I read your site often, and I now have a situation of my own that I would like to share with you. I am hoping that you might be able to help me or provide some guidance as to how I should proceed.

I ordered eight bridesmaid dresses from Ann Taylor on November 2. The dresses were on sale for $69.44. Even though I only needed four dresses, I decided to order eight after checking the return policy, which stated that I could return the unworn merchandise for 90 days. I did this so my bridesmaids could try on the extra dresses to ensure that they ended up with one that was the right size, and I planned to send the ones that did not fit back to the store. Like many women, I often order two sizes when I am buying clothes online, and send the wrong size back. This is not an unusual practice.

Two days later, I checked Ann Taylor's site out of curiosity to see if the dresses were still on sale. They were, but the site indicated that they were marked "Final Sale." The price was the same. I was very relieved that I had the opportunity to buy all 8 before they went on Final Sale. I double checked my confirmation to ensure that I had not
purchased the Final Sale dresses, and I had not.

Today, I got home and opened the box of dresses. The printed receipt indicates that the dresses were Final Sale and therefore cannot be returned. This leaves me with four extra bridesmaid dresses that I am now apparently unable to return. I called Ann Taylor to explain the situation and they told me that there was nothing they could do, even though my confirmation clearly indicated that the dresses were not final sale when I purchased them. The customer service representative, Carolyn, and her supervisor, Connie, continuously stated that the dresses were always Final Sale at the price of $69.44. This may have been the case internally, but the external website available to the customer did NOT indicate anything about final sale until at least November 4. As an aside, I have copies of past confirmations from orders in which I purchased a final sale product, and both the website
and confirmations clearly indicate that. So it's not that company policy is not to mention that on the confirmation, they do and I have proof. Connie eventually told me to email the customer relations address tomorrow, which I'm sure will get me nowhere.

I am very upset right now about this situation. I am actually a very loyal Ann Taylor customer! I spend a lot of money there each month, and have never had any issues with their customer service. I cannot believe, in this economy, that they would do this to any customer, much less a good one. Ann Taylor changed the terms of the purchase (adding the designation of Final Sale and therefore getting rid of my ability to return the item) after it was sold, which cannot be legal.

There's always a chargeback, but since you enjoy shopping at Ann Taylor, it would be nice if you could get them to honor their return policy so that you don't have to escalate it to that level.

Instead of dealing with phone support, consider writing a concise, clear letter explaining the problem, and showing the proof you have of past "Final Sale" notifications. In addition to the details of the situation, let them know the kind of loyal customer you've been, both in financial terms and word-of-mouth advertising.

Instead of sending it to the customer service address in Utah, however, try sending it to the executives at the corporate office in New York City.

We'll include both addresses, just in case you feel like blanketing everyone at once.

Ann Taylor Customer Service
100 Ann Taylor Drive
P.O. Box 571650
Taylorsville, UT 84157-1650
fax: 1-866-232-9266

Ann Taylor Corporate Info
Kay Krill - President & Chief Executive Officer
Michael J. Nicholson - Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
Barbara Eisenberg - Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary
Christine M. Beauchamp - President, Ann Taylor Stores
Brian Lynch - President of Corporate Operations

Ann Taylor Corporate Offices
7 Times Sq # 14
New York, NY 10036
(212) 541-3200‎
(212) 719-0120‎
(you can also try these two numbers: 212-541-3300 / 800-677-6788)

(Photo: Marcin Wichary)

Ryan says:

Recently I purchased a cordless drill with battery pack at Home Depot. I went home and charged up the battery and went to tackle a project. Unfortunately, the battery did not hold a charge. Upon closer examination, the battery was scuffed and obviously used. Dejected I went back to Home Depot and just bought another battery knowing the customer service desk at my local HD would be of no help.

Stewing over having to buy another $35 dollar battery when I shouldn’t have had to, I called up Home Depot’s customer service line. A very friendly “Sharon” listened to my story and was able to pull up all my transactions in their Data Base. She then asked me what course of action I would find acceptable to keep me as a satisfied customer. I told her a HD gift card in the amount of the cost of the battery would be acceptable. She quickly issued the card for a slightly higher amount and said I will receive it in the mail.

Hearing stories of woe from consumers at other stores when faced with similar box swaps, I expected, and quite honestly would understand, skepticism on Home Depot’s part. I was pleasantly surprised with how well Home Depot managed the situation, despite they too being victim to someone else abusing their return system.

Good job, Home Depot!

If you've been sold a "Box of Crap" and are having a hard time with the retailer, check out our post: What To Do When A Store Sells You A Box Of Crap And Won't Take It Back.

(Photo: mroach )

Sean writes:

1) The e-mail I sent to customer service did nothing. They replied that they could do nothing.

2) The store manager called me back the next day to tell me the district manager had given approval to have the store contact the original purchaser, explain the mistake, and ask if they could recharge his card. Once this was completed, they would issue me a gift card for the original amount. She did "apologize for all he craziness" at the store the night of the incident.

3) About a week later I received a call from the district manager asking if everything had been resolved. I said I hadn't heard any updates. He told me that everything had been taken care of (the original purchaser's card had been re-charged) and that my gift card was waiting at the store. I could either pick it up, or they could mail it to me. I asked him to mail it to me.

4) A few days later I received the gift card in the mail. I called the number on the card to check the balance, and it said it couldn't because the card wasn't active. This concerned me, but I thought it could be due to the circumstances it was issued, etc.

5) A few days later, I went to the store to use my gift card. I first stopped at the customer service desk to have them check the balance on the card. They said it wasn't active, and asked if I'd already used it. I said no and that it was a long story, and they went to get the manager. She came out a few moments later (it was the same manager from the night of the original incident) and issued me a new card, which I used immediately.

So, in the end, it all turned out. I was a bit surprised that they didn't offer me anything for the trouble or at least a more sincere apology. But, I guess I should just be happy that they took responsibility and corrected the mistake.

In the future, I'll be much more explicit when making exchanges or returns as to what I want before I hand over the product. And, even though I don't think I should have to, I'll no longer assume the clerk will understand that I'm not the original purchaser if I'm using a gift receipt.

PREVIOUSLY: Circuit City Credits Wrong Card For $130 Return, Sends You Away With Nothing
(Photo: qnr - Gone for a while)

By the time the Slaters noticed the racial slur printed on the receipt, the store was already closed for the day.
Hoping to get answers about how the words got on the receipt, the Slaters returned to the store the next day. But they said they never got a full explanation, only that the employee entered a generic code.
"And it pulled up six or seven different choices, and the choice that she (the employee) chose was the very last choice," said Slater's father, Keith.
"I really don't doubt that this is the first time it happened. I'm sure it's happened before, but this is probably the first time that somebody noticed their receipt and came back and asked about it," Linda Slater said.

The store has fired the employee in question and issued the following statement:

"While we are continuing to investigate this incident, it now appears that an employee in one of our stores entered highly inappropriate statements in a form used to process a merchandise return. Needless to say, such an act was not authorized by Journeys, and will not be tolerated. This employee has been terminated.
"At Journeys, we pride ourselves on valuing and respecting every customer. We are shocked and sickened that a former associate could be responsible for an act so out of keeping with our culture and our values. We profoundly regret this incident."

Man Finds Racial Slur Printed On Receipt [KMBC] (Thanks, Taryn!)

Sean writes:

I returned a product [yesterday] to the Appleton, WI Circuit City with a gift receipt. The clerk accepted the returned product, but mistakenly credited the original purchaser's credit card (I am not the original purchaser) for the return. After informing me of this, I told her that I did not purchase this product, it was given to me (thus, the gift receipt) and that I intended to return it for store credit so I could purchase a different product. I was told that since the return had been processed and credited to the original purchaser's credit card, nothing could be done. I was advised to contact the original purchaser and try to collect the money myself.

