Ninety Days, Tops!

(It is towards the end of January and I am returning a toy that I bought for my son a few days before Christmas. We took it out of the box and put it together, but the little one had absolutely no interest in it. Being tight on money, I decide to take it apart and return it, as I can use the money a lot more than I can use a toy that just sits around and collects dust. I take extra time to try to get everything back in the box as best I can, but part of it is still sticking out no matter how hard I try.)

Me: “Hi. I would like to return this, please. There’s nothing wrong with it at all, but my little one has no interest in it, and $80 is just too much to let sit around and not get played with. I tried to repackage it as best I could, but you know how these things can be. Here is my receipt for it.”

Worker: *takes the receipt and starts looking at it* “No, we can’t take this back. You bought this before Christmas, and our Christmas return policy is over now. There’s nothing we can do.”

Me: “Well, ma’am, I don’t see how me buying it just two days before Christmas can completely invalidate your ninety-day return policy. If you read the terms and conditions on the Christmas return policy, it is extended for items that people buy in, say, September for gifts that would be ineligible for return after Christmas. This was bought barely a month ago.”

Worker: “But this was bought before Christmas, so it’s invalid.”

Me: “With all due respect, ma’am, I work returns in another store so I know how return policies work. While I did buy this before Christmas, I purchased it only two days before Christmas. Your policy on your sign that is hanging right there above the register says that you have a ninety-day return policy. Basically, you are telling me that if I had bought this item just three days later, then what I did would be okay, but because it was purchased two days before Christmas, and even though it’s not even been anywhere close to ninety days, I can’t return it because your Christmas return window is open.”

Worker: “Yeah, that’s right.”

Me: “So, even though your Christmas return policy stated on your website says that it is an extension for items bought in September that would normally be ineligible for return after Christmas, since more than ninety days would have passed, and even though this item is only thirty-one days old, you won’t even attempt to scan my receipt to see if it’s actually eligible to return.”

Worker: “No, because it was bought before Christmas.”

Me: “Okay, look. I really don’t like doing this, but please get me your manager.”

(The worker goes to get the manager who follows them back over. The worker starts off before I can say anything so I just stand there quietly.)

Worker: “She refuses to listen when I tell her that the Christmas return window is over. She keeps saying she should be able to return it because it hasn’t been used.”

Manager: “Do you have your receipt?”

Me: “Yes, ma’am, I gave it to her. This item was only purchased thirty-one days ago, so it is well within your return policy of ninety days. I tried telling her that your Christmas return policy is for items purchased much before Christmas that would normally render them ineligible for return after Christmas. Furthermore, I never told her it should be returned because it was never used; I told her she should return it because it’s within policy.”

(The manager takes the receipt from the worker and looks at it for a second, then picks up the hand scanner and scans the receipt.)

Manager: “There. Now, return her item for her.”

Worker: *completes the return and hands the money to me* “Here. Have a good day.”

Me: “Don’t worry; I will now.”

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