Returning an item that was bought with kohls cash

[WendyLovesPeter]

Originally Posted by chocovrdmicears

Just to clarify a few things.

1. If you BUY something using Kohls cash - when you return it, you WILL get a merchandise credit for that KC you used.



HTH

not anymore.... if you return it you "lose" it. There are many complaints about this so they started emailing the customer a coupon for the "lost" amount of kohls cash.

[chocovrdmicears]

Originally Posted by cjnix29

No...this was the policy that they changed. I returned an item I used Kohl's cash to buy. No more merchandise credit, only a return of whatever additional money you used to buy the items.

Originally Posted by WendyLovesPeter

not anymore.... if you return it you "lose" it. There are many complaints about this so they started emailing the customer a coupon for the "lost" amount of kohls cash.

The policy that was changed was that if you return the original item that you *earned* the KC on, you cannot get a merchandise credit for it to keep your KC.

And again - I have never heard about an email for lost Kohls cash...maybe it is a corporate thing.
If you pay with Kohls cash - and you return the item - you get that KC back on a merchandise credit as long as the original item that was purchased and earned the KC, was not returned.
Maybe the systems work differently in different stores?

[mrspaha]

This really doesn't sound fair at all.

If you purchase something; earn "kohls cash" on it; spend the "kohls cash"; and then after the kohls cash is spent, return an item that you earned the "kohls cash" on, they will deduct the $10 "kohls cash" from your refund amount.

Then later, say you return the item that you purchased using the "kohls cash", they will reduce your refund on that item for the amount of the "kohls cash".

Then they're reducing your refund TWICE, for the same "kohls cash".

I suppose I can see them doing it on ONE of the transactions, but not both!

"Kohls cash" isn't really "cash". It's a "coupon" redeemable on a future purchase. In that case, I would say it would make sense to reduce the refund on the "couponed" items; not on the original purchase.

This new policy really turns me off. I used to do a LOT of shopping there, and did the bulk of my clothing gift purchases there. But now with this new policy, this could be almost embarrassing if the person I gave a gift to returns their gift, and gets their merchandise credit reduced to next to nothing because of the "kohls cash" refund policy.

I'm shopping elsewhere.

[maxiesmom]

It is easier in my head if I think of Kohls Cash as a coupon. Just like any coupon, once you use it it is gone forever.

From what I understand they stopped letting people keep the value of the Kohls Cash as they had too many people scamming. They would purchase something large like a mixer, return it, and have made $$ in in store credit. That is why now if you make a return that makes it so you wouldn't have earned the Kohls Cast to begin with, you lose it.

It is not money out of your pocket. You are losing the coupon you no longer had a right to.

Think of it this way: You go to the grocery store and buy toilet paper. The sale price is $5, and you have a $1 coupon, so you only pay $4. If you have to return the toilet paper the store wouldn't give you $5 back. They would give you $4. You don't get the coupon returned to you.

[luvmy3]

Originally Posted by maxiesmom

It is easier in my head if I think of Kohls Cash as a coupon. Just like any coupon, once you use it it is gone forever.

From what I understand they stopped letting people keep the value of the Kohls Cash as they had too many people scamming. They would purchase something large like a mixer, return it, and have made $$ in in store credit. That is why now if you make a return that makes it so you wouldn't have earned the Kohls Cast to begin with, you lose it.

It is not money out of your pocket. You are losing the coupon you no longer had a right to.

Think of it this way: You go to the grocery store and buy toilet paper. The sale price is $5, and you have a $1 coupon, so you only pay $4. If you have to return the toilet paper the store wouldn't give you $5 back. They would give you $4. You don't get the coupon returned to you.

