Retail Equation review: Driver license scanned for exchanges/return 39

I'm in the middle of a major remodel and have spent over $5, 000.00 at Orchard Supply in the past 90 days and WAS planning
on spending triple that until today when I attempted to return TWO unused unopened mouse traps out of the ten I purchased. I call The Retail Equation because the store was CLUELESS as to what the issue was since I paid CASH and spend $170.00 and now wanted to return $10 worth of mouse traps. I called corporate for Orchard Supply they too were clueless and took a report. I received a voicemail stating they were very sorry it was a store manager decision. I called the store manager the one on duty was clueless he had never heard of such a thing since I had the receipt and it was less than 24 hours old, paid cash, unopened moiuse traps return reason I purchased TWO too many. I will be filing a complaint with the Attorney Generals office for failure of this retailer to notify me that they were sharing my personal data with a thrid party and furhtermore the fact that this retailer has NEVER stated such a return constraint or stipulation, basically I purchased too many electrical and pluming widgets and returned more than the alloted quanity even though I spent over $5000.00 and returned perpahs a total of $125.00 You bet I am mad as heck as a consumer who helps keep local merchants in business given I have a lot of disposable income. So guess this is why they want us to stop supporting US business and buy on-li ne and overseas where we pay no sales tax and free shipping and sometimes free return postage. Shame on US retailers who use TRE for returns of products that are in UNOPENED UNUSED condition. TRE states they are in business to help stop consumers who USE a product and then return it... so much for 30 day money back customer satisfaction. I am going to check TRE webside and boycot every retailer on their list.

I am an employee of the Children's Place. TRE is a system that we use for all return/ exchanges. However if you have your recipt a drivers license is nt required, we just have to type in the transaction number, store the items were purchased, and date of purchase. I have never seen a transaction with a receipt be denied unless it was over the 45 day return policy. I'm not sure what store you were at, or if it is possibly different per state? We are in tennessee. We do ask for an address for returns, this is not shared information ( we are told by the company that we do not sell information, but anything transmitted thru TRE is obviously shared with them) but you can opt out of giving your address if you have a receipt. If you do not have a receipt a drivers license is required, we cannot even process an exchange without either a receipt or DL. I would double check this JFK with your local store, but that is how it is here, I have worked here for two years.

Dear "Fed up with bad service" did you start a class action lawsuit due to your encounter? If so, how did you proceed and who did you get to represent you? Any information that you can share wil be greatly appreciated.

I'm now on a current 90 DAY SUSPENSION FROM: BEST BUY. This
happened to me just 2 days ago on 6/27/2014, I'm a (victim) & by doing my research have
found many other LOYAL SHOPPERS like myself falling VICTIM to (TRE) THE RETAIL
EQUATION. I wanted to share my personal experiences with you so you can make
your own decision if you should keep wanting to shop at these retailer(s) at
your own personal risk!

