Shark Tags-5, wardrobing-3, return fraud-3
Don’t Let Return Fraud Bite Into Your Profits
I have been getting so many emails lately from other stores about customers dealing in return fraud. In our business we deal more with people digging receipts out of the garbage and coming in to attempt to get those items off the shelf. If they successfully get out the door, or at least make it appear they just came in the door with that item, they then try to run the refund scam. Sometimes they are successful but most times, it’s repeat offenders so we know better than to give them anything. In the clothing and accessory business you have a much more difficult problem customer to deal with: the dreaded practice of wardrobing. There is also a great simple gadget that will stop these people in their tracks: the Shark Tag.
First of all, wardrobing is when a person buys an item with the intention of wearing or using it and returning it. You see it all the time on sitcoms and movies, but in real life, it is not at all funny. In the movies, the person gets invited to a big wedding or other event, and has nothing fancy enough to wear. So, they go to the specialty boutique and buy the most expensive thing there. They plan to return it as soon as they leave, but inevitably spill wine or something on the item at the party and they’re stuck with it. In reality, it’s not usually a big wine stain or something so obvious. The garment may smell like smoke, or have deodorant stains on it. The shoes may have scuff marks, or there may be crumbs all in the bottom of a purse. No matter what the condition, if your store sells upscale clothing or formal wear, that return means double the loss. You lose the money for the item, and you have to take a markdown, maybe a little or maybe the entire cost. Allowing return fraud like this is not a viable business model.
Here is where the Shark Tag comes in to save the day! Attach the tag onto a prominent area of the items you are selling. Another great idea is to print up small paper copies of your refund policy, and utilize the tag to clip it right onto the item you are selling. For shoes, belts, and other accessories, they can also be attached via lanyard. The Shark Tag is designed to be removed at home, with a simple pair of scissors. But once it is removed, the item has been rendered non-refundable. You do have to make this crystal clear to your customers in some way. For garments, such as dresses and blouses, the best practice would be clip it right onto the front of the neckline. It will not cause any damage to even the most delicate items, so don’t worry. It will also not impede the customer from trying on the item in the store or at home. The reason you want to attach the tag to a prominent area, is you don’t want them to be able to wear the item while concealing the tag. It needs to be on a spot where it will be painfully visible. The way it helps deter return fraud is that the Shark Tag cannot be reattached once it is cut. There is no faking it. If the customer attempts to cut it off and put it back on, the store’s staff will easily see the attempted tampering. If the tag is not in perfect condition, as it was when it left the store, then the customer’s refund eligibility is null and void.
You don’t want to make your customer feel like you don’t value their business, and cut off their right to return something that doesn’t satisfy them. However, if their sole purpose of buying the item in the first place was for wardrobing, they don’t have the right to return used, damaged merchandise to your store and expect a full refund either. The Shark Tag just evens it all out for everyone.
For more information on Shark Tags, contact us: 1.770.426.0547 or Clothingsecurity.net
I have been getting so many emails lately from other stores about customers dealing in return fraud. In our business we deal more with people digging receipts out of the garbage and coming in to attempt to get those items off the shelf. If they successfully get out the door, or at least make it appear they just came in the door with that item, they then try to run the refund scam. Sometimes they are successful but most times, it’s repeat offenders so we know better than to give them anything. In the clothing and accessory business you have a much more difficult problem customer to deal with: the dreaded practice of wardrobing. There is also a great simple gadget that will stop these people in their tracks: the Shark Tag.
First of all, wardrobing is when a person buys an item with the intention of wearing or using it and returning it. You see it all the time on sitcoms and movies, but in real life, it is not at all funny. In the movies, the person gets invited to a big wedding or other event, and has nothing fancy enough to wear. So, they go to the specialty boutique and buy the most expensive thing there. They plan to return it as soon as they leave, but inevitably spill wine or something on the item at the party and they’re stuck with it. In reality, it’s not usually a big wine stain or something so obvious. The garment may smell like smoke, or have deodorant stains on it. The shoes may have scuff marks, or there may be crumbs all in the bottom of a purse. No matter what the condition, if your store sells upscale clothing or formal wear, that return means double the loss. You lose the money for the item, and you have to take a markdown, maybe a little or maybe the entire cost. Allowing return fraud like this is not a viable business model.
