primitives discuss refund policies at Target

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3796200

This bonfire's been lit for a while, and I'm truly disappointed no one brought it over here.

tannybogus  Donating Member  (540 posts) Thu Aug-14-08 11:22 AM
Original message

Target Has 79-Year-Old Taken In For Mental Evaluation After She Demanded Cash Refund
   
Christina Brown said she wanted her $30 back. The cops said she must be crazy.

That's how a 79-year-old New Hope woman ended up having her head examined when she asked the SuperTarget in Plymouth to refund the $30 she had paid for shirts that did not fit. When store workers offered her a gift certificate in return for the shirts, but would not give her cash, Christina Brown stood for her rights.

<snip>

When the manager said he was going to call the cops, Christina beat him to the punch: Taking a cellphone from her purse, she dialed 9-1-1 and called police, asking them to come and help her. Officers responded and later filled out a report, but no charges were filed.

The police report also says she asked to be arrested, but she denies that, saying, "I'd have to be crazy to ask for that."

"They can put you in jail for this," she says a cop told her. "Well, I've got nothing else to do today," she replied. "Besides, I may meet a better class of people in jail."

The store wouldn't budge. Christina wouldn't bend. A stretcher was brought in.

Christina was strapped to it, and taken by ambulance to North Memorial Medical Center. Her physical and mental health was supposed to be evaluated.

<snip>

http://www.startribune.com/local/26936624.html?page=2&c...

I have read this story twice, and I am still at a loss as to why she was taken for a mental evaluation. Either there is something missing in the story or someone at Target is batshit crazy. They should have been taken in. I worked retail for a loooooooooooong time, and there were plenty of customers that I wanted hauled off for a checkup. I can't imagine what she would have done to deserve this. I really want to know what it was, if anything.

I do know that if I had a customer treated like this, my corporate office probably would have sent me to join her. The cops had to have made that call???

Or do they now let store managers determine levels of sanity. Unless she was a clear danger to herself, I would had to have had permission from the CEO of my company and God to have her taken for a mental evaluation.

Now, Target's a blue business, right?

fed_up_mother  (665 posts) Thu Aug-14-08 01:53 PM
Response to Reply #1

61. No receipt. No refund. Simple. Did she have a receipt?
   
Stores are well within their rights not to give cash for people who "return" stolen items. It's a great way to make a little cash. Or many stores will wait until a check clears to give a refund.

The perpetually-looking-for-free-housing bobbling primitive stirs up some excresence:

bobbolink  Donating Member  (1000+ posts) Thu Aug-14-08 03:42 PM
Response to Reply #61

98. Nice assumption.
   
You do that often?

If so, no wonder you're "fed up"

fed_up_mother  (665 posts) Thu Aug-14-08 04:13 PM
Response to Reply #98

106. I asked "Did she have a receipt?"
   
I didn't assume.

bobbolink  Donating Member  (1000+ posts) Thu Aug-14-08 08:47 PM
Response to Reply #106

144. After the fact.
   
No receipt. No refund. Simple.

Did she have a receipt?"

fed_up_mother  (665 posts) Thu Aug-14-08 08:52 PM
Response to Reply #144

146. IT was IN THE SUBJECT LINE!
   
geesh

bobbolink  Donating Member  (1000+ posts) Thu Aug-14-08 08:55 PM
Response to Reply #146

147. Yes, geeesh.
   
It's the deal now to assume first, and ask later.

You might want to consider whether that is actually "progressive".

The freeloading bobbling primitive is just such an insufferable bore.

ribofunk  Donating Member  (1000+ posts) Thu Aug-14-08 12:15 PM
Response to Reply #2

28. What's Probably Missing is that she acted in a way that made employees suspect her stability. I don't doubt the customer had a valid point and should have been given a refund rather than store credit. She may have been completely sane and within her rights, but the employees may not have seen it that way. Not saying they were correct, but that's often what happens in a case like this.

