Holiday Returns
The holidays are over and now it is the season of many happy “returns”. Most people legitimately return items that don’t fit, they don’t like, or have duplicates of. However, criminals use the holiday season time to take advantage of lax store return policies and defraud the store. This is called return fraud.
33rd Street Bail Bonds wants you to be aware that return fraud is a crime. Criminals use different tactics to make a fraudulent return. Here are a few examples of a fraudulent return:
•“Wardrobing”- This is where a person buys an item, uses it, and then returns it. For example, buying a dress for an event, wearing it, and then returning the dress to the store
•“Shoplisting” – This is shoplifting by using “found” receipts. A criminal will use a receipt they found or stole. They go to the store, find the product and return the item with it for a refund
•“Shoplifting with a receipt” – This is where a person will purchase an item, put it in their car, go back into the store, get the same item off of the shelf and then bring it to customer service to return it with the story that they changed their mind about their purchase
•“Price arbitrage” – Basically, what a thief does is buy a variety of items that look alike but are different prices. The thief then returns the cheaper priced item pretending that it is the expensive item and makes money off of the return
•“Using a fake receipt” – Thieves go to websites and generate a fake receipt that they take to the store to use for the return
•“Tender liquidation” – This is where a thief purchases an item with a fake or stolen credit card. The thief then returns the item for store credit on a gift card. The thief then sells the gift card online
•“Gift card/store credit fraud” -This is where a thief shoplifts an item and then returns it to the store for store credit on a gift card. The thief then either uses the gift card for himself or sells the gift card online
•“Brick-in-box” – This is where a thief purchases something such as a game console, takes the item out of the packaging, places a cheap replacement item in the package, and then returns the item to the store for a refund. An example of this is a deck of cards where a digital player’s mainframe was located
•“Cross-retailer return” – Returning an item that was purchased for a low price from one store to another store where the price is higher. That way the thieves make a profit on the difference in price
As you can see, there are various ways that a person can cheat a store. All of these fraudulent return methods are a crime. A person can face various charges for a fraudulent return. An example of the charges that a person can face include grand theft or petty theft. The charge will depend on the amount of merchandise stolen.
33rd Street Bail Bonds can help if you or a loved one has been charged with petty theft, grand theft, shoplifting, or any other charge. Please call us at 407-425-7200 or 407-425-3303 to start the bail bond process. We have a bail bond agent available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and all year long. Don’t go it alone, please call us today!
Our bail bond agents are experienced and knowledgeable. They are here to help guide you through the bail bond process. They will answer your questions about bail bonds, help you with forms, and lend an empathetic ear.
33rd Street Bail Bonds serves all of Central Florida including Orange, Lake, Seminole, Osceola, and Volusia counties. We are Central Florida’s oldest bail bonding agency. We are family owned and operated since 1971. 33rd Street Bail Bonds is the name you can trust! Please call us today at 407-425-7200 or 407-425-3303 to start the bail bond process.