Here is where the Shark Tag comes in to save the day! Attach the tag onto a prominent area of the items you are selling. Another great idea is to print up small paper copies of your refund policy, and utilize the tag to clip it right onto the item you are selling. For shoes, belts, and other accessories, they can also be attached via lanyard. The Shark Tag is designed to be removed at home, with a simple pair of scissors. But once it is removed, the item has been rendered non-refundable. You do have to make this crystal clear to your customers in some way. For garments, such as dresses and blouses, the best practice would be clip it right onto the front of the neckline. It will not cause any damage to even the most delicate items, so don’t worry. It will also not impede the customer from trying on the item in the store or at home. The reason you want to attach the tag to a prominent area, is you don’t want them to be able to wear the item while concealing the tag. It needs to be on a spot where it will be painfully visible. The way it helps deter return fraud is that the Shark Tag cannot be reattached once it is cut. There is no faking it. If the customer attempts to cut it off and put it back on, the store’s staff will easily see the attempted tampering. If the tag is not in perfect condition, as it was when it left the store, then the customer’s refund eligibility is null and void.
You don’t want to make your customer feel like you don’t value their business, and cut off their right to return something that doesn’t satisfy them. However, if their sole purpose of buying the item in the first place was for wardrobing, they don’t have the right to return used, damaged merchandise to your store and expect a full refund either. The Shark Tag just evens it all out for everyone.
For more information on Shark Tags contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 or Clothingsecurity.net
Alpha Keepers-3, prevent shoplifting-2 , retail anti-theft devices-1, protect razor blades-1
Choose The Right Retail Anti Theft Devices
There are many different ways to prevent shoplifting. As an owner or manager of a small business, choosing the right retail anti theft devices depends on what you need to protect. Personally, I am a huge fan of the simple, yet highly effective, Alpha Keepers. The customer still has access to the merchandise, without it having to be locked up behind glass. They can still read the ingredients or instructions if needed and the item stays completely secure. Plus, they are reusable, easily applied and easily removed.
I was at my friend’s store today, helping her get ready for her inventory. Her store is located in a pretty bad area; the crime rate is through the roof and the amount of shoplifting she deals with is outrageous. It is a constant struggle in this store, and this particular day was no different. While I was there, we caught a lady stealing. We walked up on her opening a package, both of us hearing that familiar sound of someone messing with plastic. She was about to drop it in her bag, then she looked up to see the two of us standing there staring at her, both of us with our hands on our hips. We made her dump her bag on the front counter; and made her pay for the item she was about to swipe.
One thing I did see that my buddy could make a big improvement on the choice of device used to protect razor blades. She currently has them in this giant dispensing type system, made and supplied by the makers of the razors. It’s a huge heavy abomination, and it’s a pain to use for both the customers and the store staff. It is wired into the overhead paging, and when it gets stuck the alarm sounds throughout the store over and over until someone can get over there to fix it. It does not prevent shoplifting in that section like my system does. I took that crazy contraption down years ago and now I use Alpha Keepers. I put up some pegs and I hang up my razor cartridges now, no matter the brand or size. Customers can freely choose the product they need, without feeling like they are having to get through a maze to get some cheese. Customers should not have to work for the items they came to shop for! My buddy is in luck though. I happen to have a lot of extra boxes of Alpha Keepers that I got due to a remodel. I told her I would come back and help her convert her old clunky system into a sleek model for selling. I know she will see the results soon, and the shrink reduction in this section will be quickly noticeable.
Alpha Security has many solutions to help prevent shoplifting. My friend has been experiencing another major problem at her store. People have been walking out the front door with big bottles of laundry detergent. I have a whole box of the tools she needs to deter this type of theft too, which is a whole box of Alpha cable locks. These fit right around the handle of the bottles. That cable is super thick, and it’s not something a little pocket knife or other typical blade carried by a thief is going to damage. They are tough and they have the same alarm capabilities as the Alpha Keepers.
I am giving away some of my extra retail anti theft devices to help my friend get some of the theft in her store under control. She will owe me big time, not even to mention all the work I put in there today straightening shelves and such.