After much debate with the clerk, the supervisor, and the operations manager, I was told there was nothing that could be done, and the only option I had was to go back to the person who bought it, and ask for the money. This is unacceptable.

I entered the store in possession of a product (my property, I was the owner). I gave the product and gift receipt to the clerk to process a return. The clerk accepted my return and gave my money (the monetary value of the product - the original purchase price) to the wrong person (someone other than me). I left the store without my property or the monetary value of the property.

I would like either my property (the original product - a Logitech Harmony remote control) returned to me or store credit (gift card) for the orignal purchase price (approximately $130) of the product.

That's the letter Sean sent to Circuit City's customer service department, although Seans says he has yet to hear back from them. He adds, "What can I do? Isn't this illegal? They accept my returned product and mistakenly give the money to someone else, and then refuse to give me either the product or the money (store credit)? Isn't this theft of some sort? Should I contact the police?"

What do you guys think? Will the police take his report seriously? This certainly sounds like the definition of theft to us.

In the meantime, Sean, you may want to send that same letter to these Circuit City executive email addresses. What happened to you sounds to us like a fireable offense for that supervisor, and you need to make sure your story reaches the people who can see to it that you're compensated.

(Photo: Getty Images)

Two come to mind: Brookstone and American Apparel.

Brookstone's return policy is simple:

If a product purchased at Brookstone does not meet your expectations, you may return it with receipt within 30 days of purchase for a refund, merchandise credit or exchange. We will not accept any returns without a receipt.

Sounds fair, until you consider that there aren't any provisions for gifts. Without the receipt, you're stuck holding a potentially unwanted gift. Even if you bring the unopened mint-condition item to the store, point to the exact same item on the shelf, and ask to perform an exchange, they will refuse. You have only one option: ask the gift-giver for the receipt, an obviously impossible request no half-decent person would make.

American Apparel can't even settle on a return policy. If you buy from their online store, they offer a full refund, but if you visit their brick and mortar locations, you can only receive store credit. So if you do your friend a favor and pick up a few shirts, and it turns out you were sold the wrong ones, you're entirely out of luck and stuck with an unwanted store credit.

Is either policy unique? No. We know there are companies with vastly more farcical policies we want to hear about them. Fill the comments with the worst return policies you've seen. And no, "all sales final" doesn't count.

EU to expand e-shoppers' rights [BBC]
(Photo: theogeo)

In June my wife and I bought a queen size air mattress for some friends who were going to stay with us for three weeks in July. We tested it and found that because the edges of the mattress are higher than the middle, once two people lie in it, they slide towards each other almost like in a hammock. It was inflated as much as I deemed safe and was quite hard, so that was not the reason. As the mattress is basically defective, we go to Walmart and buy two twin air mattresses ten days later. We did not think to return the first one at that time because, as Walmart advertises, they have a 90 return policy.

After our friends had left, in early August we went to Walmart here in Ames, Iowa (the newer Super Center - yes, we actually have two in a town of 50,000) and attempted to return it. We were flat out denied by the co-manager, who claimed that a 15-day limit for air mattress returns are in effect. She had various ridiculous excuses, one of which was "the federal government's rules, because of the bed bugs, you know". When I asked if the government really controlled Walmart return policies, she answered yes, almost defiantly. Apparently, if an air mattress spends 16 days in anyone's house, but not 15 or less, it will get infected with bed bugs. She did say, though, that she would exchange it with another air mattress... So what's the point of the bed bug excuse?!

We declined, as we already had bought two new twin mattresses in the same Walmart, even within the 15 day period. I offered to bring her the receipt so she could verify this and just return our money for the queen size one. This she also refused. I took down the names of everyone involved, and went home to write the store's manager and ask him to set it right. In my letter I made it clear that Walmart's own website does NOT ention anything about return limits on air mattresses, and that, in fact, if I had bought the mattress online, I would not have this limitation. Furthermore, in the store there is now a sign to this effect in the sporting good section, though it was not there when my wife and I bought ours, but not in the Home section, where there are also air mattresses. Thus, a customer can still go into Walmart today and buy one without knowing about this limit. It also isn't printed on the receipt. The store manager completely ignored my letter.

I then submitted a complaint to the BBB and sent the original complaint to Walmart national customer service. Walmart proceeded to ignore both this letter, as well as the BBB complaint.

I do not think it is right that customers are treated differently. In the store, they claim 15 days. Online, they have general return guidelines for all Walmart stores that list a few limitations for returns, but not for air mattresses. The return policy for the online store has a more specific return policy with more limitations, but still no mention of air mattresses. It even says I can return any online-bought product to any store. So had I bought the mattress online they would have had to take it back in the store!

I want Walmart to take my complaint seriously and not just think if they ignore me I will go away. I also want my money back. My wife and I give them hundreds of dollars of business every month, which I pointed out in my letters, and they don't give a damn.

Where do I find executive contact info for Walmart? I have looked around online but not found anything. Please give me some hints here and help turn on the heat on Walmart.

Jacob, this post links to over 700 phone numbers at Walmart. It's nearly a year old so we're not sure how up-to-date it is, but it's a good place to start.

"Reach Walmart Vice Chairman John Menzer And 742 Other Walmart Employees"
(Photo: CipherSwarm)

Today my boyfriend and I went to our mall in Hattiesburg, MS. It is a very small city and only has one mall so it is the one by default we are forced to go to.

My boyfriend about three weeks ago purchased Proactiv Solutions. First of all, when we went three weeks ago we were forced to purchase the more expensive, larger version due to the fact that they were out of the thirty day trial kit.

He was very hopeful that it would work, he decided to try Proactiv because of me and results I have seen with friends and family who have also used Proactiv.

We went today to return the package, a process that Proactiv claims is easy! After we arrived to take back the product the woman at the kiosk started to verbally HARASS us! Upon giving her the box she opened it took one look inside and said that it did not work because it was being used improperly, when it had been used in only the ways it was specifically outlined in the product guide to use. She also stated my boyfriend had used too much of the "Repairing Lotion." This would make sense if she could have seen through the bottle or actually picked it up and felt how much was in it, but she did no such thing. The woman went on to say that if we were going to use it again, to use it properly. And to that my response was, "we are not going to be using Proactiv again." Well, that is when I asked her to give us back our money, and that is when she started going off, asking me who I was and why it was any business and why I was even there!

This made me angry, and I told her that we just wanted the money back, and we did not want to here how we were supposed to use the product.

She felt harassed by us so she called security on me. Then when I asked to get the receipt back, she refused to give it back, and then upon me asking for a number to call to complain she covered up all of the numbers and refused to talk to me telling me that she couldn't receive anything until security got there. All of this in the middle of the only mall in a small town. So I waited for security, and upon coming over and listening to her yell at him, he told me to come over and get away from her because she would not stop yelling, and refusing to do anything until I was out of her sight.

I was forced to leave the mall all because Proactiv REFUSED to allow us to return the product easily without being harassed. What has happened to customer service? what happened to the customer is always right? Does a guarantee only function as a guarantee after you withstand the harassment?

The customer is not always right, because sometimes the customer is a complete jackass. But it sounds like in this case, you were dealing with a crazy person who doesn't believe in taking any sass-back from kids these days, or who figures if she acts psychotic enough she'll scare away customers who try to return products.

However, Proactiv makes it very clear on their website that you can return the product within 60 days, no matter how much you use or how well you feel it worked. Their "guarantee" page simply states,

If you're not totally satisfied with the results, simply return the bottles within 60 days, even if they're empty, for a complete refund of the purchase price (less shipping & handling).

