I am so OVER Target (rant warning)

[disdreams77]

This is my fav store. Love it. Till the last couple of weeks. I placed three separate orders for Disney Gift cards on Black Friday. (the only store limited me to a certain number of cards per order...I wasn't trying to create multiple orders). With each confirmation I received a nice note letting me know that the order qualified me for the 20% off coupon that could be redeemed the first week of December. This coupon would be delivered via email on November 28. I never received a single one of these coupons. No email, no junk mail, never got them. I called and after 2 hours of runaround on the phone I was told they couldn't help me. I then went to the store. I actually had one of the coupons from physically shopping in the store and after about 30 minutes of arguing in the store the manager wrote on the back of the coupon (customer can use the coupon three times). Well, that didn't work. It is single use and can't be used more than one. I tried today. So, I called again. Was hung up on twice after they told me they couldn't help me. I was so furious that I called back again. The lady told me that they had emailed me and told me that I wasn't going to be receiving these coupons because the gift card orders didn't qualify. I told her by now they are just making stuff up. This is ridiculous. Has anyone had this experience? This is insane .

 

[allison443]

Why can't you just use the one physical coupon you received in the store? I believe the coupon can be used once online and once in the store. Why do you need the emailed ones if you already have one? I do understand your frustration but is it worth hours of your time? Unless I am missing the reason which is entirely possible!

 

[wendow]

I never received my coupon either (placed two qualifying orders on BF). I did go to CS desk and get a 20% coupon. I am annoyed that after 3 or 4 (lost track) phone calls to Target Guest relations which had holds of 30'ish mins each, I still got no help. But I am moving on. I actually don't shop at Target that much anymore...used to be there 3-4 times a week...but their prices are higher than my regular grocery store so I've begun shopping elsewhere. I only use Target really these days for Disney gift cards.

 

[Albort]

i guess u just gotta ask the right questions, haha. I had an issue with 1 package arriving and the other item mia. Something happened between target and the shipper, they told me to keep waiting... but i was like no, u find out whats going on... they ended up giving me a $5 gc and now the package is moving... :]

 

[SUSIEQ]

I only use Target really these days for Disney gift cards.

Same here!!! Not a big Target fan because of their poor customer service!

 

[threecrazykids]

I'm a little irritated with Target right now too...even though I love the store. My situation is different, but still rubbed me the wrong way. I had been trying to buy the Beats solo 2 in white for my daughter for Christmas. Since Black Friday those had been 99.96 on all available colors (for a good 2 weeks). Only available colors left were purple, pink, blue, and I believe green. For the last 2 weeks, I'd been checking the stores, and online...trying to see if they'd get them back in stock. The price never changed and the inventory all showed "out of stock" at all the nearby stores for white.

I finally found the white ones at Best Buy and they price matched them to the Target price.

Then, the day after I bought them, I get a notification from my Cartwheel app with a 30% coupon for any Beats. I was thinking if I could get them for the 99.96 with a 30% coupon on any of the colors left I would get a pair for my son for his birthday next year.

I go in and look, low and behold ALL the colors are now available...but the price? 199.99 with the 30% off coupon.

That just ticked me off. I know it's all a game in retail, and supply and demand. It just annoyed me that everything miraculously came back in stock on the exact day the price went up over $100.

 

[supersnoop]

I'm a little irritated with Target right now too...even though I love the store. My situation is different, but still rubbed me the wrong way. I had been trying to buy the Beats solo 2 in white for my daughter for Christmas. Since Black Friday those had been 99.96 on all available colors (for a good 2 weeks). Only available colors left were purple, pink, blue, and I believe green. For the last 2 weeks, I'd been checking the stores, and online...trying to see if they'd get them back in stock. The price never changed and the inventory all showed "out of stock" at all the nearby stores for white.

I finally found the white ones at Best Buy and they price matched them to the Target price.

Then, the day after I bought them, I get a notification from my Cartwheel app with a 30% coupon for any Beats. I was thinking if I could get them for the 99.96 with a 30% coupon on any of the colors left I would get a pair for my son for his birthday next year.

I go in and look, low and behold ALL the colors are now available...but the price? 199.99 with the 30% off coupon.

