How do you deal with Target's Return Policy?

[ReneeQ]

OP here. Thanks for all the responses! Very interesting points of view. Like I said before, I didn't want money, so to me it was an exchange, not a return. But, I see from some explanations, it's really the same thing to the store computers.

Don't get me wrong, we're WILLING to keep the full screen version of the movie. I know it's not the end of the world. DH just wanted the widescreen version, and I had NO CLUE it was such a problem to exchange. Like I said, I don't return/exchange much.

Thanks!

 

[kaytieeldr]

Reading through this thread, it seems like being able to simply exchange something is now a lost art! I'm thinking it must have been the good old days, when you could go to the customer service counter, hand them the wrong size or format thing, head into the store to get the right one, come back to the counter to complete the exchange and be on your way. Why don't retailers do that anymore?

We can blame that on, among other things, scammers, con-artists, the economy, and people abusing a retailer's return policy.

 

[IDoDis]

The whole problem is so easy to solve though if you just give the DVD back to your MIL and when she returns it, she hands them the credit or debit card she used to make the purchase. The computer will find it and will let her exchange it or give will give her a refund. The transaction is considered the same as having a receipt so there are no dings against you/her for not having the actual paper receipt.

 

[Kycha]

Good idea, but MIL only uses cash or check, she doesn't "believe in" credit or debit cards.

The whole problem is so easy to solve though if you just give the DVD back to your MIL and when she returns it, she hands them the credit or debit card she used to make the purchase. The computer will find it and will let her exchange it or give will give her a refund. The transaction is considered the same as having a receipt so there are no dings against you/her for not having the actual paper receipt.

She has stated her MIL does not believe in credit/debit cards. So, that won't work.

 

[princesspwrhr]

Does Babies R Us have a different policy than Toys R Us? Toys R Us is awful, they will exchange nothing... not even a TRU exclusive item, without a receipt. I have stopped shopping there entirely!

Yes BRU has a different return policy than TRU. I'm currently employed there part time. Actually our return policy is quite liberal all things considered. If we carry it in the store we'll return within 90 days with a reciept. As long as you have the reciept it doesn't really matter what shape it's in. (I think this stinks as I have seen some truely nasty things come back) If you don't have a reciept you get store credit for the lowest selling price in the last month. If you don't have a reciept,tags or the packaging, we can't take it back. Gift reciepts get store credit (this ticks off a lot of people!) If we don't carry it in our store - and not all BRU's carry the same items, not even 'exclusive' merchandise - we're not supposed to accept the item as a return because we then have to find a BRU that does carry it and transfer it. We can't accept returns on online purchases for anything we don't carry in store either. Not all of the Customer Service associates know all of the products in the store though so some things do slip in. There's one associate in particular who would return anything that would scan. He'd take returns of store brands from other stores becuase he didn't know they were exclusive to other stores and they came up in our computer (liek target circo fleece blankets showed up as shoes). LOL He was reeducated to READ the computer screen before telling it to accept the item and isn't at the service desk anymore. We're also not supposed to accept TRU items -again due to the cost involved in finding a TRU that carries it and transfering. But basically as long as we have it in our store you can return it. Or exchange sizes.

BRU also price matches sales ads - TRU does not.

We do get a lot of scam artists. And it truely sucks to be standing there returning something KNOWING it's a scam and not being able to do anything with the manager standing over yoru shoulder also with his hands tied becuase it can't be proved. Like the out of state return for 3 $50+ ear thermometors she 'got as extra at her shower'. All different brands and no she doesn't have a registry. Oh yeah - our registry does act like a gift reciept (currently) if you don't have a reciept for the item. And we aren't supposed to accept return on formula because thre's a "ring" in the area that's scamming WIC and stores. They get their WIC vouchers for formula, get the formula from wherever and then come to our store (or a grocery) to return it for store credit. The worst is the woman who came in claiming her baby died and she needed to return all this formula she didn't need. Totally lieing and when her drivers liscence was ran she had returned multiple quanties of formula at other BRU/TRU stores in the last year. As the front end supervisor said after she left w/o making her return - that's a lot of dead babies. So it's people like that who make it hard for normal honest people or people like the poor new dad who's sent to the store by his wife and gets the wrong formula or item to return things.

Targets policies began changing a LONG time ago. I do know that they've had the 2 returns a year w/o a reciept thing for at least 5 years becuase when I discovered it my oldest was an only child. I found out about the exchange for an item in the same section when I was pg with my middle, so that's been about 5 years also, though at that time it was the same department. I haven't ever been told the same 3ft square section of the store. This year they've implemented the $20 rule and apperantly have revoked the registries acting as gift reciepts. I shop Target all the time because as a company I like them better than Walmart who I will NOT shop at. I don't normally return things anyways, and their policy is on their reciept and at the Customer Service desk so if I buy anything there I think I might need to return I'll just be sure to hang on to the reciept.