A WARNING NOTICE to the PUBLIC who shops at these &
other following retailer(s) who use (TRE): Best Buy, Home Depot, JC Penney's
& Victoria’s Secret. Many of you may have done returns, price matches,
warranty service or geek squad service repair with these stores & have been
asked to give them your driver’s license; what you don't know is why. A 3rd
party company known as The Retail Equation or (TRE) says its Verify-2 software
identifies the 1 percent of consumers whose behavior can be identified as
return fraud or abuse. The company, whose software is in 20, 000 stores
throughout the country as of 2012, doesn't in fact identify only the 1 percent
whose behavior can be identified as return fraud or abuse! In my situation at
Best Buy I had 7 returns within a one week period, very small items, 2 game
pre-orders, 2 music CD's, a computer lock for a laptop PC, a chilling pad for
my laptop PC & 1 Blu-ray movie. I'm an Elite Plus Best Buy Reward Zone
Member which entitles me to a 45 Day return, price match period with receipt
over the normal 14-15 day return, price match period with receipt, that we as
Elite Plus Members pay dearly for this privilege as we must maintain a certain
spending average each calendar year & if not met we lose the Elite Plus
Status! I found out during my research with companies listed above using (TRE)
that it's completely legal & you as a customer don't stand a chance with
any legit argument or reason why you're making the returns or doing price
matches, you're in fact just being (punished) for doing so. It just pops up on
your record after giving them your driver’s license that you're at first placed
on a 90 Day Suspension. What this means: Right at that moment you can be denied
your current return & you're banned for 90 Days from making any future
returns to this store even if you've purchased a product within your right to
return under that stores return policy & have kept your receipts from prior
purchases. So if you purchased let’s say a TV, Camera, Blu-ray Player, Computer
or Cell Phone prior to this point & you should have a problem with your past
purchase(s) not working properly, even if it is with-in the return period,
you're out of luck since you're placed on a 90 Day Suspension. You will be
stuck with a defective item & legally you can't do anything about it as
they're protected under laws. My first
reaction: I said it doesn't say this on the receipt under the return policy nor
does it mention this on their return policy on their website which I read
through twice. After getting the verbal notice from the (CSR) Customer Service
Rep at Best Buy, you're then forced to sign your name on the electronic device
where you sign your name after agreeing to pay for your item, (giving you no
choice) but to accept your (punishment) you're then printed out a little memo
of your suspension & can call (TRE) at an 800 number or write to them,
however you can only leave them a message, then at their convenience they will
call you back regarding any questions you might have. I'm still currently
awaiting my response. The same day I had forgotten to bring in my Blu-ray
player which I had purchased the Geek Squad Protection Plan which gives you an
extended warranty & is then covered under Best Buys Policy instead of the
90 Day Manufactures Agreement Policy. I had a 4 year warranty, which I paid for
to have the extra service provided by Best Buy. Knowing I had been given a 90
Day Suspension which I thought was only for returns actually in fact carried
over my (punishment) on an item I had previously purchased a year ago through a
Best Buy Extended Warranty! In this case the (CSR) at Best Buy originally gave
me two options. 1. I could’ve gone & picked out a different Blu-ray Player
that I wanted, even if I wanted one at a higher price, I could’ve paid the
difference for it. 2. I could’ve gotten a store credit in the amount which I
paid for the item plus the extra 3 remaining years left of the warranty
coverage back in store credit. What actually ended up happening to me for the
very first time in over two decades from shopping at Best Buy because of my 90 Day
Suspension from (TRE) the (CSR) wasn’t in fact able to offer me my store credit!
She then told me I could only get a comparable item in its place, left with no
room to argue & knowing they’re within their legal rights I was forced to
accept a lower priced item than what I initially paid. I was (further punished)
by Best Buy keeping the extra money that I had originally paid for on my
current Blu-ray player and the remaining money from the 3 years left on the
extended warranty. I was not able to pick out a new Blu-ray player. I had to
accept the one that they gave me, even though the box was damaged. I then had
no choice but to accept it & was forced to purchase yet another 4 year
warranty. My thought was, what if something happens with this one & it just
stops working as the previous one did because at this point I lost all my
rights to return anything for 90 Days. I did make the CSR open it, so that we
could see if there was any physical damage. Not only did they make out by
keeping my extra money on a product & keeping the remaining 3 years left of
my money on a warranty but they got even more money from my pocket by giving me
no option but to purchase a 4 year warranty so I could return it after my 90
Day Suspension if something were in fact defective with it. If it stops working
within my 90 Day Suspension, I’m just out of luck & I’ve yet to suffer some
more!

I’ve posted a link below if you would care to read Mr. Peel’s
experience back in 2012 being handed his 90 Day (Punishment) through (Best Buy)
by (TRE) He actually went to the news media however it ended up doing him no
good & further wasted his time.

http://articles.courant.com/2012-04-09/business/hc-bottom-line-best-buy-returns-20120409_1_return-fraud-return-or-exchange-fraudulent-returns

Another good link that you can find out from what other VICTIMS of (TRE) are currently saying & speaking out about. Plus other people who've been hassled by this process!
Retail Equation — Driver license scanned for exchanges/return

My goal is to get the public’s help! I cry out to you for
your support by showing everyone my letter here please. I need
everyone’s support so it gets to as many people as possible so YOU the consumer
know what you’re up against by these above retailers & others who follow in
their footsteps by using (TRE) Thank You for your time & support! After all we've to look out for our other shoppers so they don't become another VICTIM of (TRE) through yet another company or Best Buy!

