Horrible service/ridiculous policy

There is no law anywhere that I know of, saying that a store is
obligated to do any type of return, with or without a receipt, unless
the item is defective.
Yes, it's a nice, customer-friendly policy to allow no hassle returns,
but obviously, stores have lost a great deal of money on returns or
they would not have implemented these policies.
Why would a store shoot itself in the foot just to piss off a customer
by being arbitrary about a return?

I understand that you only wanted to do an exchange, but I am pretty
sure, for inventory tracking, the returned item would still have to be
put through the computer as a return, with the exchanged item billed
out.
Regardless of whether she gave you a new outfit or a gift card, it
still shows as a return without a receipt.

Without a receipt, you have no way of knowing at which store the
original outfit was purchased, or whether the item was on sale. If the
original Target store sold that item at a discount, but you return it
to a different store getting an exchange at full price, how is that
fair to the company? There is also a chance that item ends up possibly
sitting in their inventory for a while, or there is also the
possibility that the item may never sell again, or end up being marked
down.
To me, that's a potential loss to the company.

Sure, it's only one small child's outfit in a billion dollar
marketplace, but if one multiplies that, the potential for loss does
add up.
The average return rate on clothing is 19.4 percent, and fraudulent
returns account for about 9 percent of all returns.
When you apply that percentage, a company that does a billion dollars
in business has the potential to lose $17.5 million anually.
Stores are actually in the business of making money, not giving it
away.

I feel for you, the same thing happend to me. I had a return from one
person, but three items. only two of the items were allowed to be
returned. However, you are not entitled to a gift card. you are,
however, entitled to return your item. we all just human. people
fail to gift gift slips and people lose receipts. furthermore, it is
RUDE to ask someone for the receipt for a gift. WALMART and KMART
and TOYSRUS will all take itmes that could have come from their store
back without a receipt. URGE all your friends and family to shop at
those stores for your child, as I will. Moreover, I urge you to send
a letter of complaint (without asking for a gift card) to the CEO of
target Stores, Bob Ulrich, Target Stores, Target Executive Offices,
Mail Stop TFS, IA-X, PO BOX 9350, Minneapolis, MN55440.

I URGE ANYONE WITH A SIMILAR PROBLEM TO DO THE SAME. They will
continue with this policy becuase people roll over and take it. I'M
NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE.

Stop shopppin there. Make your own clothes. And I'm serious. Huge
companies like that are not losing any money when you return clothes
to them. Believe me they make enough.

Oh, I know, it's terrible! To think that a store would want to try to
*gasp* PROTECT itself from people scamming it by having a *gasp*
RETURN POLICY!

okaaaaaaay, you don't want to shop there anymore but you want a coupon
or gift card? May i suggest a good place for you to shove said gift
card, if you recieve one?

I agree with Manda that something doesn't seem quite right here. I
too was a former Guest Services Team Member and from the sound of it,
whoever helped you had to be in training, because they screwed up on
several procedures.

First of all, since you were requesting to EXCHANGE the merchandise,
the team member should have a) offered to let you go choose the
correct size and bring it back up or b) called the department to have
THEM bring it up for you. Why they treated it as a return is beyond
me - the person either didn't listen to you or was too lazy to do
things the right way.

Second, also as Manda pointed out, there is a set limit on how many
no-receipt returns (whether it is an exchange or a complete return)can
be done per customer (or in this case, per driver's license number)
but the actual number of returns is not typically something that is
ever to be shared with guests.

For the team member to flat out tell you that you would be barred from
doing no-receipt returns for a year was not only inaccurate
information, but not something she should have said to you, or any
other guest. The system does not show them how many no-receipts
you've returned anyway, it just tells them to accept or decline the
return and it does not say why, so how would she even know if it was
your first or your fifth? The only people who would be notified of
that information would be Assets Protection (the security people) and
THEY would deal with the people who abuse it (like Claude Allen -
Whoops!).

Personally, while I know you were shocked by the team members
comments, you still were permitted to do the exchange, so I don't
understand where you get off asking for a gift card for your
"troubles." You weren't inconvenienced and got what you wanted.

I get so tired of people bashing Target. Their Guest Services is one
of the few I've encountered that go out of their way for a guest.
When I worked there, at times a customer who was CLEARLY trying to get
over on the system only had to ask for a Team Lead and would then get
whatever they wanted - EVEN IF IT VIOLATED OUR POLICIES. I can't tell
you how many times I told a customer "No" based on the policies posted
at every Target Guest Services counter an on the back of every receipt
only to have that customer sneer at me when the team lead came up and
authorized me to do whatever the guest asked for.

Target is an incredibly customer-phobic company! They HATE making
customers upset and will literally bend over backwards to accomodate
even the most ridiculous requests that guests make. Maybe that is why
some people feel it is acceptable to make outrageous demands when
their every whim is not catered to.

Horrible service/ridiculous policy = I didn't get exactly what I
wanted.