An aside - why is it always things that the MIL buys that we end up returning? I just realized almost everything I have ever had to return was purchased by one MIL or the other.....

 

[tlbwriter]

She has stated her MIL does not believe in credit/debit cards. So, that won't work.

But she does write checks, so there's a chance she wrote a check for the DVD. And Target can look up receipts when the item was paid by check just as easily as they can when it was paid by CC. So it's worth a shot.

 

[tlbwriter]

The same shirt in two sizes are two different SKUs in Target's system. So to you it looks like a like for like exchange. To Target's computers, you might as well be exchanging the shirt for a frying pan. Silly, but that's the nature of product SKUs.

That's odd. I know I've exchanged an item for a different size (bought it on sale, by the time I made it back to get a different size it was no longer on sale, but I wanted the sale price - no problem!)

 

[Tinkermommy]

I do shop at Target - alot! But I get frustrated with their return policy. I always use my Amex card so if I lose a receipt I know they can look it up.

One problem I had recently was I bought a $5 lipstick. There are no testers of course and when I took it home it looked terrible. I took it back a week later and had my receipt. They told me, sorry you can't get your money back on any beauty products. I did call the manager over and complain and he did authorize the return this one time!

I will not buy any beauty products from them again! They don't offer testers and if the product doesn't work, then you are stuck!

Also, I spend thousands of dollars at Target a year. They probably have a profile on every customer in their database so they know all about me and how much I spend. They should be setting up profiles of customers in their system. If you are a chronic "returner" with no reciept you have a certain status. If you are regular and lucrative customer, then a $5 return (with a receipt) every year should not be a hassle!

 

[crisi]

That's odd. I know I've exchanged an item for a different size (bought it on sale, by the time I made it back to get a different size it was no longer on sale, but I wanted the sale price - no problem!)

They can do it, they need to know HOW to do it - and when you are talking about a $7 an hour employee, that gets tricky. SKU for SKU is easy. SKU for different SKU involves (I would guess, I don't know Target's systems well) a different and more complex process.

 

[HannaBelle]

I refuse to shop at Target or TRU. You do not always have a receipt when it is a gift and their return policies are unflexible.

It is my choice to shop where I like and I will exercise it.

I use to shop at Target for everything. Groceries, gifts, clothes, housewares, automotive, dog food etc, shoes...anything and everything they sold... I bet I spent an average of $500 a month on stuff and it is their loss.

 

[nataliela]

Target has had this return policy for what...4 yrs? 5 yrs? I never have a problem with it.

Anywhere you return something without a reciept is going to give you the lowest price they offered it at. (like sale prices,etc)

You could try Walmart I guess.

Target's return policy has been in place for quite some time...many years. I think it is rather generous especially the fact that you have 90 days to return something. Many places, particularly clothing stores and other more seasonal shops, give you 10 days or 2 weeks. I never keep my Target receipts so I always just give them the cc I used to purchase the item and they look it up that way. It has never, ever been a problem. Perhaps you can do that with the DVD. I don't know a store in America that will let you return an item that has been on sale WITHOUT A RECEIPT and give you the highest price. They always give you the lowest price in that situation.

Also, it isn't the same item. It is the same movie but a different item. If it was the same item, she wouldn't need to return it.

Happy Shopping

Taitai

Target has had this policy for YEARS. It isn't new, unlike what some are saying. I do agree that since you're exchanging for the same title it shouldn't matter. If you wanted a different movie I could understand them saying no, but you don't. It's not like you're buying them, watching them and then returning them. I know their policy but even I have had some issues. I can't make someone give me a gift receipt, and you can't always ask the person for one either. I think Kmart is worse though....I went to return something there that had their name on it and they told me it wasn't theirs! It said KMART on it!!! I finally got the receipt from my inlaws and was able to return it, but seriously!?!? It had their name on it and the girl tried to say it wasn't theirs!!! LOL!

Maybe not in all stores…The store in my town has only been open for maybe 3 ½ years. I know for sure that I have brought in a truck load of stuff, like after Christmas with no receipts or any record that I got it there, and returned it for a gift card that could be used on anything in the store.

I'm one that loves to shop at Target BECAUSE I don't have to keep my receipts since they can look up my credit card. That being said, I've recently started keeping them anyway. I spent $89 on a rug that I didn't like once I got it home. When I took it back, it didn't show up. I knew without a doubt which credit card I had used, but I gave her both just in case. Still didn't show up. Luckily, I was able to dig through the trash and find the receipt. When I took it back, they couldn't even do the return with the receipt. The girl ended up having to call a manager over, who actually had to call somewhere else to get an approval to credit my card back. She even had to argue with whoever she was talking to, as I overheard her say, "Look, I'm staring at the receipt right now!!" Nobody had an explanation for why it happened, but had I not found the receipt, I'd have been ticked!