If you (fall victim) to (TRE) at the time of your return, price
match or warranty service, do what I did, (Remain Calm) because remember
yelling, screaming & being completely pissed off & causing a scene at
any retailer will only get you possible banned from the store or worse
arrested. Instead act totally calm during your process, I know it’s hard but it’s
in your best interest to do so because by remaining calm you have more rights
& will be respected more; plus you can reach your goal quicker. Never say,
I’m going to sue you or get my attorney. Saying this statement to any retail
store employee will only get you the response of: I can’t talk to you legally since
you said this & at this point you’re forced to leave the retailers store. Remember
it’s not the (CSR’s) fault for this happening to you, it’s the fault of the
corporate office who in fact made the decision in the first place to use (TRE)

(TRE) doesn’t in fact know how you shop at a store at all.
It only goes by what you as a customer return. If (TRE’s) software followed my
Best Buy Elite Plus Reward Zone Membership it would know for a fact that I’m
not the one percent of people committing fraud by returns! Also to point out,
all the employee’s know me very well at this Best Buy location since I had
shopped there so often.

LOFT has recently employed RTE. It used to be my favorite store, buying probably 95% of my wardrobe from them for 13 years. No more. They are dead to me. Here is my last attempt at communication with them via Facebook, which was ignored by them:

"Customers need to know they are being tracked without their knowledge and why they are being tracked. If you are frequent shopper to LOFT, this may interest you: LOFT’s newly implemented return policy has flagged me as a potential return abuser, based on “scientific data, ” because I fit a particular profile. For the next 90 days their third party company, The Retail Equation, which monitors return, has instated a probationary period which prohibits me from making any returns of exchanges. (This third party tracks customers through by keeping a database of their personal information, such as driver’s license, without the knowledge or written consent of the individual.) Yes, I have made copious returns in the past. I am tall, so the majority of my purchases are made on line, resulting in many returns. However, I was flagged for in-store purchase/return activity. I infrequently purchase in store to supplement what I have purchased on line. This will sometimes result in a return because of a change of mind, thinking that returning the item was not an issue because of LOFT’s 45-day return rule. It was the furthest thing from my mind that I was doing anything wrong, but apparently I was, according to industry standards. Apparently I am considered an abuser of the system, and just this past Sunday I was cited as such publicly in my local store. This took me entirely off guard. I was not aware of the new return policy, as it is not posted anywhere in the store; it is printed on receipts, but this was not realized until after the fact. As for many of its customers, over 95% of my wardrobe was in the past purchased from LOFT. I like to shop, so naturally I make many purchases from LOFT, but this also means making many returns as well. I always keep my receipts in order and try to make as organized returns as possible as a courtesy to the store associates. I always have a little tinge of guilt when making returns because of the inconvenience I am putting the store through; the women who work there are just lovely (props to the ladies of the Winston-Salem store). Because of the 45-day return policy, I thought I was playing by the rules. I did not realize my behavior was considered downright suspicious, according to “science.” No one has ever alerted me to this. Because they use this third party (RTE) to monitor and penalize customers, they claim there is nothing they can do to reverse the charge. I can dispute the warning/denial through RTE, but the process can take over a month, and there is no guarantee the dispute will end in my favor. One individual going up against not 1, but 2 large corporate entities is more or less powerless and at their mercy.

After discovering and falling in love with LOFT in 2003, and soon after opening an account with them, my nearly 13-year account was closed Tuesday evening. According to The Retail Equation’s web page the conclusion can be drawn that I am, in fact, an undesirable customer. I meant no harm to the company and thought I was being a loyal customer by not looking for other shopping options because I had found what I was looking for in LOFT’s product and pricing. Well, this has been a hard lesson learned. I will henceforth be abundantly sure my intent to keep item is firm before purchasing, knowing that it is no longer a woman’s prerogative to change her mind. Sadly, my newly established shopping habits will never be practiced at LOFT unless this situation is satisfactorily remedied."

They have yet to respond.

