Complaint Review: Target Department Store - Little Rock Arkansas

I'm shocked at the number of people here concerned about who works where and when in their lives. That is not the issue at hand here. The problem here is this: Target clearly states their return policies before you even sign up for a gift register. So the real lesson here is to check the store's return policy before you sign up for the service they are offering you. It is the consumer's own fault for using the (FREE) gift registry without knowing the policies of that company. And than having the gall to complain about it and blame the company?? Wow.

I'm shocked at the number of people here concerned about who works where and when in their lives. That is not the issue at hand here. The problem here is this: Target clearly states their return policies before you even sign up for a gift register. So the real lesson here is to check the store's return policy before you sign up for the service they are offering you. It is the consumer's own fault for using the (FREE) gift registry without knowing the policies of that company. And than having the gall to complain about it and blame the company?? Wow.

I'm shocked at the number of people here concerned about who works where and when in their lives. That is not the issue at hand here. The problem here is this: Target clearly states their return policies before you even sign up for a gift register. So the real lesson here is to check the store's return policy before you sign up for the service they are offering you. It is the consumer's own fault for using the (FREE) gift registry without knowing the policies of that company. And than having the gall to complain about it and blame the company?? Wow.

I'm shocked at the number of people here concerned about who works where and when in their lives. That is not the issue at hand here. The problem here is this: Target clearly states their return policies before you even sign up for a gift register. So the real lesson here is to check the store's return policy before you sign up for the service they are offering you. It is the consumer's own fault for using the (FREE) gift registry without knowing the policies of that company. And than having the gall to complain about it and blame the company?? Wow.

I'm glad to see that all of you who have "better" jobs believe yourselves to be above those of us who do what we have to do to survive! I was in college, but living with my abusive father. After a car accident I had just enough money to finish college, or to rent an apartment and move my mother and myself out. I chose the latter. I was able to save my mother from him...he was slowly killing her...and ended up not being able to finish my degree in psychology because of having to work right away to support myself and my mother. Now I have to work at a Target because I lack the training for a "better" job. I have worked as a teacher in a daycare center, I have worked in a restauraunt and at WalMart. I'm working such jobs to pay off the debt that accumulated after I had saved my mother. I am planning on going back to school as soon as my finances allow. AM I AN IDIOT? DO I DESERVE TO BE TREATED AS SUCH? After I had told my story to others they thought I should be praised. However, day in and day out I deal with people like you, C.Albertson, Joe, and especially K. Rogers (I certainly am glad you do not live in my state!), and lovely R. The world would truly be a better place if such people as you did not live in it. Please I invite your comments back.

I am an empolyee of the Target Coporation and work for their Assets Protection Division. To a certain degree we oversee and audit the returns which take place in our stores, and our observations have much to do with what form the return policy takes. C. Albertson's first concern with Target's return policy is this, "nothing can be returned without a reciept." This is what is stated at least twice on every reciept given for a purchase at Target, along with on every checkout lane, and throughout the store. There is no excuse for not having a reciept when a return is made. For virtually every item you purchase in the store, except food items, you will recieve two reciepts. One receipt will list every item of the purchase, along with the price. The other is a receipt which does not have a description of any items on it, instead this reciept will only have the bar code. This is a gift reciept and does not fuction the same as the "regular" reciept. Also, Target can look up a transaction if the original purchase was made with a trackable payment type. (i.e. chack, credit card, giftcard.) If you are returning an item which you purchased and do not have a reciept, this is your fault. Target is not responsible for your neglect. If someone else gave you a gift and did not include a reciept, this also is in no way Target's fault. Don't blame Target, blame the gift giver. Do not expect Target to take a loss because of your, or someone else's, irresponsiblity. C. Albertson further implies that Target lies to its guests about what is on a gift receipt. This is false and an insult. If the reciept is over 90 days old (the date which the items must be returned by is clearly printed on each reciept) Target can in no way use it for your return. This is identical as having no reciept at all. It can be difficult to determine what items are on a gift reciept. The gift giver may, unintentionally and unknowingly, confuse gift reciepts and present the wrong one with a gift. This happens often, especially when a gift is purchased and the receipt is not immediately attached. Irregardless, Target is not responsible for these mistakes. Overall, Target's return policy works under the expectation that you will act responsibly. Do not expect Target to take everything back, even if it is Target merchandise. Without a valid reciept it is impossible to determine when the item was purchased, where it was purchased, or even IF it was purchased. As idealistic as it would be to believe that everyone is honest we know better. We know, and document, millions of dollars worth of return fraud each year. Our return policy is our protection. While we strive to serve all of our guests, including in regards to taking back merchandise, we also expect our guests to take responsibility for their actions and save reciepts.