This happened to me also. I bought a bathing suit bottom…didn’t fit, just wanted to exchange the size. I had the receipt that stated “mossimo bottom $14.99” the bathing suits tag stated “mossimo $14.99” but had different sku numbers???? It was the only bathing suit bottom that I had bought in the past year. The lady looked at me like I was trying the scam them. I also put it on my debit card, but when they searched by that it didn’t show up either. The bottom is now in my give away pile.

Last Spring I bought a few pair of shorts for DS at Target and stuck them in the closet after he tried them on. Fast forward a few months. I wash one pair of the shorts and they come out of the dryer looking like absolute CRAP. So I get the other pair, brand new with all the tags attached, and take them back to Target. They do receipt look up and they tell me it has been more than 90 days since I bought them so I can have $3. And it counts as one of my 2 returns per year.

I am a nanny. My boss bought a pack of diapers for her DD that are one size too small. She asked me to take them back and get the next size. She didn't have the receipt. Target made me give my DL#, and since the diapers were on sale the week before they made me pay $1 to get the new diapers. Nice. I told my boss I had to "burn" my last Target return on those diapers, so if I need something returned in the next year she will have to return it for me!

Yeah! Its like “Are you return worthy” (sponge worthy from Seinfeld) My aunt asked me to return something and I told her no!




I worked in retail so I do understand the amount of scammers and shoplifters, but the access that Target has to their customers purchasing information should protect them from returning 2 items under $20 per year. Last year I got married….I wasn’t registered there, but I got some items...such as a blender, pillowcases, and a photo album. I returned the blender and pillowcases for other items in their section. When I went to return the photo album, I was told I couldn’t because I met my “quota”. If I would have known about their policy, I would have kept the pillow cases. She also told me that if I would have been registered there, I could return it???

 

[maxiesmom]

I refuse to shop at Target or TRU. You do not always have a receipt when it is a gift and their return policies are unflexible.

It is my choice to shop where I like and I will exercise it.

I'm curious, what stores can you still shop at? Because there is not a single store that I can think of that will give you cash back, or full price, for a return without a receipt. Every store I can think of offers in store credit for the lowest price the item was sold at.

If you are buying a gift, ask for a gift receipt. Put it in the box with the gift, and there will be no worries! There is no excuse for not having a receipt of any kind, except for laziness.

 

[jessica52877]

If it is a gift then you wouldn't have a receipt.

I too don't shop Toys R Us or Target, really neither because of their return policy, I have never had issues either place, guess since I seldom shop there and save my receipts and seldom return it is a non issue, but their customer service both places is horrible. TRU always has one register open, 3 workers standing around and lines down the aisle, thus we rarely rarely rarely go there! I will choose not to shop somewhere due to their customer service and really there are tons of stores to choose from.

 

[tinatark]

Also, I spend thousands of dollars at Target a year. They probably have a profile on every customer in their database so they know all about me and how much I spend. They should be setting up profiles of customers in their system. If you are a chronic "returner" with no reciept you have a certain status. If you are regular and lucrative customer, then a $5 return (with a receipt) every year should not be a hassle!

Ding, Ding, Ding - we have a winner!

Stores do maintain customer databases - if not by name (like with a grocery reward card), by credit card/checking account id. I believe Sam's Club does this - I frequently return there without a receipt for store credit with no hassles. They use my member number and drivers license number. I get store credit for returns, even though the purchases are typically paid via Discover (Sam's Club credit) - so they're not looking up the purchase then making the return.

The absolute worst place to return without a receipt is Belk's - they give you a store credit for the lowest sales price within a specified time period - I wish I could buy stuff for the "lowest sales price" they've offered on returns!

Also, Target limits seasonal returns, even with a receipt I think they give lowest sale price for a return.

 

[Lovin' Lorne]

I understand that it is frustrating, but do as a consumer you need to understand each store's return policy. If you don't like a store's return policy, don't shop there. But honestly, if you expect any kind of service, you need to save your receipt! I can't think of a single store who will give you full price back without a receipt, and Target has not even done exchanges without a receipt for at least 2 years. It is not the store's fault that you didn't get a gift receipt, or save the original one. The consumer needs to be responsible enough to hang on to their receipts. It isn't hard, and it is not much to ask.

I worked for the Target Corp. for over 23 years. Not at an actual Target, but for another store in their company. We all had the same basic return policy, and I have to admit that things got a lot better after we adopted their policy. It amazes me how many people don't understand that your receipt is your proof of purchase. What in the world is so hard about keeping your receipt? And while receipt look up is a wonderful thing, I've also worked many days where it was either down, or just plain couldn't find the transaction. Now what? I can't pull it up and you can't prove it. I'm supposed to take your word for it because you're a good person? I don't know you. Keep your receipt.