The story doesn't make sense. I worked for Target and I know that the
only way the system blocks you from doing anymore no receipt
returns/exchanges is if you have done atleast three returns/exchanges
w/o a receipt in a given amount of time. So if this was your first
time doing a no receipt return/exchange the system would not block you
out after just one time. Have you done return/exchanges at Target
without a receipt before? Honestly no one is trying to treat you like
dirt but because Target at one time had a very open return policy
people took advantage of it so now Target has a strict return policy.
Blame your fellow consumers...they ruined it for you!!

Despite the fact that it's against Target's return policy, you were
graciously given a one-time exception to exchange an item without a
reciept.

You've got an awfully funny definition of being treated "like dirt."

If this was your first return to Target, welcome to the wonderful
world of Target's return policy. Get to know it, and it will be your
friend. The return/exchange was based on your drivers license. If
you recieve another gift w/o a receipt or lose a receipt, etc, ask
your husband?/mother/friend to go with you and return it on their
license. But be glad she warned you - now you know what to expect if
you do receive anther gift with no gift receipt. And you also learned
to always include the gift receipt with gifts that you give - unless,
of course, you don't like the person.

Do you know the gift-giver? I'm assuming it's a family member or
friend. Why couldn't you have just asked them if they had the gift
receipt so you could exchange it? I'm sure they would have been happy
to give it to you.

And a solution to their policy: just make sure you save your Target
receipts for the rest of the year. It's not that hard.

I really don't think they treated you "like dirt", and you don't
deserve anything.

So if Target is such a horrible place, then why would you want a
giftcard? Fishing for freebies?

A person is limited to 2 no-receipt returns/exchanges per year. This
is for the chances when the guest didn't get a gift receipt. This is a
courtesy to guests because the return policy states that every
transaction needs a receipt dated within 90 days.

I don't see where the bad service is in this situation.

Now you know you need to have a receipt for the rest of your
returns/exchanges. Wouldn't you rather have found that out now, rather
then at your next no-receipt transaction?

And I really don't see a problem with the scenario as it played out.
As for people giving clothing gifts, especially from Target, where
they print out gift reciepts for EVERYTHING like they're going out of
style, just put the freaking gift reciept in the card.
Not difficult.
Honestly.
They girl who handled the return sounded very intelligent and
businesslike, she processed the return in a timely fashion, and you
got what you wanted. What's to complain about?

I am STUNNED at people asking for an apology.... Who the HELL do you
think you are? What's next? Demanding that employees bow or coursty
upon your entering the store? Target has to protect themselves from
shoplifters and must apply certain policies to do so. Those policies
apply to you just like they do to everyone else, my dear.



Target does not owe you an apology. As one other poster pointed out,
they did you a favor. The actual policy is no returns or exchanges
without a receipt. So, they already bent the policy for you.


BLECH!

I want, I want, I want! No proof it was "purchased", they did you a
favor (giving you the right size) and when they explain their rules
(not Rebecca's) you start the "I wants" and hint you may never shop
there again.
Try this with any other business (doctor, insurance) and they would
tell you where to go.

My store has the same policy. Ours is that you are limited to 3
returns w/o a receipt a year.


It is the same for returns AND exchanges. Why do people think they are
different?

I wouldn't call it horrible service but she should have explained the
policy before she did anything. Or you could have asked her why she
wanted your ID.
You weren't treat like dirt. The only reason they have a tough policy
is because of crooks. You have them to thank.
And Happy Birthday to your daughter.

I CAN see her perspective, though, even though the Target return
policy is on the receipt and at the store.

She wasn't told that she will not be able to return anything until
AFTER the transaction was done. I think that that is what the
complaint is about - lack of communication. She told the lady who was
doing the return that she wanted to exchange them, but the lady
continued with the return. Then at the end of the return, she found
out that she can not do another return transaction for a year! I
would be mad too!
I dont know the cost of the shorts, but one pair of Circo shorts
cannot be more than ten dollars. Ten dollars without a receipt and
you are cut off for a year! Wow!

I will say, though, that a return and an exchange are the same thing
to most retailers. Since different sizes have different UPCs, the
inventory will have to be adjusted with an exchange, just like with a
return.

I've read your letter a couple of times, and I have trouble figuring
out the problem. It seems like you received excellent service,
including the unusual courtesy of their taking back a return without a
receipt. It also seems that the employees understood store policy and
communicated it accurately.

You were entitled to nothing whatsoever, you got something, and you
are still complaining.

Why not retract this letter and replace it with one thanking them for
their excellent service?

It is well know that Target has a very strict return/exchange policy
and it is printed on the back of their receipts as well as posted in
the store. Was this your very first return without a receipt? By the
way - - an exchange without a receipt is treated the same as a
return.

You are not entitled to an apology much less a coupon/gift card.

Target does not treat customers like dirt - - they simply enforce
their policies.