<p>I’ve enjoyed the “Good Buy of the Day” thread so much and have contributed to it, but today I had an experience that I thought I should share and hope others will also contribute bad shopping experiences so others can beware.</p>
<p>My kids bought me and expensive pot at Macy’s for Christmas. Knowing there was a good chance it wouldn’t be quite right, they enclosed a gift receipt. Previously I have returned items at stores (including Macy’s, I think) using a gift receipt and received cash. Today I was informed that the $158.90 I was due could only be given in the form of a store credit on a card. Not even on my Macy’s card.</p>
<p>That was bad enough, but then when I proceeded to shop in the store using that card I realized that all those store discounts when you using your Macy’s card did not apply using the store credit. So basically, I am not getting the 20% discount offered on almost everything because of this. </p>
<p>I intend to write to Macy’s and include my Macy’s credit card and not shop there again.</p>
<p>My worst shopping experience - looking for a DSLR at a local Cameras West store. I asked the salesperson to describe the differences in the features of the two cameras I was looking at, and his reply was, “If you want to learn about the features of these cameras, you will need to sign up for one of our DSLR classes!” He was asking me to pay $50 and spend 2 hours of my time for something that was most likely written in his job description? :eek: I will never buy anything from Cameras West!</p>
<p>But, the big problem isn’t that they gave back the value of the gift, it’s that you can’t use the gift money on your Macy’s card, which gives you 20% off. I agree that it doesn’t feel right, but from a business point-of-view, they already banked on having $158.90, and now you want it to be more than that. I wonder how they would have handled this return if you were the original purchaser: would they have given you a new card, or just take the $$$ off your bill. </p>
<p>disclosure: I don’t have a Macy’s card, so I’m not used to that “extra 20% off everything”.</p>
<p>Number 1 rule: Do not only write a letter to a single person. Call the store manager AND corporate. Yes, follow up but include, to the highest person that you can, a letter telling the Big Boss exactly who you spoke with, their position and what they said to you. Then mail (email and hard copies) to all who were involved. You will probably get some reaction/action.</p>
<p>Tell us what branch this happen is located. </p>
<p>I have a fourth degree black belt in shopping. When I was a child, and we were not wealthy but shopped sales at Saks and Magnins I learned this from my father: A nasty salesperson was snippy with my father. It was too much effort for her to find something for him. (No, it was not a busy time with lots of people vying for her attention. We were the only ones in the department.) My father very casually looked at her and said, “Are you (sorry Gloria Steinem!) Mrs. Saks, Mrs. Fifth or Mrs. Avenue?” The woman muttered, after staring at my father, “No.” Then my father said, “Then please do your job.”</p>
<p>…although there WAS a guy who worked at Neiman Marcus who is an actor. Very nice btw…He IS a Neiman or Marcus (or married to one, I forget which…) That wouldn’t have worked on him.:)</p>
<p>I had a problem with a screw up at Macys (long story, but somehow the clerk messed up my account when I was buying something and then opened an account for me that was a visa card (I did not request this, and now that I have locked down my credit that cant happen again. But I digress). I contacted Macy’s (I think I got a customer service # off their website). They rectified the problem, routed me to the store manager for some additional assistance with a purchase (or maybe a return, I forget) and also gave me a $25 credit on my Macy’s card for all my trouble. Granted, that was a year or twoo ago, and its possible Macys (Federated) is having $$$$ problems and is trying to pull this stunt with returns. I’d call the customer service line and complain as high up as you can, and get this credit put on your card (if that is your request) or get soemthing that authorizes a 20% (or MORE) discount on purchases for a proscribed time or dollar amount. I dont shop at Macys all that often, and I dont use my Macys card all that often, but they still treated me like an important customer. Then again, I am pretty persistent. Nice on the phone, but persistent. I usually dont let them off the phone until I get what I want )</p>
<p>OK- bad shopping experience. Does a crazy, abusive loony-toons contractor/house remodeler count as a purchase? Whew! What a nightmare.</p>
<p><strong><em>crossposted with ellebud</em></strong></p>
<p>ellebuds story reminds me of a joke, which I will try to summarize (note-- anyone who does not appreciate religious humor, stop reading now!)</p>
<p>Jesus goes to Mr. Finkelstein, the town tailer, to have a robe made. Jesus tries to pay the tailer, but Mr. Finkelstein refused to take any money. Instead, he said, “when you go out and talk amongst the people, just tell them, if they ask, who made your robe”. Months later, Jesus comes back by Mr. Finkelstein and sees a huge line outside his shop. When Mr. Finkelstein sees Jesus, he yells" Look what your advertising has done for my business!! How can I thank you???" Jesus replies, “we should go into business together. Lets call it Jesus & Finkelstein.” Mr. Finkelstein replied “with all due respect, I am the craftsman. I should get top billing”. They discuss this for a while and finally agree on a name for their partnership…
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wait for it
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Lord & Tailor</p>
<p>My worst shopping experience is…every time I step foot in Best Buy. It infuriates me that if your computer or printer or phone is over 6 months old, they treat you like a dinosaur and that they can’t possibly help you buy a charger or whatever for such an old electronic device. Just wait until they move out of their parents’ basements and actually have to pay for stuff!</p>
<p>Oh yeah, then there was the girl at American Eagle who asked if the mens size XL sweater was for my grandson. C’mon, I may be old enough to be shopping for a grandbaby or toddler, but I’m really not old enough to have a mens size XL grandchild!</p>
