Target's Return Policy

[kayaker@heart]

I do agree with everything the last retail employee said. It is absolutely true, we do not make up the policies, but we are the ones that have to take it all and if one has any complaints, why don't they take it up with the corporation
instead of making a scene and holding a line up. The other statement, about the signs, you brought it up. Where i was raised that is the same thing as if taking money from everyone elses pocket. When the company loses money, thats why they raise there prices. Not everywhere will honor a sign that is expired, it is no different then trying to pass a coupon off that is expired and that is another thing that our corporation will not allow. Our registers will not accept anthing that is expired, and that is what our managers tell our customers. Like we keep saying all the issues need to be taken up with the main corporations and they are more then happy to answer your questions, by phone or email. It is not right for employees to be rude anymore then it is for customers to do the same thing to us. I sometimes wonder... like they say if you were to walk a day in someone elses shoes. Spend one day in retail sales, some people might have a different perspective.

[MissPurrr]

Okay, so extremely new to this site but I was prompted to join and respond.

I have never worked retail. Always worked on the corporate side of the world so I am a consumer through and through. I love Target and always have. I have never been screwed by them in any way and I've always understood their reasons why they wouldn't adjust a price, take a return etc. Because I pride myself on being an informed consumer. Which I think some people don't take the time to become because they're just plain lazy and have higher than thou expectations.

Reading a lot of online complaints about Target, I realized a few things. 1 - people are generally ignorant. Not stupid, but ignorant on store policies. They expect all stores to have the same or similar return policy. 2 - none of you really look at the big picture. It's all about your situation and you can't see the clear picture.

So let me see if I can help you so you can stop hating the employees (whether they are brutally honest and not 'consumer friendly' when they respond to sites like these, I still appreciate the fact that they even provide a response) or even the company that creates these policies.

1 - People have to realize in this day, there is so much theft and bull**** when it comes to returning items to a store that stores have had to create stricter and stricter policies. Don't blame the company, blame your fellow man/woman. And know what, stores aren't required to notify the consumer when and how they change their policy. Your responsibility to be aware. I can't think of any store that sends an announcement out every time there's a change. Maybe when you buy something but that's rare.

2 - No receipt. People, come on!! Are you freakin serious? The fact that any store would take back a product that they don't even know where it really came from. So Target putting a price limit and number limit is extremely fair. Someone could've stolen a $300 item, returned it to Target and now they're $300 positive while the retailer is out. Target tracks purchases with the item number and your electronic info (cc, checks) so that's super cool of them. And so convenient for the consumer. Unless it says Target on it and it's Target brand, don't expect them to think that you purchased the item there.

3 - Registries. Cry me a freakin river. You got presents. For free! Sucks more for weddings because you usually pay for guests but don't sit there with your hand out. So touching base on #2, maybe your guest bought the product somewhere at a discount and went on to tell you they got it at Target. Hate to tell you folks but if someone buys a gift from a retail store, they usually put the gift receipt inside so you can trade it out. Sooo, if there's no gift receipt..cough cough..the person didn't want you to know how much they really paid for it.

Other possibility that was pointed out earlier, if they bought you a gift, didn't notate it from the registry or decided to just get you that gift no matter who else got it, then you need to point the finger at the purchaser. It's a clusterfawk because now you're stuck with a duplicate gift and target's no receipt policy. If your 'friend(s)' had just paid attention to the current gift registry, then there would be a connection and no problem. Don't point the finger at the corporation that's trying to prevent misuse of return policies. If you really wanted to and you're good friends (and I know people who've done this), you can talk to that person who got you the gift to see if they still have the receipt. Then you can change the gift because you have the actual purchasing receipt connected to the gift. Course at that point, it comes out that they never purchased the item at Target. Ebay seems to be a popular spot to buy registry gifts for a cheaper price than retail.

**********************************************

I guess it drives me nuts when people go around with their hand out. Take responsibility. Don't have ridiculous expectations. Yeah, some customer service lacks here and there but generally, I've had a great experience with customer service at Target. I have NEVER had a problem with Target's return policy yet and been shopping there since I was in high school.

