So mad at Target!

[LittleLlama]

My husband works at home for himself. I love it, but that means that cash is slow sometimes. To make things stretch, I went around the house and found still-packaged item's we're never going to use and took thhem back to the stores from whence they came. The half dozen packs of pacifiers, random nipples, a second bottle drying rack and several bottles were destined for target and the scratchy blanket with a life-sized buck PAINTED on it went back to Wal-mart.

For as much as I'm morally opposed, I must say that wallyworld was pretty cool considering I had no reciept. They just asked for ID and gave me a gift card which I used to get cat food.

Target in policy, however, was not so great. I'll give you my side of the conversation- no, not even a gift reciept despite the fact that this whole assortment were gifts. Well, I think some of them were from my registry, but I know I couldn't have asked for this many pacifiers on my own. Well, "the event" was more than 90 days ago, I guess you can't look up my baby-registry anymore. Yes, a store credit would be great. Oh, I can only use it in the infants department? Sure, I'll take it.

I figured I could put a big chunk back into Titus' wardrobe with $20, but I was WRONG! First off I have been SO spoiled because my MIL saved everything of DH's and had picked up an outfit or two everytime she thinks of it. So that combined with the thoughtfully oversized shower gifts, I haven't had to buy anything- but I did get a few things at Goodwiill. SO that leads up to THE PRICE OF INFANT CLOTHING IS ABSURD! Anything remotely cute was at least $12 for a t-shirt!! There was a display of shirts and shorts for $4- Jackpot, I though... wrong! They didn't have ANYTHING larger than 9 months and Titus is creeping into 18 annd 24. I wasnt allowed to use my credit on anything 1T because that's toddler not infant. : (What, toddlers don't use bottles?)

So I got things that I didnt actually need. I felt SO deflated. Moral of the story?

[Spark]

Ug. I really really REALLY HATE Target's return policy. i e-mail them once a year to let them know!

[aisraeltax]

with 3 kids with 8 years difference between each of them, i will tell you what i did then and what i do now.
ds1...bought brand new all the time. name brand crap...Gap, Ralph Lauren...etc. etc. never expected to have dh2 so gave most of it away but did keep some things.
ds2...had a few things from ds1 but not much...bought all new crap from gap, etc. gave it to a friend who was having twins b/c well...i didnt need it anymore. ..wasnt gonig to have more kids. :
now, Ethan only gets clothes at consignment stores,friends or yardsales.
today, i got 2 gap outfits, a CP pants and a Ralph Lauren shirt at a yard sale..all for $8! i NEVER buy new for Ethan. i almost did yesterday b/b the old exersaucer he has has a bunch of annoying sounds on it and i am tired of hearing it (he sits in it a few minutes while im on the computer at midnight..not long at all..but stilL). I foudn the one that i liked at BRU for $60. didnt get it though. guess what? we went to yard sales today and i saw the exact thing for $10. it was missing a piece so i didnt get it in the beginning, but i found the piece at another yard sale (free) and am getting the other exersaucer tomorrow (went back by and the woman gave me her number and ill pick it up).
also, craigslist is great.
i recommend never buying baby stuff brand new. all of E's clothes are name brand but if i pay $5 an outfit, thats alot for me!
i know..im cheap...but he looks great in his clothes and i love getting thigns for much less than i would buy new...AND i get to recycle!
Wally world is great for returns, though...ive always heard that.
i think it bites that Target wouldnt give you a general GC.
can you return the items you got for somethign useful?


rach

[ChristinaLucia]

I HATE HATE HATE Target and avoid going there at all costs. So sorry they made you angry!

[kgrfcharlton]

When I read your title, I smurked to myself b/c I knew w/o even reading it, what it was about.

I boycotted Target after I had issues returning things from my wedding registry - and they didn't even have the lame "if you return it, your credit is in THAT department." That lasted a few years. I'm not as bitter anymore, but I don't buy much from them!

