How not to fall for the bait of thrifty moms

Buying shoes or a dress at once, and then returning is a tactic of the obsessed fashion victims, poor students and, as it turned out, economical mothers. The problem with the return of festive children's shoes was shared by our reader Natalya from Tolyatti. The way out is offered by expert on merchandising expertise Angelica Novitskaya.

Natalia, owner of a children's shoe store in Tolyatti, writes: "Several times a year, I encounter the same problem. Before March 8th or New Year's, customers buy children's shoes for the holidays, then return them immediately after the parties, claiming they no longer like them. There can be 5-7 returns in the week following the holidays. Children wear the shoes for 30-40 minutes at the party, walking on carpets and tiles, so the heels and toes remain perfectly intact. New tights don't leave an imprint on the insole. Basically, I can't prove the shoes were worn. And customers are brazen, making a scene, even though I tried them on in the store in front of them, wearing their holiday dresses. And there's nothing I can do—I return the money. What should I do in this situation? Is there any way I can prove the shoes were worn? How can I avoid such problems?"

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Anzhelika Novitskaya, a commodity expert of non-food products in the independent expert organization "Laboratory of Expert Research" answers:

“Let me remind you that in accordance with the Law on the Protection of Consumer Rights, the buyer has the right to return the product within 14 days from the date of purchase without giving any reason, if the product has not been in use, the presentation, factory labels and packaging (box) have been preserved. To return, you must have a passport and a cashier's receipt confirming payment for the goods.

Traces of operation, as a rule, are always noticeable. These can be folds in the sock-bundle part, and soles of the sole. But these changes could have arisen due to repeated fitting in the store, so the question is debatable. If there are signs of exploitation, the seller has the right not to take shoes back. In the future, disagreements between the seller and the buyer are best resolved through an examination. If there are no signs of operation, then the store owner, unfortunately, is obliged to return the money.

In order to avoid conflict situations in the future, you can adopt the fact that in order to return it is necessary to preserve the factory labels. Attach large, visible labels to your shoes that cannot be hidden, and place seals in prominent places, such as on a strap. The main thing is that shoes with such labels cannot be used, even for half an hour at a matinee. The presence and integrity of the labels will serve as an indicator of whether the shoe has been in use or not. But this tactic has its risks: sometimes the label or seal is attached in such a way that the buyer cannot fully try on the shoes in the store, and the inability to remove the interfering label repels them from making a purchase altogether.