The gap is dying. This is a stupid policy, created just to cut losses. They're overpriced for what they sell anyway.

@CaffiendCA:
I've never been fond of the Gap either, but I do have a soft spot for Old Navy. I like the clothes and I can usually find them for cheap!
That, and I don't have to go to the mall, as we have a big free standing store where I live.

From GAPs point of view, i understand why they do this. To generate multiple reciepts for the same item can lead to problems for them down the road. Obviously it would be nice to click 'give me a free box' and have it pop up and tell you that your getting one big gift reciept. Ive had similar problems in stores needing only gift reciepts for single items in a purchase (Best buy!!!!!!) and resorting to buying everything seperately. This was a few years ago and i know most stores have fixed that problem since then (stopping the hate train). I think its a good think for everybody to understand that some stores cannot generate seperate reciepts and research into each stores policy is needed before making a gift purchase.

@CaffiendCA: I like their outlet stores. I've gotten amazing deals there.

@KreativeHitman13: This is a good point. A good rule of thumb when you're in a B&M is just to separate the items. It may be somewhat of an inconvenience, but if you're buying one thing for yourself, and one for someone else, a slightly less experienced cashier may end up messing it all up, and issuing one gift receipt for both items. And if you really needed to get it fixed, the cashier would have to call a manager and void the entire transaction and do it all over again.

@pecan 3.14159265: You buy gifts at outlet stores? I just ripped up your christmas party invite. Waka waka waka!

Have you tried taking your purchase to a Gap retail store and talking to a manager? Im sure they could accommodate you if you explain the situation. It sounds you only talked to someone over the phone at the 800 number.

@BroScience: I agree, I'd try that.. I would make sure to bring the invoice and a printed copy of the email confirmation as well.

So did the OP actually need to return anything? If they do need to return anything, then the GAP can be held to the terms of its return policy regardless of which receipt they issued you. They can't require an "original receipt" if they didn't issue you one. Even if they issued a gift receipt, assuming that the recipient was the receiver of a gift, then they still needed to issue and actual receipt to the purchaser.

I'd be surprised if their customer service and stores actually try to hold this line. If they do, start a chargeback and/or take them to small claims court. Do not accept store credit from a company that could imminently file bankruptcy - it may soon be worthless - of course, so could a judgment so chargeback is the best course of action.

@pecan 3.14159265: Just know that the Gap makes clothes specifically for their outlets, at less than retail quality. Some stuff is retail, but a good bit is outlet only.

I agree with fantomesq. If they refuse a return for cash, chargeback. Don't put up with it, don't waste time with them. If they say no, do a chargeback.

@temporaryerror: it's called disposable clothing.

@KreativeHitman13: This isn't about the policy itself - this is about the way and location in which it is explained. Other websites in the Gap, Inc. franchise display it in a logical location, why not Gap?

@CaffiendCA: I know that, and it doesn't really bother me. I go there for some casual stuff, and it doesn't bother me that the $9 skirt isn't nearly as great quality as the $60 skirt they have at the regular Gap store, because I wasn't going to pay $60 for a skirt anyway.

@CaffiendCA: I'm good with that...I've been really happy with all the outlet stuff I've gotten. It's better than Old Navy, the styling is more in line with Gap's clothing, but it's cheaper. I'm totally in favor of that.

@BroScience: The problem with that is employees, even managers, have no control over what happens with Gap.com, OldNavy.com, etc. They're basically separate entities that (almost always) sell the same stuff. They did decide that because all of the merchandise is the same, that stores would be able to accept merchandise delivered from the online stores, unless it clearly states on the invoice that the item must be sent back from where it came from (online exclusive merchandise). However, the current POS system set up is VERY limited in what employees can and can not do for someone returning merchandise bought online. It stinks, but we can only work with what we've got.

I've had really good experiences talking to Gap managers about jeans that haven't met my standards of quality or longevity- though I would expect that when jeans are $55. While expensive, they're also a store where I can go in and immediately find any cut I desire.

@bunnymare: Would there be a problem doing a chargeback on merchandise like this? You would either have to keep the merchandise and get the money back or keep the store credit and keep the money back.

@KreativeHitman13: Really???? Problems?... Target doesn't seem to have any issues. This is simply a way for them to, in the short term, generate profit at the expense of customer loyalty.

@fantomesq: Exactly what I was thinking. Their return policy is hinged on having an original receipt. If they don't issue you an original receipt then you get to ruffle some feathers. I'd also drop a line to your state's AG. This sounds like a sneaky way to take your money.

@KreativeHitman13: "To generate multiple reciepts for the same item can lead to problems for them down the road."

What? This doesn't make sense at all. You are not making "multiple copies" of the same receipt, you are making one "original receipt" then making another that is titled "Gift Receipt". Those are 2 different items.

PLUS ... when you go to the store, you get both receipts. There should be no difference, receipt wise, between a purchase in a store and a purchase online, albeit some indication on the receipt it was an online order.

@temporaryerror: I worked at ON for about 6 months. The clothing cuts are ridiculously inconsistent. That's my gripe about them. Yes, cheap clothes. But also pretty lousy quality.

@KreativeHitman13: I know all stores are different, but if you are shopping for gifts at Kohl's, please do not do the whole "buy every item separately". We can generate individual gift receipts for EACH gift item. In one transaction.

I've had people still insist on doing 5+ transactions even after I explain this to them, because they "don't want to get things confused." It just wastes everyone's time.