Another spit-spat among the primitives:

wienerdoggie  Donating Member  (1000+ posts) Thu Aug-14-08 11:56 AM
Response to Reply #11

20. Right. People are focused on "why didn't they just give her a refund", and they're missing the point--there was something about this woman that made the cops think she wasn't rational. She was creating a disturbance, wouldn't agree to store policy, etc. From personal experience in nursing and from having relatives with Alzheimer's and strokes, it's not some "cute little stubborn old-lady" thing, it's potentially cause for concern when the elderly behave this way--just placating them isn't the point, there may be some health or safety issues at stake for this woman. Besides, if this were a young man refusing to leave, nobody here would bat an eyelash about the cops being called, because he would be seen as trespassing. You don't have a RIGHT to be in a store. They can and will throw you out on your ass if the police agree you're creating a disturbance.

tannybogus  Donating Member  (540 posts) Thu Aug-14-08 12:08 PM
Response to Reply #20

25. Oooooooooooooookaaaaaaaaay?
   
When I get old and cranky, I'm going to be taken for evaluation because I'm old and cranky.

See post #20. I know people can be disruptive, abusive, etc. Unless she was truly out of control, I don't see taking her to the hospital. In the second link the Target people say, "It's not anything she did." Arrest her. she called the cops. I still haven't read enough to see where she should have been taken to the hospital.

wienerdoggie  Donating Member  (1000+ posts) Thu Aug-14-08 12:16 PM
Response to Reply #25

29. Your bizarre condescension to me aside, you weren't there, you don't know the full story--just reading an article written by some columnist hack with an angle to push isn't enough to declare wrongdoing here. Sounds like the police played it safe with this lady, in case she had some underlying health problem. That's my opinion.

More primitives wiggle-wagglling their armpits at each other:

JeanGrey  (1000+ posts) Thu Aug-14-08 12:56 PM
Response to Reply #4

41. She wasn't behaving in a "unusual manner". SHE WANTED her money. There is nothing "mental" about it.

wienerdoggie  Donating Member  (1000+ posts) Thu Aug-14-08 01:05 PM
Response to Reply #41

44. I've been refused a refund before, due to store policy. I didn't make a scene, I didn't refuse to leave, I didn't call the police. I accepted store credit. That's what most rational people do.

classicfilmfan  Donating Member  (1000+ posts) Thu Aug-14-08 09:27 PM
Response to Reply #44

151. **** store policy
   
If they want to maintain good public relations AND get more of the shrinking consumer dollar they'll learn to treat their customers better. Maybe she wanted to spend that $30 somewhere else. At any rate, she'll never spend another dime at Target and I don't know if I will either.

It's a big bonfire, but one reasonably assumes the classic flim-flam primitive will be at the front doors of Target the day after Thanksgiving.  They always are.

[DumbAss Tanker]

I tend to agree with teh OP, there must be something more to this that isn't in the story.  If they just wanted her ass hauled off for creating a disturbance, they would'v called it "Trespass" or "Disturbing the peace" and the cops would've simply handled it as such.

It is pretty amusing watching them go off on each other over nothing, though, kind of like a dog-pit fight but more humane.

[Miss Mia]

I tend to agree with teh OP, there must be something more to this that isn't in the story.  If they just wanted her ass hauled off for creating a disturbance, they would'v called it "Trespass" or "Disturbing the peace" and the cops would've simply handled it as such.

It is pretty amusing watching them go off on each other over nothing, though, kind of like a dog-pit fight but more humane.

Target filed an order that she can never step onto their property of that store.

Also, Target didn't send her for a psych evaluation the cop did.  She must have been whacked for a cop to send her to the hospital for that.  Also, Target didn't even call the cops, SHE did.

[Lord Undies]

"At-tic-ca!  At-tic-ca!  At-tic-ca!"

[Chris]

 

[DumbAss Tanker]

I tend to agree with teh OP, there must be something more to this that isn't in the story.  If they just wanted her ass hauled off for creating a disturbance, they would'v called it "Trespass" or "Disturbing the peace" and the cops would've simply handled it as such.