There's no fine print on the page, and none we could find elsewhere on the site, and no mention of having to show proof of purchase in the form of a receipt. There's also no mention of kiosk sales falling under a different return policy, so it seems pretty clear that Proactiv has to take your return.

At this point, we suggest you escalate the problem beyond the Krazy Kiosk Lady and contact Proactiv directly to negotiate a return. You should also—regardless of whether you succeed in returning the product—write a clear, polite letter to the company describing how badly you were treated by this woman, how she confiscated your receipt, and how she refused your return and basically got you kicked out of the mall. They need to know that their kiosk employee is badly representing the company. The main thing at this point is to be polite, but persistent, and make it clear to Proactiv that you expect them to honor their no-risk return guarantee.

Oh, and let your boyfriend do this if he's the one who paid for it.

An anonymous tipster writes:

I worked for several years at EDS, which is the home of Proactiv's customer service center (that you listed in the article - the Des Moines office).

Unfortunately, calling the call center won't do much good. They're not authorized to take back kiosk purchases, since they have no customer account. They're just for the infomercial and online orders. They're just going to tell the person to take it back to the kiosk.

What they want is Guthy-Renker Corporate. Regular customer service can't transfer you and agents/supervisors don't have the corporate number (at least when I was there).

A quick Google search turned up the address:

41550 Eclectic St
Palm Desert, CA 92260
Phone: 760-773-9022
Fax: 760-773-9016

Yes, the kiosks and the vending machines are owned by Guthy-Renker corporate. They have been very reluctant to franchise out product except abroad (citing quality concerns, internally, but I doubt that - probably a money thing). Guthy-Renker even has an eBay store to compete with people who were reselling Proactiv (this is actually fulfilled from the same building, a giant warehouse/call center, in Des Moines that the infomercial stuff comes from).

Proactiv is owned by G-R and they are a large infomercial company that has sold many other products, e.g. Anthony Robbins CDs/DVDs, Windsor Pilates, Sheer Cover, Cindy Crawford's Meaningful Beauty, Susan Lucci's Youthful Essence, Core Secrets, and many other failed products. Proactiv is one of their most successful products.

The sales rep we spoke to at Knoll started laughing when we asked if the 300% restocking fee was real. He said Knoll charged nothing of the kind. Knoll's policy, which is also available through their website (warning: pdf), is this:

• If the item can be returned, there's a 25% restocking fee;
• If the item can't be resold (due to unique fabric or other customizations), it can't be returned at all.

To make a long story short, I needed a set of replacement arms for a Knoll Life office chair. If you're unfamiliar, this is a pretty high-end office / task chair. When I contacted Knoll, I found that I could not order parts directly from them — I must go through a certified dealer. After working with a dealer, I decided that I would purchase another high performance arm replacement set to the tune of $270.

Unfortunately there was a misinterpretation of my needs and an extra set of arm pads, that I didn't need, was ordered with the arms. I thought when I stated I needed a set of arms with pads that I would get one set of pads to go with the arms, while the dealer thought that that meant I wanted an additional set of pads.

I didn't know any better when I saw the order, and assumed that the pads that appeared as a separate invoice item at a cost of $30 per pad, were a separate purchase from the arms themselves. This seemed like a reasonable assumption given the hardware used to attach the arms to the chair body were also a separate line item on the invoice.

Instead, the arms came with pads attached. When I received the order, I immediately contacted the dealer I ordered through to figure out how to return these unnecessary arm pads. I was told that Knoll has a 300% restocking fee — that's right, THREE-HUNDRED PERCENT — no typo. The dealer suggested I hold on to the pads in case the ones I have get scuffed over time. The problem with that, is that these other arm pads are not designed for my arms — they're too small, and wouldn't fit. So it appears I'm now stuck with a set of arm pads that cost $60 that I have no use for. It's just wasteful, and I don't think I'll have any luck trying to sell them on eBay.

The dealer informed me that Knoll custom manufactures products and has this policy in place so that they never have to accept returns. I find this policy draconian and inherently ridiculous — and I can't believe their dealer base lets them get away with this. I can understand a restocking fee on custom upholstered / designed orders from furniture manufacturers — but this set of arm pads is essentially interchangeable with any set of arms that it connects to (I assumed it connects to either the fixed arms or height adjustable arms). There have to be hundreds of thousands of these chairs out in the wild, so I'm sure Knoll is not taking any sort of loss on a return.

The dealer, who has remained helpful despite the problem we're having here, is going to check and see if Knoll will make an exception on this policy. But I wanted to see if the Consumerist has ever heard of such an exorbitant restocking fee policy, or if there are legal limits to such a policy?

I haven't yet contacted customer service, but I will if the dealers inquiry fails. I figure it's my duty to give this horrible policy some due negative press in any event.

We agree in principle, but in this case it's entirely the dealer's fault. He should have been knowledgeable enough, as a Knoll dealer, to tell you the things you'd need to know to avoid this mistake, namely:

1. That the replacement arms come with cushions;
2. That the extra cushions would never fit your chair in the first place.

Bottom line: the dealer may seem like a nice guy, but we think he's lying to you to cover up his mistake.

Call Knoll's Customer Service at 1-800-343-5665 to determine what you need to do to return the items. You might also want to file a complaint with Knoll against this dealer, first for screwing up your order, and then for lying to you about the return policy.

Update: As we were publishing this post, a new email came in from Ethan.

Just a quick follow-up.

The dealer just got back to me and said that Knoll will take the arm pads back for a 25% restock fee. Apparently some parts fall under a different policy than the larger, custom projects.

It's still not an 'ideal' situation, but I'm not willing to fight it out over $15, even if I don't feel this was really my fault.

I still think the 300% restock fee on custom orders is ridiculous, so feel free to run with that part of the story if you want!

There is no 300% restock fee. Either the dealer is misleading you, or he's confused.

David writes:

Long story, short:

Bought 2 (brand new) Instinct phones from Best Buy. One of them turned out to be used. I know this because it had scratches on it, and already had personnel locations stored in the GPS. Found an email address using Consumerist. Hours after sending the email out they call me up and offer me a $50 gift card for my inconvenience. I say 'no', and will talk to them further via email when I get back to town, as I'm on vacation. Email a lot back and forth... and finally get a $120 gift card (the price of the new phone). I used the gift card to pay for the broken phone. Happy endings all thanks to you. I also have to admit, that besides the ass hats that actually work in the store, Best Buy really handled this well.

Hey, that's great to hear!

Here's the email David sent to Best Buy:

Dear Mr. Anderson,

My wife and I just purchased two "brand new" Samsung Instinct phones from the Best Buy in Pentagon City, VA. We were told that even though one was missing the plastic, and had some small defects, that it was brand new, never used. It became clear once it was activated that it was used. In fact, it had addresses stored in the GPS. I am a long time Best Buy customer, but I will be returning the phones and I will buy them directly because I was blatantly lied to.

Sincerely,

David

Best Buy responded with an offer of a $50 gift card, to which David responded:

Thank you for responding to my concern and offering me the $50 gift card. However, at this time I cannot accept this offer. I cannot accept because I do not believe these terms corrects the situation. Let me explain briefly what I have to do because Best Buy has lied to me and my wife: I have to use up my Saturday morning to go to the metro, pay $5 (round trip) and ride the metro approx 30-45 minutes to Pentagon City, walk to the Best Buy - approx 15-20 minutes, and return the used cell phone Best Buy sold me ( who know how long that will take). Then, hopefully the Best Buy is Pentagon city will have another Samsung Instinct (we bought the last one the previous time we were there, which probably explains why they sold us the used one) for us to purchase. And then, I have to get ahold of Sprint to port the number from the previous account to the new cell phone which took 2.5 hours(!) last time. Then return home via walking, and metro.

