Ronald was in a hurry and wondered if he could delay returning a camera to Target until a few days after the 90 day deadline. He called them up and they told him it wouldn’t be a problem. Guess what? It was a problem.

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 )

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