Abusing these kinds of policies says a lot more about the people doing it than about the policy, though. I suppose for the employees (seller and managers), it's probably easier and faster to deal with if you can just take whatever and be on your way than to have to argue with the client every time they try to return something ridiculous - which will happen often even if the store doesn't allow it. Maybe the stores figure it's just easier for everybody, and since it isn't hurting their profits, whatever. The actual percentage of people who do this must be small enough they just don't care.

often I'd say it's because unless it's a certain high amount of return, I've been told that the police won't take it seriously, and that we have a budget set aside for "shrink". It's perhaps possible to lose more money or potential customers while trying to recover or prevent a single theft. Simultaneously there is the danger posed to the employees/other customers if they were to say no, such as violence. I honestly don't approve of even a single dollar being stolen or cheated, but I don't know of any solution either.

Mostly because it’s these kind of people who threaten to post bad reviews an go to “Channel 5 news” just to get there way. Yes the tree was dead, it was dead the moment they cut the tree down in Oregon or where ever the trees shipped from, ignorance

REI has an even better/crazier return policy. You should go to one of their "garage sales" to see the crazy stuff people return