[marigold415]

I've never had any trouble with Target's return policy. I enjoy the store and have received good customer service while shopping there.
That being said, after reading your post I'll keep an eye out for changes in policy. They may not get my business in the future.
Thank you so much for the "heads up".

[gnookergi]

Originally Posted by kdm2273

You need to realize that while you work for Target, if consumers didn't shop there, YOU wouldn't have a job. So, essentially, YOU do work for ME and for everybody else who shops at your store.

Instead of defending why customers are treated rudely, encourage others who work in customer service to treat your customers like you expect to be treated. That will go a long way. It drives me crazy to go to check out and the cashier (or whatever the title) is so busy talking on the phone, gossiping with other employees, etc. to even greet me and then shoves a receipt at me. Doesn't leave many warm fuzzies! And then, if there is a problem to be treated as if an employee couldn't have possibly made a mistake (therefore, you made the mistake)! Give me a break. Just do your job and do it well (not for you personally, but customer service in general) and don't make excuses.

And while Target may not care about my money specifically, if everybody who had a bad experience would start shopping some where else and let Target know why, then they would care. Because while one person going else where has very little effect, hundreds or thousands will make quite a dent - and trust me they will care. And so will you, again, because if we don't shop, they don't have a need for employees.

The correct answer to who cares if I've had a bad experience returning an item: You should care. If you think that your disrespect should be met with politeness, you are just as wrong as a customer who treats you disrespectfully. From my experience, there are some people who are going to act disrespectfully regardless of how a situation is handled. They are difficult. But most customers who begin getting disrespectful toward a customer service person are being treated disrespectfully themselves. And yet you have the nerve to complain about their lack of common sense. Seems to me, you need to read your post and digest how it sounds. I could be wrong, but it seems to me that you want to be rude, disrespectful and unhelpful and hide behind policy and the fact that you work for Target. Then, talk about the customers on a public forum. That's great customer service and I'm sure your manager would love your attitude! Sometimes, though I'm sure not to you, things happen to receipts. And sometimes, something needs to be returned that was on those receipts. That is not a crime, it's called life.

Firstly, I don't work for target or any retail store.

I think you need to learn to tell the difference between what ifs and reality. You talk about how if thousands stopped going to Target than they would feel a huge dent in their sales. Reality is, that doesn't happen so you can't use it in your argument. Also, a return policy is a return policy. Whenever you buy something from Target or any other store you are agreeing to and are bound to that policy like a contract. There are no exceptions to the rule. So you can't come here saying that "things happen" and "it's called life." Well, I can tell you that it's not called "life" it's called reality and the reality is that while things may happen, you were the careless one who lost your receipt for whatever reason and Target is under no obligation to honor you based on their return policy. So the customer has no reason to be rude to the employees, just because their too immature and conceited to accept the fact that they cant always get what they want; and if the employee starts to get rude with the customer, I wouldn't blame him/her. We're all human here. How about you try to put yourself in their shoes. Would you just sit there while someone trash talks you? I wouldn't, I would sit there and be as rude as I need to be to this already rude customer to make them realize they can't always get they're way.

On a side note you also say, and I quote "You need to realize that while you work for Target, if consumers didn't shop there, YOU wouldn't have a job. So, essentially, YOU do work for ME and for everybody else who shops at your store."
True, if customers didn't shop then the person would have no job, but that doesn't mean that they work for the customer. I think you need to understand the process of employer, customer and employee. An employer hires the employee to work for them. The employee is selling their time and labor to the employer for money. A customer is a medium by which the "employer" gets his money so he can hire people to work for him. However, the employee can at any time end his employment if he doesn't agree to the pay. So without the employee, the employer can no longer run his business. As a result the customer can no longer buy merchandise from that employer. It's not that one person works for the other, it's a delicate triangle where if any one part of the process is missing then it all falls apart. As a result the one who loses is the employer because the customer will just go somewhere else and the employee will find a different employer to sell his labor to.

[galena]

Originally Posted by gnookergi

Firstly, I don't work for target or any retail store.

