Target review: return policy 36

I bought a $55 rug at Target and misplaced the receipt. The rug did not match my decor as well as I thought so I tried to return it. They informed me that I would have to buy something over $55 in the housewares department. There are a very limited number of single items that cost over $55 in the housewares department; especially when you eliminate items that I already had like blender, coffee makers, etc.

I understand giving the lowest price an item was sold for as a return policy when a receipt is missing' but requiring a SINGLE purchase for equal or greater value does nothing but alienate the customer.

I actually returned home with the rug and put back the $150 in additional purchases I was going to make that day. So instead of them making $100 in additional sales, by allowing me to return the rug... they have lost a customer forever.

I was trying to return 2 items that I had a receipt for and the receipt was expired. I understand your policy, but really don't agree with it. I have 4 children and am very busy and don't always remember to return things in a timely manner. I found these 2 items in my closet while reorganizing and wanted to get a store credit, so I could buy some baby formula from Target. My husband has just gotten a pay cut and formula is quite expensive, so I figured to return these items then I could get some formula for my baby. The customer service person was very short with me about returning the items and said I could not they were no longer in the system. Then I told her could I just leave them with her because I don't really need them, she said no that they cannot dispose of merchandise. I proceeded to throw the clothes in the garbage myself. I am very upset about this not only did I lose about $30 in merchandise but now I have to spend more money on formula which I hardly have the money for now. We fall in to the middle class category so we make just enough not to receive help from the government, but not enough to afford the things we need all the time. Targets return policy is hurting people in this working class of people. Also I already talked to your customer service dept by phone and got no sympathy from them. I told him that I spend alot of money at Target at least $200-$250 every couple of months. I told him that I was dissapointed in the return policy and that I was not going to continue shopping there and would let my friends know how unflexible there policies are even when it comes down to a family having a hard time in this economy. He seemed unfazed and told me he would hope I would rethink my decision about leaving the store. I have worked in customer service before nad have bent policies and bent over backwards for people to get there business back. I don't see Target as a family friendly store and will let everyone I know, know that. Thank you for listening and taking the time to read this letter. Please pass this on to upper managment or the people that write the return policies.

Jennifer

I wanted to return a hoodie with the original tag, but I lost the receipt. And I was told that because they didnt carry the product, they couldnt do the return for $6! This return policy is rediculous. Doesnt Target realize how many people don't shop there simply because of the rediculous return policy?

They need to change it and get layaway..

Let me preface this by saying I had long been a HUGE fan of Target and a very loyal customer. It’s no exaggeration to say that I’ve spent tens of thousands of dollars at Target over the course of the last 15 or so years. However, the incident I am about to relate has completely changed my perception of Target and how it values (or rather doesn’t) its customers.

On April 24 I purchase a pair of Mossimo Lakisha flip-flops for my 14-year old daughter; within 2-3 days of wearing them, they broke—the stitching that holds the tong to the shoe between the toes came undone. (I don’t know exactly when they broke because she did not tell me when it first happened and taped them so she continue to wear them. ) I do know that at MOST she had worn them 6 days; April 29 was the last day she could have worn them before I tried to return them—she is a member of the band at her junior high; the band was competing in the Hershey Park Music Festival Experience May 1–3, and she left for the trip the morning of April 30.

Saturday, May 2, I went to the Willowbrook, IL store to return the flip-flops; (with the receipt). The sales associate said they could not be returned because they’d been worn. I asked to see a manager; same story. She gave me an 800 number to call. Called on Saturday—was told I’d have to be referred to a “Specialist” who would not be available until Monday 6am–10pm. Called today—and was told by the “Specialist” Sandra, that the store staff are “their eyes” and if they rejected the return that’s the end of Target’s responsibility and I would have to call the manufacturer to get “warranty” service. (She also told me she would call me back with the number for the manufacturer; she did not.)

