More wedding/baby registry pain from Target, a reader calling herself Consumer in MD, has started a blog called “Target is the Devil,” with the aim of convincing other consumers not to register their weddings and baby showers with Target after they ripped her off to the tune of $75.01. She tried to return a gift from the registry (with a gift receipt), and Target told her that according to their records the current clearance price is what the person actually paid for the gift. It turned out that this wasn’t the case, and when she brought the actual customer receipt back to Target they refused to refund her the additional money.

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.
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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 )

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