The Curious Case of the Boomerang Board Game: When Shoplifters Try to Return Their Loot

Let’s be real: working retail means you’ve got stories. The kind that make you laugh, shake your head, or question the very fabric of human logic. But every now and then, you get a tale so strange, so audacious, that it sticks with you forever. Enter the legendary saga of the "boomerang" board game—a $50 item that kept vanishing and reappearing, like a mischievous ghost haunting a 90s game store.

If you thought retail was all dice, dragons, and Dungeons & Dragons, buckle up. This story proves it’s also full of plot twists worthy of a campaign session.

The $50 Game That Wouldn’t Stay Gone

Picture this: It’s the 1990s, and you're working at the kind of store every tabletop gamer dreams about. The air hums with anticipation for the latest Magic: The Gathering release, and the shelves are packed with everything from Settlers of Catan to obscure D&D modules. It’s not glamorous, but for a games geek, it’s paradise.

One day, a woman walks in, clutching a $50 item—serious coin for the era—and says she wants a refund. No receipt? No problem. The store’s return policy is as relaxed as a bard after a successful loot.

But here’s where things get interesting. This isn’t just any $50 item. When our intrepid retail hero scans the SKU using the store’s ancient Wyse dumb terminal (think: the retail equivalent of wielding a rusty +1 sword), something weird jumps out. The inventory history is straight out of a mystery novel:

The item was received into stock.
It vanished from inventory a few months later—not as a sale, but as a “removal.”
It appeared back in stock (returned, perhaps?).
Then, poof! Gone again, removed from inventory once more.

It was like watching a Scooby-Doo villain slip in and out of the haunted house. But instead of a mask, this mystery involved a price tag and a very awkward attempted return.

Retail Detective Work: Not All Heroes Wear Capes

What makes this tale so deliciously entertaining is the behind-the-scenes detective work. Most customers never realize the amount of sleuthing that happens in retail. A seasoned employee can spot a scam faster than you can say "critical fail." In this case, our hero quickly deduced that the only way the inventory could look so bizarre was if the item had been… stolen, returned, and then stolen again.

It’s the retail equivalent of someone robbing your fridge, returning the milk after drinking half, and then sneaking off with the cheese a week later. And then, for the grand finale, they walk back in and ask for a refund on the pilfered cheese. Audacity level: Legendary.

The Showdown: Banned for Life

With the evidence mounting (and the customer likely oblivious to the digital breadcrumbs she’d left behind), our hero called in the manager. The verdict? Return denied, and a lifetime ban from the store. The would-be refund artist was, shall we say, less than thrilled. Did she argue? Complain? Go full “Karen”? The details are lost to time, but you can almost hear the dice clattering in the background as fate dealt her a natural one.

For the employee? It was the kind of drama you only get in retail—a ringside seat to the human circus, popcorn not included.

Lessons from the Game Store Trenches

Besides being a hilarious anecdote, this story is a master class in why you don’t mess with retail workers. They’re not just ringing up your dice sets and rulebooks—they’re tracking inventory, reading social cues, and occasionally channeling Sherlock Holmes.

It’s also a reminder that shoplifters aren’t always criminal masterminds. Sometimes, they’re just hoping nobody notices their “return” is actually a boomerang of bad decisions.

What’s Your Retail Horror Story?

Retail veterans: we salute you. You’ve seen things the rest of us can’t even imagine. Have you ever caught someone red-handed? Witnessed a return gone wrong? Or maybe you’ve just got a funny story about a customer who thought Monopoly money was legal tender. Share your tales in the comments—because in the world of retail, truth is always stranger (and funnier) than fiction.

And to the would-be scammers out there: remember, the house always wins—especially when the clerks have a +5 to Perception.

What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen in a store? Drop your best (or worst!) retail story below!

Original Reddit Post: You can't return stolen merchandise