Not everything we buy works. Some things, like clothes, don’t fit. Other times, the item can arrive damaged, defective or just not up to our standards. But that’s what the refund policy is for. We can go back to the store (or send it back, if ordered online) and get our money back.

But it might not go as smoothly every time. This Redditor encountered a salty customer service clerk when he wanted to return an unused impact wrench. The clerk refused to issue a refund because the receipt was too old. Well, malicious compliance ensued as the OP managed to find a loophole and get even more cash than the impact wrench was worth.

Bored Panda reached out to the author of this post and was lucky enough to have a chat with him. The Redditor rajalreadytaken told us more about what prompted him to post this story on the r/MaliciousCompliance community. He was also kind enough to tell our readers what advice he would give to people in similar situations.

We also consulted personal finance and real estate expert Romana King. She kindly told us whether it’s possible to return an item with an expired receipt and how recalls could affect the return process.

More info: Romana King | Facebook | Twitter | House Poor No More

Most stores have refund policies so that customers can return the items they don’t use or are not happy with

Image credits: tequilamike (not the actual photo)

This man planned to do just that, but his malicious compliance got him even more cash than he was expecting

Image source: rajalreadytaken

Image credits: Simon Kadula (not the actual photo)

The OP encourages all consumers to know their rights and not let retailers take advantage of them

Image credits: Anna Tarazevich (not the actual photo)

Bored Panda had a quick chat with the author of this story. We asked him why he decided to post on the r/MaliciousCompliance subreddit. “I was discussing another recall that my wife and I have to deal with,” the user rajalreadytaken tells us. “She was discouraged about not being able to find a receipt or original package. I reminded her about this story and then decided to post it to Reddit to make others aware too.”

And some awareness he brought! The post got 5.2k upvotes in two days and 130 comments. People clearly liked the story of this Redditor “sticking it to the man.” The OP tells Bored Panda that his goal was to encourage others to stick up for themselves in situations like this.

“It’s definitely important to hold retailers accountable for their advertised policies,” the author of the post told us. “Companies always advertise things like lifetime warranties, guaranteed lowest prices, and other promises to make customers feel comfortable about shopping with them.”

“When they refuse to honor these policies, they are breaking their promise and literally stealing from you,” the Redditor explains. “Recalls are especially important because there is likely a safety issue with the product that puts companies in danger of a lawsuit from a customer. A customer would have a hard time suing over a refund for a recalled product since it would be their fault for not returning it.”

The user rajalreadytaken encourages other consumers not to ignore these policies and take advantage. “Always return a recalled item, otherwise you’re taking all the risk and the cost yourself. Keep in mind that companies need to be held accountable for promises made, like warranties or refund policies. Don’t let them take advantage of you as a customer.”

Can a customer return an item with an expired receipt?

Image credits: Brad Montgomery (not the actual photo)

Bored Panda sought expertise from personal finance and real estate expert Romana King to know more about what one should do in these situations. She’s not only a seasoned personal finance writer but a published author as well. Her book House Poor No More: 9 Steps That Grow The Value Of Your Home And Net Worth is the 2022 NYSSCPA Excellence in Financial Journalism Award Winner.

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When asked whether or not a customer can return an item with an expired receipt, Romana King says that yes, it is possible. “A customer should always try to return an item even if they are beyond the return window (otherwise known as an expired receipt),” King says.

“Most large retailers are willing to forego stringent adherence to return windows as long as the items being returned are in the original packaging or in as-new condition. The reason for this flexibility is that they want customers to feel a sense of allegiance to the retailer – [so they’ll] choose to shop at that store in the future because they know they’ll be treated well, even if they change their mind,” the personal finance expert explains.

“That said, this flexibility does have limits,” King notes. “For instance, if the item you are returning is out-of-season or was purchased more than half a year ago, you will have a harder time convincing the retailer to be flexible.”

Sounds a bit too good to be true? Romana King says the customer should keep in mind that they most likely won’t get their money back, even if the retailer is flexible. Instead, stores prefer to give the money back out as either cash or credit on your credit card statement.

“Expect store credit – and don’t be surprised if some high-volume/cheaper-price retailers only credit you the lowest sale price for the item,” King emphasizes. “While this can be annoying, it is a method some retailers use to deter fraud and theft.”

If the store has recalled the item, the rules are a bit different

Image credits: Random Retail (not the actual photo)

The OP in this story discovered the item was subject to a recall. How do recalls affect the return process? “We’ve all seen those product recall notices pinned up near customer-service desks at large retail stores,” Romana King tells Bored Panda.

“Turns out, retailers are legally obligated to take responsibility for any product sold that can pose a safety concern for customers – and it doesn’t matter where they are in the supply chain.”

What does that mean for us, customers? “It means you have the right to return an item to a retailer for a full refund,” King explains. Alas, with two conditions. “As long as you can prove you purchased the item from that retailer and the product complies with the recall specifications,” the financial expert elaborates.

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That means you can return an item and get a full refund if you can prove you made the purchase between X and X date. “To be clear, a cusomer can expect a refund even if the returned recall merchandise falls outside of the retailer’s return window,” Romana King adds.

The Redditor shared more details about the situation in the comments

Here are the reactions from commenters, and some of them are pretty punny

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People also shared their experiences with return policies

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