That just ticked me off. I know it's all a game in retail, and supply and demand. It just annoyed me that everything miraculously came back in stock on the exact day the price went up over $100.

You can go to Guest Services and request a rain check and you'd get the original price when they come back in stock.

 

[supersnoop]

Why can't you just use the one physical coupon you received in the store? I believe the coupon can be used once online and once in the store. Why do you need the emailed ones if you already have one? I do understand your frustration but is it worth hours of your time? Unless I am missing the reason which is entirely possible!

The barcode is a unique number that will only work once.

 

[Dakota731]

Funny I'm having a hassle with them right now. Offering $2 coupon and 25% off on Kleenex yet won't come off in my cart. I've spend an hour to save a few dollars and the chat rep is not getting it and is clueless . I will stick with Amazon.

 

[powellrj]

Mine is on the closing list. It will close at the end of January. They have told everyone to use the stores in other towns. Of course they are both over 45 minutes away.

 

[Alexle2007]

Sorry for your experience. I actually have received incredible customer service in the stores. I forgot to use my Cartwheels on my purchase, went up to the guest services, the employee rounded up and handed me the cash. I was looking for a certain PS4 wasn't at the store, the employee gave me a list of stores that were supposed to have it. I called one almost an hour from my house, the gentleman went out of his way to locate it and told me to take my time getting there that he would hold it to the end of the day. Got to the store, he had it waiting for me. My wishlist discount wouldn't work and he graciously took the discount off for me.

 

[Jake&IzzyLand]

I get annoyed at my items never showing the sale price at check out. I have to watch that screen like a hawk! I don't have a Target in my town, so it's even less cool when that happens. I have been diminishing my shopping trips there and I am saving so much money! I only go there for very specific reasons now so I am not in that Target over spending cycle. I find I can get most I need at my Grocery combining sales and digital coupons or amazon. I do need a shower curtain and bath mat, so I will go to target for that, I really like the Threshold brand, but I will not buy anything else!

 

[disneybirds]

I had the same issue as the OP. I placed an order and never received the 20% coupon. I called CS and it took about 30 minutes and they sent me a $5 gift card, but no coupon. I would rather have the coupon!

 

[Brancaneve]

Sometimes I feel like all these stores engage me in a game that I just don't want to play anymore. It's like that game where something is hidden under a cup and then the cups move around really fast and you have to guess which cup. Yay....I'm over it.

 

[smokeyblue]

I had a recent interaction with Target that made me pretty mad. I wanted a bath/beauty product that wasn't sold in stores so I also ordered the other bath/beauty items I intended to buy that were attached to a $5 gift card offer. I had never done this before, so I didn't know if they card would just be magically delivered to my email or in an envelope in the box or what. The card never came. I had very diligently made sure that each item was included in the promotion, and on-line it is obvious as there is a little graphic that says $5 gift card promotion under the item listing. I called CS and they looked into it, told me the products weren't included. I explained to him my excessive diligence in selecting the products and that they were most certainly included. He went back again, said they would offer me a card as a "one time courtesy". UGGH that is my least favorite phrase EVER!!! If a customer service person wants to make me mad, they just need to say this. I told him that I didn't want the card as a one-time courtesy and that I wanted to speak to a manager.

So I spoke with the manager, explained to her that I would not accept the card as a "one-time courtesy", that I found it unacceptable to be treated if I was asking for something that I wasn't owed. She went over my purchases again and compared them with the ad. Turns out one of the items wasn't programmed in for the promotion even though it should have been. She gave me my card and that was that.

I know this seems a little crazy to go through all this trouble, but I have had this happen many times with the $5 gift card offers. Also getting a little sick of having to look on more than one page for their exclusions and vague wording. One time there was an iPad ad with trade in offer that has their exclusions on 4 different pages!