From a retail worker's perspective, this does seem entirely wrong that they are doing this to you. Unless you specifically stated in your purchase that this was going to be a gift (and they probably had page to input the recipient's address on, so you would know if this were the case), they should not have issued you a gift receipt. At least that's how it works with my store's online retail.

That they can not produce an original receipt is most likely a lie. You should insist on speaking to someone who can resolve your issue at gap.com. The store is probably not a good place to go, because as was stated earlier, store and .com are not necessarily run by the same people. You should not have to keep a store credit because of the assumption they made about your purchase.

What is the point of even getting a gift receipt. They are the biggest waste of paper ever imagined. The idea is so the person your are giving the gift to doesnt know how much you spent on them but if they return the item using the GIFT receipt they know how much you spent on them ANYWAY because they get the same amount in store credit. Even more important why should I even CARE if a gift recipient knows how much I spent on them. All that matters is that I gave them something and I thought about them

@TheKuudere: Maybe you didnt read what i wrote down, and thats okay. I said that a few years ago this was a problem, but most store have ways around that now to do gift reciepts on single items in one mass purchase. And as far as not giving two seperate reciepts for the same purchase, its a loss prevention measure. I know, i worked in retail for 3 years. You get either a gift recipt or a detailed reciept. Not both. Read what people write before you dig into it. For those of you who dont read what people post firt before commenting back guess what? Your the perfect example of people who get stuck in these situations. Lack of information even though its available. Life lesson.

@temporaryerror:

I think Old Navy is awful.

You can get better quality clothing for equally as cheap at many other retailers. Old Navy is a lot like Wal-Mart. They market themselves as a great bargain, and people buy into it. For me, a great bargain is picking up something that won't fall apart after one wash for the same price as a throw-away item at Old Navy.

The Gap return policy doesn't appear to mention an original receipt:

Unwashed, unworn, or defective merchandise may be returned by mail or to any US location within 45 days of original purchase date.

[www.gap.com]

This isn't a new policy - I bought something from their website as a gift at least two years ago and returned it to a store because it was too big. It came only with a gift invoice, with letter codes instead of prices, and no one behind the counter knew what they meant. They finally refunded me full price based on the store price (which was okay, since I'd gotten it on sale).

@KreativeHitman13: I didn't actually mean the comment specifically toward you, I made it as a general suggestion to anyone who might think that these things aren't possible to do. I was agreeing with you, but it felt best to stick it under your comment since it was about the same thing, rather than create a separate comment. I'm sorry that it was construed differently. =)

However, there is one thing that we might disagree on. In B&M stores (not sure if that was what you meant when you said "retail"), it is completely possible to give both a detailed receipt and a gift receipt. Both would contain different barcodes that would link to the same initial purchase, so if either was used to return Item A, the other receipt would not be able to. I even don't have a problem with people making copies of their receipts and giving them as gift receipts (although some places would). The coding in the receipt does not allow more than one return for any given individual item. At least, this is standard for any up-to-date store. So, in most stores, it is not a loss prevention issue anymore.

If I've misread what you meant, please feel free to tell me.

@aguacarbonica: oh i usually get at least 6 washes out of an old navy t shirt. but then, that's why i only buy them when i can get 2 for under $10 on clearance, and have a coupon.
the really bonus thing about old navy tissue paper tshirts is that they make great soft rags for cleaning my glasses after they disintegrate

If you need to do a return, bring in the credit card you used to make the purchase, and there is a chance they may be able to pull up your receipt. Then you'll just get the credit back on your card. Not guaranteed since the system can be down, but certainly worth a try.

@Gorphlog: Actually, a gift receipt does more than that. If you give the person the real receipt, they can't get anything in return because the money would go back to the purchaser. If they hand over a gift receipt, the store employee understands that the credit or money must go to the gift recipient.

@ajmccoll: I used to be a manager at Old Navy. Granted, the POS system could have changed in the past 3 years but I recall being able to do pretty much what I wanted on the POS. We used to make exceptions for customers all the time because, as managers, that's what we were suppose to do, make customers happy. The only time we adhered to policy was 1) If the customer's story sounded fishy or 2) They were being rude.

All the Gap brand use the same POS (we used to borrow mangers and sales associates from our sister brands during emergencies).

I've worked for several retailers and basically, there is very little that a manager can't do on the POS. There are lots of things that we're not SUPPOSE to do but there is very little that we CAN'T do... Which is why it pays to be civil when you have a complaint. If you're rude to me, I will state the policy and the policy clearly says, "No". If you're civil, "Sure! No problem! I can fix that for you!"

@katstermonster: @KreativeHitman13:

I'm the OP (emailed the post to The Consumerist)

@katstermonster: Thank you for reiterating this so succinctly. The real issue seems to be overlooked by a lot of people.

@KreativeHitman13: Regarding your comment about a lack of information despite its availability: The information regarding gift receipt issuance is contained within the site, however, it isn't presented in a manner that makes it easily accessible to shoppers. This is the main concern. I certainly believe people should be aware of store policies prior to making purchases, but I also believe companies have a responsibility to convey such information as clearly as possible.

The matter of not being able to receive a regular invoice in addition to the gift receipt is a separate issue, however, it's a problem (for me) that arose in part due to the lack of transparency mentioned above. As @TheKuudere mentioned, most B&M stores (Gap, Banana Republic, Target, etc) are able to print both detailed receipts and gift receipts for the same purchase. Knowing that Gap retail stores do this, I requested a regular invoice. I don't know if it's a limitation of Gap.com's computer system to only print one type of invoice, as the customer service rep seemed to imply, or if it's a policy. I wasn't asking for multiple copies of regular invoices.