will never shop at Pottery Barn again.....SO MAD!

[Grumpy's Gal]

OK - I'm just venting. I am SO MAD.

My daughter got a paper lantern lamp for xmas from Pottery Barn Teen as a gift. (we didn't order it ourselves)

It came in one box. The cord for it came in another box. (total two boxes)

The people who gave it to her have given us the packing slip. (total cost $29 for the two items)

The lantern is too big for her room. It's 30 " across and it won't fit.

The nearest Pottery Barn to us is a 2 hour round trip. We're going to exchange it for something smaller in size.

So we call to find out the store hours and they tell us: we can bring the items back but we can't have the credit in person. We have to wait for it to come in the mail. They mail the merchandise back to the company and then we wait for our merchandise credit to come in the mail.

So, that would be two hours to return the items and then another two hours to go back and select a new gift.

The other option..........they will come and get it from us and return it for $5 per box ----- $10 total. Our expense.

I'm just mad that we can't take it to the store and return it. We called corporate and they confirmed that it their policy. We talked to a manager higher up , and he also confirmed that it their policy.

I love their merchandise, but I won't shop from their catalogs again.

If anyone else knows of other stores who have this policy, tell me now. I'm taking them off of my list as well. I can't believe they won't let me return it in person........

 

[Mermaid02]

With the receipt?? That's a ridiculous policy. I wouldn't shop their catalog anymore either.

 

[LoraJ]

That stinks.
I think at this point I would just sell the lamp on ebay.

 

[HollyJoy]

That's totally crazy.. I think I'd start going over the salespersons head... try a store manager, and if that doesn't work, contact the catalog customer service number and ask to speak directly to a supervisor.

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

With the receipt?? That's a ridiculous policy. I wouldn't shop their catalog anymore either.

Yes, with the receipt. I also have the packing slips. I even have the original boxes they came in and the original packing label on the box it was shipped in. I have everything.

Yet......I cannot exchange it in person.....

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

That's totally crazy.. I think I'd start going over the salespersons head... try a store manager, and if that doesn't work, contact the catalog customer service number and ask to speak directly to a supervisor.

did all of the above - no luck.

 

[Jen414]

OK - I'm just venting. I am SO MAD.



If anyone else knows of other stores who have this policy, tell me now. I'm taking them off of my list as well. I can't believe they won't let me return it in person........

Old Navy has the same policy if you don't have a receipt. They will not just give you a store credit. You have to wait for the check in the mail.

 

[chamonix]

Yes, with the receipt. I also have the packing slips. I even have the original boxes they came in and the original packing label on the box it was shipped in. I have everything.

Yet......I cannot exchange it in person.....

If you have all that it's really easy to exchange/return it by mail. I would never expect to be able to return a mail order item in a store, but that's just me. I also don't live where there are stores that have catalogs and it would be a 2 hour drive to a Pottery Barn for me too. I think places like Sears and JCPenny let you return their catalog items in their stores, so maybe you/others are used to that, but any place else I wouldn't expect that at all. Return it by mail, it's painless, really. Most catalogs will even send UPS to pick up the box.

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

If you have all that it's really easy to exchange/return it by mail. I would never expect to be able to return a mail order item in a store, but that's just me. I also don't live where there are stores that have catalogs and it would be a 2 hour drive to a Pottery Barn for me too. I think places like Sears and JCPenny let you return their catalog items in their stores, so maybe you/others are used to that, but any place else I wouldn't expect that at all. Return it by mail, it's painless, really. Most catalogs will even send UPS to pick up the box.

It's not painless for me to return it by mail. That is my whole point. They WILL pick it up in person, but charge $5 a box. So now the $29 gift is down to $19 in credit. If I ship it back, I have to pay the postage. This is a 30 inch item in a HUGE box. I can't only imagine what the postage would be. Probably more than the $19 cost of the lamp. Add insurance (reminder -- it's a LAMP)That's why I wish to return it in person.