Right. Warranty service on a 12.99 pair of flip-flops. Why make me jump through all the hoops—making multiple phone calls—when you clearly have no intention of resolving this issue? Really, what was the point of giving me a number to call AND from there being referred to a “Specialist”—other than to waste my time. Why not just tell me “No. Too bad for you. We sell shoddy, poor quality merchandise and we refuse to stand behind it.”

I don’t think it’s unreasonable for me to expect footwear to last more than 6 days. (Even if my daughter HAD worn the flip flops exclusively from the day we bought them to the day I went into the store to return them—a total of 9 days— I don’t think it’s unreasonable for me to expect footwear to last at least 9 days, either. And I don’t think it’s unreasonable for me to expect that if an item I’ve purchased doesn’t last a reasonable amount of time—whether or not it’s been used— the store that sold it to me would replace it or give me a store credit.

It’s also insulting to continually be told “I’m sorry” when that is clearly not the case; if indeed anyone I spoke to at Target was actually sorry I’d been sold defective, poor quality merchandise, they would offer to remedy the situation. Instead, the situation is, “We have your money and there’s nothing you can do about it. We don’t care that you’re unhappy. We’re not in this for your satisfaction, we’re in it to make money. If you get screwed in the process, that’s your problem, not ours.” No, I’m the one who is sorry. Sorry I’ve spent so much money at Target. Sorry I’ve been patronizing a store that puts so little value on customer satisfaction. Sorry I have no recourse but to write this letter, which is most likely an exercise in futility, based on the number of other complaints regarding Target’s abysmal customer service and return policy I’ve found on the Internet.

Why would I ever purchase footwear at Target again? Why would I purchase clothing at Target? The fact is, I won’t. I will stop using my Target credit card. I will make a conscious effort to shop elsewhere. It’s not the money—12.99 is not going to break me. It is the principle of the situation. I expect a store to be willing to back up the products it sells, not take my money and offer me no recourse if I actually USE the product and it turns out to be defective.

While looking for the corporate address, I came across the Target Mission Statement.
Either Target need to revisit its commitment to its stated mission, or Target needs to revise its mission to more accurately reflect its true mission: To make Target a preferred shopping destination for a constantly changing customer base by offering style without substance, in the continuous pursuit of profit, at the expense of our “guests.”

Just a caution to on-line shoppers regarding Target's return policy. It was the first time I'd ordered something from Target on-line that I had to return. I ordered a rug and assumed I would be able to return it to the store. WRONG! Before ordering with them make sure you check to see how the item can be returned. The rug had to be shipped back to them at my expense and it cost me $55 to ship! That's a high price to pay for something you're not keeping!

The smartest thing you shouldve done was clean them before returning them. its like a customer buying underwear and the package is open. yea we are gonna decline it. we have a strict policy but it helps the guest in a beneficial way. i mean what if your kid had like feet disease that could have been on the sandals, if target simply refunded them even knowing your kid used it. it will get put back on the shelf and another person will buy it catch the disease then SUE target. yea we arent gonna risk it.

Hi Brenda.Sandals are OK I guess.I'd stub my toes all day. And the briars would hurt.

I just thought the "saddles" was an unusal term for foot gear. never heard of that one before.

not making fun of a kid wearing sandals. that would be FRANK and JIM

mistake 7 times on the same word. wow.

I made a mistake on the spelling! It is still wrong to make fun of a mom for buying her kid sandals! In some parts of the country, it is normal to wear SANDALS/flip flops and other foot gear! What kind of ###s make fun of an eight year old kid?

Frank you are a bad person saying that about an 8 yr old kid.

