Gap Complaint - Ridiculous New Exchange Policy - Exchange policy

Posted by Hugh_Jorgen on 2006-12-15:

Why is it no one ever blames the thieves and fraudsters for forcing retailers to crack down like this? I'm sure the Gap, Target, et al would like to go back to the "good ole days" where you could return anything at any time for any reason without a receipt, but the losses made that old policy impossible to live with. We see this complaint about some retailer daily and the solution is simple - keep the receipts. Sure this was a gift, but the tags were attached, so where's the harm in giving the receipt as well? This is even more true if you are the purchaser - keep the receipt until you are certain you won't return the item - problem solved.

Posted by Lidman on 2006-12-15:

I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use.
- Galileo Galilei

Posted by miantani75 on 2006-12-16:

Agreed with the above posts. You can thank the thieves & scammers for stores cracking down on returns without receipts like they are. What are the stores supposed to do, continue losing money? Businesses don't work that way.

Posted by queenoid on 2006-12-16:

Hey, folks, let me reiterate that I was only asking to exchange a brand-new size 8 for a size 10. And it would have been simple if my S-I-L had included the gift receipt, but she didn't. And I didn't even complain that they wanted my name, address, birth certificate and a DNA stamp, because I know that some people do steal and then return. But all I was asking was an even exchange. I don't see that they would have lost any money on it at all.

Posted by miantani75 on 2006-12-17:

But, you had no receipt to back you up. That's why the store was not willing to just do an exchange. No one here is accusing you of scamming the store. What were were saying is you can thank the people who are thieves & scammers for the stores cracking down like they are on returns & exchanges without receipts.

Posted by rhondam718732 on 2006-12-18:

Queenoid: I'm with ya. I do usually say that people with no receipts should not complain about the rules. BUT, in a gift situation for an even exchanges, it does sound like GAP is making it difficult. You have to turn in the merchandise so they can of course sell it immediately but the customer has to wait for a credit? Arghhhhhh.

Posted by Let Me Talk to Your Manager on 2006-12-18:

The problem is not thieves vs. innocent people, it's corporate policy vs. common sense. Any idiot could have seen it was an even exchange, and any private store manager would have fallen all over himself to help you. The problem with corporate retail is that no one THINKS anymore, they just follow the policy and shoo you away.

Posted by jkham310 on 2007-01-12:

This is just silly! I recently had trouble with a return to Gap. I used a ten dollar reward that I had to purchase 200 dollars in product to earn which is the only reason I have a Gap card at all! I purchased a skirt I love for my daughter for about 14 dollars. I paid four dollars good deal right! Now, when I returned it I asked for store credit so I could still use my 10 dollars off. They said no! On a return you loose the 10 dollars! She said it would be "cheating" the store. I said how is it "cheating" if I still purchase it in the store? They wouldn't budge even the manager. I called customer service and he said I could still use my 10 dollars on another purchase. They were wrong! He made it right! Customer Service Finally! Too bad I had to waste so much time.

Posted by ghostbuster on 2007-03-04:

Well you claim you are a mom but you don't act like one. You think and act like an eight year old. The rules are for everyone they are not going to treat you special, but this letter makes you seem to have the iq of an eight year old so they would explain why you think you deserve better threatment than other customers.

Posted by Mrs. D on 2007-06-25:

A lot of consumers fail to understand how prevalent theft and scamming is. In this instance, the GAP has begun to assume that anyone without a receipt has stolen the product they are trying to return/exchange and are trying to receive a free item. Most upscale shops, who can afford to have a larger staff to monitor LP, still have an "open door" return policy, where you will receive at least merchandise credit for an item without a receipt.

Posted by queenoid on 2007-06-28:

Hey, Ghostbuster - why the hostility? That seemed like quite a flame for my complaint! What's the deal? "Rules are rules" is the type of thinking that puts that high-school kid in automatic suspension for having a table knife in his pickup after helping his grandmother move!(remember THAT insanity?) And if I had thought and acted like an 8 year old I would have started to cry in the store, which I assure you I didn't. The point of this discussion board is to discuss retailer policies.

Posted by queenoid on 2007-06-29:

Never mind - Ghostbuster either removed his/her insults himself or someone removed them for him/her.

And here's one thought about the "no exchange because I might have stolen it" approach - which I do understand. Don't like, but do understand. Let's say I did steal it - if I exchange it for the same item and mine is completely ready to put back on the rack, how is it any skin off their noses? I just would have been an incompetent thief! Not one who is getting a store credit or money back. . .