Exchanging an item that was on sale...should you have to pay more?

[seashoreCM]

If an item is defective, it should be exchanged without ringing up anything.

If you got the wrong size or otherwise made a mistake about what you bought, the store may treat it as returning the item at sale price and buying something else or something similar at current price.

Many stores that at least grudgingly accept returns without a receipt will credit you with the lowest sale price that item was advertised or sold at in the past X (30? 60?) days. In the form of a gift card rather than cash.

If you write and don't get any reply, feel free to write again. YOu can even simply send a copy of the same letter with the same (original) date.

 

[BCV2003]

I was prepared for an argument at Best Buy last night and was pleasantly surprised that I didn't get one.

My BF and I purchased a printer on Saturday, regular price $149.99, and I had a coupon where if you purchased something over $100 you got a $10 gift card.

When the girl rang the sale up, she made the printer $139.99 and charged us $10 for a gift card. I should have questioned it right then and there but we were already walking out of the store and I needed to get home.

On Sunday we checked the ads and this printer was on sale for $109.99. So I went in last night to have them do a price adjustment and expected some problems since they had marked the printer down to $139.99 so that looked like only a $30 difference instead of a $40 difference. I explained this to the girl at customer service and she was very nice and saw what the cashier did, explained why that probably happened and discounted the printer by another $10 to $99.99 so we still got the same amount back. I was expecting to have to argue to get the amount we were due.

 

[Ava]

I had this happen at Target - I bought a Connect 4, took it home and found the pieces inside where missing. I returned it within 2 hours. I used a coupon on the original purchase and the guy working at Customer Service told me I owed the difference. I explained that I do not; the first game was not all there. His response . . .you'll love this . . .you can only use a coupon once! I don't know if I wanted to scream or laugh - I explained it again. He seemed very confused and just voided the whole return and gave me my new box and told me to "just go". I'm sure he thought I was one of "those" shoppers but my logic had merit and it seemed apparent that my game wasn't the only thing that "wasn't all there"

I had this happen at Target as well, trying to exchange an outfit that someone gave my daughter as a gift. I went to do the exchange at a different Target from where it was purchased; I had a gift receipt, but the items must have been on sale or the buyer had a coupon, because when the guy tried to ring through the new size it kept showing that I owed like $2 on each piece. I politely pointed out that I was getting the exact same items, just in a different size, so I shouldn't owe anything. He proceeds to return each item, open the register & hand me the cash, then ring the new item, adjust the price, and have me give him the cash back. I was like, seriously? You actually have to hand me the $? Yes, apparently he did. I had to laugh it was so ridiculous.

 

[Alexander]

Wow! It sounds like Target is recruiting from the low-end of the spectrum! Seriously with all of the unemployed people out there, you'd think they could find some workers with at least 1/2 a brain!

 

[SandrA9810]

From a Loss Prevention stand point, if you have a receipt, use it for the return. Too many returns with out a receipt and you will get flagged by that retailer. It will become very difficult to make any type of return in the future. And whether they will admit it or not, retailers share LP information, including frequent returners, return abusers and fraudulent returners. They may not share any other business practices with each other, but they all work together to stop theft.

As a former retail manager, my best advice is to politely state what you expect at the beginning of the transaction, "I bought this yesterday on sale, with a coupon. I need to exchange it for a different size. Can you honor the sale and coupon on the new one?" If they say no, politely ask for a manager and tell your story again. I know I always honored the sale price/coupon. It is a very reasonable request and just good customer service.

I know stores watch out for frequent returners. But it's something I only do a few times a years max. Working at Gamestop we had frequent customers try to use us as a free rental on used games. But my manager was smart and kept track of them and even denied their return, even if it had a receipt. And back then, returns and trade in were logged in a book, no computer. So it kept him even more so on his toes.

And many stores only allow you to do a return with ID like 2-3 times in a rolling year. The computer will block out the transaction from finishing at that point.

 

[J3nn78]

happened to me at Walmart. Bought a gift for my hubby at Walmart.com. Wrong size, went to exchange them (exact product-like for like in the store) and they wanted more $. I fought them and even got a manager involved. They would not budge. I walked out and made a point of telling them I would no longer be shopping with them.
I HATE walmart!

 

[RooRach0906]

I dont understand why companies don't make a even exchange button for when someone is trying to do a even exchange.... I know that Kohls does have a even exchange button.

 

[Arkansan]

This happened to me at Gapkids. I had ordered some items online and one thing ran incredibly small--seriously, a size 12 (kids) looked like it wouldn't fit a 6 yr. old. And my kids are small. Anyway, I exchanged it at a store (like is allowed by the site) for the same shirt--same color, everything--but a bigger size and they charged me more. The website had been running a sale, something like "everything 30% off" and they wouldn't honor it in the store. They told me the website and the stores are separate entities and it was at the manager's discretion to honor the price and my particular manager wouldn't do it. I was SO MAD!!!!!!!! When I got home I called the 800# on my online receipt and got them involved. I did get my money back that way and I filled out the online survey and gave that store terrible marks for customer service. I also didn't buy anything from GAP for awhile after that--online or otherwise. I also don't go into that store unless forced. There is another one in a town 15 min. away and I'll go there over our local store.

I get that they are separate, but if you can return or exchange online purchases at the store then they should automatically honor the price. (with a receipt) Otherwise, just make me mail it back. When purchasing online you can't see how items really are, so sizes may be off. That's why I usually rely heavily on reviews from others prior to buying. I don't live in a place with great retail, so I buy a lot online.

 

[Disney_Freak56]

Speaking of Walmart -- my nephew had found a pair of headphones on their website for $29.95, but when they went to the store, they were $49.95. Walmart would not honor the price from their own website.

So they came to my house, I ordered the headphones from the site, had them shipped to his house with free shipping from walmart.com which was promising a 3-5 day home delivery versus shipping site to store with a 5-7 day delivery.

So Walmart may honor competitor ads, but not their own website prices.

 

[kirstenb1]

I worked for a big department store back in college. Depending on the manager on duty, you could do an even exchange, or they would be a total butt about it. If the butthead was on duty, I urged the customer to pocket their receipt. With no receipt, every manager would okay a size exchange.

 

[SILLYANDI]

Speaking of Walmart -- my nephew had found a pair of headphones on their website for $29.95, but when they went to the store, they were $49.95. Walmart would not honor the price from their own website.

So they came to my house, I ordered the headphones from the site, had them shipped to his house with free shipping from walmart.com which was promising a 3-5 day home delivery versus shipping site to store with a 5-7 day delivery.

So Walmart may honor competitor ads, but not their own website prices.

I had that happen too! Funny when a store will price match anyone else but their own website?!