Beware: A Rant About Target

[tabbycat31]

Re: Beware: A Rant About Target

I have given a few gifts to Goodwill, etc. I hate when people get me useless trinkets that I will never do something with. One year, I asked my dad for a splitter for my car cigarette lighter (so i could use my air freshener and charge my cellphone) and my friend laughed at me for asking for something practical.

I told her that I'd rather have something that I could use than something that collects dust.

[sweeps]

Re: Beware: A Rant About Target

That's what retailers count on -- people buying up frivolous stuff that no sane person would buy the rest of the year.

[kimiko]

Re: Beware: A Rant About Target

I returned an TI-89 calculator once and I didn't have any problem. Of course it was only a couple of weeks and I had a receipt. I do think your rant is a bit excessive. Three months is plenty of times and of course receipt is necessary. The products they sell aren't all uniquely made for them only, if they allow return without a receipt, what's to stop people from purchasing somewhere else and return there? And if you're going to return an item, it's your responsibility to make sure that you have everything necessary for them to process your return. The seasonal clearance-price-refund-only sounds reasonable too. I mean if you're going to buy a bathing suit at the end of the summer and then return it during the winter, what can the store do with it except sell it at clearance price? Every store I know has a clause regarding items like that.

People really shouldn't get gifts just so they can return it. Get it and stash it in the basement or attic if you really can't stand it. I would like to think that everyone who gave me a gift put some thought into it, misplaced or not, and it's terrible to return it. Everyone keep saying it's the thought that count, and that gift is a symbol of that good will, returning it is like rejecting it. After all, they could show you that they simply don't care by giving you a gift card instead.

[disneysteve]

Re: Beware: A Rant About Target

People really shouldn't get gifts just so they can return it. Get it and stash it in the basement or attic if you really can't stand it.

returning it is like rejecting it.

You don't think stashing it in the attic is rejecting it?

If I spend my hard-earned money on a gift, I want the person to enjoy it. If I happen to pick an item that they don't like or need, I want them to return it and get something more to their liking. It doesn't do either of us any good for them to toss it in the garage or give it to Goodwill. What's the point in that?

As for gift cards, I can't stand them and let everyone know that. If you don't want to pick a gift, give cash. It is accepted everywhere, has no strings attached and never expires. Gift cards have gotten incredibly popular and I think they are lousy gifts.

[kimiko]

Re: Beware: A Rant About Target

Not at all. I have a lot of gifts that I stash away because I don't use them. But they bring back a lot of memories whenever I take them out. Gifts shouldn't be about money, yet sadly every one seems to think of them in term of money.

[disneysteve]

Re: Beware: A Rant About Target

Gifts shouldn't be about money, yet sadly every one seems to think of them in term of money.

I don't think of them in terms of money, but rather in terms of practicality and enjoyment. If I get a gift I can't use or enjoy, I'll return it for something else. If I give someone a gift they can't use or enjoy, I truly hope they will return it. I'll agree to disagree on this one.

Trust me. I've got more than enough clutter in my house. I don't need to keep unwanted gifts around - LOL.

[Jacklad]

Re: Beware: A Rant About Target

As for gift cards, I can't stand them and let everyone know that. If you don't want to pick a gift, give cash. It is accepted everywhere, has no strings attached and never expires. Gift cards have gotten incredibly popular and I think they are lousy gifts.

I have mixed feelings about gift cards - while I see your point, and often see gift certificates used as a means of giving something without putting any thought into it, I've also seen some creative uses of gift cards (usually as adjuncts to other gifts).

For example, I once gave my mother a knitting pattern she had admired, the appropriately sized needles - and a gift certificate to her favourite wool shop. Why? Because I couldn't presume to know what colours she would want.

When my father began having difficulty with his eyesight and found reading onerous, I got him a good pair of headphones for his mp3 player and a gift certificate for audible.com.

On the other hand, I've been the recipient of gift cards for stores that I never shop in, for amounts that would require me to reach into my own pocket to buy anything. Hardly thoughtful.

Jackie

[tinapbeana]

Re: Beware: A Rant About Target

my parents printed certificates that say "Universial Gift Certificate" "Accepted Anywhere" with all the borders and stuff, and then tape a bill in the middle.

[shelbylovesmelby]

Re: Beware: A Rant About Target

I rarely have problem with returns at any store.

With a few exceptions of course........................
like my cuz in another state had sent dh a ugly sweater, we wanted to exchange it or return it whatever.... & it wasn't in Wal-marts system anymore. Apparently my cuz must of bought it a year or so before or something. So we ended up donating it to Goodwill So dh's present turned into a donation.

The one that urks me is that I had bought a pkg of neutral onsies for my unborn baby. Well I ended up not needing them. I had the reciept & it was within the 90 days of purchase & for some reason that pkg of onsies was no longer in their system either. I even looked on the shelf they had the same ones in a newer pkg. So now I've got onsies I'm hanging onto to either give as a gift to another expectant mother or to save for our next child. *sigh*

[Frugal Father (tm)]

Re: Beware: A Rant About Target

I find as far as return policies and quality of items you can't go wrong with LL Bean. We shop off season and know we're getting quality that'll last, they can be very expensive hence the off season, clearance shopping. Kohls is good and target is was target does, its neutral in my opinion, some of the quality stinks and some is ok , for kids clothes on sale they're better than adults, although I buy my 10.00 jeans there and they last. Kmart now thats a loser in my book, poor returns, poor service, dirty stores , poorest quality I've seen. If it were'nt for Thom Mcann shoes I would shop there at all.

[rob62521]

Re: Beware: A Rant About Target

I've returned items to Target with the receipt before the 90 days and had no problems.

I had a problem with Sears last year. I bought two belts for my husband a week before Christmas and bought the wrong size. I bought a package of socks that when my husband opened them, the pair on the inside looked like it had been bleached in spots. I took them back after Christmas for an exchange -- same belt, but different size. I had both the gift receipt and the regular receipt. All I wanted was an even exchange. However, since the items were on sale when I bought them, but not on sale when I returned them (less than a week apart), I had to pay the difference. I was not a happy camper.

[funnyvalentine]

Re: Beware: A Rant About Target

I think 90 days is more than reasonable for returns. Sorry, I love Target; their merchandise mix is stylish and cheap. I shop there first.

I'm curious. What do you think is a reasonable time limit on returns? I think stores have the right to cut it off sometime. 90 days seems pretty reasonable to me.

[funnyvalentine]

Re: Beware: A Rant About Target

For the quality, LLBean is one of the most reasonable vendors around......

[shengmei]

Re: Beware: A Rant About Target

I just read an article from New York Times that 70% of gift cards on ebay are obtained by fradulent means. People buy something, and then steal multiples of the same thing so they can return stuff multiple times for gift cards.


Apparently gift cards on ebay is a multibillion dollar business.

[Dixiechick]

Re: Beware: A Rant About Target

People buy something, and then steal multiples of the same thing so they can return stuff multiple times for gift cards.

That's interesting. At WalMart and Target, they have bar codes on the receipts which they use to track against returns. You'd think that if you return something once with a receipt, it's logged and would prevent another return on that receipt of the same item. Unless they return without a receipt and only get in-store credit (which I think is getting harder to do). But regardless, I've bought gift cards off ebay but I steer clear of the obvious auctions that seem not quite legit. I try to stick to individuals with 99-100% ratings and a good explanation of why they're selling the card. Haven't yet had a bad transaction ... knock on wood!