Some retailers are tightening their returning policies this year, while others are loosening them. ConsumerWorld tells you who’s naughty and nice this year.
returns
"Free iPod Engraving" Is Code For "You Can't Return This, Sucker"
By 12.9.08
Ever wonder why some places will engrave your electronics for free? It’s so you can’t return them. Really. That’s the reason. Returns of perfectly good, non-defective merchandise account for 95% of returns and “free engraving” is a cheap, easy way to ensure that that item won’t be coming back.
Ann Taylor Changes Terms Of Sale After Purchase?
By 11.18.08
Update: Several readers have pointed out that Ann Taylor’s return policy says items with prices ending in .44 or .88 are automatically deemed “Final Sale” items. Colleen is stuck with four extra dresses because Ann Taylor marked the items “Final Sale.” The problem is, they did this after she ordered and paid for them. As she notes in her email below, she has proof on her order confirmation that the dresses were not marked “Final Sale” when she bought them. She also has previous order confirmations where items have been clearly marked “Final Sale.” Now she wants to know how to get Ann Taylor to do the right thing.
Home Depot Sells You A Used Battery Pack, Manages Not To Accuse You Of Fraud
By 11.10.08
Here’s a happy story from someone who bought a “Box of Crap” (this is what we call a box that looks new, but contains the wrong item or a used item, due to return fraud). Instead of accusing reader Ryan of some sort of crime, Home Depot simply issued him a gift card. Hooray!
Man Finally Gets His $130 Back From Circuit City
By 11.4.08
In an update and conclusion, reader Sean let us know he finally got satisfaction regarding his story that we posted, “Circuit City Credits Wrong Card For $130 Return, Sends You Away With Nothing.”
Customer Finds Racial Slur On Receipt After Returning Some Shoes
By 10.22.08
KMBC in Kansas City, MO says that a local man found a racial slur on his receipt after returning a pair of shoes at a store called Journeys. He got his money back without a problem, but found a nasty surprise waiting on the receipt.
Which Store Has The Worst Return Policy?
By 10.12.08
As part of their multi-pronged effort to fight the financial Godzilla besieging the world economy, the European Commission today proposed a 14-day no-questions-asked return period for any online purchases made within the European Union. The “two-week cooling-off period” is designed to give consumers a chance to shop across borders for the best prices without worrying about return policies. The practically adorable European decision to respond to a financial crisis with consumer protections made us want to look inwards at some of the onerous return policies Americans face.
Walmart Refuses To Take Back Air Mattress, Makes Up New Return Policy On The Spot
By 10.3.08
Jacob writes, “I have been trying to make Walmart take back an air mattress for two months now, and they refuse.” The store manager at the Walmart on South Duff Avenue in Ames, Iowa (shout out to Leslie Hall!) has started making up new rules on when an air mattress can be returned—including that the federal government limits returns to 15 days “because of the bed bugs, you know.” No, we didn’t know that, Walmart manager. In fact, after thinking about it, we’re still not sure we know it. Because it sounds like you made it up.
Proactiv Saleswoman Goes Insane When You Try To Return The Product
By 9.27.08
Amanda just had a frightening experience with the woman at the Proactiv kiosk in her hometown of Hattiesburg, Mississippi: “[Mall security] 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.” [Update: we’ve received more information on who to contact to resolve this issue. Check out the bottom of the post for details.]
EECB Scores Direct Hit On Best Buy After They Sell Used Phone As New
By 9.4.08
Obviously, stores sell items that has been returned by other customers as “open box” merchandise, but before reader David left the store, he specifically asked if the phone he was buying was “new” and was told it was. When he got home and found addresses saved on the phone and a few scratches he was understandably annoyed. He launched an EECB on Best Buy and after a little negotiation, he got a $120 gift card. Now he’s writing to compliment Best Buy on the way they handled his complaint.
Update: EEEPC Return A Recursive Hellhole
By 8.28.08
Mike writes in with an update on what he’s doing to get his Asus EEPC fixed. We think his number one way to solve the problem is to activate the extended warranty protection on his credit card. His reply to that is, “My credit card has an extended warranty but since it is still in warranty with Asus, that can’t help.” Not that we want to embarrass Mike, but since this can help other people, I need to point out that this isn’t true.
Target Will Not Let You Return These Shoes Because They Are "Worn"
By 8.26.08
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.
Apple Agrees To Replace Exploding First-Gen iPods After Japan Demands Action
By 8.19.08
In what should have been a no-brainer, Apple today agreed to replace any iPod Nanos that unexpectedly explode. The announcement came as a response to the Japanese government, which yesterday asked the computer-maker to “take some measures” to warn consumers of the potential danger of their little pocket rockets. Apple blames a single bad battery supplier for the spontaneous fireworks.
Couple Can't Get Rid Of Cellphones No Matter What They Do
By 8.19.08
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.
Target Has 79-Year-Old Taken In For Mental Evaluation After She Demanded Cash Refund
By 8.14.08
79-year-old Christina Brown had a sales receipt and bank records showing that Target had taken cash from her bank account, but the retailer refused to give her a cash refund — offering a gift certificate instead. Christina refused. She wanted her money, and said she’d stay at the Target all day if she had to, but she wasn’t leaving without $30. Target told her she was trespassing and that they would call the police. Christina said that was fine with her and called 9-1-1 herself. When the police arrived, Target had Ms. Brown hauled out of the store on a stretcher and taken via ambulance to a hospital for a mental evaluation. Does wanting a cash refund mean you’re potentially mentally ill?
Target "Lied To Me, Yelled At Me," And "Treated Me Like Crap"
By 8.6.08
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.
Help! Macy's Gave Us An "Invalid" $120 Gift Card
By 7.21.08
Nate and Ashley got some duplicate gifts from Macy’s and attempted to exchange them for store credit. The trouble is, when they tried to spend the gift card they’d be given — they found out that it had never been validated. They’re pretty much resigned to the fact that they’re not getting the $120 in store credit back, but they’d like to let Macy’s know that they were treated very rudely by several employees.
