Talbot shoppers. Questions about returns.

[eliza61]

Talbots doesn't do price adjustments. Is this new?

Heres a recap. March 7th I purchased 2 summer dresses for $318.00 bucks total. Anyway, went into the store Monday and see they are now 1/2 off. Oh goodie I think. I still have the receipts ( I keep receipts for at least 90 days) and the tags are still on since they were purchased for spring/summer and we've yet to have that.

Anyway go to the store today (every thing is an additional 30%) off and the sales women says that talbots doesn't do price adjustments.

If I return them, I can't immediately rebuy them because she says returns don't go on the sales floor for 48 hours.

So of course I do a full return, get my 318 back. turn around a rebuy one of the dresses that was on the sales floor in my size @ ~60% off. The 2nd dress was not on the floor on my size so I'll go back in 2 days and see if I can snag the 2nd one.

I like talbots clothes, I just didn't know they don't price adjust.

I guess it just didnt make much sense to me.

 

[kathie859]

But never asked for a price adjustment...I'd go ahead and return them at the store and re-order them online with the discount.

 

[scrapquitler]

Talbots doesn't do price adjustments. Is this new?

Heres a recap. March 7th I purchased 2 summer dresses for $318.00 bucks total. Anyway, went into the store Monday and see they are now 1/2 off. Oh goodie I think. I still have the receipts ( I keep receipts for at least 90 days) and the tags are still on since they were purchased for spring/summer and we've yet to have that.

Anyway go to the store today (every thing is an additional 30%) off and the sales women says that talbots doesn't do price adjustments.

If I return them, I can't immediately rebuy them because she says returns don't go on the sales floor for 48 hours.

So of course I do a full return, get my 318 back. turn around a rebuy one of the dresses that was on the sales floor in my size @ ~60% off. The 2nd dress was not on the floor on my size so I'll go back in 2 days and see if I can snag the 2nd one.

I like talbots clothes, I just didn't know they don't price adjust.

I guess it just didnt make much sense to me.

March 7 was almost 2 months ago. I don't know of any store that price adjusts after 30 days.

I did have the same issue at Gymboree once, it had been a few days more than two weeks, and they told me they only price adjust for two weeks. After that, you can return it, and wait 48 hours for it to be back on the floor. Of course there wasn't the same item on the floor at that time. Well, they lost because I returned the item (it was a 50% price difference) and never shopped there again!

 

[eliza61]

Sales receipts states that returns are gladly honored up to 90 days. I guess I just assumed that if you could return them for full price up to 90 days you would be able to price adjust.

I did return them for full price, so I don't have any problems. I guess I'm thinking business wise. Lose a full sale (318 bucks) or at least get half of that.

thanks for the help

 

[LoriKutchey]

Talbots has always price adjusted for me in the past so if they don't do any price adjustments any more that is news to me. I would think you were long past the price adjustment stage any way. I would have done the same thing that you did. Just return and rebuy.

 

[mhsjax]

At almost 2 months ago, I don't see why any store would price adjust. I mean where do you draw the line, 6 months ,1 year.

 

[kirstenb1]

Most price adjustments I've seen are within 7-10 days of purchase.

I used to work in a department store. We did what Talbot's does. Accept the return, take it off the floor for 48 hrs, then put it out. Now of course if the same size/same dress was out on the floor marked down, the customer was welcome to purchase THAT dress.

OP, usually I side with the customer, but I think the fact you purchased it almost 2 mths ago, and asked for a price adjustment is too much.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Price adjustments are typically no longer than 2 weeks. I will tell you though, Talbots won't price adjust even if the items are marked down within a few days. That happened to me last year. I was MAD. So, I bought the things on sale, went home and got the ones I paid full price for, and returned them. I live LITERALLY across the street from the mall, so making an extra trip was not a problem for me.

You would think in the interest of good customer service they would just adjust the price, but if they prefer to play games, I can play too.

On the topic of squirrelly policies, Abercrombie & Fitch will do price adjustments but you have to bring the receipt AND the merchandise into the store. Again, I live across the street. Trying to inconvenience me is not that effective, especially when we are talking about substantial markdowns on a large quantity of stuff.

 

[andymattmom]

Sorry- 2 months is a long time....guess if you want to be specific 5 weeks. That is asking a lot from a store and IMHO is not poor customer service or anything. If you buy Easter candy on Saturday before do you expect a price adjustment the day after Easter when it goes 50% off. Do you expect a price adjustment when you buy wrapping paper for Xmas in November and then it goes 50% or more off the day after Xmas. Think you are being unreasonable and the store does NOT have to give any price adjustment. I can see the 10-14 days as most stores but not 6-7 weeks.

