Victoria, I disagree with you on many levels, and think you have jumped to conclusions without enough information, in addition to making a few assumptions that are incorrect.

It would not have occurred to us to take those things back to the store on our own. We would have assumed that the store would not take them, but we got the idea to try taking them back from a Dave Ramsey class, and there’s nothing at all unethical about asking.

It is simply not true that items purchased on sale are always nonrefundable. I am not sure where you got that idea from. That is up to the individual store. Doesn’t it make more sense to you that one should find out any given store’s policy from the store itself rather than from a stranger on the internet who has nothing to do with that business?

We were polite and civil and were more than willing to accept no for an answer, but we just thought we would ask- and their answer was not the same as yours. It’s not at all clear to me why it’s unethical to accept the store’s verdict over yours.

As a matter of fact, we told the store they’d been purchased on clearance and they also had clearly marked price tags denoting them as purchased at a clearance price. The the store took them back and refunded our purchase price without blinking an eye. In fact, the shades had two different sale prices on them, and I had paid the lower price. But when we returned the items, the clerk missed the second price tag and would have give us the higher price. We pointed out the lower price and she thanked us for our honesty and adjusted the refund downward as we requested.

I had purchased the shades on sale because it was the end of the season for bamboo shades, and they were clearing them out to make room for heavier fall and winter items. But we returned them at the start of another season, and I happen to know they resold them for full price rather than the sale price they refunded. I know this, because I saw them there a week later, and I know they were the same shades because of a mark on one of the packages that occurred while they were in our garage.

So no, I completely disagree with you that this was deeply wrong on any level at all. I would be willing to just agree to disagree on this, except I absolutely must repudiate the false accusation that this was stealing. I was NOT stealing, and I was NOT part of any ‘problem.’

I am also concerned that somebody who has a serious need for some extra cash might read this and be falsely dissuaded from taking a perfectly ethical step to get more cash. So I would like to assure others that there is no evidence that it is either irresponsible or unwise to return unused items still in the original packaging to the store where they were purchased and ask if you could have a refund. Nor, of course, is it stealing, a bad idea, unethical, or in any way dishonest.

Those working at that store can say no if that is contrary to their policy or practices. They can give you a a gift card for use in the store itself if they want to be sure the money stays in the store. Or they can give you cash. It is their decision to make, not an anonymous stranger’s.

There’s nothing unethical at all about asking. I am sorry you think it’s stealing in your eyes.

Happily, God defines stealing, and it’s not stealing in God’s eyes, nor was it stealing in the eyes of the store management.

Jillian, none of them were used. They hadn’t even been once removed from the original package. I bought several, took one out and that’s when I realized I had purchased shades that were not wide enough for my windows. I kept the one I took out of the package (I hung it anyway, but I also hung up very wide, full curtains at the sides to make it work).

The ones returned had never even been touched. I am sure no customer who purchased them could tell the packages had spent a couple years on a shelf in my garage.

Stores put a ‘friendly return policy’ in place to draw business and encourage people to purchase things they might not need since they can return them later. Saying it is dishonestly taking advantage of that to return an item purchased at teh store and never used, and this causes the store to raise prices for everybody is…

Well, it’s like this. Stores also have major sales where they mark down certain items to below cost. These are called ‘loss leaders.’ They do this because they wish to entice customers into their store in the hopes that while there, they will buy other items at the full price. they will even keep the loss leader items near full priced items that go with the loss leader to tempt you to buy more than you intended to.

We all know that the really great sale items are loss leaders. But only a most unreasonable person with stricter ethics than God could argue that it is somehow dishonest and unfair to other customers to exercise self control and go into the store and purchase only the loss leader items.

To me it’s the same moral issue- if a store puts in place policies and practices for the purpose of attracting customers to come in and spend money (which is fine), then it is not unethical to use those policies and practices.

In order to make some extra money for our last wedding, we sold 2 wedding bands that had been left to our family. They did not hold sentimental value, but even if they had, using something special to help pay for a lifetime memory would be okay with us. We also years ago, sold a set of china which had been Husband’s mother’s. We have certainly missed this set when celebrating special occasions, but felt that a spiritual conference our family wanted to attend was more of a priority.

Sometimes instead of trying to make more, we seek to use less. Gas is a big budget expenditure for us because we live in Texas where driving far is common place. We have been known to seek to stay home more when this budget gets too stretched even though it means making hard relational decisions.

I offer up handmade goods to people when they express an interest. Use materials I have around the house to make gifts, I also look for ways to save money on regular expenses, sometimes I find we slip into spending more money on convenience items, when there are cheaper options available, so I revisit my spending when we need some extra funds.

Four years ago I organized a scrap metal drive that made close to 5 thousand dollars for our Scout group. (Scrap can really add up!)

I wrote an article about my favorite ways to make some extra cash on the side http://www.morestylethancash.com/2010/05/ten-legal-ways-to-make-some-extra-cash-from-your-home.html All tried and true methods that either I, my family or my friends have done for a little extra cash.

Jillian, I do agree that it is unethical to buy something with the intention of returning it after you’ve used it. But this is an article about coming up with emergency cash, and spending money first to buy something and then return it isn’t really a way to come up with extra cash.

I did know of one situation where a friend of mine wanted to use some items for centerpieces at a banquet and then return them, but she asked the management first. The management agreed to let her do this in exchange for a restocking fee AND her promise to advertise for them at the banquet, which she did. I think she both mentioned them, and printed up little cards for each table thanking the business for their user-friendly policies and elegant decor. I never would have thought of doing that, and wouldn’t have had the nerve even if I had thought of it, but it seemed to work for benefit of both business owner and the banquet thrower.

Dmarie, we have gotten a lot of five dollar gift certificates to Amazon via Swagbucks. I love it.

Walmart here has a 90 day return policy. I had some scrubs that got forgotten in a bag, and they wouldn’t take them back even though they weren’t clearance and the same ones are still on the rack.