Beware: A Rant About Target

[disneysteve]

Re: Beware: A Rant About Target

Why not 6 months for non seasonal items?

I suspect part of the problem is a lot more things are "seasonal" than you may think. Maybe not seasonal in the traditional sense, but clothing fashions change quickly, electronics become obsolete, hit videos and CDs move to the bargain bin, houseware items get upgraded, packaging changes, etc. Do an experiment. Go to your local Target and make a list of 15 or 20 assorted items throughout the store in different departments. Then go back to the same store in 6 months and see how many of those exact items are still being sold and for the same price. I bet you'll find many of those items are long gone.

[sakigt]

Re: Beware: A Rant About Target

I love Target, even if they screw up once in a while. And I dont think a 90 day return policy is one. I also agree with the seasonal things. I wouldnt want to buy back Christmas decorations in March either

Its blatant acts of rude customer service that gets me. Waiting 15 people deep in line for Walmart is the pita for me. Maybe its because their return policy is so lax.

[abowers]

Re: Beware: A Rant About Target

Walmart is a pain to return things to.
I worked at a shelter for teens for a year, a non profit agency, and we had a walmart gift card to use (so the higher ups could track spending) - so we bought all of our household items from there.

Just in a couple months we had two separate problems --
One, the radios for the kids rooms were all bought at the same time, and they all crapped out at the same time. Something like a fuse blew inside. We were allowed to return them, but one of the staff members had to provide his own personal drivers license, and they only allow 2 returns per year.

A couple months later, the microwave for the kitchen crapped out. The plastic on the door of the microwave peeled away. (Didn't seem too safe...) so that was returned as well. But the same staff member that returned the radios happened to be working when the microwave crapped out. So again he had to give his license, therefore using up his two returns for the year. I think they also made him go back to the shelter and find the box for the microwave because they wouldn't accept it any other way, even though we had the receipt and had just bought it a couple weeks before.


On the other hand, I've only had to return one item to Target-- an exchange. It was a blender that I was given as a birthday present, the top didn't fit very well because it was mis-shapen. I didn't have the receipt, I was allowed to go in and swap blenders for the same model. I was satisfied with that experience at Target.

I don't generally return items unless they are defective, so I haven't had problems at these stores.

[abowers]

Re: Beware: A Rant About Target

Also, if you're buying something like an appliance, there should be some kind of manufacturer warranty going beyond the 90 day return period the store has.

[shengmei]

Re: Beware: A Rant About Target

For me, I always buy clearance....which is never returnable, so I never even bother to compare return policies.

Wal-Mart's return policies are very nice, but I am a freshman biology instructor this year and I see many of my students having bikes from them. Most of them have the inner tubes of the tires blown before the 3-month deadline. They must have received a batch defective bikes with faulty inner tubes.

For me I tend to think that the return policy does not matter as long as the merchandise itself is good. Wal-mart may have good policy, but I cringe when I think about the possibility of a bike tire inner tube going out while someone is biking at an intersection. For me, manufacturing lower quality stuff just so you can have a more lenient return policy is way too risky for me. The safety issues alone are not worth it.

[disneysteve]

Re: Beware: A Rant About Target

I don't generally return items unless they are defective, so I haven't had problems at these stores.

I really can't recall the last time we returned anything. We only buy things we really need. We try things on before buying them. And we pay attention to quality, not just price, when shopping. Maybe we've just been lucky, but its probably been a couple of years since I last had to return anything.

[sweeps]

Re: Beware: A Rant About Target

I agree that trying to return something without a receipt and after 6 months is way excessive.

But the ability to return items -- for any reason -- is a service these companies offer to increase sales. If they can't or don't want to follow through on an open return policy, then they shouldn't offer it in the first place.

[Elgin526]

Re: Beware: A Rant About Target

I think 90 days is plenty of time, and of course clothing and shoes are seasonal items! Do you wear shorts in February or parkas in July? Me neither! And if they made an exception for people who claim they forgot their receipt at home, everyone would just say they forgot their receipt at home. It's not that they didn't beleive you, it's that they couldn't make an exception. It's not fair to the other 100 people they told "no" to.

[shengmei]

Re: Beware: A Rant About Target

I grew up in Taiwan, where there is no such thing as a return policy. It seems to be an entirely American thing.

[project15]

Re: Beware: A Rant About Target

Target usually doesn't even put things returned back on the shelves. They usually give them to local thrift stores so they can sell them for cheap. I've always been a supporter of that.

[disneysteve]

Re: Beware: A Rant About Target

I grew up in Taiwan, where there is no such thing as a return policy. It seems to be an entirely American thing.

Very interesting. How did that work? If someone received a gift they didn't want or need, were they just stuck with it?

[tabbycat31]

Re: Beware: A Rant About Target

I recently bought a small Kitchenaid food processor at Kohls.
I used it one time and it seemed to work fine.Then I tried to remove the bowl and blade & they would not come off. I tried and tried and concluded it must be defective.
I could barely wash the parts that I needed to remove because I didn't want to put the base in water.
I washed it as best I could and brought it back to Kohls.
I had no problem getting a refund.
Thumbs up to Kohls for great customer service!

as someone who used to work in returns for Kohls, I can tell you that they probably have the most leniant return policy of any big box store. However that being said, we had our fair share of people who abused the system. 99% of all returns are legit, however we had many people buy clothes for a special occasion, wear them, then return them. We've also had people return used (not washed... very gross) underwear, and many used (put back in the box) kitchen appliances. Also people would steal an item then try and return it for store credit.

[tabbycat31]

Re: Beware: A Rant About Target

Very interesting. How did that work? If someone received a gift they didn't want or need, were they just stuck with it?

In my opinion, returning a gift is one of the most offensive things that you could do to me. In fact I've cut several people off my gift list because they have returned gifts that I've given. That's why I never give things like clothes (way too personal if you ask me.... also fits vary by maker) and usually do handmade (non returnable) items.

I put too much time into gift giving to have someone return it.

[lrjohnson]

Re: Beware: A Rant About Target

I think Target is fine. They have a more strict return policy than Wal-Mart but, then again, who doesn't? A receipt and a time-frame of 90 days both are legitimate requirements IMO.

I don't generally shop at Target but am not opposed to doing so.

I agree with Pound and Sweeps. I just don't see how your hard earned money was "stolen." I agree it may have been frustrating.

[disneysteve]

Re: Beware: A Rant About Target

In my opinion, returning a gift is one of the most offensive things that you could do to me.

I can understand that point of view, but the flip side is when I give a gift, I want it to be something the receiver likes and can use. I don't want them to be obligated to use/wear/display something they really dislike just so as not to offend me. I'd much rather have them return it and get something more to their liking.

I can't tell you how many gifts over the years ended up being sold at our yard sales or given to Goodwill because we either didn't like them or had no use for them.