There are at least 3 legal issues I suspect with both retailers who use The Retail Equation and TRE, itself. 1. Invasion of privacy. When a retailer asks or insists on using a customer's Driver's License to conduct a return or exchange, it is unlikely anyone would agree if they were advised their information was being sent to a third party's database. 2. Breach of terms. When two parties agree to transact and represent terms prior to transacting, whether expressed or implied, it is considered a legal breach if one party alters those terms after the transaction. Retailers are expressing and implying their return policy written terms in store and online and through employees who verbally explain return policies. They use terms such as "no problem", "hassle-free", and offer promises at the time of purchase to honor returns without factoring in TRE. 3. TRE's system model for profiling fraudulent customers and admittedly non-fraudulent customers who have high rates of honest returns, is inconsistent and unfairly discriminatory. Some customers are warned; some not. Some are banned after only 1 return; some more. Some are banned for 90 days; others for over a year.
There are many law firms I suspect would be interested in a class action. I know of only one which would consider it if enough people contacted them on their website. Although they are based in NY, they accept class actions representing anyone disenfranchised by corporations in the US. They are Wittels Law and can be found online. Recently they represented a class action against Time Warner Cable. Tell everyone you know who has been adversely affected by The Retail Equation.

I was trying to do a price adjustment two days ago (12/27/2016) at Toys R Us. The employee that was doing it did not know how to do it. She kept putting in and putting in a price adjustment. She did this I would say 4 times. In the mean time Return Declined slips kept coming out as a receipt. Again, about 4 of them. Finally a manager was called over and she was able to do the price adjustment and she told the other employee that this was not a return. Any way my receipts go to my email. I saw this return declined but did not think much of it. Yesterday I purchased another item from Toys R Us. Later decided I wanted to exchange it for something else so I thought about the return decline. I went back to the e-mailed receipt and call a number to The Retail Equation (TRE) that was on the return declined receipt. I was told I would not be able to return any items to Toys R Us for 365 days. I told him I just purchased an item today and wanted to exchange and he said you are stuck with it. No returns and no exchanges. After a few choice words from me I asked for the Toys R Us Manager. He told me he had nothing to do with them he just works for them and said I could call the corporate office but he did not have the number. I call Toys R Us 1 800 # and talked to an operator. When they could not resolve the situation she gave me a number to the corporate office. At this number I could not get a live person. So basically I gave up. I went back to the store later with the item I purchased yesterday (12/29/2016) and again got a Return Decline receipt. Mind you I have only returned about 4 items to Toys R Us in about a 3 weeks time. Yes it might seem like a lot but I am a Schizoaffective Disorder/Bipolar Type and tend to buy and return maybe more than the average person.. Any way be that the cause or not this is very ridiculous. The items I return are never opened and I just don't get this. I have never heard of any thing so crazy before in my life. I have never heard of any company name (TRE) and I can not believe Toys R Us would be affiliate with such. I returned 4 items. Well say roughly 8 with the Lady at Toys R Us not knowing what she was doing and shooting out Return decline Return decline receipts all over the place. Who is (TRE)? Could it be possible that I can walk in another store with a return and have this problem? Well I would hope other stores have better tack that Toys R Us. So beware my friends with your holiday returns at Toys R Crazy because you might be standing in line like me with a trail of people behind you wondering is this real or not. Since pills cant prevent me from shopping. Maybe this might curtail my spending and save me money and time. None the less I will never sat foot in Toys R Us again since I am a Maniaholic and am being discriminated against because of my Mental Illness. I have just fully read all reviews above me and now see that this is not just a Toys R Us problem. My beloved Best Buy is also on the list and I happen to be elite with them. Man, this is crazy. Some would like to call me crazy but I have nothing on this!

There is a class action lawsuit over this. I just joined in on it today after receiving a warning from TRE after a return WITH a receipt.
abingtonlaw.com/retail-equation-class-action-lawsuit.html

If any class action lawsuits are filed against TRE, please let me know!
I believe with great increase of identity theft nowadays, and only getting worse,
this co. is a prime sitting target. All of the customers whose identity data they store
are the obvious victims! Unfortunately for all of these customers it's not a question
of if but when will their identities be compromised!

https://abingtonlaw.com/Retail-Equation-class-action-lawsuit.html