On Sun, 21 Dec 2003 20:10:55 -0800, wrote:

There are customers who buy a tool, use it, and return it,
taking care to make the packaging appear unopened. I have seen too
much of that in the past seven years working in a tool corral.

It's called free rental.

People did this to my buddy's musical instrument and equipment store
all the time. They would buy something like a wireless transmitter
for that special showcase gig, and return it on Monday. This practice
is also why the bicycle shop I work at part time will not accept a
return on a bike You can swap it for a different one, but we won't
take it back. We had college students doing this when they'd come to
town for two to three week summer courses.

I know some local tool dealers that operate with a similar policy.
Used tools can be exchanged for the same tool, the same tool in a
different brand, or a slightly different tool in the same family (like
a palm sander for a small ROS). This forces the free rental folks to
deal with the BORGs.


Barry