OLD NAVY Gift Receipt Scam.

This is not beauty related, but I had to share! I had to! It is too important not to.

I am mad - fuming mad!

Old Navy is scamming thousands of consumers, and I have first hand experience.

I went to make some returns today.
*To Macy's, with no receipt or gift receipt. I got a store cash card for the lowest amount that the item was in the last 30 days. Fine. I understand.
*Onto American Eagle, I see what I am returning on sale for $29.50, so I expect to get $29.50 back on a store gift card - but no, I had the gift receipt. So I got what the purchaser paid - the entire $44.50 back on a store gift card - GREAT! That is how it is supposed to go.
*Onto Old Navy. I needed to get a smaller size in a pair of pants for my son - but I had no receipt or gift receipt. Guess what? I was not allowed to do an even exchange for a smaller size. Not without a receipt. No way - new policy. WHAT? I had to keep them, in the wrong size. TOTALLY SUCKS!!! Then I wanted to return a pair of pants for my daughter. We had the gift receipt dated 12/1/2006. She would be given $8.99 on a store gift card. I questioned the $8.99, as I was shopping at the very Old Navy and looked at the very same pants we were trying to return a few days before Christmas. And they were $22.50. Not marked down with a red sticker for $8.99. They were a full price for $22.50. So, I stupidly, accepted the fact that we would only get $8.99 back on the pants, and took the store gift card. So, I went to the back of store and found the rack of pants. I asked a girl working there if she knew when these particular pants were marked down, as I swore that I had seen them less than a week before at the full price of $22.50. She stated that she in fact marked them down on 12/26, and they were sold at full price until then. I went back to the registers and asked for the manager and told her my dilemma. She told me that it does not matter how much the item was purchased for. If you do not have the original receipt, then you cannot prove how much the purchaser paid for the item. The gift receipt only shows that the item was indeed purchased from an Old Navy store. She further explained that they only use the gift receipt as a reference and scan the item to get the lowest selling price of the item within the last 180 days. No receipt - you get nothing. Gift receipt - you get the lowest selling price of the item within the last 180 days. Receipt showing how the merchandise was paid for and the exact selling price - you get credited back in your original form of payment. I must have looked like a deer caught in the headlights, because I know that this cannot be right. It cannot be legal. She explained, in a terribly rude manner that it is Old Navy policy, and this policy has been in effect for almost a year now, and to just deal with it. I brought up the even exchange I wanted to make for my sons pants, and I was told that I need to keep them, as I have no proof of ever purchasing them, and they could be stolen - WHAT??? She says I should just hope that he grows into them.

I am fuming to say the least, over this. I will not let this lay, as I have the original receipt of purchase now, showing that my daughters pants were paid for in cash, for a full price of $22.50 on 12/01/2006, and I have the Gift Receipt that corresponds to the purchase that is also dated on 12/01/2006, and the receipt that I received today stating that I received just $8.99 back on an Old Navy Gift Card.  Instead of dealing with the store manager, I have calls into the District and Regional Manager and the local newspaper and television stations.

Be warned when shopping at Old Navy. Pay for each item individually, getting a receipt showing how much you paid for the item and your form of payment. Get an individual receipt for each item. If you are giving it as a gift, make a copy for yourself, and give the original receipt to the receiver.

I always liked Old Navy in the past, spending on average of $300 each trip, which is at least once every 4 - 6 weeks (I do have 4 kids and wear a lot of Old Navy clothes myself!). I will not shop there again until they right this wrong. Just not for me, but for all consumers.

Oh, by the way - The Old Navy in question is the Old Navy in Enfield, CT - store # 3371.

Feel free to repost this article, giving me a link back!

Comments

[Claire]

I had a similar problem even before Christmas. My boyfriend purchased me a sweater that was too small. I didn't want to tell him that it was too small, so I went to return it for a larger size. They would not let me do a even exchange for a larger size because I had no receipt either. I was bummed. He wondered why I did not wear the sweater Christmas Day and I do not want to tell him.

[Star]

I feel awful for your daughter. She should have received the amount that the person paid for them. I also thought that is what gift receipts were for.

[Amiee]

I purchased a couple of things from the Old Navy website a few months ago, and it even states on the large packing slip that items purchased on the website would be able to be returned or exchanged at an Old Navy store. I needed to return a few items that I did not like. The packing slip showed the prices I paid, but I was only allowed the prices that were on the same items in the store, which I thought was ridiculous. I had no choice but to ship them back in able to get the full credit on my Visa. And that took over 3 weeks! I understand your frustration.