Frank "farter"

Reefercat you dont want no saddle strapped to yer feet. lol

thongs are for butts

saddles are for horses

I think Frank needs his ### kicked for saying an 8 yr old deserves his ### kicked. what an overbearing ### he is.

uhmm, saddles? Really? All this talk of strapping saddles onto young uns is beginning to make me feel queasy

In warmer climate areas people of both sexes wear saddles! During the summer I buy all my male children saddles! It get's hot, and I don't know about you but I like wearing as less footwear as I can! You don't know where she is living, it could be Hawaii for all you know! I like to go to the beach, I and my kids would look like giant [censored]s wearing tennis shoes! My younger son often went to school in saddles, during the spring and early fall. IT IS HOT IN SOUTHERN CA DURING most of spring, summer, and early fall! Shorts, t-shirts, and saddles with straps is acceptable to wear to school, kids never made fun of my kids, because most of the kids were wearing saddles also! Give the women a break! Not everyone lives in cold climates where you need to wear boots, jackets, and tennis shoes. I don't know anyone that would ever make fun of a kid for wearing saddles! As adults it is childish of you all to make fun of her kid for wearing saddles to school! Grow up!

yes, we know there are some very "nice" boys, sometimes called Bruno, who wear sandals.

I agree a month is a long time to wait to return something. Folks lay off the lady, there are some little boys that wear sandals. Heck, I have seen grown men wear sandals! Ewww REEFERCAT you should be "embarrassed" because you can't spell the word.

you waited a month? he only wore them once? come off it lady. They are on to you at that Target. Hey wait, sandals for a boy of 8? Maybe they really did break the first day, because he was so ebarrassed, he broke them himself.

It doesn't matter where you go. It's all Chinese crap.Right, Brenda?

Okay, a few things here.

1) Don't blame the people that work there. You need to be pissed at corporate, which is stationed in Minneapolis, MN. Yes the return policy is ridiculous, I agree with that. BUT it is the policy that if shoes have been worn at all, regardless of when/how they were damaged, the store cannot take them back. Don't get mad at the employees because they're doing their job. They don't come to your job and ask you to bend the policies and get you in trouble.

2) When you say they don't mean they're "sorry" when they say it, you're absolutely right. Most people don't mean they are sorry, especially if you get ### with them over a policy they can't change/didn't make/can't do anything about. They might be sorry if you were nicer to them and said something to the effect of "I know you're just doing your job but..." or "I understand you, a normal, run-of-the-mill cashier can't magically change the return policy." But honestly, would you give a ### about a rude ### ### that comes in and gets ### about a policy you have no power to change, and continues to get ### even AFTER you've explained over and over that there's literally NOTHING you can do? Of course you wouldn't. YOU NEED TO COMPLAIN TO HEADQUARTERS, NOT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE MERELY RINGING YOU UP.

Oh and PS- Check Wal-Mart's return policy, or any policy of any store in any mall. You'll find that pretty much every store is the same.

After all that I've read about Target's policy on returns (corrupt and ambiguous by all appearances), I can see it would be pointless to return a pair of sunglasses that broke within a week of purchasing them. They were $18.00 total, which to me was a lot of money, more than I've ever spent on sunglasses. I have a pair that has lasted four years without mishap. This new recent pair had something wrong with the way the hinge was constructed which I realize now, but I can see now from reading all this what is going to happen if I ask Target staff to refund my money (with a receipt). Like the lady who tried to return the flip-flops (posted). Also, my mother and I tried to return a converter box that was defective and you would not believe the hassle we went through to have a working one. We actually had to go to another Target store before someone would allow us, with a receipt and within 30 days, to return the defective converter. It was awful and very embarrassing the way we were treated. A very young girl spoke to us as though we were beneath her. I'd almost forgotten about this episode and wish I hadn't bought the sunglasses there now. To be sure, after reading all these complaints and my former Target return experience, I will never buy anything there again.

Maybe you shouldn't have lost your receipt. A receipt is handed to you for a reason. Haven't you always heard "Make sure you keep your receipt." People say that for a reason. Stop complaining, and be more responsible with your purchases.

In addition, the reason that they need a receipt (or card used) is to protect against fraud. I'm in no way accusing you of this, but many people walk into stores, grab a couple items from the shelves, and go to Guest Service and claim they lost their receipt and get store credit, or they grab two hoodies, and claim they bought one and are exchanging it for another. It is sad that people do that, but it's true.

@Kee white

warranty BEGINS with the date of purchase, not the date you first used something. No matter where you go. The warranty would be 90 days from the date of purchase, not 90 days from the day you opened it.

