Chicago independent bookstore owner slams customer who bought $800 in art and cookbooks to decorate his home for CHRISTMAS – only to return them for a refund after the holidays are over
- A Chicago independent bookseller vented its frustration after a customer returned an $800 purchase of art and cookbooks
- The buyer had bought the books in December to use as temporary decorations for the holidays and then returned them after they were over
- Rebecca George’s tweet was viewed millions of times, and many people responded by offering support and suggesting ways to avoid something similar happening in the future
The co-owner of an independent Chicago bookstore has shared her frustration online after a customer decided to return $800 worth of books.
Rebecca George, who runs Volumes Bookcafe, took to Twitter to express her frustration after a customer decided to treat her store more like a library and brought back all the expensive art and cookbooks he bought a month earlier had bought.
The buyer only used the books temporarily as props and decorations in his home for the holidays when friends and family are visiting.
In George’s post, she expressed her disappointment and urged customers not to behave like this, especially when it comes to small businesses.
Chicago independent bookseller Rebecca George, 42, vented her frustration after a customer returned an $800 purchase of art and cookbooks
Rebecca George’s tweet has been viewed millions of times
“It turns out that one of our biggest sales over the last month was for the person who decorated their home for the holidays and now they want to give them all back. Please don’t do this to a small business, folks.’ George tweeted.
The tweet has since gone viral with nearly 7 million views.
George also noted that sales accounted for nearly a third of her store’s monthly rent.
“Wow, this person walked in and bought all these art books! What a great day,” said George, she thought at the time of the bumper sale. “We needed it right then.”
The Volumes bookstore opened in September thanks to loans from parishioners
It turns out the buyer had only bought the books in December to use as temporary decorations and props for the holidays – and then returned them once they were over
Many people responded by offering support and suggesting ways to avoid something similar happening in the future
Many users expressed their support for the bookstore and suggested ways to prevent similar occurrences in the future – namely, changing their return policy, such as returning the book. B. Adding a restocking fee to minimize the inconvenience of customer returns.
Last fall was tough for the bookstore due to the pandemic and they were thankful for 25 members of the local community who jumped in with loans to help them purchase a new location that opened last September
George also pointed out that book returns are extremely rare, accounting for about 1 percent of all transactions, usually because someone has a duplicate.
“If that were the case, they could have gotten books in other ways. You could have gotten used books or library books,” George told Fox 32. “I don’t think people realize it’s a very big deal in small businesses.”
Some well-wishers asked where they could shop online or send donations to support the bookstore.
George noted that post-sale sales accounted for nearly a third of her store’s monthly rent
Independent bookstores often have low profit margins and face competition from larger retail locations, making every decision and purchase critical to their survival.
“Even after we opened, we were still paying electricians and plumbing and all the things we had to open on top of the mortgages we’re paying now,” George added. “The fall was hard. We knew that if we just got through the holidays we would feel safer.”
Other bookstore employees even weighed in, acknowledging the struggles small business owners face.
George, 42, later took to Twitter to thank the people who supported her bookstore and confirmed the returned purchase was $800, which was one-third of the store’s monthly rent.
She confirmed that the bookstore has since received many orders from across the US as a result of her tweet.
Ultimately, the customer decided to return their goods just days after the 30-day return policy expired, and the customer agreed to accept a store credit.
George, 42, later took to Twitter to thank the people who have supported her shop