Allow Exceptions to Your Policy, Circuit City

Circuit City is going bankrupt and is firing employees left and right
for any reason, so you can't really expect employees who are working
under a "Cloud of Doom" to really care.

But, they wanted a 30 day return policy. Where do you want them to
draw the line? 35 days, 39 days? What is the point of that? Then
they would have a 35 or 39 day return policy. But the number of days
can't change based on the wind direction or how attractive the cutomer
is. Thus there is a fixed number of days, and the company policy is
30 days. Not treating customers equally would set a bad image in my
mind.

I always love the moment in time when I give someone a gift and after
they open it they look at me and say "thanks, but I already have this
- why don't you go try to return it?" Does this happen to anyone else
or is it just me and Cassie?

It seems like it would make more sense to me, and have avoided much
more of a headache for them to exchange the unopened DVD's with no
problem. As long as they weren't open, and weren't damaged. An
exchange wouldn't have caused them to lose the original sale or
business, and if they had given you a gift card or soemthing the money
would have remained in the store. However, rules are rules, and I'm
sure that employee was only doing what they had to. You have to also
remember that hourly employees have to be very careful about what they
do, most people honestly can not lose their job. Its something that's
worth looking into though.

They wouldn't even give you a store credit to exchange it for another
dvd?

I no longer work in retail. However, I spent 6 years working for CVS
and I loved every minute of it. The companies main focus is customer
service. They are the reason I expect so much from retail
establishments now. Their "expect something extra" is a very accurate
slogan for the company. Any CVS manager would have bent the rules for
you. It is what the company expects. They would much rather let you
leave happy then come here and write a letter especially when it
doesn't really cost them anything.

Circuit City is a troubled company. They haven't been doing well for
many years now. They should make customer service their #1 priority.

You should have brought the DVD's to Target!!!!!

Sorry, I had to say it!

I hate Circuit City and it pains me to have to defend them, but here
goes:

The rules are in place for a reason. As Melissa stated below, I too am
forgetful and tend to procrastinate on things like this.

In fact, knowing myself, I'd probably have attempted the return too.
The difference is, if they wouldn't let it go through, I'd have blamed
only myself. I certainly wouldn't be all bent-out-of shape, feeling
that they should make an exception for MY forgetfulness.

We can thank the scammers of the world for the increasingly
restrictive return policies.

It would nice if the world was full of exceptions.

"I know that the rule says that you're not supposed to kill, people.
But I only killed one. Judge, I think you can make an exception."

It does seem silly that they'd have this arbitrary 30 day rule,
doesn't it. What's the harm in letting you return after 32 days?

Nothing, likely.

But at some point, you need to have rules. Right?

At what point does it switch over from being a reasonable extension to
a problem?

If we setup the expectation that "one day" doesn't make a difference,
then 31 days = 30 days. And 32 days = 31 days = 30 days. And 33 = 32
= 31 = 30. And, before you know it, someone is coming in 3 years
later and can't understand why "you would have taken it back
YESTERDAY, but not TODAY!"

To avoid this, the rules need to be solid and without exception. Or
there needs to be solid rules about when an exception is fine. As
someone else said, being in a coma seems like a good reason to me.
Simply not knowing that your friend already owned the DVDs... that's
doesn't seem quite on the same level as a coma. Y'know?

Policies are policies. If they break it this once, people will think
they will do it for everything. We will usually allow tech. returns if
they go through a manager first after 14 days. People will bring back
items over 2 months old and assume we will take it back, esp. when its
been used. You weren't treated bad. Do you think you were because they
woulnd't do a return that was 2 days over the limit? Maybe you should
obey the rules and policies and not assume they'll budge it for you.

2 days is 2 days instead of arguing that fact try going to a second
hand DVD/Book re-sale shop or put them up on ebay. You probably won't
get all your money back but you'll at least get some of it.

"Because of this bad experience I do not plan on shopping at a Circuit
City again in the future. I will also let my friends and family know
how I was treated."

If I'm the person at Circuit City who gets your letter and decides
what to do with it, I'm throwing it in the garbage. Why should I do
anything to retain you as a customer when you've told me you'll never
shop at Circuit City again.

Besides your complaint is without merit. If they made an exception
for you one time, they'd have to do it every time for you and anybody
else you told about your experience. You are not a special snowflake.

30 days is 30 days - - that is how long you have to make a return to
Circuit City with a receipt no matter the method of payment.

It's called a Return Policy.

"Minor exceptions"? How would you like to see this defined - - maybe
something like "Our return policy is 30 days - - or maybe 32 or 33 or
34 if our employee feels like making an exception if the customer
insists."

I recently got a movie more then a month after my birthday. Even
though, I had bought the movie the month prior, and am stuck with two
copies of the same movie, I would not try and take it back, as I know
it would be too late.
Also, everytime I buy a gift, I ALWAYS ask for a gift receipt and ask
the terms. If there is strict 30 day return/exchange policy, then I
wait until just before giving the gift before purchasing it as this
way it gives the recipient as long as possible to refund/exchange it
if needed.

Just because it's 32 days doesn't make it any more permissable!

You missed the deadline. If they allow exceptions for you when they
have already clearly stated their policy, where then, should they draw
the line.

I am sure that if someone had bent the rules to "help you," you'd be
back within 6 months with another return that was 45 days and
insisting that they should bend the rules again "since they did it
before."

Look at Target - their policy CLEARLY states "No returns without a
receipt." Period! End of Argument. But wait! They "help you out"
by allowing you to look up the item with your credit/debit card or
check and they even let you do 2 exchanges per year with your driver's
license. But we STILL have people who write letters here that are
ticked off because they are on their 3rd or 4th attempted no-receipt
return and they got told NO.

