Reader I. ordered some shoes from Target.com, only to find out that they were so big that they fell off her feet when she tried them on. No worries, she would just print her receipt and bring them back to her local Target. Right? Wrong.

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.

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