When you bought that "floor model," did you pay full retail price for it? If not, you can probably see why most dealers might not want to let you sample and return. Once an item has been sold and returned, usually it can no longer be offered as "new."

My guess, and it's only that, would be that a high-margin lighting studio would be more likely to agree to such a scheme than a low-margin big box store.

I can't imagine a lighting store knowingly taking back a used lamp without enforcing a significant re-stocking fee.

How would you feel if you bought a lighitng fixture at retail only to discover small nicks and dings from some incompetent who tried the lamp in various places on the ceiling? How about the lamp that was momentarily shorted because the homowner didn't know how to secure two wires.

That said, we all know the box stores will take almost anything back with a receipt and a box.