Both the store and the manufacturer within theirs rights since your warranty was up.

your nerf n-strike longshot cs-6 2-in1 blaster only gave me 10 bullets not 12 my name is joshua

I purchased a Target exclusive Audiovox DVD player on September 12, 2008. It was never used until April 18, 2009, since I purchased it to be used on our vacation. It worked for an hour and never worked again. I return it to the store with receipt and I was informed it only has a 90 day warranty, contact the manufactor. I contactd the manufactor, Venturer, I was told if I wanted it to be fixed I need to pay $45 to have it fixed. I purchased the DVD for $105.00. Now, I'm told by Target, too bad. In additional the manufactor is telling me to pay additional $45 to fix it. Why should I pay $150 for an item that doesn't work when its brand new out of the box? I just want a refund. I don't want to fix a brand new machine that won't work after 90 days. Is it too much to expect that a brand new DVD player will work after 90 days?

Jennifer...I worked at Target for 6 years. I am no longer employed with Target, but I have worked customer service. People come in on a daily basis trying to return things after the receipt is expired. The system won't even let you process the return. I guess if you have a really good reason, a manager might override it but that doesn't happen very often. Also...you get 90 days. that's plenty of time. If the item is no longer in the system, that mean's it has gone on clearance and is no longer of any value to Target. All that stuff gets sent to the Goodwill. I think you're playing the victim here saying all that stuff about your family and kids. Trevor is right...you're not the only one! The rules are the same for everyone, no matter how much you spend. I guess you'd better go to Wal-Mart...

Hate to break it to you but whether you go to Target once a year and spend only 60 cents on a chocolate bar, or whether you go every week and spend $200 the policy is the same. You may understand the policy, but just because you don't agree with it does not mean that they should make an exception for you. Times are hard for us all. Target gets tons of customers everydayand losing one customer won't hurt them. Also the I am telling all my family and friends thing does not work. Some will listen to you, other's will just shop there because it is more convientent for them. You admit yourself that you don't always return things in a timely manner. You have children. Don't you want to teach them that if they don't do things in a timely manner that there will be consequences? Now was the customer service person short with you or are you only saying this because you were told no? To be honest it seems that if you were not reorganizing your closet you would not even know about these two products.

You are not the only family having a hard time you know. From the way things are going it is going to get worse. You are more fortunate than other's however because your husband was not laid off. He at least has some income.

Like I said it does not matter whether you spend one cent or thousands of dollars the policy is the same whether you agree with it or not.

Jason, you are 17 but I know ten year olds on this site who have better social skills than you.

You are rude! I have no problem feeding my children, I am just saying I had a receipt. I know what I paid and it seems unfair that Target would allow a consumer to throw money away in this economy when MANY people are having a tough time, rather then just giving you a credit and letting you reuse the money in there store. Thats all I am saying. You must not have a family, I love my children and would never give any one of them up. Please don't comment again. Thanks!

Jennifer

"I bought a $55 rug at Target and misplaced the receipt." End of story. You explained everything in your first sentence. There really was no need for you to go into further useless detail. You lost your receipt. You need to be upset with yourself at your poor organizational skills, or get over it.

I agree with Bill, it has been the same policy for as long as I have gone to Target.

The policy is there to prevent people from abusing returns.

Targets return Policy has been the ssame since the store opened "A reciept dated within 90 days of purchase is needed for ALL returns and exchanges". How hard is it to understand this?!

I had the same problem! I received a car seat from my baby registry and decided shortly after to upgrade to a more expensive model. The car seat was unopened, wasn't discontinued, and I wanted a credit. However, I was told by a clerk, then a manager that since it was over $20 and had been more than 90 days, they could do nothing. I asked the manager what is the point in registering for a baby shower when many of the items will not be used within 90 days? She apologized again and said she could do nothing. I would have happily taken the store credit and spent more money in the store, but I was denied the store credit! Now I know better than to shop at Target.