And, yes, although I don't really like Walmart, I will shop there some & their return policy is so great!

[LittleLlama]

I am a second hand gal as much as I possibly can. I just couldn't stand these packaged up things just filling up space. I wouldn't say the items were TOTALLY useless- it was a toy that suctions onto his highchair tray, swim trunks (see my thread in Life w a Babe) and mesh feeders... but not things I would have consciously spent money on, ya know?

I think I could have lobbied hard to get them to let me use it in the toddler dept. but it just wasn't worth it.

[aisraeltax]

sarah, i know what you mean.
and although i havent shopped at Target much, i am glad to know they have issues.
i did let dh get my digital camera there over the holidays though...i just didnt want him spending that much money at wally world!!

[iris0110]

I bought second hand for both of my boys. They get new stuff for Christmas and birthdays. Twice a year there is a consignment sale here, I take all of the stuff I don't want to keep for the next baby and sell it off and buy new stuff for the boys. I usually break even or spend just a little bit over what I make. I also buy cheap packs of white shirts (the little 6 packs of gerber lap tees for ds2 and hanes undershirts for ds1) and tye dyed them myself. All told I spent $25 and got 9 shirts for ds1 and 12 shirts for ds2. They turned out really cute too. I put all of the money I save into carriers and diapers, but even those I rarely buy new.

[hottmama]

Hmm, I love Target. But I haven't tried to return anything without a receipt there. Good to know!
I have sooo many clothes we got for Luka that he never wore. I have no idea what to do with it- can I return it now, 6+ mos. later? They still have tags and such, many came from Value City and are ugly as can be. I have them all put aside to do something with.
We shop for clothes secondhand and at Gap, Old Navy, and the Children's Place, which all have good sales. I got Julian and Luka matching swim trunks from the Children's Place for $6 each last week, and Julian got new Gap sandals for $3.99.

[IncaMama]

that sucks! i just returned some stuff there w/no receipt and got a full refund, put back on my cc. wtf? why such different policies where you are??

[LittleLlama]

Since it was on your CC they could track it. If I had made the purchase, they probably could have looked it up... but then I wouldn't have bought so much useless crud, now would I?

[IncaMama]

ohhhhhhhhh. right. :

[charmander]

What I don't understand is why you need to use the gift card in the same department as the item you returned? What is that all about?

[Taedareth]

Did they give you a gift card? Because I think you can sell the gift card on ebay (for a bit less than it's worth). You set a buy-it-now price. You lose some money, but at least you can spend it at any store on whatever you want. Sorry that whole thing was such a mess!!

[aisraeltax]

im just not going to shop at Target b/c of this. i purposefully went to BRU today instead of Target b/c of your post...just so you kown that your word of mouth is working!

[LittleLlama]

No, I didn't even get a credit voucher of any kind. I had to leave my things with the customer service girl and bring back my items to "exchange" to customer service. My reciept is really screwy looking too- it's all but marked with a scarlet N for Non-returnable... not that I kept it.

[LittleLlama]

No, I didn't even get a credit voucher of any kind. I had to leave my things with the customer service girl and bring back my items to "exchange" to customer service. My reciept is really screwy looking too- it's all but marked with a scarlet N for Non-returnable... not that I kept it.

[Thursday Girl]

I like target, and i don't mind the return policy. They are just looking out for themselves. Some people do steal (say from a deptmartment that's easier to steal from) so they can get something else they want in a hard to steal from department. I mean it's sort of silly but i can kind of understand it. I think it's neat that they do even that b/c i have had stores refuse to take my mercahndise b/c it was to long from the purchase date, even with a receipt, so if they take it without a receipt that's good in my book.

courtney

[LittleLlama]

I worked at a Fry's (Kroger) customer service desk for a while and I'd get people trying to return Albertson's brand things whilst insisting that they only ever shop here as if their loyalty will somehow sway me to get the barcode to scan.