[paige]

how terrible; i hate big stores like that; they can make up the rules as they go along; you should at least get what was paid for; the gift card should have gotten the 22.50 back not just the 8.99; i thought that is what the gift receipt was for to; old navy lost another shopper in me to.

[SUE]

Same problem here. I paid $39.50 for a sweatshirt for my son. I sent it to him in another state with the gift receipt. He didn't like it and tried to return it with the gift receipt. He said all they would give him was $15 on one of their store cards for it, because that is how much the sweatshirt was now. I felt so bad for him. He should have $39.50 on the store card, as it should be coded somehow on the gift receipt. I just sent him the original receipt, and we will see what happens when he brings it all back with the original receipt now. But you are right - what are the gift receipts for if they don't let you get the correct amount back that was originlly paid? It is just a way for the bug guys to make more money. Shame on Old Navy. I hope this gets some much needed attention!

[Molly-Anne]

Hi there - I was reading over your post and totally agree with you.

I also checked the Old Navy website and it states that ... For returns with a gift receipt:
A merchandise exchange or an Old Navy GiftCard will be issued for the original price paid.

So my question would be, why isn't Old Navy abiding by it's own policy?

I would sing all the way to the mountains until you get the right amount back on that Gift Card and open up Old Navy's eye to it's employess not following corporate policy.

[Anne]

So sorry to hear that. That's gonna be sucks! And this is why I usually don't get the gift receipts. Just hide the regular ones somewhere and if we need to exchange, we can go ahead and do it. You know how things goes, once Christmas is over, they mark down everything so you couldn't get your money back.

However, I agree with others that you should fight for it.

Anne

[Ginny]

I hate Old Navy. I had the same problem, knowing what someone paid for an item for me. It sucks. They say you are getting what they paid and they lie. I willnot shop there again and I am glad to know that it isn't just me who had this problem.

[Elaine]

I have heard that only a SMALL percentage of people redeem their gift cards at 100% of the purchase price. You know that managment really pushes GIFT CARDS for the holidays as a way to boost net profits. I am a shopper, but I know that I have credits for at least 3 stores.
Gift cards are such a rip-off. Whatever happened to good-ol' cash?

[mel]

Gift receipts should be used in the way they were created, guaranteeing the price the article was purchased at. I think it's awful that Old Navy feels the need to stoop so low. Customers won't go back. I sure won't step foot in there ever. Another store that has an awful policy is Zara and Forever 21. Zara won't allow a customer to obtain a regular receipt and a gift receipt. So be careful. Forever 21, there are no returns. NOTHING. I'm boycotting those too. What happened to customer service?

[heffay]

Sounds like you've had HORRIBLE service. HOWEVER, it sounds like the store manager you're dealing with is the problem - the gift receipts are coded with the price the purchaser paid (it's super simple, 9=0, 8=1, 7=2, 6=3, 5=4, and vice versa). So you (and the store) should be able to decode the price originally paid by looking at the gift code to the right of the receipt....the manager should know this, and if they did not they are the problem, not the company.

You can call 1-800-Old-Navy, give them the transaction information (on the top of the receipt). They will work to rectify this horrible experience you have had.

Depending on how they fix your situation, they can also send you a gift card as a good-will gesture.

I know none of this justifies what you've experienced - but I wanted you to know that it's the specific store you are dealing with and not the company.

When these companies get so big, it becomes really hard to ensure consistent service & execution of policies - I'd also be curious if the same managers you dealt with in December are still employed now in February.

[Jennifer]

Obviously this is from a couple of years ago, and I hope you have had this resolved? The manager was so very wrong in telling you that it doesn't matter what the purchaser paid, oh yes it does! I should know, I work there. Adn with the other comments, I'm sure this manager has already been removed from their position. Please come back to Old Navy and enjoy shopping with us again.

I can tell you that the reason for the new policy is because there are people out there who rummage through goodwill and the like, and try to return items. Making up stories about losing the receipt and they paid cash or it was a gift. Too bad some people have to ruin it for evryone else... If we gave in to every person with this policy our stores would go bankrupt and be shut down.

Good luck on your shopping experiences in the future and remember to always call 1-800-OLD-NAVY.

[Victor]

"It cannot be legal." Unfortunately, it is perfectly legal as it is there store policy and all. I'll agree with you that it is painful to see policies put into action as it is incredibly stupid in my own opinion to save a couple dollars from the returns and losing a permanent consumer (in your case, 300 dollars every month or so). I do have to comment on the fact however - that if you had tried on your clothes made sure everything fit etc, as well as keeping all your reciepts in order, you wouldn't have run into a situation like this in the first place.

One last thing - American Eagle's policy sounds awesome. Are you sure it's not just that specific store that allowed your redemption credit by the original purchasers price?