For more information on Alpha Keepers contact us: 1.770.426.0547 or Preventshopliftingloss.net
There are many different ways to prevent shoplifting. As an owner or manager of a small business, choosing the right retail anti theft devices depends on what you need to protect. Personally, I am a huge fan of the simple, yet highly effective, Alpha Keepers. The customer still has access to the merchandise, without it having to be locked up behind glass. They can still read the ingredients or instructions if needed and the item stays completely secure. Plus, they are reusable, easily applied and easily removed.
I was at my friend’s store today, helping her get ready for her inventory. Her store is located in a pretty bad area; the crime rate is through the roof and the amount of shoplifting she deals with is outrageous. It is a constant struggle in this store, and this particular day was no different. While I was there, we caught a lady stealing. We walked up on her opening a package, both of us hearing that familiar sound of someone messing with plastic. She was about to drop it in her bag, then she looked up to see the two of us standing there staring at her, both of us with our hands on our hips. We made her dump her bag on the front counter; and made her pay for the item she was about to swipe.
One thing I did see that my buddy could make a big improvement on the choice of device used to protect razor blades. She currently has them in this giant dispensing type system, made and supplied by the makers of the razors. It’s a huge heavy abomination, and it’s a pain to use for both the customers and the store staff. It is wired into the overhead paging, and when it gets stuck the alarm sounds throughout the store over and over until someone can get over there to fix it. It does not prevent shoplifting in that section like my system does. I took that crazy contraption down years ago and now I use Alpha Keepers. I put up some pegs and I hang up my razor cartridges now, no matter the brand or size. Customers can freely choose the product they need, without feeling like they are having to get through a maze to get some cheese. Customers should not have to work for the items they came to shop for! My buddy is in luck though. I happen to have a lot of extra boxes of Alpha Keepers that I got due to a remodel. I told her I would come back and help her convert her old clunky system into a sleek model for selling. I know she will see the results soon, and the shrink reduction in this section will be quickly noticeable.
Alpha Security has many solutions to help prevent shoplifting. My friend has been experiencing another major problem at her store. People have been walking out the front door with big bottles of laundry detergent. I have a whole box of the tools she needs to deter this type of theft too, which is a whole box of Alpha cable locks. These fit right around the handle of the bottles. That cable is super thick, and it’s not something a little pocket knife or other typical blade carried by a thief is going to damage. They are tough and they have the same alarm capabilities as the Alpha Keepers.
I am giving away some of my extra retail anti theft devices to help my friend get some of the theft in her store under control. She will owe me big time, not even to mention all the work I put in there today straightening shelves and such.
For more information on Alpha Keepers contact us: 1.770.426.0547 or Preventshopliftingloss.net
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Bottle Locks Keep Your Product Out of the Hands of Juveniles and Shoplifters and In the Hands of Paying Customers!
Recently I watched as a clerk in a local convenience store was stocking his shelves with liquor bottles in an area much too close to the door. I asked him if had suffered any losses and he related to me just the other day how some guys kept him busy at the front of the store while two guys helped themselves to five bottles of hard liquor and left the store. He said it was not that uncommon and he was researching what to do about it. I told him I had seen a good solution for bottle security in a liquor store across town—the same solution I will share with you.
Grab and runs were not that uncommon when I was a law enforcement officer so I always noted the displays and how the store tried to provide liquor bottle security. Many used bottle locks such as the ones developed by Alpha security. In today’s store environment you not only have to contend with the juvenile trying to get out of your store with a liquor bottle but the organized retail criminal who is trying to get multiples of your product for resale. Any solution has to deal with both threats.
Alpha security developed a bottle lock that meets those challenges posed by both classes of shoplifters. The bottle lock fits over the cap of the bottle and locks in place with a special Alpha key. When someone tries to leave with a bottle it is going to active your EAS system or if they are fortunate to get out of your store, they are still stuck with a bottle they cannot open. They have to have the special key to remove the lock that your cashier has so he or she can remove the lock when the customer BUYS the bottle. They are more likely to break the bottle than open it.