<p>I hate shopping in malls. I was barely into one store and a young clerk came over and informed me that “they didn’t carry my size”. I asked her, “you don’t carry size __?” and she sheepishly admitted they did. I could have strangled her! She felt she had to run over to blurt that out! How rude!<br>
Another time I was at a mall and had a gift certificate and picked out clothes. The clerk didn’t know the mall used gift certificates but she wouldn’t let me have my clothes and she wouldn’t give me my gift certificate back! I was getting mad and she said she could call security and I told her go ahead. She finally called someone and they assured her the mall accepts gift certificates.</p>
<p>My recent somewhat bad shopping experience - at the Nordstrom’s online store. I was so excited to see the Ugg boots in my D’s size at 50% off, I went ahead and bought them only to get an apologetic e-mail telling me that they were “not available”, yet somehow I managed to put them in my shopping basket and carry them through the checkout. Oy.</p>
<p>^^^^ Had that same thing with ordering shoes for my s online. Order went thorugh completely, including credit card charge. Received a call from the company offering me a different style and color. Uh. No.</p>
<p>I was once buying a skirt/jacket (sold as separates) in a store. They had my skirt size but the clerk had to call another store for the jacket. I cannot recall exactly what happened next, but all I recall is the clerk referring to another customer who wanted an item sent from one shop to the other, and somehow some issue with pricing must have come up. The clerk said that that customer “jewed her down”. After I picked my jaw off the floor, I advised her that I wanted to think about my purchase. I left, and never set foot in that store again.</p>
<p>Not to defend Macy’s, but isn’t it likely that they gave some discount/credit to the original purchaser/gift giver? Or is that only done after the holidays? If you got the same benefit wouldn’t that be double dipping?</p>
<p>She got credit back for the cost of her gift, it could have been with a discount or not, but $158.90 was what her kids spent, so she should be getting$158.90 back. It should be good as any cash or cash equivalent, and she should be able to use it with any discount. I would go up the food chain. I am not even sure if it’s legal what they are doing.</p>
<p>Yup, oldfort! They shold have given her one of the 20% discount coupons to be used with the refunded money.</p>
<p>One more thing about Nordstrom’s website - it is pretty scewed up, I think. I bought a pair of dress sandals off of it which I saw in the “you might also like these” link when I was browsing. However, if one searched for the exact sandal (brand and shoe style), it would not show up in the search results! I tried! It was listed for a suspiciously low price, but there was no indication that it was discounted. Another shopping experience: two pairs of waterproofed boots, leather and suede, same style, same size had $199 and $99 price tags on Nordy’s site. Zappos had them both listed for $199. Guess where and which one I bought?</p>
<p>jym:…well 15…But regarding the clerk: B**** that I am I would have talked to the manager/owner and tell them why they were losing my business. And they would tell friends.</p>
<p>There was a restaurant here that was famous, world famous. The son or grandson of the owner made an antisemetic comment about one of their customers. The whole city boycotted the restaurant. (This is a very multi cultural/ethnic/religious/racially diverse area.) Can we say Spago–that’s the restaurant that is there now? (Ultimate irony? The stupid kid who made the remark was 1/4 Jewish…family left Germany in World War 2)</p>
<p>I am having a bad online experience right now. I would like to buy a pair of classic,high heel (2 1/2-3 inch) black pumps and I need a 9 1/2AA (narrow). Checked both Nordstrom.com and zappos and my choices are ugly and Stewart Weitzman which are beautiful but I don’t want to spend $250-$300. Ugh.</p>
<p>I have to buy shoes online because of the narrow feet thing.</p>
<p>This happened to the gentleman in front of me, last month, at Toys R Us. He returned something and had the receipt showing he had paid cash. Toys R Us said that their safe wouldn’t open that day so they could only give him a store credit. I couldn’t help it. I had to jump into the conversation. I told them they should just refund him with money out of the cash register, but “No. Then the cash register wouldn’t balance.” But it would, if they had his store credit in there, wouldn’t it?</p>
<p>I hate shopping in stores. I have lots of Cabi clothes which I love and my friend owns a great consignment shop. She calls me when something my size and taste comes in.<br>
A few years back we had a new shop in town. I was looking for a simple tee shirt. The young salesgirl told me “well any tee shirt we would have would have a cap sleeze and wouldn’t fit you.” Nice…now I never have to go there again. We have another “high end” shop. I once bought several hundred dollars in there and the salesgirl was chewing her gum, barely spoke to me and didn’t say thank you when she finished. Sorry for her but the owner’s mom is a friend of mine. Oops…big oops there sweetie.</p>
If I had been the original purchaser of the item, they would have credited my credit card and then when I made new purchases, I would have gotten the discounts. The gift receipt should be the same. Otherwise, what’s the point of a gift receipt? I’m not upset that I got a credit, although to be fair, they should have issued a refund. But I AM upset that the credit doesn’t allow me to get discounts and I am therefore, forced to buy items totally that amount without discounts as the only way to get my money back.</p>
<p>Let’s pretend that the gift the kids bought had been originally $100. They used a Macy’s card and paid only $80. They get a gift receipt which I use to return the item. They give me $80 credit on a card. I then try to rebuy the gift but now it’s back to $100 and I don’t get a discount. Had they credited my Macy’s card, or given me cash, I could rebuy it with my Macy’s card with the discount for $80. Seems fair to me. Just because it’s different items I’m purchasing doesn’t change the idea.</p>
<p>Moral of the story: Do not buy gifts at Macy’s unless you’re positive the person will keep it or you can return it yourself.</p>
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