 

[havaneselover]

I had a recent interaction with Target that made me pretty mad. I wanted a bath/beauty product that wasn't sold in stores so I also ordered the other bath/beauty items I intended to buy that were attached to a $5 gift card offer. I had never done this before, so I didn't know if they card would just be magically delivered to my email or in an envelope in the box or what. The card never came. I had very diligently made sure that each item was included in the promotion, and on-line it is obvious as there is a little graphic that says $5 gift card promotion under the item listing. I called CS and they looked into it, told me the products weren't included. I explained to him my excessive diligence in selecting the products and that they were most certainly included. He went back again, said they would offer me a card as a "one time courtesy". UGGH that is my least favorite phrase EVER!!! If a customer service person wants to make me mad, they just need to say this. I told him that I didn't want the card as a one-time courtesy and that I wanted to speak to a manager.

So I spoke with the manager, explained to her that I would not accept the card as a "one-time courtesy", that I found it unacceptable to be treated if I was asking for something that I wasn't owed. She went over my purchases again and compared them with the ad. Turns out one of the items wasn't programmed in for the promotion even though it should have been. She gave me my card and that was that.

I know this seems a little crazy to go through all this trouble, but I have had this happen many times with the $5 gift card offers. Also getting a little sick of having to look on more than one page for their exclusions and vague wording. One time there was an iPad ad with trade in offer that has their exclusions on 4 different pages!

You probably know this by now, but when you order online anything with a gift card promo, the free gift card is in your cart.

There's a guy at my CVS who can never find the coupons attached to my extra care card. I show them on the app that they are there. So twice he has made a one time exception for me but the first time he suggested that someone else like my husband (I'm not married) who I share the card with had already claimed the coupon.

 

[smokeyblue]

You probably know this by now, but when you order online anything with a gift card promo, the free gift card is in your cart.

There's a guy at my CVS who can never find the coupons attached to my extra care card. I show them on the app that they are there. So twice he has made a one time exception for me but the first time he suggested that someone else like my husband (I'm not married) who I share the card with had already claimed the coupon.

I just bought some paper towels on a gift card promo yesterday and voila, the gift card promo showed up when I checked out. So now I know what is supposed to happen.

I do like a one time courtesy when it is actually a courtesy! Like when I screwed up and didn't hit the second yes I really want to make this payment button when paying a credit card on-line and the CC company waived the fee.

 

[jenf22]

Same here. No coupon. I sent 3 emails (got one response) and spent 45 minutes on the phone with them. The email response I got said I couldn't use the 20% off coupon for purchasing gift cards. WHAT???? That's not even close to what I was asking for. I never got the coupon. Apparently, they never actually read my email nor did they read (or respond) to my response to their email. Like the OP, Target has been my favorite store to go to (I like Amazon more than all!). I'm toying with filing a complain with the BBB. This is false advertising and it's just wrong. We spent the money to get the promo and they never sent the promo. And from what I can tell on various other websites, we're not the only people who got missed. If I have time this week, I'll check the BBB to see if other people have filed this complaint.

 

[DisneyHardin]

I am another Target lover that is getting a little frustrated with them too. On Black Friday I had found 2 smallish items that I wanted to price match. I went to the CS desk to do it and the lady told me "we don't price match on Black Friday." I asked her where I could find that rule. She didn't know and sent me to the front end manager who then told me the same thing. I told her that I had specifically gone over their entire Price Match policy on their website to make sure I could price match these deals and no where did it say I couldn't. I even had their Black Friday ad with me that detailed their price match policy on the back page. She then called over the store manager who told me the same thing. I again asked where this policy was available for the public to see. She didn't know. I showed her the back of the ad that told all about it and asked her "So, you are telling me that you are not willing to do what is printed in your ad?" Finally she huffed and puffed and walked me back over the Customer Service where she told the lady to just go ahead and do the price match.

If Target wants to not allow price matching on Black Friday, that is absolutely fine, but they need to have that information out there for the public to see and not print IN THEIR AD that they do it.

 

[ten6mom]

I had the same issue (not receiving my 20% coupon). I emailed customer service, who initially said they didn't know what promotion I was referring to. (really????) So I did a screen shot of my confirmation email that said I qualified for the coupon, etc. They wrote back yesterday to suggest that I take my proof of purchase to a store to get my coupon. No, I already provided proof of my purchase to YOU and YOU should be the one to send a coupon!

Not pleased with Target online. I generally get decent service in their stores, however.