It is pretty amusing watching them go off on each other over nothing, though, kind of like a dog-pit fight but more humane.

Target filed an order that she can never step onto their property of that store.

Also, Target didn't send her for a psych evaluation the cop did.  She must have been whacked for a cop to send her to the hospital for that.  Also, Target didn't even call the cops, SHE did.

I got that she called the cops, not them, however once they arrived it's apparent she was on the losing side, and it would normally have turned into a breach of peace/violation of order/trespass case at that point.  She must have put on quite the loony-tune act for the cops.

[mamacags]

Bobolink OBVIOUSLY has NEVER worked retail.  I used to work for a big box company for years and the stuff customers would try to pull made me a cynic for life.

[jendf]

Bobolink OBVIOUSLY has NEVER worked retail.  I used to work for a big box company for years and the stuff customers would try to pull made me a cynic for life.

I've got to find it again but there used to be a blog written by a guy who worked the Customer Service counter at Walmart. Oh, lordy, some of the stories he told were outrageous. A lot of would-be scammers out there.

[franksolich]

Bobolink OBVIOUSLY has NEVER worked retail.  I used to work for a big box company for years and the stuff customers would try to pull made me a cynic for life.

The bobbling primitive "bobbolink," has never worked anywhere.

She's the primitive who gets all sorts of free public housing, and bitches because it's never Buckingham Palace.

[jinxmchue]

This sort of thing has been industry standard for a long time.  I worked at Kameapart in the 90s and returns were a favorite way for crooks to try to rip off stores.

[LC EFA]

I saw this bongfire yesterday and debated bringing it over.

I was in charge of the returns /technical support and workshop of my last job.

Basically, If a customer if the product was "unsuitable" (including when the sales drone or packaging provided an incorrect description) , we could issue a refund or an instore credit. HOWEVER, if the customer paid on a CC , or by cheque we could not give that as a cash refund. I believe it's not only against store policy , but is illegal, to prevent money laundering.  Cash payments would be refunded in cash , anything else it went back where it came from electronically.

For Cash-sales (where the customer had no name on their receipt)  we could go back through the sales record of every product and match bank statements / etc to the customer. No receipt , no service.

It was always preferred policy to give an in-store credit or a replacement item.

I've called the cops a couple times and had customers removed from the store. They rightly deserved it in each case.

Customers would also try and pull the most idiotic scams to get money out of us , or replacement products for things they destroyed / lost / or never purchased.

[DixieBelle]

I think what's missing is that the woman probably has a history. We used to call people like her "frequent flyers". They were people who had been in and out of mental facilities or taken for an evaluation after professing to be a danger to themselves or others in the presence of law enforcement.

[Miss Mia]

Bobolink OBVIOUSLY has NEVER worked retail.  I used to work for a big box company for years and the stuff customers would try to pull made me a cynic for life.

I've got to find it again but there used to be a blog written by a guy who worked the Customer Service counter at Walmart. Oh, lordy, some of the stories he told were outrageous. A lot of would-be scammers out there.

OMG!   I loved that blog.  He/she stopped it a few months ago and I deleted my bookmark.  It was hilarious. 

[Georgia Bulldog]

I work for Target, and it never ceases to amaze me the lengths some people will go through to try and rip a store off.

[NHSparky]

Bobolink OBVIOUSLY has NEVER worked retail.  I used to work for a big box company for years and the stuff customers would try to pull made me a cynic for life.

The bobbling primitive "bobbolink," has never worked anywhere.

She's the primitive who gets all sorts of free public housing, and bitches because it's never Buckingham Palace.

Is it this woman?



SHARON JASPER--New Orleans Poverty Pimptress

“I might be poor but I don’t like to live poor. I thank God for a place to live but it’s pitiful what people give you.”

That's right, DUmmies.  We GIVE it to you in the form of OUR sweat and effort.  Quitcherbitchenalready.