In reading through all the wonderfully articulate "reports," it saddens me to see so many people getting so upset and angery over a "store." What saddens me even more, is to see so many people being "proud" to work as a clerk, a number, in a department store for as long as they have been. Those jobs are meant as stepping stones, so that people can work while bettering themselves to eventually have a career. I just don't understand, when we live in a country with Capitalistic Opportunities, why anyone would be "happy" or "proud" to remain at such a low-paying, go-nowhere job for as long as they do. Oh well, guess everyone has a right to be happy in their own way, or not.

I was married in July 2000. We registered at Target because we were iving in one state, his family was all from another state, and my family was all from yet another state,which is where we were getting married.The three states were in totally different areas of the country and so it was hard to find stores that were in all three areas and were also affordable. We had no problems with any part of the process. The staff was friendly and helpful when we went to register. We got a "getting started" packet that had coupons and many ideas for both gifts and our wedding. At that time we were given a card that was good for returns up to a certain date after our weding that could be exchanged with no receipt. In one instance, with a present received late after the date on the card, we were able to return an item for a credit without a gift receipt. We were fine with a credit because it was meant to be a gift from someone to start out new life together so we had no intention of trying to get cash for it. Maybe it was just the store in the area that the original report was filed in. I certainly would not discourage anyone from using Target. I don't think it is fair to condemn ALL Target stores registries because of a bad experience at 1 store. I have no comment on the rest of the rebuttals except that they drifted WAY off from what the original report was about!

There are many Mistakes in the original message that could have be resolved if everyone knew what to do. (Apparently, mistakes have been made, otherwise this incident wouldn't have happened!) First of all...ABOUT REGISTERING FOR ANYTHING (i.e. Weddings, Baby Showers, Christmas, or Birthday Gifts): Best time is register is a SHORT time before the event (I suggest no more than 3 months). The reason, the gift you register for TODAY, may not be available 6 months from now! This would cause shopping nightmares for people who tend to save for gifts and shop and the last moment. Let alone if someone BOUGHT something in FEBRUARY for a wedding in DECEMBER which may have gone OUT OF SEASON and be no longer available at the same FULL PRICE. Second When you Register...don't limit yourself to only fancy gifts, but gifts that would bring pleasure regardless of price. (I know of one couple who wanted particular chocolates for their honeymoon). When you notify others that you are registered, let them know where they can pick up a FRESH list when they do their shopping and how their purchase is registered. If done properly, there should be NO DUPLICATION of items (unless you registered for the SAME THING at ANOTHER STORE). Keep MASTER COPIES of your requests from each store you registered with. Remind Friends and Family to SECURE their receipts! I have been to many weddings and found it best policy to include my Gift Receipt in a SEALED envelope with my name and words RECEIPT ENCLOSED, OPEN IF NECESSARY. I have ALWAYS included receipts since I know that there are people who are as creative as I am and it is POSSIBLE to DUPLICATE gifts. RETURNS: Stores have Different policies regarding various merchandise. In Target's case Movies, software, and music must be unopened, otherwise they are only exchangeable for the SAME EXACT due to possible defects. Most ELECTRONIC items need the box it came in with no parts (or bonuses) missing. If people have purchased off you list, having your ORIGINAL and POST WEDDING copy of the list is very helpful in issuing exchange or credit. BUT UNDERSTAND - If the Item is discontinued, the only CREDIT you will receive is the LAST PRICE it was (unless you have a reciept). It has happened that someone only gotten a $2.00 credit for a $20.00 item because the item had gone CLEARANCE. FINALLY... You must understand that ANY Customer Service Center is NOT out to get you. MOST will do everything they can to get you FULL CREDIT. (Don't EVER expect CASH back from ANYTHING unless you have a receipt). Most will give you a Merchandise Voucher of the Credited Value of the items at last markdown. If something is not quite satisfactory, then pleasantly ask for a higher authority and ask what must be done to get proper credit. You would be amazed what CAN be done (but try not to be too dispointed if it CAN'T be)! How Do I Know This To Be True? I have worked RETAIL for (OMG) Years and have worked for TARGET for 4 of them. I just want to help others from suffering from having this BAD experience at Target or ANYWHERE!

I would just like to add to K. that have you ever heard of something called HIGH SCHOOL? you jerk, maybe her career at target started while in high school! maybe the 2 years she coulda worked in HS PLUS a degree OTHER than a ba (5-7 years) equals the 7 years she has worked there for. oooo i bet you forgot about that, didnt ya smarty? Target was a great company to work for and im proud of the skills i learned while holding a job there. Unfortunately, targets return policy, while still VERY leniant in may aspects, isnt perfect for everyone, but almost all have no problem with the thousands of returns (GIFT registry or not) that go on everyday at targets throughout the USA

