September 1, 2013
Today began with a trip to my local Walmart store and 91.00+ dollars later (wow everything is so expensive) I was on my way out of town for Chinese for lunch and a visit to a Bath and Body Works store out of my area.
Everywhere we had gone earlier today was super, super busy...and this B&BW was going to be no different. People were crowded around every single table and doorway there and as I made my way closer to the registers I heard something I usually don't hear that often....a crash of glass....and I said to my husband, "that sounded like an owl hit the floor.' He looked at me and asked what made me think that, I had my back to the crash....and I told him...the loud, high pitched sound of the glass....and the tinney sound of it. It wasn't the thud of a candle...
A moment later a Sales Associate came running up to the register line to get the broom and dust pan and told the cashier, "another owl bit the dust." She remarked back....he wasn't the first.
And I was standing behind a woman with a medium sized bag waiting for her turn, with what looked like a return. The lines were long, all of the SA's were in the front, one was busy cleaning up shards of sharp glass and this one poor girl was on a register.
So I waited to buy my metal handled candle holder and listened to what was going on in front of me. Apparently, the woman was bringing back candles and she wanted to either get a gift card she said or some new.
I internally rolled my eyes and thought here we go, as I could now see the "old" candles on the counter out of her bag....and I waited to see what the reaction was going to be from the cashier.
The first thing she asked was of course...."do you have the receipt?"
And of course... no was the answer.
Let me interject my thoughts on that. Um, why not? Why don't you have a receipt? Granted, not everyone in the world behaves and thinks organized like me...so not everyone takes their receipts and puts them in a shoe box, bag, purse...envelope...receipt keeper....whatever....to keep track of it in case you need it. But it's not a hard process really. Staple a bag to a door and when you come in from shopping, toss the receipt in the bag. Not lost.
Most stores....most....give you 30 days tops to return something. 14 days at other places.
Bath and Body Works with their 100% happiness guarantee opens themselves up for this kind of nonsense I was about to be witness of....with their "hey buy it today and in fifty years if you don't like it....or if a new floorset comes out...feel free to bring it back and we will eat the costs and pass it onto the prices for everyone else.
And it makes me NUTS. How is it right that you buy something ( clearance or not) and you think months and even a year later you can bring that back in and get something brand new? I know, I know....BBW tells us we can. But my goodness....really? And this isn't the first time I saw this....I see it so much with body care....as soon as a new line comes out...here comes the march of the returns (some used too!!!) and the reason they just didn't like it....so they want to try the new. Usually at the fall releases too. I hardly see it for spring and summer scents.
So she doesn't have her receipt and she has some older candles (that she probably got on clearance) and now wants the new pumpkins.
And the cashier was getting flustered as her neck was getting red. I saw her beep them at the register and then type something and beep again.
If I was that cashier I would have loaded up her bag of crap and told her to hit the road... haha...but that's just the mood I am in today....and another reason I prefer to be a customer of this company rather than an employee. I find that disgusting and I am not afraid to say so. But its not my business....nor my business....so I shut my yap. There.. Not here.
It is one thing to buy a product...and need to bring it back. In a reasonable amount of time....with a receipt. Goodness....I bought Glade candles forever and some would tunnel so bad they ended up being a lost cause. I never took them back to the store. I burned it...and if it didn't work out well...I never bought it again.
So the girl had to talk into her mic and ask the manager to come up and help her. Being the candles are on sale currently, that is what the customer got for them....this sale price of $11.00 each I think I heard her say. When asked if she wanted to go pick other candles she requested a gift card instead and got a Merchandise credit card.
I know....like item for like item is the policy, and it's a great policy when its not abused. Eventually, that policy is going to change to catch up with the times and the way people use and abuse the system. The prices of things are already going up....with a new bottle design launch coming October 7th....and new prices on them.
Should I go grab all of my clearance purchased items from Junes SAS ...lotions and potions.... I paid 2.00 and 3.00 for and put them in a bag to save for Octobers Signature Holiday items release....and exchange them out then? I could. Would it be right? And what would you think if you were the person standing in line behind me?