You and people like you are the reason companies CAN'T bend rules.
You don't know when to stop expecting everyone else to "help you out"
because of your lack of responsibility.

You could pull an Adam W. and return them to Target without the
receipt.

I would be lying if I said I was never caught in this situation
because I am the queen of procrastination. However, instead of
complaining, I just kick myself for waiting so long and give the DVD
to another friend. Next time, you just have to make a point to return
the items sooner.

"every situation is different"

Sure, if you'd been in a coma for thirty days, and managed to rouse
yourself on the 31st to return some DVDs...

You either bought the gifts really early, knowing about the return
policy, or dragged your ass in returning them, also while knowing the
return policy.

What does a CASH payment have to do with it?

"I will also let my friends and family know how I was treated."

Yeah, it's such a bummer to get treated like everyone else.
How the 'Special People' of the world suffer so.

It's truly amazing that people think an exception should be made "for
them". If they make it for you, why not the next person? What about
next time? Should it be made for 34 days?

Where should they draw the line? 35 days? Then what happens to the
person who tries to return something 37 days later? Well, it's only 2
days, yes two days?

Stores have policies in place because, in the past, people (and I'm
not saying you) abused the liberal return policies. They had to get
strict.

Another thing to consider, the shelf life of a DVD, meaning it's
popularity, is very short. What they sold to you at full price 32
days ago, may now be selling at a reduced price. If they keep making
exceptions, they will eventually lose a significant amount of money.

A policy is a policy. They're in place for a reason.

Give them to someone else as a gift.

This is the problem with making exceptions.

The next time the OP wants to return something past the return date,
the business will refuse to do so and the OP will complain, "But you
did it last time. I know you can do it. I've done it here before".

You see, an exception - to a consumer - isn't an exception. The
consumer sees it as a guarantee that it will happen again and again.

They will tell their friends and their friends will come in and try
the same thing. When they are rejected, they will say, "But you let
my friend do it. That's not fair to me if you are not abiding by your
own policy!"

Therefore, when the employees explain that, if they have to do it for
you, they have to do it for everyone, those are not meaningless words.
The employees know that's exactly what will happen.

Yeah, nothing fries me more than finding the coveted receipt for the
return on the 31st day. They won't bend their rules, and so you don't
get stuck with them, just sell them on Ebay.

If they let everyone who was 2 days late through because "tis JUST 2
days?!?" then they'd have a 32 day return policy. And then people who
brought them in on day 34 would scream "but its just 2 days?!?!?" On
the people who brought them in on day 33 would boycott becuae CC let
some cheat and some not. Or the guy who brought them in on day 45
would throw a fit because "if you can bend the rules for 2 days, you
can bend them for 15" and so on, and so on, and so on. There's no such
thing as a little bit pregnant, there's no such thing as a little bit
dead and there's no such thing as a LITTLE BIT past the policy date.
Fire up Ebay and get your money back that way.

I sympathize with your situation, because I'm extremely forgetful, and
I tend to procrastinate. However, I have to side with Circuit City on
this one. (and I HATE siding with CC) Policies are strict because
people WILL abuse them otherwise.

I've noticed that many stores are enforcing stricter return policies.
I think the scamming and the abuse has just gotten out of control.

I take complaints for a large corporation with stores all over the
world. We have the same return policy as Circuit City, apparently.

I'd say about 75% of the complaints I take have to do with a store not
taking a return on merchandise purchased over 30 days before.

I hate these complaints. The complainer tells me how they have their
reciept, but the big, bad manager won't take the item b/c it's over 30
days old. Boo-f**king-hoo.

Then I tell them: "I'm sorry, that's our policy". So then they tell
me they will sue us or report us to one of the following:
1-newspapers, 2-TV stations, 3-the BBB. Just for sticking to our
return policy. Its quite laughable.

And then they say, "I'll never shop at your stores again".

You know what I say to that?

"I'm sorry about that. Was there anything else I could do for you
today?", in a very friendly voice.

Because, really...a large corporation or chain of stores is not going
to care about one customer...sorry to tell you. It's the truth.

I'm sorry you were unable to return the DVD's, but you can't fault the
store for holding to their return policy.

If they allowed you to return them after 32 days and made that
exception for you, they would get complaints from people who want to
return something after a year of purchase. It's not going to happen.

Try selling them. I know that certain stores FYE will buy used movies.
However you may not get the full retail price for them. Either way you
are still getting some of the money you paid for the movies back, so
it's not a total loss.

A lot of people on this website are very pro consumer, so imagine when
the comments left on a letter is very pro business. That seems
exactly what you've created Cassie.

As you should be able to understand, Cassie, the policy was very clear
and nothing the company has done contradicts this policy.

Being late not only stinks, but it's just bad manners. If the policy
is 30 days, and they change the policy for the reason you were late,
then why have a policy at all?

I'd like every other item to not be rung up, you know, to keep a
customer happy. Oh heck, make that every item, I want to be
overjoyed!!

You yourself admit it WAS past the 30 days so why get this upset . It
doesn't matter if you were two days OR thirty days past the limit, you
were still past the limit!

By the way it is lose sales not "loose" sales

Your friends and family don't care that you're upset over trying get
an exception made. The policy is fair and in place for a reason.
Sell 'em on ebay or something.

Cassie,'
If local management had the authority to interpret and set policy it
would lead to mayhem.
Why have a policy to begin with would come next.
Then why lock the front door? We don't want to tick off shoppers that
want to shop after hours.
Plus, you saying that you will not shop there as well as your plan to
tell friends and family seals it for me that your letter will get no
serious consideration.
BillR.