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Seriously, can the Gap do this?? I need an attorney to weigh in here.
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Anonymous
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I have been a lifelong customer of the Gap. Since I've had children, I buy almost all of our clothes online. I have a Silver card so I get free shipping and then I just run the stuff I don't want to the Gap store whenever I get a chance. I am preggo and bought a ton of maternity clothes a few months ago, knowing that only some of it would fit right and that I would need to return the rest. Somewhere in the process of buying clothes and getting around to sending them back to Gap, they changed their return policy. Or perhaps they changed it earlier and I missed it. I truly don't know. All I do know is that they are refusing to return $300 worth of clothes because I didn't mail them back within 45 days.
My gripe is as follows: A) I didn't know they changed their return policy and while the Gap's website has been updated of the new return policy, their return shipping label makes absolutely no reference to this new policy. B) I am totally ripe with pregnesia but I truly don't think this return policy was in place when I ordered my clothes. I had noticed that they were now refusing maternity clothes returns at the store and that I would need to mail them back for a $6 charge but with the nausea I had, I decided to eat the $6. C) Personally - and I know that this is something that is irrelevant and unimportant to the Gap but burns my toast nonetheless- I had bleeding from placenta previa and was on bed rest for a few weeks. This return was the furthest thing from my mind. I am SO p*ssed. off.  Do I have any legal recourse?
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Anonymous
| I think they should honor the return policy that's on the receipt you have (is that the label you make reference to in the underlined part above). I have no idea if you have any legal recourse, but even if you did, my guess it that it would cost you more than $300. I suggest you write a letter to the CEO. He/she won't read it, but someone will and you'll probably get your money back along with a "sincere" apology. |
Anonymous
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Yeah, I got stuck with something earlir this year from the GAP. I had the receipt but since it was from the Early Winter season and I was trying to return it during the later winter season and they had seriously discounted the item, they would only give me $1.99 for something that was brand new with tags and had sold for $16. Like you, I have been a customer for years, have a LUXE card, etc etc - I just did not get around to returning it and just sucked it up. (Kept the item and will make it a gift for someone next year)
The receipt that I had did have a return policy printed on it of 45 days - and I was outside the window. There was no one I could speak to who would do anything for me. I understand the reason why they have the 45 day policy - if it is something that is out of season / they are not selling any more what are they going to do with it when they receive it? Now if they are still selling the items I would think that you might be able to make a case as to why they should accept the return. Many stores are tightening return policies. The worse I encountered recently was a return I made to Nieman Marcus. It was a gift that I had received for my DD and was the wrong size. I took it back to the NM store in Friendship Heights. All I wanted to do was exchange sizes - but since the original purchase was online, they could not do that. They took the item, and 2 weeks later sent me a gift card - less $9 for a return service charge! I took the return to a store and was charged a $9 service charge. I could not believe it. |
Anonymous
| Agree -- I think I'd even just write to the Gap, tell them you've had placenta previa, that you're a long time customer and need to make some late returns. If they say no, then escalate. I betcha they'll help you though. Fingers crossed for you. |
Anonymous
| With the economy like it is I think a lot of stores are having to change policies. The Gap is doing horribly and they have been for years. I'm not surprised they can't honor this type of thing anymore. It sucks but it's not surprising. |
Anonymous
This may not be what you are hoping to hear but many, many stores that I frequently shop at, including the Gap, are changing their return policies and in all cases they have always honored whatever return policy was in effect at the time the purchase was made (i.e. if the purchase was made prior to the change they honored the old policy that had been in effect at the time of purchase)--in other words, if they wouldn't do anything for you it's because you bought the clothes after the change, and just must have not noticed the change because of pregnancy issues. (Also in all cases, the changes were clearly posted/on website/on receipts well in advance of the change.) So it's unfortunate, but it sounds like you probably just made an error in not noticing the change. 
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Anonymous
| Y'know, sometimes you gotta suck it up like the rest of us. |
Anonymous
Speak for yourself. A $25 shirt I'd suck up. A $300 bundle of clothes is worth pursuing. Be the squeaky wheel. Last Christmas I received a top from Macy's. When I returned to DC I tried to return it to the Macy's downtown and was told I couldn't because it was purchased in another region. No. No, absolutely not. I spoke to customer service, I spoke to a manager, I persisted until I got my return. Nowhere on the receipt does it say a return has to be made in the same region. |
Anonymous
| OP if worse comes to worse (or worst comes to worst? whatever) - you can always sell them at a consignment shop or something. At least get some of your $$$ back. |
Anonymous
Agree with you, except that OP's case was different--it was her error, not the store trying to make up a fictional policy such as returns only in the same region. |
Anonymous
| In my experience, the best course is to be the squeaky wheel, not to threaten legal action (and I'm a lawyer). Just keep calling and escalating your complaint, get names of each person you talk to. Be nice, honest and respectful, but firm. Eventually you should get to someone who at least has the authority to do something. Stress that you are a long-standing, good customer. And try to find a compromise -- maybe merchandise credit rather than a refund? |
Anonymous
| 20:59, we have had the same problem with macy's for years. My in-laws live on the west coast and FIL works for Macy's and gets a discount, so they send us lots of clothes. If we don't like them or they don't fit, we always have to mail them back to them for returns. Totally sucks -- but since they are free to me, I don;t complain. |
Anonymous
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If Gap is now charging customers $6 to return maternity clothes, that's definitely a new policy - I also bought several things to try when I was pregnant, and their policy then was that there were free returns on maternity items, presumably because they're in so few stores there's no way for most people to try things on before they buy.
As for the 45 day return window, that seems pretty generous compared to a lot of stores - I think it's 30 days or less at many other places. I don't think it hurts to call them and see what they might be willing to work out. |
Anonymous
| We should all boycot the Gap. Put your $$$ where your mouth is. |
Anonymous
I hate when people ask questions like this. Do you have any legal recourse? Even if you did, are you seriously going to try to file a legal action against the Gap over a $300 dispute where you simply weren't aware of their policy? Now, if we think its an unfair policy, writing letters, boycotting, speaking to higher authorities all have a place. And I agree that if your original receipt did not mention the 45 day policy, you should be bringing that to the attention of managers, regional supervisors, the CEO, and whoever to point out that you should be treated fairly. But trying to claim a legal action solution is ridiculous. By the way, I just bought an in-store purchase at Gap, and my receipt says that they will only accept returns within 30 days now. So the 45 days for online is more generous. Personally, if I bought a bunch of things intending to return them, I would feel that I was assuming the risk that something will happen and I won't be able to return them. Maybe its forgetting to return them in the time period allowed, maybe its a child spills cranberry juice and ruins them all. Its not their fault you weren't able to return them on time or paid attention to the policy. |