EQUATION AND, YOU KNOW, WE DON’T KNOW HOW THEY RUN THINGS. >> IN RENE’S CASE, SHE SAYS DICK’S PASSED THE BUCK TO THE RETAIL EQUATION WHO OFFERED LITTLE HELP. HE WOULDN’T GIVE ME ANY INFORMATION. EVERY STORE IS DIFFERENT HE SAID. >> THAT’S KIND OF THE CATCH 22. YOU MAKE RETURNS EASY, CONSUMERS DO IT MORE. IF YOU DO A LOT OF RETURNS THEN THEY DON’T REALLY WANT YOU AS A CUSTOMER. >> RETAILERS SAY THIS TRACKING IS DONE TO PREVENT RETURN FRAUD, WHICH IS A BIG PROBLEM. WE ASKED THE RETAIL EQUATION FOR AN ON-CAMERA INTERVIEW, AND THEY DECLINED. THEY ALSO DIDN’T OFFER US A STATEMENT, THEY ONLY POINTED US TO THE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON THEIR WEBSI
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Your store returns are being tracked and some get cut off
As online shopping exploded in the pandemic, many stores have made it easier than ever to make returns. But your return activity is being closely tracked and not just by the stores. One woman said a big box store cut her off from making returns after an outside company told them to. The company — called The Retail Equation — apparently has quite a bit of power over shoppers.When Rene Ruliera tried to return a coat and sweater last December, both items with the tags on, bought just a few hours before and accompanied by a receipt, she couldn't believe it when the store, a Dick's Sporting Goods in Massachusetts, denied her."I can't even begin to tell you how upset I was at the time," she said. "Nobody had any answers. They were just up against a wall."Her denial came with an explanation from Dick's Sporting Goods, citing The Retail Equation — a company stores hire to track and monitor customers' return activity."The second you mention The Retail Equation, everybody's hands go up in the air and a weird silence happens," Rene said. "They can't do anything."Rene says she did make two returns last year at Dick's Sporting Goods without a receipt, totaling about $75. The second time she was issued a warning, in which Dick's Sporting Goods said she could no longer make "non-receipted returns or exchanges." But the warning says nothing about getting cut off entirely."I was very confused because the warning told me that I wouldn't be able to return anything without the receipt, but that was not the case," she said. "I had the receipt."Boston-based consumer advocate Edgar Dworsky pointed out that the return policy at Dick's Sporting Goods does include a clause saying they “reserve the right to limit returns or exchanges regardless” of a receipt. In Massachusetts, the law says stores can have whatever return policy they want as long as it's disclosed prior to purchase. But when Dick's Sporting Goods warned Rene, it only said she'd be prevented from making "non-receipted returns" leading her to believe returns with a receipt would be fine."Do I feel bad for this woman? Absolutely. She was misled," Dworsky said. "I will bet you most consumers don't realize their return history is being tracked.Rene's story shows the power of The Retail Equation, which works with numerous stores but won't say which ones. It says it does not share return information between stores. Customers can request a copy of their return activity report, which they'll call to discuss, although that requires consumers to supply their driver's license number.A viewer told sister station WCVB that The Home Depot cut him off from returns, citing The Retail Equation, but the store relented after a conversation with the manager.In Rene's case, she says Dick's Sporting Goods passed the buck to The Retail Equation, which offered little help."It was simply, you know, 'We're sorry. It's up to The Retail Equation'and, you know, we don't know how they run things,'" she said.Dworsky says organizations like The Retail Equation exist to try to prevent return fraud which is a large problem for retailers, but at the same time, many stores have made it easy to make returns."That's kind of the Catch-22," Dworksy said. "You make returns easy, consumers do it more. If you do a lot of returns, then they don't really want you as a customer."WCVB asked The Retail Equation for an on-camera interview and they declined. They also didn't offer a statement. Instead, they only pointed us to the Frequently Asked Questions on their website. Dick's Sporting Goods did not respond to a request for an interview.

As online shopping exploded in the pandemic, many stores have made it easier than ever to make returns. But your return activity is being closely tracked and not just by the stores.

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One woman said a big box store cut her off from making returns after an outside company told them to.

The company — called The Retail Equation — apparently has quite a bit of power over shoppers.

When Rene Ruliera tried to return a coat and sweater last December, both items with the tags on, bought just a few hours before and accompanied by a receipt, she couldn't believe it when the store, a Dick's Sporting Goods in Massachusetts, denied her.

"I can't even begin to tell you how upset I was at the time," she said. "Nobody had any answers. They were just up against a wall."

Her denial came with an explanation from Dick's Sporting Goods, citing The Retail Equation — a company stores hire to track and monitor customers' return activity.

"The second you mention The Retail Equation, everybody's hands go up in the air and a weird silence happens," Rene said. "They can't do anything."

Rene says she did make two returns last year at Dick's Sporting Goods without a receipt, totaling about $75. The second time she was issued a warning, in which Dick's Sporting Goods said she could no longer make "non-receipted returns or exchanges." But the warning says nothing about getting cut off entirely.

"I was very confused because the warning told me that I wouldn't be able to return anything without the receipt, but that was not the case," she said. "I had the receipt."

Boston-based consumer advocate Edgar Dworsky pointed out that the return policy at Dick's Sporting Goods does include a clause saying they “reserve the right to limit returns or exchanges regardless” of a receipt. In Massachusetts, the law says stores can have whatever return policy they want as long as it's disclosed prior to purchase.

But when Dick's Sporting Goods warned Rene, it only said she'd be prevented from making "non-receipted returns" leading her to believe returns with a receipt would be fine.

"Do I feel bad for this woman? Absolutely. She was misled," Dworsky said. "I will bet you most consumers don't realize their return history is being tracked.

Rene's story shows the power of The Retail Equation, which works with numerous stores but won't say which ones. It says it does not share return information between stores. Customers can request a copy of their return activity report, which they'll call to discuss, although that requires consumers to supply their driver's license number.

A viewer told sister station WCVB that The Home Depot cut him off from returns, citing The Retail Equation, but the store relented after a conversation with the manager.

In Rene's case, she says Dick's Sporting Goods passed the buck to The Retail Equation, which offered little help.

"It was simply, you know, 'We're sorry. It's up to The Retail Equation'and, you know, we don't know how they run things,'" she said.

Dworsky says organizations like The Retail Equation exist to try to prevent return fraud which is a large problem for retailers, but at the same time, many stores have made it easy to make returns.

"That's kind of the Catch-22," Dworksy said. "You make returns easy, consumers do it more. If you do a lot of returns, then they don't really want you as a customer."

WCVB asked The Retail Equation for an on-camera interview and they declined. They also didn't offer a statement. Instead, they only pointed us to the Frequently Asked Questions on their website.

Dick's Sporting Goods did not respond to a request for an interview.