But if it is like the pp describes you are actually losing money you spent.
If I buy a shirt for $50 and earn $10 Kohls cash, my OOP expense is $50.
If I use that $10 towards a $20 shirt, my OOP expense is $10 for a total of $60 spent.
Now, if I return the first shirt, I am going to get back $40. If I return the second shirt, I'm going to get back $10 for a total of $50 refunded to me. What happened to that other $10 actual OOP cash I spent? Kohl's gets to keep it. Seems a little like how the customers were scamming them

[maxiesmom]

Originally Posted by luvmy3

But if it is like the pp describes you are actually losing money you spent.
If I buy a shirt for $50 and earn $10 Kohls cash, my OOP expense is $50.
If I use that $10 towards a $20 shirt, my OOP expense is $10 for a total of $60 spent.
Now, if I return the first shirt, I am going to get back $40. If I return the second shirt, I'm going to get back $10 for a total of $50 refunded to me. What happened to that other $10 actual OOP cash I spent? Kohl's gets to keep it. Seems a little like how the customers were scamming them

But that is not right. You would still get your $50 back on the shirt when you return it, as all $50 came from you. They wouldn't take the $10 off. You would only lose the $10 and get $40 back if you did the return after you spent the Kohls Cash. You wouldn't have been entitled to the Kohls Cash to begin with once you make the return. So you in effect spent $10 that you didn't earn. That is the change that was made. Kohls used to let you keep the $10, even though you had not earned it. They don't anymore.

[BeachLove]

Well, I'm lost since apparently they've changed the policy so much. They've got everyone confused. I am not returned the items that I earned the Kohls cash from. So I'll just email them or something.

[ktate82]

Originally Posted by andychris14

Thank you so much-
The only problem is by the time I receive the items the kohls cash will be expired. I will not spend the kohls money so does that mean I will receive a full refund?
Thank you

If you don't spend the kohls cash, then yes you will get all your money back. If you decide to keep all the items, then you may still be able to use the kohls cash. I have went in before with expired kohls cash and they have always taken it. It was within a few weeks (once a month) from it being expired.

[luvmy3]

Originally Posted by maxiesmom

But that is not right. You would still get your $50 back on the shirt when you return it, as all $50 came from you. They wouldn't take the $10 off. You would only lose the $10 and get $40 back if you did the return after you spent the Kohls Cash. You wouldn't have been entitled to the Kohls Cash to begin with once you make the return. So you in effect spent $10 that you didn't earn. That is the change that was made. Kohls used to let you keep the $10, even though you had not earned it. They don't anymore.

My example took into account the Kohls cash being spent. They could just deactivate the coupon and refund the customer the actual amount of cash they spent on the merchandise they are returning.
They wouldn't lose anything on that. Now Kohls gets their merchandise back to re-sell and they also get to keep $10 cash of the customer, its a money maker for them just like the previous policy was a money maker for (some) customers. Its probably just easier to get rid of KC all together.

[maxiesmom]

Originally Posted by luvmy3

My example took into account the Kohls cash being spent. They could just deactivate the coupon and refund the customer the actual amount of cash they spent on the merchandise they are returning.
They wouldn't lose anything on that. Now Kohls gets their merchandise back to re-sell and they also get to keep $10 cash of the customer, its a money maker for them just like the previous policy was a money maker for (some) customers. Its probably just easier to get rid of KC all together.

They don't keep $10 off of the customer. If you have already spent a coupon, there is no way to deactivate it. It is already gone. In effect the customer has spent $10 they are not entitled to once they make the return. They borrowed the $10, and now Kohls wants it back. The customer never loses money out of pocket. They only take back the Kohls Cash money the customer now has no right to.

You spend $50, you get $10 in Kohls Cash.
You spend the $10 Kohls Cash.
You now return the $50 item, meaning you would not have earned the $10 Kohls Cash to begin with. Kohls now wants that $10 back, . As you have already spent it, they will lesson your return by that $10. It was only yours because you had made the $50 purchase. Now that you have returned the purchase you don't get to keep the $10.

Kohls used to let you keep the $10. Now they don't. Going back to my mixer comparison. You buy a $250 mixer. You got $40 in Kohls Cash for making that purchase. If you return the mixer they don't let you keep the $40. It goes poof!

If you buy the mixer, spend the Kohls Cash, and the return the mixer, they will take that $40 back by reducing your return. You still got $250 back, except $40 of it is accounted for by the Kohls Cash you spent. $210 will be accounted for by your return. You are still getting $250 back, but some is in the merchandise your purchased with your Kohls Cash.

