True Tales

True Tales: Sometimes Your Refund Policy Is No Match for the Waterworks

A spurned Christmas gift puts the store owner in a difficult position.

Published

2 years ago

November 28, 2022

INSTORE Staff Instore December 2022 Issue

True Tales: Sometimes Your Refund Policy Is No Match for the Waterworks

A gentleman bought a nice bracelet for a woman he’d been seeing the past few months. He was proud of what he picked out and was excited to give it to her as a token of his love. A few days after Christmas, he called asking about our return policy, which is store credit only. The cost of the bracelet was $3,000 and he really wanted a full refund returned to his credit card, which I (the store manager) could not authorize, so I encouraged him to come in person to appeal to our owner. When the gentleman came in, an employee asked how they could help him, and he started crying in the middle of the store, saying he bought this bracelet for the wrong girl who broke up with him and said she couldn’t accept his gift. The owner refused, but the man starts crying harder, saying, “Well, who else am I going to buy any jewelry for? I don’t have anyone else to give this bracelet to!” The owner felt so bad, she refunded the full amount to his credit card and gave him a box of tissues along with suggestions of some good dating sites. — Rebecca Larson, Barry Peterson Jewelers, Ketchum, ID

After 139 Years, A Family Legacy Finds Its Perfect Exit With Wilkerson.

When third-generation jeweler Sam Sipe and his wife Laura decided to close Indianapolis’ historic J.C. Sipe Jewelers, they turned to Wilkerson to handle their retirement sale. “The conditions were right,” Sam explains of their decision to close the 139-year-old business. Wilkerson managed the entire going-out-of-business sale process, from marketing strategy to sales floor operations. “Our goal was to convert our paid inventory into retirement funds,” notes Sam. “The results exceeded expectations.” The Sipes’ advice for jewelers considering retirement? “Contact Wilkerson,” Laura says. “They’ll help you transition into retirement with confidence and financial security.”