So that will be my Saturday morning August 23, 2008.

I understand that you had no fault in this matter and that you are only trying to help. I believe that a credit of $120 (the amount I paid for the phone) to my credit card account would right this wrong. It is not all about the money. It's about Best Buy lying directly to my face, causing unneeded stress, and wasting my time and money.

I thank you again for helping.

Best Buy responded:

Thank you for taking the time to follow up with me. I am so sorry that the situation transpired in the manner it did and am still working internally with the Pentagon City store management team to find out why a store associate provided you with incorrect information regarding the phone.

Given the circumstances, I would be happy to send you a $120 gift card to cover the cost of the phone. You can still opt to return the phone to the store within the thirty day return and exchange period to acquire a refund to your credit card, or if it's easier, you are welcome to mail the phone to my attention at the address referenced below and upon its receipt, I will credit your account. I will still send you the gift card given the inconvenience this issue continues to cause you.

Way to go David! We're so proud.

For more information about launching your own EECB, click here.

Just tell them that ASUS voided your warranty, they didn't honor your warranty. They made you run around in circles to get an RMA, then simply shipped you the device back unfixed. That will be enough.

In the letter that follows, Mike makes it clear that he would rather ASUS pay for it, rather than any of the transaction partners, to teach the computer-maker a lesson. If ASUS was an entity capable of learning, they probably wouldn't have done this to you in the first place. As savvy consumers involved in a transaction dispute, it's important to stay rational and focused on the bottom line: getting what you paid for, in the form of a refund or a replacement, the quickest way possible. Getting what you deserve without wasting any more of your time is the best revenge possible.

So, definitely give your credit card company a call and ask them. You've spent this much time working on it, one phone call can't hurt, and it has a high likelihood of fixing your problem outright!

Here's Mike's followup letter:

I just wanted to reply to let you know that I REALLY appreciate your
time you took to respond and look up some info for me.

I called Amazon and they can only give me a refund within 30 days (I haven't tried their ECS yet, I might at some point but really Asus is the problem, not Amazon). My credit card has an extended warranty but since it is still in warranty with Asus, that can't help. However I am also out of the 3 month period in which I can dispute it via phone apparently, and I have to write to them to perform a dispute. This is not a terrible option but I am always worried in these cases that my credit card might eat the cost which isn't what I want at all; I like my credit card company and don't want them to pay for my misfortunes if they haven't done anything wrong, and I DO want Asus to be the one paying.

I copied you on my email to Eric Chen (the address you provided me with), and if that doesn't go anywhere I am wondering if my next best step isn't small claims court. I saw Suing Big Companies In Small Claims Court Is Fun And Easy and the linked article, and it sounds like a decent option which would allow me to sue for the price of my non-working laptop and the shipping back to them, plus a small reasonable amount for all my time as well.

The only thing I have to figure out is what would or would not make Asus a business/corporate/sueable entity in New York or my specific region, to ensure I can proceed. I imagine a clerk can help me with this. Sounds like if I don't hear back from Eric I have a trip to court to make!

We asked ASUS whether Mike's experience was standard practice or if their warranty department is experiencing some kind of malfunction, and await their response.

PREVIOUSLY: EEEPC Return A Recursive Hellhole

(Photo: Getty)

UPDATE: 9/02/08 Mike says Asus' RMA department contacted him and is Fedexing him a return label. He writes, "Let's hope it comes back working this time. If not I guess I'll see what MasterCard has to say."

I. says:

I had an extremely frustrating experience at Target today, and thought that your readers deserve to know how the store treats its customers. I’ll start at the beginning.

A month or so ago, I purchased a pair of shoes from Target.com. Unfortunately, when they arrived, I discovered that the supposed size eight was more like 9.5 in this brand (Exhilaration). As soon as I put them on my feet, they slipped off – could not even walk across the room. When I finally made it to Target to return the shoes , I was told by a clerk, whose name is Jay, that my receipt, which I had just printed on my home computer, was not sufficient. She sent me to their store “computer” to print another receipt by logging into my account and accessing the same information I already had in my possession.

I complied with the demand, only to be told midway that I should not continue because I cannot return the shoes anyway. When I asked why, Jay explained that Cherima, the store manager, had deemed the shoes "worn" – their store policy prohibits them from accepting returns on worn items. I stated that I had never worn the shoes because they are about a size and a half too big on me, and told them I would be happy to demonstrate that to them. They were not interested in my demonstrations or in any further statements. Cherima just kept repeating that their "policy prohibits…"

I thought I was a victim of a candid camera prank, but no—they were for real. I asked to speak with Cherima’s boss. She said that he was not there since it was Sunday. The best she could do was give me the phone number of “guest relations”. I asked for a phone – they would not let me use theirs. So, I pulled out my cell and started trying to reach a human. No matter which extension I pressed, I got an automated message. After about four minutes, I gave up.

Cherima repeated their policy … again. Upon hearing it, I lost it and yelled, “I did not wear the shoes, not once!” She told me that she doesn’t think that the situation is “cause” for me to be raising my voice. At this point, I was shaking and on the verge of tears. I told her that I don’t care about the $6.74 that the shoes cost me – I was still there because of the principle. Cherima repeated the policy, showing me some dust around the shoes’ soles. Of course, the smart thing to do would have been to walk over to the shelf where similar shoes are, and show her that all of their soles look like that. But, I didn’t think of that. I asked for the manager’s phone number and left. Instead of calling the manager and listening to the policy one more time, I decided to email Consumerist. I’m attaching a couple of photos of the “worn” shoes.

If you wore those shoes you're the cleanest person in the history of the planet. So at least you have that going for you.

Anyway, these Target employees were being jerks, but don't worry— according to Target.com you can print a postage-paid mailing label and just ship the shoes back to Target.com. So, ultimately, you win. Click here for instructions.

Apple said the flaw affected first-generation Nanos, sold between September 2005 and December 2006, in very rare instances. The company's statement added that "There have been no reports of serious injuries or property damage, and no reports of incidents for any other iPod Nano model."

According to the ministry, Apple Computer has been notified of a total of 14 similar cases in Japan. Out of those, two users suffered minor burning.

The ministry said the incidents were caused by four models — MA004J/A, MA005J/A, MA099J/A and MA107J/A — of which 1.81 million units were sold between September 2005 and September 2006 in Japan.

Domo arigato, Apple, for seeing the wisdom of our suggested policy: "Return Exploded iPod, Get 1 Free!"

Apple says battery problem caused iPod overheating [AP]
Japan warns of iPod nano fire risk [AFP]
PREVIOUSLY: iPod Nano Explodes While Charging
(Photo: Getty) (Thanks to Simon!)

The sales rep did his song and dance and insisted that I test out the phone service for 2 weeks. I said no a few times but he wouldn’t hear it. Well, he gave me 2 phones and 2 phone numbers. No credit check, no money whatsoever. I walked out of the store with 2 free phones and some paper work.

Now Rob can't give the phones back. After several fruitless visits where the store manager told Rob he had to talk to the original salesman (who was never there) to return the phones, Rob simply left them on the counter. A few days later, they arrived at his doorstep via FedEx—along with a photocopy of another customer's driver license.

Here's the full story of what happened after Rob brought the two phones home back in July:

Seven days later we returned to the same store to drop the phones off. They hadn’t been opened or anything. Previously in the week I was cleaning and probably threw out a white piece of paper with what phones we had.