[luvmy3]

Originally Posted by maxiesmom

They don't keep $10 off of the customer. If you have already spent a coupon, there is no way to deactivate it. It is already gone. In effect the customer has spent $10 they are not entitled to once they make the return. They borrowed the $10, and now Kohls wants it back. The customer never loses money out of pocket. They only take back the Kohls Cash money the customer now has no right to.

Kohls gets their "$10" back along with their merchandise. Anyway you slice that, Kohls makes money on all those transactions, while the customer keeps nothing from them, and has $10 less in their pocket. It may be their coupon policy but they end up $10 actual cash richer because of it.

ETA, I get their policy, I get why its in place. It still doesn't make it fair to the customer when at the end of the day Kohls has $10 in cash because you the customer used an earned discount but decided you didn't want to keep your purchases that you used that discount on.

ETA again-- this applies to when you make a return on the original purchase that you earn KC on and the one you used the KC on. Returning, null and voids those transactions therefore the customer should get back the exact amount of cash they spent, since it is like neither of those transactions happened in the first place. (I hope that explains where I'm coming from).

[maxiesmom]

Originally Posted by luvmy3

Kohls gets their "$10" back along with their merchandise. Anyway you slice that, Kohls makes money on all those transactions, while the customer keeps nothing from them, and has $10 less in their pocket. It may be their coupon policy but they end up $10 actual cash richer because of it.

Nope. The company doesn't keep $10 of the customer's money. They only get the $10 back if the customer has already purchased other merchandise with the $10 of Kohls Cash that they had. Kohls Cash that by making the return they are no longer entitled to.

Spend $50 get an additional $10 in Kohls Cash.
Spend the $10.
Return item. Meaning you are no longer entitled to the $10. Which you have already spent.
Get $40 back in the return, but get to keep $10 in merchandise. Equals the $50. Kohls isn't making money, they are breaking even.

Why should the customer get to keep a discount they are no longer entitled to, by doing a return? As I pointed out, that is a great way to scam the system. You could make a lot of money in in-store credit by doing just that. You get the Kohls Cash by purchasing a certain amount of stuff. If you return enough stuff that you wouldn't have gotten the Kohls Cash, you are no longer entitled to it.

Also, if you do an even exchange they will let you keep the Kohls Cash. Decide you no longer want that $50 mixer, trade it for a $50 dress. Then it won't matter if you have or haven't spent your Kohls Cash.

[luvmy3]

Originally Posted by maxiesmom

Why should the customer get to keep a discount they are no longer entitled to, by doing a return? As I pointed out, that is a great way to scam the system. You could make a lot of money in in-store credit by doing just that. You get the Kohls Cash by purchasing a certain amount of stuff. If you return enough stuff that you wouldn't have gotten the Kohls Cash, you are no longer entitled to it.

If the customer doesn't keep the merchandise (i.e returns it) just what are they getting a discount on?

Like I said I get why they do it, but in their effort to not get scammed they created a system that essentially scams the customer.

Here is my example again.
Customer buys a $50 shirt, pays $50 and earns a $10 discount on next purchase.
Next purchase customer buys a $20 shirt, pays $10 due to discount. Cash spent is $60 + a $10 coupon with no real cash value (doesn't it state that on there somewhere?).
Customer decides to return both shirts, making the earned discount null and void, but Kohls only gives them back $50 cash. Kohls has their merchandise back (full $70 value of it) plus $10 of what the customer spent OOP. The customer leaves with nothing, and somehow ended up paying Kohls $10 fora discount coupon that they ended up not using due to the fact that they returned the merchandise.

Yes, there are ways a customer can make sure that doesn't happen, like do an exchange but if they want to return only, they end up being screwed.

[Jex]

In the above scenario they would get back$60, wouldn't they?

[tasha99]

Originally Posted by Jex

In the above scenario they would get back$60, wouldn't they?

I think it would be $50.

First return: $40 back (since they didn't earn the $10 in Kohl's cash anymore, Kohls would deduct it from their $50 payment).

Second return: $10 back since $10 was "just" a coupon.