 

[connorlevismom]

If you have all that it's really easy to exchange/return it by mail. I would never expect to be able to return a mail order item in a store, but that's just me. I also don't live where there are stores that have catalogs and it would be a 2 hour drive to a Pottery Barn for me too. I think places like Sears and JCPenny let you return their catalog items in their stores, so maybe you/others are used to that, but any place else I wouldn't expect that at all. Return it by mail, it's painless, really. Most catalogs will even send UPS to pick up the box.

Most catalog places will let you return it at the store (sears, penny's,eddie bauer, lands end).

The problem with returning it by mail is that you have to pay for it. By the time you ship back a $29 item, your credit wont be worth much.

Kristine

 

[Abbie]

If the people who gave it to her gave you the receipt and the packing slip, can you simply return the item altogether? I realize the credit will go back on the original person's receipt, would they consider just giving you the cash and you can purchase a more suitable lamp somewhere else?

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

Most catalog places will let you return it at the store (sears, penny's,eddie bauer, lands end).

The problem with returning it by mail is that you have to pay for it. By the time you ship back a $29 item, your credit wont be worth much.

Kristine

That's my point exactly. I think it's ridiculous that they won't let you exchange it at the store for something else. I wish someone had told me about this crazy return policy before Christmas. I know I won't be buying anything from their catalog again.

 

[Orange County Girl]

I would probably be annoyed with the person who gave her the gift for purchasing from a catalog-only line of merchandise. That is, unless she specifically asked for that particular lamp.

 

[KirstenB]

This policy bugs me too. I do a lot of shopping at PB/PBK and I try to go to the store (25 miles away) whenever I can. My understanding is they have the discretion to do a return of an internet purchase at the store, but they can also refuse to do it, and then you have to ship the item back. I'll say this policy definitely prevents me from buying more than I already do.

 

[brittsmum1998]

Most catalog places will let you return it at the store (sears, penny's,eddie bauer, lands end).

The problem with returning it by mail is that you have to pay for it. By the time you ship back a $29 item, your credit wont be worth much.

Kristine

Kohls store will also take back merch from the cataologue. i'm doing that tomorrow.

thanks for the warning, I won't shop online there now either.

 

[RitaZ.]

That's lousy customer service. I could understand if you didn't have the receipt, but that's not the case here. Just for my own interest, I checked out their return policy. It's says that returns are easy, but few details are actually listed. No mention of making a return at their stores. http://www.pbteen.com/cust/returnpolicy/cust.cfm I'm sure that the giver didn't intend for your DD to be disappointed and for you to go through this hassle. Is it a family member? Would the credit be issued to you or the person that bought the items? Good luck!

One company that I will never order from again is Hammacher Schlemmer. I ordered a gift for DH in 2006 and paid for their gift wrap. Christmas morning, he opened the gift and it wasn't what I had ordered. It was a disappointing experience, clearly their mistake, but they just didn't care. So, I will never again order from them.

 

[dcgrumpy]

I would probably be annoyed with the person who gave her the gift for purchasing from a catalog-only line of merchandise. That is, unless she specifically asked for that particular lamp.

I don't think the OP said it was catalog only merchandise.

Even if it were I can't believe anyone would be annoyed with the gift giver.

 

[sha_lyn]

Most catalog places will let you return it at the store (sears, penny's,eddie bauer, lands end).

The problem with returning it by mail is that you have to pay for it. By the time you ship back a $29 item, your credit wont be worth much.

I've returned merchandise ordered online to both Walmart and Barnes and Nobel without a problem.

I would probably be annoyed with the person who gave her the gift for purchasing from a catalog-only line of merchandise

I must have missed and keep missing the part where the OP said the item is available only from the catalog.

 

[Orange County Girl]

I don't think the OP said it was catalog only merchandise.

Even if it were I can't believe anyone would be annoyed with the gift giver.

PBTeen isn't sold in stores. It's catalog /internet only.

 

[Tony-NJ]

unfortunately the nearest store is 2 hours away from you - however if you return it then you will get the credit, only it will not be right away. You can use that credit online or in the catalog. I'm not sure why they can't give you the credit in person, that's a little odd. PB is a huge company, they must have their reasons. I'm going to call my contact there to see why this is.