...I had to speak with the exact rep because I didn’t have the all important white piece of paper and there was no way to look at what I had. The rep was not working that day and was told to return Tuesday during the afternoon. I refused because I don’t drive and I'm not taking a bus to a mall from the southern part of the twin cities to the northern part just to drop phones off.

We return that next Sunday (27th) and again were told we can’t give back the phones because the rep isn’t working. I demanded to speak with a manager. I tell him my story, and he finds it interesting about how I got the phones and service. I made a point to say "I said no," and he said, “Yeah he does that a lot.” He mutters something about letting him go and says he can’t do anything because I don’t have the piece of paper.

Flash forward to August 11th, almost a full month after getting the phones, my fiancé and I finally have time to go back to the mall (she works nights I work days). I walk in with the phones. The manager sees me, throws his hands up in the air and says "Not you people again." He tells me to stand over out of the way while helping people. We wait for 15 minutes. Only one person approaches us, some sales rep, and I explain the story and he’s dumbfounded. Finally I walk up to the counter and put the phones on the counter and explain again what’s going on and all I want to do is drop them off. I was assured that it would be taken care of.

Later that night my fiancé and I went to a real T-Mobile store and purchased our phones and service.

On August 15th, a Fedex box is sitting on my door step. Not expecting anything, I open it—what do you know they sent the phones back to me! But whats this, there is more then just two cell phones. The missing piece of white paper they said they don’t have, the whole reason I couldn’t return the phones. But wait there is even more! Two other identical pieces of paper but with others people’s phone information / plan information and a copy of someone’s drivers license!

So I quickly called Mobile Solutions HQ and talk to some girl in California. I explain the situation and she says, “Well we need those phones back. I’m shipping you out some prepaid UPS labels.” I asked what about me getting other people’s identification information. “Well I’m not there so I don’t know what to do.” I look at the address of the license, and it turns out the woman on the license only lives about a mile and half from me if that.

My fiancé and I get in the car and we drive to her house. I knock on the door, ask her if she is so and so on the card she says yes. I asked her if she purchased a phone from the Mobile Solutions in Northtown Mall in Blaine? Again she says yes. I then ask, “Does this look familiar?” showing her her license. Her jaw is on the floor. She exclaimed, "How in the world did you get that?" I explained to her how it came in a Fed Ex package and she was very grateful and thanked me several times, and she was also upset and said she would call Mobile Solutions promptly.

So now I’m still stuck with 2 phones, 2 lines of service that I’m sure still runs if I cared to try and other people’s information. What should I do now?

If Mobile Solutions doesn't have any of your personal information where they can't ruin your credit, return the phones via the UPS labels and promise us you'll never step foot in that store again.

If they have a copy of your drivers license or other important personal info, it's time to make it very clear to Mobile Solutions that you have no intention of being their customer, no matter how hard they make it for you to return the unopened phones. This is a funny story, but it sounds to us like they're trying to force a sale on you, which is criminal rather than incompetent.

Contact Mobile Solution Corporation's main office in San Diego and file a complaint against the Blaine store. Make it clear that you have tried three times to return the phones, and that they are refusing to accept your return. You should also make it clear that the only acceptable resolution for this issue is for Mobile Solutions to accept your return and promise to leave you and your credit history alone. Look at our various EECB posts for more information on how to effectively communicate with a business.

Mobile Solution Corporation
3030 Plaza Bonita Rd
National City, CA 91950
(619) 472-1018
(619) 479-1648

You may also want to contact the Office of the Minnesota Attorney General and file a formal complaint against the store for its business practices, even if the corporate office in San Diego is able to resolve the problem for you. We suspect the Blaine store has some rotten apples on staff and you may help future customers by sounding an alarm now.

Update: Rob sent the following information to us after we posted the story.

As an update I called back the corporate # and [they] didn’t find it cool I wanted to sell the phones. There is some sort of investigation being done and the original salesmen has been fired. After reading some comments I could have been more clear. The only info they got was a copy of my State ID which had my current address on it. I also signed a piece of paper saying “You have two weeks if you don’t return them the phones in two weeks we can charge you blah , blah, blah.” Well, they never took money or a credit card.

Anyway people have been in contact with me. I took the phones because the guy kept insisting and I wanted to be nice. At best I thought what's the worst can happen? I keep the phones for a week bring them back unopened and that will be that.

We still think you should make sure the company accepts a full return and absolves you from that signed agreement, because even without a credit card they may still try to bill you, then eventually send the bill to a collection agency.

"If they thought I was a cranky old biddy, they should just have given me my money and let me go," Christina told the Star-Tribune. "I paid in good faith, and I wanted my money back. That's all. It's the principle."

"They can put you in jail for this," she says a cop told her. "Well, I've got nothing else to do today," she replied. "Besides, I may meet a better class of people in jail."

The store wouldn't budge. Christina wouldn't bend. A stretcher was brought in.

Christina was strapped to it, and taken by ambulance to North Memorial Medical Center. Her physical and mental health was supposed to be evaluated.

Attention shoppers: You won't take a gift certificate? You must be nuts.

"They thought I was loony or something," Christina says, her voice still incredulous. "That's the real crazy thing. I just wanted my money."

In the emergency room, they looked her over and sent her home that day. She seemed to be an elderly lady who was upset. From Christina's account, she also seemed to have a good reason.

Target's Fransen says store employees were concerned for her health.

"It's not anything she did," he said. "Team members were concerned about her well-being and her safety, and wanted to make sure she wasn't endangering herself."

Perhaps, so. But this could be one case where three $10 bills would have done a lot more — and done it more cheaply — than an ambulance ride to a hospital.

Christina Brown wants an apology, she wants her money (including getting her medical bills from the unexpected hospital trip paid), and she wants this: "I want the staff trained in how to treat customers."

Christina won't get to help train them. Target signed a trespassing order against her, meaning she will be arrested if she returns to the Plymouth SuperTarget.

That, friends, won't be a problem.

"I wouldn't go back to that store if everything in it was free," she says. "If they're waiting to see me again, they're waiting for a cold day in hell."

'Cranky' lady tangled with 'Mr. Nasty’ [Star-Tribune]
(Photo: spinadelic )

I returned my highchair to a target in Brandywine and they returned it at $24.98. They said that is what the person paid for it off the registry……well that was a lie. The person paid $99.99 for it. I went to their house and got the receipt after your returns people lied to me. So then I call your store closer to me in Aberdeen and they say they will help me with it and were super nice on the phone….the 2nd time, the first time they had hung up on me. Well I go there with the CUSTOMER RECIEPT THIS TIME NOT THE GIFT RECEIPT THE ONE WITH $99.99 and they make me stand at the returns while they call New Delhi, India. The person from India yelled at me, said I had to drive to a different store (Brandywine and asked them why they lied to me) he also said that I was lying and my Step Mom paid $24.98…..she didn't I had the receipt in my hand.
...
I talked to the store manager at Aberdeen, MD store she wanted to give me the right amount of money but could not figure out how to on the computer that is why she had called New Delhi. So then her mother came in and they went to the back of the store. When I got done on the phone with the man from India she wouldn't come back up to finish helping me. I stood there 20 more minutes and left. You have wasted my time and money. Your customer service is by far the worst I have ever experienced. I have worked in customer service and I have to say I would never treat a customer this way.

Your store took $75.01 from me. They lied to me, yelled at me, treated me like crap, and made me upset. Having a baby is a very expensive time. That amount of money is a lot of money to a new mom. I wish my family would have never shopped at your store. I used to love your store. I am now going to tell everyone I meet, everyone on the baby forums, anyone that will listen not to use your registry service. I cannot believe your own store manager could not issue a gift card for the $75.01 when she wanted too. What kind of customer service is that? She wants to fix the error and she can't? I hope your store feels good about taking a high chair back from an expectant mom and stealing her $75.01.