Well after reading this mess I have a few comments in mind. First off Jen, no matter where we work, we all have to put food on the table, a roof over our heads. Its not our fault you choose to work for Target. I'll spend my money where I get the most return for it. I won't take crappy service. In this case these friends and relatives spent thier money buying a gift for newlyweds. Whether it was free to the newlyweds or not somebody bought these items and they were bought to make a couple starting out happy. NOT TO BE A BIG PAIN IN THE A#@!!!!!!! And Jen, if you've been in college for 7 yrs and you STILL work at Target you might want to consider making a career at Target because don't seem smart enough to make it out of college. Anyone with half a mind can make it out of college within 7 yrs. Have a nice day

Thank you, Joe, for demonstrating that ignorance and stereotyping are still alive and well in this country. People like you will keep racism and prejudice running for years to come. I found this website by accident and decided to read some of the comments about the company I have worked for throughout the past 7 years, but yours was the first to which I felt compelled to respond. The reason I have worked at Target for the past 7 years is because I am a student. According to you, Joe, Target employees wouldn't understand simple economics because they are no more educated than the community college level. Thank you for grouping us all into the same category. In hopes of enlightening you, I will share with you some information about our employees. If you cared to check Target's system, you would find that each and every manager (both department and store) is required to have a four year degree, which in my shopping experience, has lead to more intelligent leadership that you won't find at places like WalMart or KMart. Secondly, it has been my experience in the stores where I have worked that a great number of the team leads are pursuing higher education. Target promotes this by offering a flexible schedule and tuition remission for its employees. I myself am pursuing a graduate degree in an elite program at a large university, and I rely on Target to give me the schedule I need to earn enough money to support myself during my education. Perhaps you wouldn't understand the importance of that, Joe, considering that you don't appear to be educated about the world enough to know that all people cannot be grouped into a category. In response to the original complaint on the gift registries. I think it is important to point out that thousands of people register successfully with few problems with duplicate gifts. As an employee and team lead in the guest service department, I can say with confidence that most couples are happy they chose to register at Target. For those of you who have heard comments, how many couples have you met that have registered with Target? If your number is anywhere close to the thousands that I have spoken with on a daily basis, maybe then you can be taken seriously. Otherwise, please consider that you may be speaking with the unfortunate few whose relatives didn't understand the process or who, for some reason or another, fell through the cracks. As far as the story of C. Albertson, I don't know which store you went to, but you did not receive accurate information. Although our policy clearly states that a receipt is necessary for returns and exchanges, we do make exceptions to that and allow for exchanges. Any unneeded or unwanted gift can be exchanged with a valid photo ID or a copy of your gift registry, especially for a different size or color, provided that we still sell the item. We do require that the items be in the same department as the items returned, but with gift registries, it usually isn't tough for couples to return their extra toaster for the blender they didn't receive or their extra towels for a set of sheets they still needed. Overall, the system works, and if gift givers took the time to read the instructions or ask an employee, it would work even better. But, Joe from Kentucky, perhaps your friends and family haven't quite gotten to that part of their educations to be able to understand that reading instructions is the first thing to do. Don't they teach that in Kindergarten? Jen, GSTL

I am getting married this September and was thinking about registering at Target for the same reasons as the original poster. After hearing the comments made in rebuttal, I am certain that I will not be registering at Target. It's not responsibility to shop at Target to keep the jobs safe for the workers. It's their responsibility to make cure I'm satisfied and keep coming back. Ask any business what the most important thing is and most likely it will be to keep people coming back to your store and spending more. For someone that probably works at Target, you are making your own bed if you get laid off. It's not the responsibility of customers that buy stuff and put up with poor store policy to ensure that you don't get laid off. If a business doesn't provide the goods or services that people want then there will no longer be a company or business. It's simple economics, but being a Target worker, I suppose you haven't hit that class at your local community college.

They filed the following to the above Rip-Off Report:

Their email: [email protected]
Their name: Loyal Shopper

Their relationship to the company: Devotee

Rebuttal:
I was at the store tonight and heard a very similar situation. Personally I think that anyone who would not give you a gift receipt for your wedding gift is down right rude. How is it Target's fault that your next of kin are so inconsiderate that they forget to give you a receipt or give you the wrong one.

And what's up with the "I need a different color" why did you register for that color if you didn't want it? Ok so you got 36 of one thing, do you really think that uncle bob is going to care if you explain "hey I got 36 coffee pots, do you have the receipt so I can return it?" Oh what a pain, I know its not like you got it for free or anything.

I registered at Target for my wedding, and I know that grandma betty can't exactly tell that you wanted wedgewood blue dish towels instead of sunshine blue ones, opps don't have the receipt, and you really don't want to have to explain that to your 96 year old grandma, so what - give it to charity. You're sounding a bit greedy!!!

Was it really worth it to tell people not to register at Target, just because you couldn't make a few returns....gifts, gifts, gifts wasn't the wedding about marrying the one you love and not how many gifts you could score. I'm sure that all the cashier people who have to work at Target to feed their kids and put a roof over their heads, love that people like you put up such a stink over what? So come on what your saying is hey make Target lose business, so they can layoff lots of people who need jobs,
because you needed to get wedgewood dishtowels?