Today, I was in local Lowes paying my bill. Customer in front of me was returning both a shovel and tamp. Shovel was HEAVILY RUSTED where it had been stood up in the dirt. Handle on tamp had rotted off from being left out in the weather, yet he got his money back! A few years back, I purchased a "used " lawnmower for about 35% of new cost. Sales guy says this happens all the time. Customer moves, but house hasn't sold. Rather than contracting for lawn services till house sells, they go to Lowes, buy a mower, cut the grass, and then return mower. This liberal return policy drives up the cost of the items that "honest customers" buy. Last year, just before hurricane Florence, Lowes stocked up on generators, which flew out the door. When hurricane had passed, returned generators were stacked like cord wood in Lowes. Ace Hardware has a "No return policy" on storm related items. I think Lowes should have charged a 25% restocking policy on these generators that are bought within a week of an anticipated storm. What is even funnier to me is no one was buying heavy duty extension cords to use with generator. I guess they thought they could run the whole house off that 16ga cord that they use with leaf blower