Retail workers share the saddest returns they've ever handled, and some are truly heartbreaking.

Working in retail is rarely an easy job. For starters, it’s exhausting — we all now how terrible customers can be — but it can also be heartbreaking.

For the most part returns are a simple matter, but very occasionally the reason for taking an item back to the store isn’t just that you’ve underestimated the size of your hips.

A group of retail workers on Reddit have shared the most devastating things people have brought back, from gifts that couldn’t be given, to unwanted diamond rings.

Some of the items are bizarre, but all will tug on your heart strings.

Baby supplies.

Many of the workers had handled the heart wrenching situation of people being forced to return items for babies that were lost through miscarriage or in childbirth.

“Customers regularly come in with large amounts of baby supplies returns,” a shop assistant wrote.

“They get the wrong gender items or duplicates. An older woman came in with a cart load, so I asked about the new baby. She slowly and through tears explained that her only child and grand baby had died during childbirth.”

Another shared: “Someone returned a lot of baby clothes to us one day. Her sister had given birth to still birth twins. It was so sad.”

A tribute to all the babies we’ve lost. Post continues after video. 

A year-old Christmas tree.

“A man returned a Christmas tree one year,” one worker wrote.

“He was pretty bummed out and when I asked him about it he told me that he was supposed to have visitation this Christmas but his ex refused to let him see his kids. I still think about that guy. I hope he gets his kids this year.”

Dog food.

“Someone returned a prescription dog food,” a pet shop employee wrote.

“I knew what happened as soon as she approached the counter. Her dog passed away he was very old and sick. She broke down in front of me.”

Engagement rings.

There’s always the chance that when popping the question that you won’t hear the answer you’re searching for.

For that reason buying a diamond ring is a risky investment, which these people all unfortunately discovered.

From a person behind the counter at a jewellery store:

“Once had a sad fella walk in quite literally dragging his feet in. The minute I saw him, I knew he was there to return an engagement ring. Poor guy, seemed like a really nice dude too. The worst part about the process is I always have to list a reason for why the item is being returned, out of habit I asked “and what’s the reason for the return?” Poor guy almost busted out crying, apparently when he asked she just sort of brushed it off and told him she wasn’t ready.

But wait, there's more...

"Here's the creepy part, this SAME ring was purchased by someone else and returned again. This time though some woman had purchased it for her mother.

"Unfortunately, this woman's mother had died before she had the chance to give it to her. I officially named that ring the cursed ring. It sat in the clearance display for probably another six months after this last incident. I recently quit that job but I do pass by that store and wonder if the ring is still there."

Now, this one isn't strictly about a returned ring but it was such a sad story, we had to include it:

"Not a return but I worked in a jewellery store and the saddest sale we ever had was a lay-by. Guy had this ring on lay-by for 12 months but died in a car accident. His parents came in and picked up the ring so his girlfriend could keep it, don't think she had any idea he was going to propose."

A giant Mickey Mouse.

The former manager of a Disney Store wrote:

"We had a regular old man come in with his wife regularly. Super cute couple, I mean—  matching outfits, holding hands, just cute as could be... We used to sell these HUGE stuffed animals (like, ginormous). The couple came in about once a week and would just walk around, laugh and smile. Buy things here and there.

"One night he came in on his own and bought one of these gigantic Mickey's we had (it was $300 I think). He was SO excited. He told us all about how he was going to take her out to dinner and it would be sitting there on the bed to surprise her when they got home.

"Anyway, two days later he walked back in, carrying the gigantic Mickey Mouse plush to return it. He had bought it to surprise her for her 75th birthday. She passed away in her sleep the day before her birthday.

"He thanked us and said goodbye, and that he would not be coming back because our store reminded him too much of his wife. We found out he passed away a week later. It was just 7 days from the day his wife passed."

Dead fish.