 

[eliza61]

LOL, guys, guys, guys stand down. I'm not implying that the rule is unreasonable or any thing else. the only reason I thought that they price adjusted was because you can return up to 3 months.

That was the only reason I asked. I did not think it was poor customer service. I wasn't demanding, I simply asked. It just seemed to me, that adjusting the price was an easier solution than me returning the item and then rebuying. Either way, I got the discounted price.

Also clothes are a bit different than food. Most stores sell merchandise 2 seasons ahead of time. Stores started selling spring/summer merchandise in January and february. Not many people I know in NJ will wear a strapless sundress with 25 inches of snow on the ground. So easter candy generally will be eaten within a few weeks of purchase, a lands end bathing suit may not be worn until a few months later, unless of course you are going on vacation.

 

[scrapquitler]

LOL, guys, guys, guys stand down. I'm not implying that the rule is unreasonable or any thing else. the only reason I thought that they price adjusted was because you can return up to 3 months.

That was the only reason I asked. I did not think it was poor customer service. I wasn't demanding, I simply asked. It just seemed to me, that adjusting the price was an easier solution than me returning the item and then rebuying. Either way, I got the discounted price.

It would be logical for them to price adjust, but it just doesn't work like that. I would think that processing the return would be more expensive/bothersome for them than the price adjustment.

I never realized it either, until I had my Gymboree experience. The return policy is required to be posted in stores (at least that's the law here in CT) but the price adjustment policy isn't required to be posted, and rarely is.

 

[starry_solo]

Target does the same thing, they only give you 14 days. I bought an item and 15 days later it went on sale. Luckily, I brought the receipt with me, they still had the merchandise in stock, so I bought it on sale and then returned it 10 minutes later with the old receipt

 

[Sagginit]

basically you paid the higher price to have it earlier. should you have waited until it went on sale they may have sold your size. if stores had to account for this kind of loss based on everyone price adjusting everything that 318 may turn into much more. in that case i would just return and re-buy. i did it twice at target with clearance items last month as they don't price adjust once its on sale even if its a big markdown.

 

[kirstenb1]

Another way to look at this is if stores did price adjustments weeks after the initial purchase, basically the customer did an XX weeks long hold on the merchandise.

When I worked at Leggett's in Dresses and Suits, basically we'd get 2 of every size, sometimes more. You can imagine the popular sizes usually didn't make it to mark down.

 

[Evi]

I was in the outlet today and the deals where awesome. Thats to bad that sales person wasn't more accommodating but kudos to you for getting one of the dresses for half off.

 

[poohs4me]

I had the same thing happen last Fall. Mid September and they told me the same procedure they told you. I could return the items and rebuy 48 hours later. This was within 14 days of my original purchase. I took it.

 

[zoemurr]

online policy. Now the clearance items are all "final sale" meaning that you can't return them if they don't fit. No matter how cheap it is I won't buy anything with that policy and I was really bummed 'cause other years I have gotten some really great stuff during their sales. Do they really stick to this if you try to return it to a store?

 

[tlbwriter]

LOL, guys, guys, guys stand down. I'm not implying that the rule is unreasonable or any thing else. the only reason I thought that they price adjusted was because you can return up to 3 months.

But price adjusting is not the same as returning. If you plan to return and rebuy when the item goes on sale, you are taking the risk that the item will not be in stock. A price adjustment that's available for such an extended amount of time carries absolutely no risk on your part, and therefore puts the risk on the retailer, not you. They want you to buy early so you'll be assured of getting what you want. You want to wait for a sale. What is their incentive to give you both advantages?

It just seemed to me, that adjusting the price was an easier solution than me returning the item and then rebuying.

Easier for you. For them, not so much.

 

[eliza61]

online policy. Now the clearance items are all "final sale" meaning that you can't return them if they don't fit. No matter how cheap it is I won't buy anything with that policy and I was really bummed 'cause other years I have gotten some really great stuff during their sales. Do they really stick to this if you try to return it to a store?

ouch. not sure zoe. I'm the op. I've always had very easy returns with Talbots, sort of one of the reasons why I've always shopped with them. I too do not shop if I cannot return items. Like I said, I am the type of shopper who may not wear some thing right away so return policies are important.

If you can get to the store, I got an email today saying they were extending the 30% off sale until tomorrow (sat).

 

[Janet Hill]

Items purchased at the Talbots clearance outlet are not returnable and at checkout the cashiers have (in my experience) been quick to point this out.

I think that any purchases from the regular outlet are still returnable within 30 days.

They have tightened their return policies. I guess they really had to as they were in financial difficulties, which is why they also did away with their unprofitable lines (babies, kids, and mens). They also sold off the J Jill stores to raise cash.