Even Santa can be wrong sometimes. Among the many gifts placed under the tree, some may be non-functional, or even unwanted. The days following December 25, some families go to specialized stores to return or exchange toys.
« The parents come the next day. We had around ten returns on December 26. They mostly come in January, once they come back from vacation”, observes Jayson Mexmain, an employee at the Grande Récré de Tours Center for five years.
Between duplicates and dysfunctions
Vincent Massiot came the day after Christmas. He showed up with a controllable electronic lizard that no longer works. “ He walked on Christmas Day, but not the next day. A priori, the remote control no longer works », Explains the father to the seller. “ Given the quality of the toy, it didn't surprise me that it didn't last long. My son was a little disappointed, but he got other gifts that kept him busy », adds Vincent Massiot. He will not be able to have a new version of the lizard, out of stock, but the store reimbursed him.
« Electronic toys are the ones that are returned to us the most », admet Jayson Mexmain. « I find that there are less and less in recent years », puts François Grolleau, store manager, into perspective.
Among the gifts returned, employees notice a majority of toys that are malfunctioning. “ We had a guitar with a broken string, a puzzle with missing pieces “, describes Jayson.
Before returning a purchase, it is systematically tested by a seller. “ Sometimes batteries are placed backwards, or a switch is left “off” », notes Laetita Gilbert, deputy director of the Grande Récré de Tours Centre. A task that is not always easy for sellers. “ When a piece is missing from a puzzle, you have to count them all again to check », remembers Jayson, who had to make a 1,500 piece puzzle.
The second life of toys
Beyond the malfunctioning toys, the Grande Récré teams notice a lot of duplicates. “ This happens frequently, grandparents who buy without asking the parents », relate Jayson.
Once recovered, the toys begin a second life. The employees notify the malfunction to the manufacturing company, which then requests the return of the toy, or offers a credit in compensation.
While toys in perfect condition can be put back on the shelves, defective toys are sorted into two separate bins, separating electronic items from others. They are then collected by a third party organization which will recycle them, redistribute them, or throw them away if they are too damaged. “ Nothing goes to the recycling center without control », comments François Grolleau.
