Archived Baby formula limit

[walleyeman]

Is there a limit to how much baby formula one parent can buy in one trip one guest one time came with about 18

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

You can say no that amt of baby food,. There should be a sign around your station, spot reserves right to limit qty of item.

 

[Kartman]

Why can't they buy as much as they want?

 

[LadyCynide]

Why can't they buy as much as they want?

...really? It's a common scam. They buy them, get giftcards, and then they return the products for more than they paid.

 

[RedorBlue]

...really? It's a common scam. They buy them, get giftcards, and then they return the products for more than they paid.

You can't assume every transaction like this is a scam. Maybe there was a really good sale that week and maybe they run a daycare. My sons daycare center does that all the time when there is awesome deals, they stack coupons and store promotions. They stock up knowing it might be awhile before they go on sale again.

 

[LadyCynide]

You can't assume every transaction like this is a scam. Maybe there was a really good sale that week and maybe they run a daycare. My sons daycare center does that all the time when there is awesome deals, they stack coupons and store promotions. They stock up knowing it might be awhile before they go on sale again.

You HAVE TO assume all these transactions are scams, or you will lose thousands of dollars. I understand daycares searching for sales, but unfortunately, too many people have ruined it. If you give people the benefit of the doubt in these situations you will be allowing your store to lose more money than they need to.

 

[RedorBlue]

You HAVE TO assume all these transactions are scams, or you will lose thousands of dollars. I understand daycares searching for sales, but unfortunately, too many people have ruined it. If you give people the benefit of the doubt in these situations you will be allowing your store to lose more money than they need to.

Only 3% of retail transactions are scams. If you think of every transaction like this is a scam, then you are making 97% inaccurate assumptions. Target budgets for bad debt, if target felt they were losing to much money then they would put stricter controls on returns with no proof of purchase.

 

[SFSFun]

You HAVE TO assume all these transactions are scams, or you will lose thousands of dollars. I understand daycares searching for sales, but unfortunately, too many people have ruined it. If you give people the benefit of the doubt in these situations you will be allowing your store to lose more money than they need to.

So do they withhold your paycheck to cover the loss? Or just send you a bill?

 

[LadyCynide]

Only 3% of retail transactions are scams. If you think of every transaction like this is a scam, then you are making 97% inaccurate assumptions. Target budgets for bad debt, if target felt they were losing to much money then they would put stricter controls on returns with no proof of purchase.

Only 3%? Your store must be ~magical~ then. We get so many of these scams that we know them by face and name, and there are some whose licenses we know by heart.

And they DO put restrictions. But STLs override those restrictions and insist on GS TMs being lax to raise vibe scores.

 

[LadyCynide]

So do they withhold your paycheck to cover the loss? Or just send you a bill?

Nah, they just cut hours from everyone they deem unnecessary.

 

[RedorBlue]

Only 3%? Your store must be ~magical~ then. We get so many of these scams that we know them by face and name, and there are some whose licenses we know by heart.

And they DO put restrictions. But STLs override those restrictions and insist on GS TMs being lax to raise vibe scores.

3% is for a company in whole. Some stores might by higher due to being placed in an urban area. Others stores in a higher income area offset that number with coming in under 3%. So it's a company average. I would override it to, when I was "in the store" as an assistant, it was my job to make revenue. Target has the ability to change there returns process if they feel they are losing money.

 

[Firefox]

...really? It's a common scam. They buy them, get giftcards, and then they return the products for more than they paid.

That doesn't work assuming that it's just a "Buy 2 get a $5 gift card" promotion. When you go to return the items, it comes back at a reduced refund value unless you return the giftcard along with them. That is, assuming that manufacturer coupons weren't used.

 

[redeye58]

They do no-receipt returns so they get full value back onto a gift card, what ladycyanide meant when she referred to licenses.
It's a widespread problem in my area & we're in a fairly affluent part of town.
Most families with babies will buy 1-2 cans of powdered formula.
Any more than that raises a flag & our store DOES impose a limit, especially any promos with gift cards.

 

[LadyCynide]

That doesn't work assuming that it's just a "Buy 2 get a $5 gift card" promotion. When you go to return the items, it comes back at a reduced refund value unless you return the giftcard along with them. That is, assuming that manufacturer coupons weren't used.

They do no-receipt returns so they get full value back onto a gift card, what ladycyanide meant when she referred to licenses.
It's a widespread problem in my area & we're in a fairly affluent part of town.
Most families with babies will buy 1-2 cans of powdered formula.
Any more than that raises a flag & our store DOES impose a limit, especially any promos with gift cards.