The best part may be the email she got from Target admonishing her for trying to return things "without a receipt."

Dear ******* ********,
I'm sorry the amount we're able to refund you didn't meet your expectations for the highchair you received as a gift.
During your visit our team members explored the possibility of returning your without a receipt. We've established guidelines when offering this service to provide you with a consistent experience.
We track and limit these exceptions to small gifts twice a year. Additionally, the amount we're able to refund reflects the lowest selling price in the 90 days.
Also, I'm sorry you didn't receive the type of service you've come to expect while contacting at Target. The team member attitude you described isn't part of our guest service philosophy. We expect our team members to help you in a professional manner with your returns concern. We really appreciate your feedback and I'll make sure to share your comments with our executives.
Sincerely,
Dannie
Target Guest Relations

The post has started to collect other Target horror stories, too. We like this one:

We did indeed have a gift receipt but since the person who bought it for us purchased it with a credit card they could not give us credit for the crock pot with out the credit card number it was purchased on. WTF?! What is the point of a gift receipt then? I fought with the clerk and her manager for almost an hour. They kept just telling me to contact the person the gift was from and get their credit card number. I finally said screw it and kept it. I will use it later on or can always re-gift it.

I know whenever someone buys me a gift, I always ask them for their credit card number in case I want to return it. Oh wait. No. I don't.

So, is Target's wedding/baby registry still broken? Tell us in the comments or at tips@consumerist.com.

Target Is The Devil
(Photo: pdxmac )

I was wondering if you could give some advice or suggestions. My wife (Ashley) and I got married on April 19th. She had a bridal shower in the middle of March in Saratoga, New York (our Hometown). Like every other bridal shower in the history of modern America, she received 2 coffee grinders and 2 blenders. We did not have a registry but knew that they came from [Macy's]. We did not have gift receipts so we received store credit. They did their typical deal of taking Driver's License information and issued a easy exchange gift card. The only thing out of the ordinary was it took her a very long time to do the transaction. It was a card for about $120 when it was done.

Fast forward to this month. We went to use the card to get some sheets that were on sale but was told that the card was "invalid" at the register. Not zero balance but the actual card was invalid. She assured us that it was an easy fix and to call corporate. Between March and July we misplaced the register receipt from the return. Ashley called corporate that following workday and was told that the card was invalid that we could return to the store and register that the return was done and they could fix it even with out the receipt. We then called the Macy's store and a manager confirmed corporate's story about it being an easy fix.

On Sunday July 20th we went to Macy's. We went to the register and they employee was very nice and brought us over to the executive office where we met Nick and Rebecca (actual names). From the moment we were introduced they both were extremely rude.

We explained our situation to them and they once again confirmed that card was invalid and concluded that the card was improperly scanned when we made the return. They said that unless we knew the exact date that we returned the items it would be impossible for them to fix the problem. We said that we are not sure because it was 4 months ago but we knew which employee did the return. Nick said that it wouldn't matter because they don't save employee schedules and it is all online and they don't know them and without the date we were out of luck. I explained it was a weekday in late March and that is only 10 days to look at but he refused to listen.

Ashley asked why did they take all of our info when returned it and they said that the only person that has access to that is in some security office and that would be a dead end. Then we asked if they could do an item returned check since we remembered what they were. Nick said that unless we knew the exact color of the items to get the exact UPC numbers this would also be pointless. We went to look for the items only to find they were not longer stocked at the store. Nick once again said that since the items are no longer here we are once again out of luck and they had NO way to look up UPC numbers. A very helpful Wedding Registry Employee said that she could look up UPC numbers using the bridal registry. We found the coffee grinder and Rebecca called some office and was told that that model of grinder was never returned in March.

Nick told us in a very agitated manner that there was nothing else they could do and the ONLY way to fix it was to call my Aunt and get a copy of the purchase receipt and then maybe they could fix it. He said "make up a story" to why you needed it. We explained that that was mildly rude and they basically walked away from us.

My gut feeling was that the transaction was never completed properly when we returned the items. That is why the card was invalid and the UPC search came up empty. If that is the case no amount of searching will find the transaction. We are not even overly concerned about the money as it was only 120$ and a gift. We were much more upset and shocked about the way Nick and Rebecca treated us. They were very rude and condescending the whole time and frequently change their story as to what they were able to do and were caught in several lies and had to backpedal. They never once apologized for the situation or tried to fix the problem without us prompting them on suggestions. I wanted to email someone in Macy's corporate but I was unable to find an email outside of the standard "Contact Us" on the website. We also looked over your website but came up empty handed. Any direction would be great.

We'd love to help you launch an EECB about this issue, but, sadly, we don't have much in the way of Macy's executive customer service info. Of course, you can always follow the instructions located here. We're pretty sure their emaill address format is firstname.lastname@macys.com.

Anyone got better info to share? tips@consumerist.com

(Photo: smcgee )

Russ writes:

I called Select Comfort, and informed them that my 3000 series king bed has mold issues, both on the pad and the air chambers. I informed them that I’ve done my research and am fully aware that there is a pending class action lawsuit against Select Comfort for this issue, and as a result I want a new bed shipped to me with return shipping labels for the defective bed. The customer service agent placed me on hold for a minute or so, and then came back and agreed to my request. Select Comfort is sending me a new bed, with return shipping labels.

I’ve always had great success when working with them in the past, but thanks to The Consumerist, I pretty sure I got better service then I would have normally.

Keys to this reader's success, he...

1. Researched the issue
2. Let them know he knew the facts about how widespread the issue
3. Explicitly asked for what he wanted
4. Read The Consumerist

...taking his experience from a 0 to a 100.

PREVIOUSLY: The Sleep Number Difference Is Mold

Here are the facts:
1) Purchased $200 Canon SLR camera from Target
2) Within the 90 day return period called to ask if I could return the camera shortly after the 90 days because I was leaving town and rushed
3) Supervisor in Target’s return department gave me his name and said it would be okay to return the camera shortly after the 90 day period had expired
4) Within a week of the expiration of the 90 day I went to the Target store in Culver City to return the camera
5) Target returns showed me their 90 day policy and refused to take the camera back
6) Called Target guest relations 800 number and explained that I had been given permission to return the item after the 90 return period but they would not take the item back
7) Target guest relations reiterated Target’s policy
8) I explained to relations that I understood the policy and that is why I called the store to see if I could get an extension of the 90 days. Had I not been given the extension by the returns supervisor I would have made arrangement s to return the item within the 90 days.
9) Target guest relations said that their returns supervisor was not authorized to extend the return deadline.
10) I explained to Target guest relations that I should not be expected to know what their returns supervisors have authority to do.
11) Target guest relations said that a mistake was made but Target still will not be able to accept the item back
12) So put it all together and you get Target employee makes a mistake, but customer must pay for it.
13) I guess that means next time I make a mistake, Target gets to pay for it.

We've been getting more and more complaints about Target and their insanely strict return policy lately. Looks like their customer service has RRoD'd (as the gamers say.)

If you've got any functioning contact information that would help us launch some Target EECBs, we'd love to hear about it. Send it to tips@consumerist.com.

(Photo: blue_j )

Three CR Teams to Handle Reward Zone Premier Silver Customer Calls

As of Monday June 9th, three teams in Customer Care will be skilled to receive calls from Reward Zone Premier Silver Customers. The role of these three teams will be to support normal BBY retail customer issues, not to adjust RZ Points or address escalated RZ issues. The three teams are Jane’s, Scott F.’s and Esau’s.