Hmmmm, after reading your post I can't imagine why

[shell1213]

To Julieee--first of all, I hope you don't work at the Target stores where I shop. Secondly, Target's return policy does not put restrictions on just non-receipt returns. I, and members of my family, have returned items within a 30 day timeframe and have still been told we have to either exchange for the same item or purchase in the same department. I have a niece who married last year, received duplicate gifts, had their gift receipts and were told they could only exchange for the SAME item or within the SAME dept. There were other items for which they wanted to exchange the returned items (at Target so the retailer was not going to lose any $$) but they were told this was not allowed. It had to be an item in the SAME DEPARTMENT at the current lowest price -- THIS IS WITH THE RECEIPT!! Target penalizes the gift recipient who has no control over when an item was purchased. Think about it....if you purchase a wedding gift, the couple may not even open it until after they return from the 1-2 week honeymoon. This adds onto the original purchase date. Target is requring the newly married couple to open their gifts immediately and make all of their Target returns and exchanges prior to getting on the plane!!

I have even purchased an item with cash, it didn't work so I returned it within 2 weeks (WITH A RECEIPT), was issued a gift card for store credit and was told if I wanted to exchange for something else it had to be in the same department. I love Target but hate the return policy because it is so inconsistent and is not clearly stated. I am EXTREMELY careful when I purchase things from this store -- ESPECIALLY if it is a gift.

[phoenixjean1]

The reason Target may have required you to exchange your item(s) within the same department may be that the receipt was expired. You may have tried to return it within 30 days of receiving it, but that does not mean it was within 30 days of the purchase date. The expiration date for ALL receipts (gift and original) is listed on the FRONT of the receipt. The return policy is clearly listed on the BACK of the receipt. Target would be extending you a courtesy by allowing you to exchange it within the same department, because the official policy is no returns without a receipt.

On the same note, Target is a lot more lenient than the majority of retail stores (Wal-Mart excluded), because of the length of the return policy. Target gives the customer NINETY days to change his/her mind on the product or quality of the product. Most stores only give 30-60 days. I mean, come on- are you telling me that within 3 months, you can't decide whether to keep something or not? If you have had it for that long, you should have to keep it.

One more thing- just because you shop somewhere, Target or elsewhere, you should not have this misguided sense of entitlement. A store is not your personal castle with servants to please you. It is a place of exchange-the store gets your money, and you get a product you supposedly wanted in the first place.

[shell1213]

"The reason Target may have required you to exchange your item(s) within the same department may be that the receipt was expired."

"I mean, come on- are you telling me that within 3 months, you can't decide whether to keep something or not? If you have had it for that long, you should have to keep it."

"One more thing- just because you shop somewhere, Target or elsewhere, you should not have this misguided sense of entitlement. A store is not your personal castle with servants to please you. It is a place of exchange-the store gets your money, and you get a product you supposedly wanted in the first place."

WOW!!!! First of all, you might want to read my post again....I don't think a return within 2 weeks (14 days) warrants a same department exchange or a refund/store credit of the lowest marked down price. In addition, I don't think I have a misguided sense of entitlement when I purchase an item, take it home for its intended use and the item just will not work for that use. Believe me, I worked in retail for MANY years and will never treat store employees as my servants in my "personal castle." Moreover, if I, or any other reasonable customer, receives an item as a gift, has a receipt and returns said item for exchange within the specified time frame, we should not be penalized by having to exchange said item for another in the same department --I may not need an item in that department. I will spend my money at the SAME store so Target will not be losing any dollars. Customers and gift recipients lose out because they are not refunded the original cost of the item/gift nor can they exchange for something from a different department they could actually use.

I will say one of your comments hits the nail on the head with one caveat:
"It is a place of exchange-the store gets your money, and you get a product you supposedly wanted in the first place." If that product that I originally wanted is unsuitable, unuseable or unwanted, another exchange takes place: the customer returns the unused item (i.e. in the same condition in which it was purchased) back to the store in the specified time frame, the store adds it back into their inventory for resell and the customer gets his/her money back to purchase a replacement item that would suit the original intent for purchase. You are saying that request is unreasonable and creates a feeling of entitlement on my part?? Come on!!!!!!!!

[phoenixjean1]

Now, I have no interest in getting into a flaming war.

Before we go any farther, I need to say I was a GSTL (Front end manager) for Target for two years, as well as a a Team Leader for the electronics department (where many returns happen). So I have alot of firsthand experience in this situation.

