'That is one of the tackiest things I have ever heard of': Small book store shares story of a devastating customer return

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Jan 12, 2023 3:00 PM EST

After this indie bookseller posted about an unthinking mystery customer, the internet read this rude customer to filth. On her Twitter account, bookseller Rebecca George shared the real-life background of what goes on behind the scenes at a small business. It's not like the mega-stores and online giants — every penny counts in small business, and people's livelihoods are on the line. George tweeted about a customer who unthinkingly returned a large order, and wrote about the cost it was having on her business. Her message gained over 57,000 retweets, as well as plenty of comments that were mainly in support of this indie book biz. 

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  • 01
    Font - 'Usually we get less than 1% returns. This person was an unusual case.' COMIC Adventiones DCUniverse Mt T
    via John Michael Thomson on Unsplash
  • 02

    The bookseller wrote this heartbreaking tweet, but luckily kind people on the internet flooded her mentions with support for her and disdain for the customer.

    Organism - Rebecca George @rebecgeo Turns out one of our biggest sales last month was for the person to stage their home for the holidays and now they want to return them all. Please don't do this to a small business, people. That one sale was a third of our rent.
    via @rebecgeo
  • 03
    Gesture - Rebecca George @rebecgeo Well, I fell asleep because I was so exhausted with yesterday and woke up and this blew up so much! You are all amazing people. To answer your questions - usually we get less than 1% returns. This person was an unusual case. They were expensive (some wrapped) art and cook books.
    via @rebecgeo
  • 04
    Font - Rebecca George @rebecgeo And yeah, it's not ideal but sometimes as a small business you end up jumping through hoops to please people that don't deserve it to save your self from chaos of another kind. It's rare, but it happens. : Thank you all! You've made a huge difference for us when we needed it.
    via @rebecgeo

    She makes the good point that small businesses often have to be more accountable than large organizations. That takes a lot of patience and 'people pleasing' that has to go on behind the scenes to avoid bad reviews or losing customers all together. 

  • 05

    People in the comments were positively disgusted by the transgression.

    Font - Felicity Gump @NeverAHandmaid Replying to @rebecgeo Honestly, that is one of the tackiest things I have ever heard of. I hope they feel appropriate shame even though you have been professional & not humiliated them I'll browse and select books I'll actually read after workntoday.
    via @rebecgeo
  • 06

    Several people suggested different ways the book seller could go about this in the future.

    Font - Sietze Blankers @JohnDoe_Podunk Replying to @rebecgeo I'm not a legal expert by any means, but it seems like you might have some legal recourse here, given that they always intended to return the books. Maybe hard to prove, may not be worth the hassle, but still. Also, lots of places charge a 25% re-stocking fee. Any way, success.
    via @rebecgeo
  • 07
    Font - Robyn Pennacchia @RobynElyse Replying to @rebecgeo *You do not have to accept their return.* Technically they "used" the books. You are entirely within your rights to refuse a refund or at least only allow them to get store credit only.
    via @rebecgeo
  • 08
    World - Robyn Pennacchia @RobynElyse Replying to @RobynElyse and @rebecgeo FWIW, it is entirely reasonable in your line of business to refuse returns entirely. If people want to rent books, whether for decorative purposes or to read and give back, they can go to the library.
    via @rebecgeo
  • 09
    Font - Soil Conjurer Karen @mightbekaren Replying to @RobynElyse and @rebecgeo This service literally exists, too! There are businesses that will rent you pretty books for staging! People who want this service don't need to harass book shops.
    via @rebecgeo
  • 10
    Font - Economic Prisoner @EconomicPrison1 Replying to @RobynElyse and @rebecgeo Thee library limits you to like 10 books.
    via @rebecgeo
  • 11
    Font - Shyne82 @msshawty212 Replying to @EconomicPrison1 @RobynElyse and @rebecgeo That's true. They'd need to bring some friends to check out books too, but it would be better than returning the order like this.
    via @rebecgeo
  • 12
    Organism - mastodon.online/@ManEatsCar @ManEatsCar Replying to @EconomicPrison1 @RobynElyse and @rebecgeo How is that a bookstore's problem? (also, mine lets me check out, like, 200 items)
    via @rebecgeo
  • 13
    Font - SET NO PATH ER LOSE YOUR Genuine Fake @Genuine_Fake_ : Replying to @EconomicPrison1 @RobynElyse and @rebecgeo Almost like renting a bunch of books to just use as decoration is not the business that the library OR the local book store is in.
    via @rebecgeo
  • 14
    Font - KING 01 PRINCE 01 RScheck @ShizzleRizzle02 Replying to @RobynElyse and @rebecgeo Chargebacks exist, so no it's not really reasonable on the sellers side.
    via @rebecgeo
  • 15
    Font - Alex Barnes @ABarnes94 Replying to @Shizzle Rizzle02 @RobynElyse and @rebecgeo You can't just chargeback if the explicit policy was "no refunds" in advance. It's not a magic "I get to override the store's policy" button. (That said, if they didn't have such a policy at the time these people bought, then yeah the customer will win that chargeback.)
    via @rebecgeo
  • 16
    Font - D dylanjkennedy @dylan_j_kennedy F20 H Replying to @RobynElyse and @rebecgeo I think book staging is lame, but no library would let you take out that many books at a time no?
    via @rebecgeo
  • 17
    Font - I, in my great and unmatched wisdom "andrew" @chezgeller Replying to @RobynElyse and @rebecgeo Rebecca - Or the buyer could have explained their large purchase and you could have at that time decided if you wanted to do a rent option or not.
    via @rebecgeo
  • 18
    Font - Dannstacks @dannstacks Replying to @RobynElyse and @rebecgeo The problem is, these days if they paid through paypal or something the customer can just put in a dispute and 9 times out of 10 youre just fu anyway. Due to the s way this stuff is proccessed, its not even you giving the return anymore. They just take the money back.
    via @rebecgeo
  • 19
    Font - Che Kuvira @Che_Kuvira This is a major d*ck move. Whoever did this should feel bad.
    via @Che_Kuvira
  • 20
    Font - @britsaidit This is so nasty
    via @britsaidit
  • 21
    Font - ShyMagpie @Shy_magpie Be upfront with people, 'surprise not only are you not getting that sale but now you're on the hook for restocking' isn't a no harm loophole exploit. Returns are for if there's a problem with the product not for treating a sale as a free rental.
    via @Shy_magpie

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