Exactly. With your receipt, it's not a scam. They NEVER use their receipt, and they always already have a gift card that they'd like the money added back to. One guy came through yesterday with a stack of at least 50 of these gift cards that he was using to buy the formulas that he had just gotten another gift card from.

 

[Kartman]

Dose stupidos!!!

 

[Firefox]

You're right, I must have skimmed over the license part of her post.

 

[NPC]

You can't assume every transaction like this is a scam. Maybe there was a really good sale that week and maybe they run a daycare. My sons daycare center does that all the time when there is awesome deals, they stack coupons and store promotions. They stock up knowing it might be awhile before they go on sale again.

Only 3% of retail transactions are scams. If you think of every transaction like this is a scam, then you are making 97% inaccurate assumptions. Target budgets for bad debt, if target felt they were losing to much money then they would put stricter controls on returns with no proof of purchase.

3% is for a company in whole. Some stores might by higher due to being placed in an urban area. Others stores in a higher income area offset that number with coming in under 3%. So it's a company average. I would override it to, when I was "in the store" as an assistant, it was my job to make revenue. Target has the ability to change there returns process if they feel they are losing money.

Unless you have data to back up your claims, they're basically bullshit. Even if the amount of scam transactions were 1%, that wouldn't make it "okay" to let them slide, nor would it make me any less responsible to be aware of them.

Regardless of whether it's a scam or not, you should still limit quantities on items to ensure people have a fair opportunity to purchase the same merchandise. It's not Target's job to decide who needs the item most. So you set a limit. In my store, we don't sell more than 4 containers of the same formula, per guest.

 

[NPC]

They do no-receipt returns so they get full value back onto a gift card, what ladycyanide meant when she referred to licenses.
It's a widespread problem in my area & we're in a fairly affluent part of town.
Most families with babies will buy 1-2 cans of powdered formula.
Any more than that raises a flag & our store DOES impose a limit, especially any promos with gift cards.

I've noticed that when I have guests returning formula without a receipt, it's been making my guests do even exchanges, rather than giving them a gift card. Maybe it's just a coincidence, and all these guests happen to be past their ID return limits, but nearly every transaction has forced me to do them as exchanges. If that's just how it is now, then I love it!

 

[LadyCynide]

I've noticed that when I have guests returning formula without a receipt, it's been making my guests do even exchanges, rather than giving them a gift card. Maybe it's just a coincidence, and all these guests happen to be past their ID return limits, but nearly every transaction has forced me to do them as exchanges. If that's just how it is now, then I love it!

It's been prompting for that a lot! It's amazing. Except when we're told to just override it and give it to them.

 

[Retail Girl]

It's been prompting at my store for quite a while about doing exchanges on formula for no receipt returns...like maybe a year.

But if they don't have a receipt, I've never let them just return it...I always make them get something else...baby still needs to eat. If nothing else, I figure they are returning a WIC purchase for a GC and RG don't play that game.

And if they don't have a receipt or don't want more formula, then it's likely fraud.

Also, 3% fraud may not seem like a lot, but then realize how many transactions each store does a day, and that's a lot.

 

[champ]

So in my store I've noticed that there is only one certain ethnicity that does this scam...maybe saw one or two others do this scam but that's about it. is this the same for your stores?

 

[Barcode]

The last i checked, Target reserves the right to limit quantities to "appropriate household quantities" .. there is a bit of discretion you can use on determining how much that is.

 

[redeye58]

I remember a mad rush on formula after a factory in China (2008) was found to have added melamine (an industrial compound used for making resin) which sickened nearly 300K infants, killing several.
People here were cleaning out the shelves & selling it on the black market there so stores around the area began enforcing tight purchase limits.
Glad to see return policy tweaks are reigning in a little bit of fraud.

 

[HardlinesFour]

Also, 3% fraud may not seem like a lot, but then realize how many transactions each store does a day, and that's a lot.

A better way to think of it... is 3% of every single dollar, Target makes is lost. And... the stuff we're selling isn't pure-profit, either. It really does effect the bottom line, and only makes things harder for team-members in the end. There not taking those losses out on the CEO's salary, just the payroll budget.

 

[Producer]

Only 3% of retail transactions are scams. If you think of every transaction like this is a scam, then you are making 97% inaccurate assumptions. Target budgets for bad debt, if target felt they were losing to much money then they would put stricter controls on returns with no proof of purchase.

My store does between 20,000 to 22,000 transactions a week. 3% would break down to 600 fraudulant transactions a week, or approximately 90 guests a day, which is 7-8 guests every hour.

That's a lot.

We limit formula sales because we need to have it in stock for babies who might need it. I have no sympathy for people who use promotions aimed at saving new parents some extra money as a way to make a quick buck.