Before I go farther I have some questions for you Shell about your return. Did they use your drivers liscense? When you made the return, honestly if you did and you paid cash with a receipt, your local target person screwed you. Also i wonder was the item an electronics item or did you pay with a check? Some areas electonic products are subject to the 15% restocking fee.

Gift Registries have always been an issue. Every 6ish months they seem to change something doing with a registry policy.. For example up until August 4th 07 you could do a return off the gift registry no gift receipt needed.

As much as many of us do NOT like return policies myself included, let me explain something.
At my former store we had a couple, who would pull a scam like this, our comp shoper who was also a Guest service team member caught them.
The couple would go to walmart, find items on cheap clearance (75% off stuff like that) make a fake gift registry, find the items on target.com, add them, and place them as received, and bring the items to target return for giftcards.

Makes life harder for the rest of the people.

Also note:
On August 4th the policy was changed for regular returns to:

Former Policy:
Was 100 Dollars with out receipt (same item same dept), then it dropped to 80, then to 40.

For the record now. The "unofficial" return policy is 20$s without a receipt for a gift card. No longer do you have to exchange it for same dept.

One final thing: Shell I do apologize, that last remark was never directed towards you. It was directed at katinhats and kdm7713.

[shell1213]

Apology accepted phoenix -- but again, speaking for myself who as a consumer also worked retail for many years, know that different retailers have different return/exchange policies. Believe me, I know all about those folks who feel they are entitled and treat store employees as servants -- I've picked up many a 4' stack of unwanted clothing from the fitting rooms because people are too darn lazy to hang things up. However, I'm that shopper who not only hangs things up (by category) but will return to the same dept. to return an item I have changed my mind on and put the item back where I picked it up.

I used a debit card for a $10 houseware item and was told to exchange in same dept or take a gift card. I also purchased (with cash) a $6 plastic dorm shelf for my daughter's dorm bed. Bracket did not fit her type of bed, she tried to return with the receipt (maybe a month in this case) and was given same deal -- return for item in same dept or gift card -- this time for reduced cost and it had gone on clearance for about $3 or $4. Because it wasn't worth the bother, she kept the shelf and ended up giving it to Goodwill. Two different stores....two different cities....

RE: registries....my niece and fiance recv'd a grill for their wedding...they tried to return it and actually purchase the more expensive model. They were to receive the discounted price on the original (the gift giver was his best friend so he was given heads up on cost) even though they were spending more $$. They also received duplicate items from the camping dept -- they were stuck because they weren't allowed to exchange in a different dept. Different store in yet a third city....

[kayaker@heart]

I still to this day do not understand why any customer that has an issue with any retail store, does not contact the corporate headquarters instead of talking about it on a blog site. This is not going to get you any satisfaction. Ask the manager for corporates phone #, No store employee can change a policy put into effect by a corporation and no store employee likes to be treated like trash because someone dislikes an outcome. Working in retail, I will bend over backwards to help someone & even try to find a way around almost every situation where I work, but I cannot change the companies policy & will always gladly give anyone corporates phone #.

[shell1213]

Originally Posted by kayaker@heart

I still to this day do not understand why any customer that has an issue with any retail store, does not contact the corporate headquarters instead of talking about it on a blog site. This is not going to get you any satisfaction. Ask the manager for corporates phone #, No store employee can change a policy put into effect by a corporation and no store employee likes to be treated like trash because someone dislikes an outcome. Working in retail, I will bend over backwards to help someone & even try to find a way around almost every situation where I work, but I cannot change the companies policy & will always gladly give anyone corporates phone #.

Unfortunately, my dear, it is becoming more commonplace (and more apparent) that retailers are instituting policies that are no longer consumer friendly. I have contacted the manager in some instances -- nothing they can do, it is store policy. Contacting corporate??? Good luck on locating a point of contact and then good luck on actually getting a live person or receiving a reply to an email/or letter -- it once took 3 months to get a reply. Corporate makes it more and more difficult for honest consumers to place a legitimate complaint. To punish a few, you have to punish the masses.....