Any calls received by those teams requiring RZ point adjustments or involving an escalated RZ issue should be transferred to the dedicated Premier Silver Customer Support Representatives in Reward Zone using the UTC extension #533.

The three CR Teams have been chartered to handle Reward Zone Premier Customers in order to give those customers more immediate response to help through our phone systems, and to provide a heighten level of both service recovery and policy exception consideration from Customer Care.

All CR Agents should have a high-level knowledge of the qualifications to be a Reward Zone Premier Silver, and know the policy exceptions provided to RZ Premier Silver Customers. RZ Premier Silver Customers will be identified in fcClient in as “Premier Silver” in the Tier Fields in the fcClient “Search” and “Case” Screens.

If a CR Agent other than agents on those three trial teams happens to receive a call from a RZ Premier Silver Customer, they should transfer the call to an agent on one of those three teams. Even if the nature of the issues is within the scope of normal issues of a CR Agent, for reporting purposes, we would like those calls transferred.

The qualifying requirements to be a Reward Zone Premier Silver Customer:

The customer must spend $2,500 in a calendar year to qualify for RZ Premier Silver status.
The $2,500 can be purchases at a BBY Store, Best Buy.com, or purchases at another retailer if the customer uses a RZ MasterCard

The Benefits of being a Reward Zone Premier Customer:

Extra Points
1.25 Points earned for every dollar spent (as opposed to 1 point for every dollar for other RZ levels)
1.5 Points earned for every dollar spent using a Reward Zone MasterCard at a BBY Store or BestBuy.com
Premier RZ Customers can bank points (unique to Premier Members)
Special Offers from Geek Squad
Free shipping on BestBuy.com purchases
Dedicated support services – CR, BestBuy.com & Reward Zone
Priority Access to Reward Zone Program member events such as concerts and private concerts.
(All RZ Customers will need to accumulate the same 250 Points to receive a $5 GC )

Policy Exceptions for being a Reward Zone Premier Customer:
45 day product return policy
45 day price match time period
No 15% restocking fee on those products that would normally be charged that fee.

MyRewardZone/Premier [Best Buy]

As we've mentioned before, Target doesn't accept returns or exchanges of gifts bought through their wedding registry unless you have a receipt. Got two of the same thing? You're out of luck unless you're willing to call your wedding guests and ask them if they kept the receipt.

Reader Terry has two ice tea makers and two griddles that she'd like to exchange, but is having no luck with Target. Terry has launched an EECB and cc'd us so we could listen in:

My fiancée and I registered at Target as well as Elder-Beerman for our wedding on May 24, 2008; it went wonderfully, by the way. At least until after we opened the gifts. We received two iced tea makers and two griddles from our registry, and they were marked “Fulfilled” on the registry. We also didn’t receive any receipts on the items, but I’m sure our family assumed like I did that you wouldn’t need a receipt with an item purchased from a gift registry.

I hauled my packages back to my local Target, with registry printout in hand as some extra insurance. The person behind the counter informs me that I will need a receipt or gift receipt even for an exchange of the items. I asked him why that was so, that you could clearly see from the registry that Target knew the items were paid for. He said that they used to be able to look up purchase information from the registry but they cannot anymore. He again told me that I should contact my relatives and get a receipt. I asked him if he thought that was tacky, and he agreed. I informed him that I would be escalating this issue, and offered to allow him to escalate it himself, which he was completely uninterested in.

When I went out into the parking lot and loaded the packages back into the car, I called the only phone number I could find which was on my registry printout. After verifying my information with the person on the other end of the phone, she proceeded to tell me that everything the person told me in the store was correct and there was nothing she could do to help me. I went over the same argument points with her that I went over with the person in the store: that it was tacky to call someone for a receipt and that Target knew when and where those items were purchased. She did tell me one thing that the person inside did not mention, that our registry was created before this policy change took place. She told me that gift receipts print out automatically and that it was the gift giver’s responsibility to make sure a receipt was given with the gift. I told her that I found this policy hard to believe, since in the time I have been shopping in Target since this policy change not one of the cashiers have told me that gifts I give from a registry can no longer be looked up and the person MUST get a receipt or gift receipt.

I informed the person on the phone that I would be informing all of my friends of the customer-unfriendly practices at Target, but I also wanted to contact a person of authority at Target to give them a chance to rethink this anti-consumer policy. Low and behold though, while searching for the e-mail address of someone I could contact at Target HQ I found this story, which is another formerly loyal customer with the same issue.

Target: You’re logging registry purchases. We know it. You know it. Your employees know it. I understand that fighting internal and external shrink is important but intentionally removing the ability of team members to verify purchase information is ludicrous. I am not asking for a refund, just the ability to make an exchange for a gift that I can actually use. This is not an unreasonable request.

Also, FWIW: Elder-Beerman had no trouble looking up a duplicate gift I received there. They even issued me a gift card so I could order a china set that they didn’t have in the store. I guess you really do get what you pay for.

Terry

PREVIOUSLY: Target Bungles Wedding Registry, Won't Exchange Duplicate Gifts Without Receipts
(Photo: pdxmac )

I am a current RS manager in standing, so I'll renege on giving out my name, however, the actual reason for requiring names and addresses is very simple. First, it is listed on the back of every reciept. So it is part of official policy. Second, the rest of our return process is very I suppose lax if nothing else, our products may be returned at any of our stores, following simple rules that are spelled out.

Now the reason the N&A are needed is because it prevents a LARGE portion of theft which is both internal (as spelled out from one of your posters in the comments) and external such as a snatch and grab. If an item is taken from our store, a customer may attempt to return it at several locations around the city as there are numerous radioshacks around, but this is a very big issue, since beyond the name and address, we are liable on our end for issuing the customer credit for potentially stolen merchandise.

This of course is not saying that 99.999 % of our customers are abusing our return policy, but without this, because of our ability to go the extra step, and take care of you, we as a corporation must protect our assets. This also prevents smash and grabs from cars in mall parking lots, as thieves have stolen out of vehicles and attempt to return the items in the store.

The biggest misconception seems to be against a corporation protecting it's items against theft. We in no sense require ID for a purchase (barring unsigned CC purchases) but it HAS to be required since we will help you with out a reciept if at all possible. Since we as a company do attempt to resolve returns in many cases without reciepts, we do have to have some basic measure of fraud protection.

That customer more than likely could have gotten cash returned if needed without the reciept, but in common sense, a store just won't hand out money over the counter without a ticket showing why the money is leaving.

On top of that, we also need the information to verify vs the signature on the return slip, since we have dealt with people stealing from relatives it also helps during holidays where a daughter may try and return something their parents bought to the store, and if the parents come in asking, or we have some one else complaining that they were not the person returning the item, we at least have some paper work showing who did.

Oh, and as an FYI, the Name and Address is actually for warranty info since a bunch of our small parts, batteries, and such have a limited 90 warrenty. If you have like a battery blow up, we can look up your purchase and hand you a new pack. We recently started a lifetime guarentee with some of our AV cables. We have in every store on at least one register a giant 8 x 11 sign stating our name and address policy. We specifically mention the only people that have your info is the company and related parties (if you sign up for ATT it goes to ATT, if you sign up for Dish, it goes to Dish, If you sign up for Greendot prepaid, it goes to Greendot).

Once again, very basic items that have been blown out of proportion. I cannot deny that we used to years ago, but when we stopped doing it, traffic dropped due to customers no longer recieving the RS catalog (That was huge for many many parts nuts). It's a juggling act, so now we ask for it, it's not required for most types of purchases (contractual, prepaid, and service plans are examples of required), and the actual info just goes into a system that we can use to look up your old tickets if you have problems with your items. The last thing we want is to not be able to help our customer find a resolution.

