Archived X-Mas Toy Flipping 2016 is in full swing - Hatchimals

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Had a guest clean us out on Saturday, bought all 12 Hatchimals we had on hand. Same guest returned Sunday morning with the $25 off $100 purchase. Returned all 12, and re-bought in six separate transactions using the coupon 6 times. At first TL suggested he could only use the coupon once, but then he furnished 5 additional copies of the coupon. He said he was willing to come back 5 more times throughout the day to use the coupon if needed. TL went ahead and let him repurchase in 6 transactions - effectively getting $150 credit. Had a team meeting this morning where this specific incident came up - apparently the STL indicated this toy will be short supply this year. A question was asked why the TL allowed the return and the repurchase and we got a non-answer ANSWER that we should not allow this kind of customer gaming the system in the future. Yikes, glad I am not the TL. We are sold out, as are all of the other stores around us.
 
Lol, let the fun begin.

Was anyone around during the early days of the Nintendo Wii? That was a mess...literally every day people would call Electronics asking when we would get another shipment and every time we did people would line up outside our store.

I'm talking months after it released, maybe even a year or more.
 
I remember it well. Camping out overnight for the launch too.
I've only been with Target for a few years, but I recall being one of those who stood in the cold to get one many years ago

Last year it was My Size Elsa. the year before that some stupid Zoomer dog. Just crazy to see the things people go crazy for.
 
^ I feel you would have to, at least during the holiday shopping season.

Similar to not be able to hold an item if they call the store inquiring about it.
 
My store depends on what they get in, two of something one goes on the shelf other gets picked for on line order. No holds for any reason. No we don't care you called from across the state and currently doing 120mph on I80 we will not be holding that product for you.

Yes they did make somethings not available to on line order but that doesn't stop every other idiot from coming in every day at 8am trying to get some product or the phone ringing off the hook for it. In-Stocks when we learn what is hot we make a list and give to operator so she can handle those calls. Electronics has been really good at telling the operator and announcing if something is now gone for the day. It's a great thing everyone new you see through the day as they come in to work what we have and don't have. Again enforcing the NO HOLDS NO MATTER the REASON.
 
Spot reserves the right to limit quantities purchase. I would of stopped them at 2 on Saturday. Then, if they returned them on Sunday. I would of told them to come back in an hour without reselling them back to the guest fo the coupon. The stl backs us on this option.
Here is spot guest service number.
 
Spot reserves the right to limit quantities purchase. I would of stopped them at 2 on Saturday. Then, if they returned them on Sunday. I would of told them to come back in an hour without reselling them back to the guest fo the coupon. The stl backs us on this option.
Here is spot guest service number.

I am VERY conflicted on this. On the one hand, I love that this guy just bought $800 worth of merchandise. That is good for us right?

Limiting to 2-3 items means less immediate revenue and the chance that these don't sell.

However, this guy also has a 90 day return policy, which means if they don;t sell, he is just going to return them and my store gets screwed. Who wants to buy a full priced Hatchimal on Jan 3rd? The flexible return policy kills us - maybe that is what should be limited in quantity?

My bigger issue is not with the original sale, but rather the return/repurchase using the discount. That seems excessive. Those coupons are meant to drive business into a store which hopefully spill into additional shopping. But in this case, the coupon was used to fuel somebody's X-Mas time profit taking.
 
That guest needs to take a walk. What about the other guests who would love have that toy for their kids. It is like the beats on cartwheel plus 50% off. I limited one per guest. The guest had the dpci's & said 1 beats earphone only. I had 2 units. Then another guest happened to want the 2nd set of beats at the same time. Busted with a smile.
 
What about the other guests who would love have that toy for their kids.
I completely get that point of view. But if I can sell the merch now, I don't have to worry about another guest lining up to buy it. We are in the business to sell product. Not arguing, I can just see it both ways.
 
Guests are becoming mad that these are all already takes by other guests who order online. This one could get ugly.
Yeah our endcap location usually sells fast, and then I end up clearing out the home location for SFS orders a few times per week.

Last year didn't we make some of those things unorderable online?
I recall seeing in one of the BF/Q4 planning guides that they are planning on making more items eligible for online purchase this year.
 
Lol, let the fun begin.

Was anyone around during the early days of the Nintendo Wii? That was a mess...literally every day people would call Electronics asking when we would get another shipment and every time we did people would line up outside our store.

I'm talking months after it released, maybe even a year or more.

I ended up buying two and wanted to flip one to pay for mine but a tm begged and begged me to sell it to them for retail. It ended up costing me money as she didn't pay tax.
 
I completely get that point of view. But if I can sell the merch now, I don't have to worry about another guest lining up to buy it. We are in the business to sell product. Not arguing, I can just see it both ways.
Wrong. We are in the business to make money while selling product. Letting this guest behave like an asshat cost us money as well as set up a dangerous precedence. Now when someone says no it will be "well rangers store let me buy them all" "rangers store let me return and rebuy with six coupons" etc.

Resellers get shit at my store. We will walkie backup to grab toys off the shelf before they get to the aisle if we can. A legit guest will buy whatever they are trying to hoard, no problem.
 
Lol, let the fun begin.

Was anyone around during the early days of the Nintendo Wii? That was a mess...literally every day people would call Electronics asking when we would get another shipment and every time we did people would line up outside our store.

I'm talking months after it released, maybe even a year or more.

I distinctly remember our Operator asking through out the day "Do we have any Wiis in stock?"
Answer: "no"

and then 45 mins later, with the same question. Truck team is long gone....

smh

"Nope, still no Wiis"
 
Lol, let the fun begin.

Was anyone around during the early days of the Nintendo Wii? That was a mess...literally every day people would call Electronics asking when we would get another shipment and every time we did people would line up outside our store.

I'm talking months after it released, maybe even a year or more.

We had them at Circuit City. We referred to them as Angry Wii Moms.
 
Remember Pie Face? Now Speak Out and Hatchimals...Lord take me now!

Yup! I was just gonna say Speak Out! A guest called about it today and it's been out of stock for a week or two on the website and in our store and she mentioned to me that Wally had it, but it was really expensive. I looked and it turns out some third party seller on Walmart's site is selling it for $49.

Side note: the Walmart marketplace is the worst thing on earth. If I go to walmarts site, I wanna see Walmart stuff for Walmart prices
 
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