Why the Spectrum is the hard part of returning something
Irvine Spectrum Center is the return destination for most of Irvine, which is exactly why returning something there is unpleasant. Parking fills by midday on weekends, the walk from the outer structures is long, and the stores with the busiest return counters sit at opposite ends of the property.
If you have items going back to two different stores, you are not running one errand — you are walking the length of an outdoor mall twice, carrying bags. Most people put it off, and a meaningful share of those refunds are never collected.