Certain items like routers can be purchased at any electronics store, and then you run into the potential of having shoplifters hitting up one type of store and returning it at another. If we have the capability of preventing this, all in all, everyone can shop a little safer.

We're not sure how any of this is less complicated than keeping track of store inventory and requiring a receipt for all returns. The refund-without-a-receipt policy is the sort of goodwill gesture that this writer feels mainly benefits the careless consumer at the expense of the rest of us, so by all means, do away with it if it will bring an end to ID requirements for receipt returns, particularly for items paid for with cash.

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It's sort of old news by now, but I had pre ordered Grand Theft Auto 4 (for Xbox 360) and left a $8 deposit well over a year ago at the GameStop in Hicksville NY. When I arrived at the store on Thursday 5/1/08, just 2 days after the release of the game (4/29/08), I was told that they were sold out of the game. "But I reserved a copy." I said. I was told by the goofy teenage employee that "It is GameStop policy to only hold reserved games for 48 hours." So I immediately went into "Where is your manager mode". After explaining that his manager wouldn't be in for another another hour, the employee got nervous and after what can only be described as divine intervention, found "the last copy" of the game under the counter. I said great, thanked him and left with my game.

When I opened the package minutes later, untampered security seal and all, I found that the original game was replaced with a used and worn gangster rap CD. (see image attached). I quickly brought it back to the store, and after the kid giddily took a few pics with his camera phone ("Dude, holy shit, I've never seen anything like that."), I was told again that I had received the last copy of the game and that he was in no position to issue me a refund. If I hadn't foreseen this becoming a huge pain in my ass, I would had thought it was pretty damn funny - my friends certainly did! Boyz N Da Hood, really?

Now a LONG story made somewhat shorter - I made several phone calls to Take 2 Interactive, the manufacturer of the game, while I waited for the GameStop manager to arrive. While dealing with Take 2 I was given a 2 hour royal runaround, however almost everyone I spoke to had a very pleasant British accent. After speaking with everyone from the shipping department to a frustrated Scotsman in the Technical Support department, I realized this could only end with an abrupt and unsatisfying dead end. Eventually I gathered that I would have to take it up with the retailer.

After speaking with the store manager, who was no help, he told me I need to take it up with the manufacturer. Already tried that! I asked for his corporate number and his district manager's phone number as well. I tried the corporate number first where I was told that they could do nothing for me, and I would have to get in touch with the DM. After leaving a few messages with the District Manger over several days, I finally got a hold of him. I have to say, when I did finally get a hold of him he was begrudgingly willing to get me a new copy of the game. Can't say that he believed my story at all, but none the less I was happily carjacking on my TV later that night!

Thanks for your time, hope this is useful for your site, which I love!
~Greg

Oh, we love you too, Greg. We have to say that the District Manager of that Game Stop is a nice guy. It's always good to hear about these stories getting resolved without anyone crying and pulling their hair out.

Returns caused by problems like "I can't figure out how this works" and "buyer's remorse" make up all but 5% of returns says the Wall Street Journal, and retailers are using engraving to fight back:

The company in 2006 added an option allowing consumers to engrave their name or other message on a Vaio computer. It expanded the program to its digital cameras last year. Sony says the program was started to let customers personalize products, but a side benefit for Sony is that engraved products can be returned only because of defects or other reasons that are the company's fault.

Return rates on engraved Sony Vaios are negligible, compared with about 5% for non-engraved PCs, the company says, saving more than $1 million so far. "I have a feeling that people are understanding the condition that you can't return it," Mr. Abary says. "But also once they have engraved it, they feel like it's a part of them."

Electronics retailers spend a mind-boggling $13.8 billion a year reboxing and reselling the crap that you return, says the Wall Street Journal. Most returns are "because a product was too confusing to use."

The War On Returns [WSJ](Thanks, Robert!)
(Photo: gothick matt )

MSNBC says that when the hapless customers returned the "defective" computers, Best Buy shrugged and sent them back to the manufacturer. Meanwhile, Denice was selling the parts over the internet. It's estimated that over $100,000 worth of merchandise was lost in this scam.

We suppose this means that not only do you have to check to make sure the stuff you're buying is inside the box when you're shopping at Best Buy, you have to make sure the parts are inside the computer. Fun!

Man Accused Of Gutting, Returning Computers [MSNBC] (Thanks, Jeffrey!)
(Photo: tengaport )

That's where it got a little weird. Rather than just saying "no," the Sears employee processed the return, then told Nick's mother she couldn't have the coat back. Nick's mom then asked her to call the whole thing off, void the return and give her the coat. Sears refused.

Nick writes:

My mother has always been a Sears customer. She regularly shops there at least once a week. Recently she purchased a beautiful winter coat on clearance, at a price of $35, marked down from $150. She was so excited to have found the perfect coat to wear next winter.

A week later she goes in to see the same coat, different size at $15. So my mother naturally wanted to get some kind of reimbursement. She brings in the never worn coat and the original receipt. She explained to the associate that she wanted to return and repurchase it. After the return is completed, the associate explains that my mother "could not repurchase the coat because of store policies."

That obviously made no sense to my mother because somebody else was going to buy it at the same lower price. My mother explained her story once more, then asked for the manager. The manager also said my mother couldn't repurchase it. My mother was not angry, just confused. She watched as another associate took the coat away from the counter and bring it into the back.

My mother then asked to just cancel the return, so she could just keep the coat, all she wanted was a coat for next winter. Working in retail, I know how simple the "post void" would have been. The manager explained the coat had to go to the "return processing center," which made no sense to my mother who saw a dress on the floor she returned the day before. My mother at that point was mad. She just wanted the coat!

She approached several associates on the floor asking them where the "return processing center" was, nobody knew.

Finally she asked where the returns go, the answer from several associates, "right back to the floor."

Do sears employees find pleasure in torturing customer?

If we were you, we'd try to kick this complaint upstairs to the bigwigs, although we have to warn you that Sears rarely responds. Here's some contact information you might want to try.

(Photo:nelsonminar)

She writes:

As a long time fan of Target, I am absolutely disappointed about their new "return" policy. I couldn't wait for the day to get married, and with regards to this letter, couldn't wait to open a Target wedding registry of my own! Only to find out Target has become completely untrusting of their customers and treat us as if we're thieves! We sent our wedding guests almost exclusively to our Target registry, which malfunctioned, and now we have duplicate sets of gifts that we cannot return.

When we attempted to return them, and showed how the gift registry malfunctioned, they insisted that it was our guests' responsibility to attach a gift receipt & accepted no fault. Of course, since our guests were purchasing from a wedding registry they trusted, none of the guests attached a receipt. Not to mention it looks pretty tacky to tape on a receipt to an expensive, nicely wrapped gift. So the manager suggested we go back to our guests and ask for a receipt so that we can return their gift. We felt that would be very rude to do to our guests, and just do not feel comfortable disappointing people like that, especially after they spent so much money on a gift they thought we would love. The manager also told us "that's the point of a registry, to get what you want" - Of course! But that doesn't mean we need two croquet sets, two coffee makers or two wine racks! We felt we were being very reasonable, we didn't even want cash back; we would gladly accept store credit.

To top things off, I received a wok in the mail that became damaged during shipment. It came wrapped in target paper, included target shipping paperwork, and all we wanted was to exchange it for a non-damaged wok or receive store credit. They still proceeded to tell us that we needed a gift receipt, and refused to return it