[kayaker@heart]

It is a real shame that some companies are like what you say, I know personally that the one I work for is not. Some handy information that some may not know is: the reason behind all the changes always stem from issues that they deal with on a daily basis that most customers are not even aware of. Examples; (1) The lady that comes in a decides to return a very expensive type of light bulb because she says that it was broken when she took it out of the package, okay what do we believe- is this the truth or is it the light bulb, that she actually had in her light originally & is she trying to scam the company? so she gets a free light bulb & the company loses $30 .
(2) Every time we want to throw out products in our dumpster which gets broken into continously, we have to pour bleach over every product that we dicard and write off on the taxes as a loss. Why you ask, if we don't, dumpster divers go in take items and then try returning them without a receipt to get money back for an item that they never even purchased.
Example (3) Baby stroller theives, they come in with more than one person, sometimes another person and another child & while that other person is distracting the employee, the other person is picking up items & shoving them either under the blankets of the baby or in a diaper bag. Several days later, oh, someone shows up trying to return these items without a receipt.
Here we go again, do we give money back for stolen items or give them a gift card for no receipt, either way the company is out the money.
This effects every consumer today, you-me & everyone. This is also why prices get raised in the store-to off set the loss of store theft. Last year we found out at the end of the year we had lost over $800.00 on just one item that had been stolen over the year. The item is now put in a place where people have to ask for it.
What many consumers do not realize is that all of the examples are what make up many store policy returns and companys are getting tired of being ripped off, so when you say the masses are being hurt, your absolutly correct.
If there were not all these issues, policies would not have to change at all.
I understand your frustration, but can you also see there frustration when they are losing money from there pockets. There will always be theives & other issues, this is what will always make companies re-evaluate every policy. This is also why so many exclusions are written on store coupons now. Every situation makes for a change and if there are several situations happening time after time, you will definitley see a change in policies.

[Virgils]

Juliee,

As a consumer, I would have to say that there's some truth to what you say about customers being "hard to deal with", but as a 2nd year Kelley School of Business student at IU, I would have to say that it's ALWAYS a bad, not to mention extremely ignorant, idea to voice your disgust towards your consumers. If there's one thing I've learned it's that it's better to deal with 10 hard-headed customers and try to maintain their business. Think really hard about a time that you had terrible service somewhere--did you tell all the people close to you about how bad the service was? If you can satisfy those 10 hard-headed customers they will go away, but if you upset them, they're going to tell the next 5 people about how terrible their experience at Target was, so now you have 50 people that are less-likely to shop there. It's your job to be professional and be the "bigger person" as an employee of Target, not to be a power-tripping tyrant who just swats ignorant people away from providing YOU with your income. Just a thought.

-Alex

[mathprofmatt]

I definitely see both sides of this argument, that from the consumer's perspective and the other from the retailer's.

The consumers argue that, while the loss of one customer's business will not affect Target's sales, the spread of this disatisfaction to other customers eventually will.

Using the same logic, think of what would happen if Target began to bend the rules on return policies. They bend it here because John received one too many toasters for a wedding, or Jane received the wrong size blouse for her birthday. While these two customers are more than likely honest consumers, if Target specifically waives its policy based on their situations, why would Target not have a reason to bend its policy for Fred, who just picked up a $40 Monopoly game in the back of the store, placed it in the plastic Target bag he had stuffed in his pocket, and walked back to the front of the store to the service desk, on a busy Saturday, without being noticed? He pitches the perfectly ideal "got it as a gift" story, and next second, receives a free $40 gift card! This same thing happens more and more, and Target employees will be out of a job...not because of dissatisfied customers, but because Target hasn't adhered to its own policy one too many times.

Target is a business, folks. The reason for the company's existence is to make a profit from us, the consumers. While some mistakes are made, and some employees are rude, and some customers are rude, and sometimes life just doesn't seem fair...that's what we need to keep in our minds. Their purpose is to make money, and their return policy is in place in order to maximize that amount made. If, in the future, Target finds that a substantial amount of customers are dissatisfied by this policy and as a result this is affecting their business, I have no doubt they will change the policy yet again. But as for now, the majority of customers know the policy, adhere to it, accept it for what it is, and are in the stores every day. Those dissatisfied write complaints on this website, never to be read by Target corporate or anyone else with any power to remedy the situation.