I'm an indie filmmaker, production designer, and prop stylist. I've worked on my fair share of student films and low budget projects, so I'm used to relying on the old "buy & return" method when it comes to dressing sets and sourcing props. I've joked before that Target, IKEA and Walmart are the best prop rental houses in LA – totally free! (and no COI required!) 😅

As I've started working on bigger projects, I've been surprised to find how frequently this method is relied on, even on "professional" productions. I've worked on commercial food shoots for multi-billion dollar corporations where after wrap we wash all the plates we've been shooting with, box them back up, and send them straight back to Amazon.

The only real issues with this I've encountered are when items get damaged on set or packaging mistakenly gets tossed, which are risks you always take when relying on returning things. But I've read stories about retail stores flagging customers who make "excessive" returns and either banning them or not allowing them to make returns anymore. Has anyone experienced this? At what point should I start to be concerned? Am I just overthinking it?