In: Accounting
Ch 8-3 Exercises & Problems
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Internal Controls
Ramona's Clothing is a retail store specializing in women's
clothing. The store has established a liberal return policy for the
holiday season in order to encourage gift purchases. Any item
purchased during November and December may be returned through
January 31, with a receipt, for cash or exchange. If the
customer does not have a receipt, cash will still be refunded for
any item under $75. If the item is more than $75, a check is mailed
to the customer.
Whenever an item is returned, a store clerk completes a return
slip, which the customer signs. The return slip is placed in a
special box. The store manager visits the return counter
approximately once every two hours to authorize the return slips.
Clerks are instructed to place the returned merchandise on the
proper rack on the selling floor as soon as possible.
This year, returns at Ramona's Clothing have reached an all-time
high. There are a large number of returns under $75 without
receipts.
a. How can sales clerks employed at Ramona's Clothing
use the store's return policy to steal money from the cash
register?
b. What internal control weaknesses do you see in the
return policy that make cash thefts easier?
c. Would issuing a store credit in place of a cash
refund for all merchandise returned without a receipt reduce the
possibility of theft?
Classify the following as either advantages or disadvantages of
issuing a store credit in place of cash.
A clerk could only issue a phony store credit rather than taking
money from the cash register.
The store would lose less revenue if customers had to choose other
store merchandise instead of getting a cash refund.
Issuing only a store credit for returns without a receipt is a
stricter return policy that may affect gift-givers' purchase
decisions.
Sales clerks will need to be trained to apply the new policy and
write up a store credit. They will also need to be trained to
handle the redemption of the store credit on future merchandise
purchases.
d. Assume that Ramona's Clothing is committed to the
current policy of issuing cash refunds without a receipt. Are there
any changes that could be made in the store's procedures regarding
customer refunds in order that would improve internal
control?
a. They can just do out a return slip and put an item from the store floor on the rack and take the cash.
b. There is issue with the responsibilities assigned as the same
clerk issue refunds and put the stock on rack, there could be cash
theft easily. In order to avoid, continous supervisionis
must.
c. A store credit can help surely. Management could raise question
if many store credits are available with the employee., so there
will no theft. Atleast they cannot take cash directly.
A clerk could only issue a phony store credit rather than taking
money from the cash register. - Advantage
The store would lose less revenue if customers had to choose other
store merchandise instead of getting a cash refund. -
Advantage
Issuing only a store credit for returns without a receipt is a
stricter return policy that may affect gift-givers' purchase
decisions. - Disadvantage
Sales clerks will need to be trained to apply the new policy and
write up a store credit. They will also need to be trained to
handle the redemption of the store credit on future merchandise
purchases. - Both - Training will be time consuming but it can
serve a good control for future and one time exercise so advanges
are much.
d. First control could be-
different people could be assigned for issuance of refund and return the stock on rack
Strict supervision is must - The company can use Camera. It will
increase cost but in can create a control that each activity is
being recorded