Quote Originally Posted by Aurelle_Deresnels View Post
I've wound up having to give levelling gear to my GC before just to accept a second copy from a retainer.
I have never seen this happen, despite carrying a considerable amount of retainer-brought gear in my inventory while trying to corner them into bringing back a specific piece.

On the other hand, while this is anecdotal and untested, emptying out my inventory of a particular gear series seems to trigger an increase in retainers bringing back pieces of that series – suggesting to me that the more pieces you hold, the less likely it is for that piece to be chosen for the retainer to give you.

The only time I've ever had to dispose of something before getting a second copy from a retainer is if I am trying to take something out of their inventory or change their current equipment, not just collecting venture spoils from them.

So, it's maybe not ideal, but if they're not a bug and you're going to keep receiving them, holding onto them is (by my experience) a way to receive less in future.