Part of the cost determination in retail is the cost of handling returns. In some cases, a supplier puts a 25% (could be higher, could be lower) obsolesence fee...If a unit costs the company $100, and that unit is returned to the company and then returned to the manufacturer, the company is not reimbursed $100, they are reimbursed $75. This shortfall is built into the cost we as consumers pay for goods.
When the Rochester Fair would open in the fall, we saw a spike in the sale of small Multifunction machines, printer-fax-copier-scanners. We looked good on the sale, because we would easily sell the machine and some extra ink, normally just the black cartridge. The sale would take place on the Thurs or Fri as the Fair opened. Fair is open for two weekends with the week in between. Guess what we would see on the Mon after the fair closed, sometimes on the Sun night it closed? You guessed it...the machine would come back along with any unopened ink, usually without the box for the unit.
FLL, you can put your head in the sand, or justify what you do by saying others do the exact same thing. Well, sorry for you...I do know that I can live my life with my head held high knowing that I would never take advantage of a company's return policy. In my humble opinion, your attitude in this behavior puts you in a position in the respect ladder of having to look up to see down.