This denial-of-service capability makes both the juvenile offender and the experienced criminal think about the return-on-investment of their time in taking your merchandise. They go through the same process unthinkingly as we do as business professionals. Is the reward worth the risk? In most cases, they will determine it isn’t and meander down the street to a softer target—your competitor.
These relatively inexpensive bottle locks fit over the cap in a way that the product label is still visible and the product can still be handled by your customer. Combined with an electronic article surveillance system (EAS) they make a strong deterrent for any shoplifter. Not too long ago I saw a report where a juvenile had stolen a bottle of vodka from the local convenience store that did not have EAS installed but did have liquor bottle security. It seems that the juvenile got home and couldn’t figure out how to open the vodka and get the lock off the bottle. He called his friend, who happened to be the son of a deputy sheriff. The deputy overheard their conversation and he went to the juvenile’s house and confronted the boy, who confessed to the shoplifting and returned the liquor to the store with an apology as one of his terms of juvenile diversion.
It is even more frustrating for the experienced criminal who is getting the liquor for resale. Just exactly how is he going to sell bottles of liquor to someone when the bottle has a bottle lock on it? That might make for some interesting conversation between reseller and customer.
Going back to the original clerk in the convenience store I was at, you now know the advice that I gave him. Protect you valuable liquor products in the same way I recommended to him. Get bottle security from Alpha security and keep the liquor in your bottle and in your store until it is in the hands of your paying customer!
For more information about bottle locks contact us at www.bottlelock.net or call 1-770-426-0547.
Recently I watched as a clerk in a local convenience store was stocking his shelves with liquor bottles in an area much too close to the door. I asked him if he had suffered any losses and he related to me just the other day how some guys kept him busy at the front of the store while two guys helped themselves to five bottles of hard liquor and left the store. He said it was not that uncommon and he was researching what to do about it. I told him I had seen a good solution for bottle security in a liquor store across town—the same solution I will share with you.
Grab and runs were not that uncommon when I was a law enforcement officer so I always noted the displays and how the store tried to provide liquor bottle security. Many used bottle locks such as the ones developed by Alpha security. In today’s store environment you not only have to contend with the juvenile trying to get out of your store with a liquor bottle but the organized retail criminal who is trying to get multiples of your product for resale. Any solution has to deal with both threats.
Alpha security developed a bottle lock that meets those challenges posed by both classes of shoplifters. The bottle lock fits over the cap of the bottle and locks in place with a special Alpha key. When someone tries to leave with a bottle it is going to active your EAS system or if they are fortunate to get out of your store, they are still stuck with a bottle they cannot open. They have to have the special key to remove the lock that your cashier has so he or she can remove the lock when the customer BUYS the bottle. They are more likely to break the bottle than open it.
This denial-of-service capability makes both the juvenile offender and the experienced criminal think about the return-on-investment of their time in taking your merchandise. They go through the same process unthinkingly as we do as business professionals. Is the reward worth the risk? In most cases, they will determine it isn’t and meander down the street to a softer target—your competitor.
These relatively inexpensive bottle locks fit over the cap in a way that the product label is still visible and the product can still be handled by your customer. Combined with an electronic article surveillance system (EAS) they make a strong deterrent for any shoplifter. Not too long ago I saw a report where a juvenile had stolen a bottle of vodka from the local convenience store that did not have EAS installed but did have liquor bottle security. It seems that the juvenile got home and couldn’t figure out how to open the vodka and get the lock off the bottle. He called his friend, who happened to be the son of a deputy sheriff. The deputy overheard their conversation and he went to the juvenile’s house and confronted the boy, who confessed to the shoplifting and returned the liquor to the store with an apology as one of his terms of juvenile diversion.
It is even more frustrating for the experienced criminal who is getting the liquor for resale. Just exactly how is he going to sell bottles of liquor to someone when the bottle has a bottle lock on it? That might make for some interesting conversation between reseller and customer.
Going back to the original clerk in the convenience store I was at, you now know the advice that I gave him. Protect you valuable liquor products in the same way I recommended to him. Get bottle security from Alpha security and keep the liquor in your bottle and in your store until it is in the hands of your paying customer!
For more information about bottle locks contact us or call 1-770-426-0547 or at www.bottlelock.net
