CVS refunds? Got "cash card" instead of $ (had receipt!)

PinballFamily

<font color=darkcoral>Yes, I have scrapping suppli
Joined
Sep 25, 2006
What's with that? Was a $4.76 purchase in cash from two weeks ago - had the original receipt. Returned two (new/unused) items today (baby powder - wrong kind, and had since bought the right ones elsewhere) and dug in my change compartment and put 24 cents on the counter so that the cashier could just give me a $5 bill back. She looked confused and just handed me a card - and my receipt back - and said "it is just like a gift card." (She ignored the 24 cents.)

I've never returned anything to CVS before (actually don't shop there very often) - anyone know if is this new or a mistake, or just moronic corporate policy? In the rare events I've returned things at other stores with the original receipt, the refund has always been in the form of payment - cash/got cash back, credit card/got a credit card credit, etc...

I know I'm not out any real money, and I didn't ask the cashier as she seemed kinda clueless and there was a line behind me, but would have preferred a cash refund rather than a card I now have to keep track of and remember to use.
 
I was recently at a CVS and the customer next ro me had rhe same thing happen. She was attmpting to return something, she had paid cash and she had her receipt. The cashier was very rude insisting the customer needed to get the gift card "because thats what the computer is telling me". The customer even pointed out the return policy but the cashier wasnt getting it.
 
I was recently at a CVS and the customer next ro me had rhe same thing happen. She was attmpting to return something, she had paid cash and she had her receipt. The cashier was very rude insisting the customer needed to get the gift card "because thats what the computer is telling me". The customer even pointed out the return policy but the cashier wasnt getting it.

Maybe it was she who wasn't getting it. The cashier can only do what the register lets them do. And if it was telling them it was only allowing a gift card return, then that is all they can do. Not knowing the payment history of the customer, or what returns they have made in the past, or if there is a new store policy, none of us can say for sure what was going on. But it could very well be that the only return being allowed was a gift card return.
 


Here's what the return policy is:

"Store returns: Bring any unopened, damaged or defective nonprescription item(s) along with your CVS.com invoice to any CVS/pharmacy store to get a credit for the full purchase price."
 
You're making way too much out of this. Probably just a cashier who didn't know the policy. Call and speak to the manager. No big whoop..
 
The policy is that you get credit. I copied and pasted the policy directly from the CVS website.
 


But that's for CVS.com items. For that matter how would you pay cash if buying online?

I think that if you are buying in store you should get it back using whatever method you paid. I always did in the past. However if you used ECB or were issued ECB for any portion of the purchase then they will issue a store credit.
 
Maybe it was she who wasn't getting it. The cashier can only do what the register lets them do. And if it was telling them it was only allowing a gift card return, then that is all they can do. Not knowing the payment history of the customer, or what returns they have made in the past, or if there is a new store policy, none of us can say for sure what was going on. But it could very well be that the only return being allowed was a gift card return.

You're making way too much out of this. Probably just a cashier who didn't know the policy. Call and speak to the manager. No big whoop..

JMO, IT'S A BIG DEAL Some stores have a policy of pushing a gift card refund, even if the customer is entitled to a cash refund. Sometimes the customer doesn't care, sometimes the customer is mislead and sometimes is lied to.

The cashier wasn't getting it. The customer said she was entitled to a cash refund. The cashier should have gotten a manager over to either override the computer or explain why the return in question is an exception to the posted return policy.

The computer says so is not an acceptable explanation, JMO.
 
The policy is that you get credit. I copied and pasted the policy directly from the CVS website.
As someone else has already pointed out, you posted the return policy for .com purchases. That doesn't apply to the OP.
 
JMO, IT'S A BIG DEAL Some stores have a policy of pushing a gift card refund, even if the customer is entitled to a cash refund. Sometimes the customer doesn't care, sometimes the customer is mislead and sometimes is lied to.

The cashier wasn't getting it. The customer said she was entitled to a cash refund. The cashier should have gotten a manager over to either override the computer or explain why the return in question is an exception to the posted return policy.

The computer says so is not an acceptable explanation, JMO.

EXACTLY!:thumbsup2
 
Putting 24 cents on the counter probably threw her off too. I've found young people who have no concept of adding money so not to get a lot of change. For example, your total is $4.76 and you give them $5.01. No clue why you gave them the penny. They'll say "I already put in $5", ok so give me .25 instead of .24 in change. No clue.
 
JMO, IT'S A BIG DEAL Some stores have a policy of pushing a gift card refund, even if the customer is entitled to a cash refund. Sometimes the customer doesn't care, sometimes the customer is mislead and sometimes is lied to.

The cashier wasn't getting it. The customer said she was entitled to a cash refund. The cashier should have gotten a manager over to either override the computer or explain why the return in question is an exception to the posted return policy.

The computer says so is not an acceptable explanation, JMO.

