Customers From Hell Employ Scamming Tactics to Dupe Retail Workers Out of a Few Bucks Only to Be Exposed on Reddit
This is the Bad Place
Retail workers see a side of people most of us would rather not admit exists. From fake excuses to shameless scams, the customer service counter can turn into a daily stress test.
This roundup pulls together a string of Reddit-favorite moments where shoppers tried to squeeze a few extra bucks, a free item, or special treatment out of employees who had heard it all before. The result is equal parts frustrating and ridiculous, especially when the workers catch on fast.
By the end, it is hard not to root for the retail staff every time. Read on.
Continue reading below to get a front-row seat to these mesmerizing spectacles:
RSTLNE3MCAAV1. Thanks for the helpful note!
MateriaBubbles2. One of the employees is bound to crack and give him a refund
Pineapple_Pistol
That plan was never going to work.
3. That's a different model, sir
wheatyz11
4. Don't go back to the scene of the crime, especially with the items you stole
AtelesJubatus
5. The one time the owner's daughter is manning the phones
schweinerneer13
6. See? Retail workers are so invisible that a customer can't even remember the representative he talked to for an hour the day before.
Valhallan1984
Some customers really commit to the bit.
7. The dad who was trying to score drugs using his son's prescription
moogula1992
His excuse was that his son needed them for a birthday party
moogula1992
8. No problem. We were short on chicken bones to use for stew anyway.
Perschnickity
9. You can't fool the tech guys into thinking they won't check the unit you're trying to return
vick7171
10. Was the customer, by chance, a fan of bears, beets, and Battlestar Galactica?
[deleted]
That excuse fell apart almost immediately.
11. Why freeze them? Also, corporate is so out of touch.
lilred_bitch
12. Imagine getting this worked up over discounted soda?
dawrina
She tried to double down, but all fight left her when each of her complaints was disproved.
dawrina
13. Your hands were not quick enough, mister.
Euchre
14. You can't use coupons from Google Images, ma'am.
PoolAddict41
15. People will try all sorts of shady ways to get quick cash.
Auntie_Ahem
16. The chicken lover who was stealing all the drumsticks for research purposes
ampmetaphene
17. Imagine trying to use a national tragedy for your own benefit.
Nightmare_Gerbil
18. What's your source? Trust me.
ColourfulSmarties
That one was bold, even by scammer standards.
This feels like the same kind of head-scratching reality check as 81 visual anomalies that make your logic spin in the mud.
19. Bill Gates is so charitable he will pay for your iPhone.
coydog33
20. What makes them think this trick will work?
Euchre
21. Do not lie about easily verifiable information, please.
jasmminne
22. Don't take advantage of a privilege. You're just ruining it for other people.
wildthingmax
23. A lady who tried to have a gaming shopping spree
RudgerZ
Using a homemade fake credit card.
RudgerZ
24. A sob story that would have worked if only the ice cream machine had been functioning that day.
blindskate101
25. The lady who offered sexual favors in exchange for $100 worth of clothes.
Spartan0718
26. She tried to pull this trick so frequently that they are all friends now.
PM_your_PETZ
27. I don't like the scent of these used-up detergents because I refilled them with water.
TailesofMom
28. "Hun, the cashier won't accept my fake I.D.; go punch her in the face!"
uugggggg
29. That is an elaborate scam for some free towels.
rondaflonda
30. What is with the name-dropping to get free things or preferential treatment?
[deleted]
31. This pretty smart scam actually worked.
SparkleSparrows
32. He was just trying his luck; maybe you had lost iPhones lying around.
HermesCat
33. Exchange my roach-infested box for a new unit of Xbox One.
zahliailhaz
He got credit with the understanding that he would never bring back his box of roaches.
zahliailhaz
34. The tracking anklet is not the best endorsement of your morality.
profJesusfish
35. Why would this work?
Awit1992
36. That almost worked, the poor schmuck.
No_you_dont_
37. And lastly, the minor who tried to prove he was of legal age to buy alcohol using an ultrasound.
katmonday
I am convinced that retail workers are the most zen people on the planet. Or they are living saints walking the earth to spare us from the worst of humanity.
The worst part is they are not even paid enough for all of their hard work. Imagine dealing with a barely showered human while a cheesy pop song plays in the background for the nth time that day? Illegal!
May the next scammer get caught even faster.
For more “how is this even real?” moments, check out marketplace finds that are useful, but completely unexplainable.
