Complaint Review: Wilsons Leather - Tysons Corner Virginia

During 2006 X-mas shopping season, Wilsons Leather employed trickery to sell its $25 gift cards, which are non-refundable. Here's how: Wilsons deducted $25 from the amount customers paid and used it to pay for the non-refundable gift card.

Here's how I was tricked. The jacket I wanted to buy had a price tag of $288. However, the salesperson said to disregard the $288, stating it was on sale and he would have to check before telling me the actual sales price. He went behind to counter, then verbally told me the jacket was on sale for $134. I decided on that jacket.

Before ringing me up, the salesman directed my attention to posters and signs on their walls and counter regarding their promotion. The signs and posters indicated that customers making a purchase of $125 or more would be eligible to receive a $25 Gift Card. The jacket was on the counter to be rung up and the salesperson handed me the Gift Card and I accepted it since my purchase was exceeding $125. The transaction was completed, using my Visa credit card. This was 12/11/2006.

Before ringing up my sale, the salesperson showed me two leather care products, which totalled $16.80. The salesperson and I decided these products could be purchased using the Gift Card. This would leave an $8.20 balance on the Gift Card.

On 12/27/2006, I requested a refund. I brought everything to another local area Wilsons Leather store, located in Bowie Town, MD. I presented the jacket, leather care products, Gift Card, and receipts. The associate asked me to consider keeping the jacket, informing me it was now priced at $99.

I was expecting approx $134 that I spent at Wilsons Leather to be refunded as a credit back to my Visa card. But the associate issued a receipt showing a credit of only $109 back to my Visa card. The associate said $134 would not be refund back to my Visa card because I had only paid $109 for the jacket.

The associate issued another receipt showing $8.20 credit to my Visa card. $8.20 is the unused balance on the Gift Card. I was given a Wilson Leather Merchandise Return Card, supposedly valued at $16.20, representing the return of products that were purchased with the Gift Card.

The associate handling my return pointed out that the promotion indicated customers spending $125 were "eligible to receive a $25 Gift Card..." Still, the bottom line is that Wilsons Leather intentionally mislead customers to believe it was giving $25 Gift Cards with $125 purchases. But what they actually did was "sold" the Gift Card, by discounting the merchandise receipt and using the $225 excess to cover the sale of the Gift Card. What kind of promotion was Wilsons Leather running, by charging $25 for its $25 Gift Cards?? I mean, really, the buying public already knows it can PAY $25 to receive a $25 Gift Card.

In summary, I was perfectly willing, ready and able to pay $134 for a jacket. I had come to the store to purchase a jacket, not a Gift Card.. with all its restrictions. Wilson determined that I was "eligible to receive a $25 Gift Card", but fail to explain the Gift Card was being purchased and that it was a non-refundable purchase. It's easy to spend $125 in Wilsons. Anticipating the return of merchandise after X-mas, they cooked up this promotional scheme as a means of retaining money to off-set losses.

Please do something to stop such deceitful practices, or their next promotion might involve taking a larger portion (i.e. $50 or $100) for application to the sale of higher priced non-refundable Gift Cards.

P.S. I take exception to the $288 price tag and doubt the jacket has ever sold for $288. Especially while salesperson was verbally quoting $134. Now the same jacket is supposedly $99.

In my opinion, Wilsons Leather falsely raises its price tags to fool customers into believing they are getting a big price reduction.

Janice

Upper Marlboro, Maryland
U.S.A.