If the customer would ask for a manager, then I'm sure one would be called. Otherwise the cashier can only do what the register allows them to do. And for all we know for some strange reason it was only allowing credit returns. It does happen.
 
Putting 24 cents on the counter probably threw her off too. I've found young people who have no concept of adding money so not to get a lot of change. For example, your total is $4.76 and you give them $5.01. No clue why you gave them the penny. They'll say "I already put in $5", ok so give me .25 instead of .24 in change. No clue.
Also, frankly, putting the change on the counter instead of handing it to the cashier may not have bee the best move.
 
Most likely when the cashier ran the return, she didn't note that it was a return with a receipt. And, she can likely give "cash cards" for returns if the amount is under a certain amount - say $20 or $10 - without getting authorization from a manager. Cash returns *may* require a manager approval.
 
OP here. Thanks, everyone, for your input!

Interesting - I had the same cashier for the original purchase and for the return. (She commented upon that when looking at my receipt during the return.) She did have to call a manager over twice during the return as she was focused on energetically punching buttons/keys into her register screen, which is why I couldn't get her attention to actually hand her the 24 cents. The manager vanished long before the cashier actually handed me the card - otherwise, it would have been easy for me to ask the manager "Hey - what's up with this card-thing refund? Where's my five bucks?" But, by then, the manager was gone and a long line had quickly formed behind me and this was the only register open...

I used the "gift card" the next day at another CVS (without incident!) so that it didn't get lost. My experience may be unusual - or not - I don't shop at CVS often, so I don't know. And it also was only for a couple of dollars. I suppose my tale might just be a heads-up if this happens to a poster with a much larger refund amount...maybe they will be better prepared than I was! To me, since I paid originally with cash, cash back to spend anywhere is much more preferable than a card I'm locked into spending at a single store/chain.
 
Did the cashier scan your receipt? Whenever I have gotten a refund at CVS, the cashier always scanned my receipt and the refund was for the same payment method previously used (cash or credit to debit/credit card).
 
I recently had to return something to CVS and could not find my receipt. They were very helpful and gave me store credit on a giftcard. I would think that with a receipt the refund would be via the same method of payment. :confused3
 
Here's the problem with this whole picture;CVS MONEY CARDS AREN'T GIFT CARDS; gift cards can be used to buy liquor, milk, and smoking cessation products,gift cards are governed by the laws of the state they're issued in (in my case California where they can be charged dormancy fees but consumers can ask for the value as cash if $10 or less),they are a promise that the merchant will sell you items from their store, while money cards restrict the type of items purchased (no sin items like milk, nicotine, or booze, stamps, etc), moneycards do not expire but they also have no consumer protections because they don't have to comply with state laws, they are STORE CREDIT which is a promise that the consumer makes saying they'll be back to spend it at that store (like they have a choice). Providing store credit to a customer who's receipt was validated and who was already known to the cashier who was a witness to the original purchase-THAT IS A TYPE OF FRAUD. She checked whether or not the items you presented before her were actually on the exact receipt you handed her right? She probably checked to see if it was still within their 60 day return period meaning she looked at the date. Then she probably looked at the method of payment before trying to diminish the value of your patronage in rushing through the return, making you feel like you and you alone were the only thing keeping the rest of the line from making purchases. Don't ever feel bad, that cashier gets paid regardless of how many transactions she screws up and guess how the company pays her? With MONEY GENERATED FROM SALES TO CUSTOMERS JUST LIKE YOU. you sign her paycheck, you keep the lights on-Without customers she wouldn't have a job. Sobdon't ever let them treat you like an inconvenience, they're a convenience store/pharmacy so if anyone needs to stay in their lane it's CVS because nothing is more inconvenient than to have to return multiple times to a store you don't shop at that often to spend money that you could've spent somewhere anywhere else without restriction had you just stated the heck away from it in the first place lol. I feel your pain op. And I know it seems pretty to you guys but the cashier had NO PROBLEMS with the Register or the Customer when they were selling her something but when it came time to adhere to policy and give it back to her, all of a sudden there's room for exceptions to be made and corners to cut. This Christmas, there were two cashiers at the mall who embezzled $7K in two weeks by doing ghost returns, that is to say, they would take actual sale receipts from transactions completed at that store and return items corresponding to those receipts and pocket the cash without knowledge consent from or the consideration of the customer (ignoring the very likely possibility that many customers would attempt to return the real items with the genuine receipt, possibly getting denied because it was already returned). When you do a non receipted return for items where proof of purchase was evident, it is possible that if she left her receipt with the cashier after completing the messed up return, that cashier could do exactly that, heck she might not even need the receipt to do it if the receipts were stored in their system. And what does CVS care, a money card can't be spent the way cash can so they don't loose anything and potentially stand to gain more should she return and buy something more than the value of her original purchase. That girl should have called for additional cashier's so she wouldn't be so pressured she forgot how to read.
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Top