As far as the shoes go, shoe returns are totally subjective. Our store policy is to only accept returns on unworn shoes, or shoes that are defective. And if the shoes are worn by a child, even a week, they can be hard on them. Dragging the toes, or running thru the mud. Stitching pulling apart is a defect. The rubber around the sole coming off because little Tommy was dragging his feet on the ground when skateboarding is not. I have to make a judgement call when returning shoes. And I can say that I have seen shoes that parent said were worn for only a week that looked like they have been thru a war. So it is totally up to the associate at customer service if they feel they can accept a shoe return or not.

OMG, shoes. I DREADED the call to talk to a customer about their shoes. Like you said, there's a HUGE difference between a defect and excessive wear. Some people, and it's more people than most would ever imagine, try to get their kids at least two free pair of shoes every six months. We used to know them by sight. And it's not just shoes. You'd be surprised at what some people tried to get away with. One of the best ones that I can remember off hand was the guy who bought three pairs of 501 Levis, WASHED THEM ALL, stuck them in his closet, then proceded to lose 30 pounds over the next 2 months. He brought back the jeans and threw a fit when we told him that he couldn't return or exchange them, just because he'd lost some weight. "All" he wanted to do was exchange them. Too bad. They had been washed. We can't re-sell them, and there was nothing wrong with them.

I think if everyone had a chance to see the people who force retailers to tighten up their refund/return policies in action, they'd have a better understanding. It's the crooks and cheats who mess it up for everyone. I know there are a lot of things I miss about my job, but for the most part, the customers aren't one of them.

 

[chocovrdmicears]

ugh. shoe returns...

I was a store manager for a childrens clothing store...without fail every year around the holidays we had parents with their kids in strollers all dressed up for their Christmas pictures with no shoes on ...they would buy shoes...and 1/2 hour late come back to return the shoes....

 

[bluehen]

a few years ago we had registered for some kitchen things there for our wedding. well, someone didnt do it correctly and we wound up with two of something. so we tried to bring it back and since we didnt have the receipt they would only let us get something from within that section-- not in the housewares/kitchen department, but from that actual quarter of the aisle of the store. (they claimed that it had to end in a certain number or something- can't quite remember the details.) well, obviously there's only so much stuff you need from one very limited section of merchandise. i was very angry and regretted the fact that i had ever even registered there. they could even pull up my registry and see all the stuff that had been bought for me, but they were unwilling to give me one stupid return.

i still shop at target, but i always keep my receipts until i know i dont need to return something. and anything that can be bought at walmart instead i buy there simply because i know they have a much better return policy.

This happened to my son too. Target never updated the registry, so of course they got 2 and 3 of some items. They were not even allowed to return for credit ( this was in Boston) because the items were not bought there off the registry, and they had no receipt. Needless to say...WE DO NOT SHOP AT TARGET anymore.


Wayne

 

[Floridagal23]

I love target, but I have heard - and witnessed at the return line in customer service - more horror stories of people receiving multiple or incorrect items off of registries with little recourse. I will never register there!

It shouldn't be a problem to exchange if your MIL comes in with her receipt. I have returned things just having them look up my credit card info. Once I returned w/out receipt and got cash back.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Okay, going a little askew...
I'm not getting the issue with Target's Wedding Registry, especially their refusal to accept some items as returns:
- Does "items not bought there off the registry" mean guests went to target or target.com, noted some of the items on the registry, then bought the item/s at some other store? If so, why would Target take those back? And why would Target be reasonably (or even unreasonably) expected to update the registry if the item was not purchased at Target?
- Ditto for "incorrect" items: Incorrect how? The wrong pattern? Wrong version? Wrong item? I'm not sure when etiquette changed, but aren't registries requests, or suggestions, for items the couple wants? When did it become required that a guest give a 'gift' the couple, well, frankly, demanded?

 

[nataliela]

Okay, going a little askew...
I'm not getting the issue with Target's Wedding Registry, especially their refusal to accept some items as returns:
- Does "items not bought there off the registry" mean guests went to target or target.com, noted some of the items on the registry, then bought the item/s at some other store? If so, why would Target take those back? And why would Target be reasonably (or even unreasonably) expected to update the registry if the item was not purchased at Target?
- Ditto for "incorrect" items: Incorrect how? The wrong pattern? Wrong version? Wrong item? I'm not sure when etiquette changed, but aren't registries requests, or suggestions, for items the couple wants? When did it become required that a guest give a 'gift' the couple, well, frankly, demanded?

no,

ex- A guest goes on tuesday and buys a blender that is on the registry. Target does not update the couple's registry. On Friday a different guest buys the same blender because it shows up as avaliable on the registry. After the wedding, couple opens gifts and finds the same two blenders that were on their registry.