By: Revanche

Fun times at the Refund Corral

June 2, 2010

I got my money back!

D’you remember that sweater I splurged on back when I got the job? Mid March, I think it was. The promise was made out loud that if I got the job, I could have one sweater for the office.

Actually, I might never have confessed to the shopping trip because I lost my goldanged mind and bought five items for a total of $220.  Oh yes, I completely neglected to share that.  The shame….. 
…. 
anyway, that’s not the point. 

It turns out that after the “victory” of finding clothes that fit, I realized my real mistake was buying clothes from Martin + Osa; it’s like having a puff pastry for dinner.  The experience is nice, but it’s not filling nor ultimately satisfying.  The sweater popped a seam within weeks after purchase, and the fabric pilled horribly.  Instead of taking it right back because A) I was lazy, B) the closest store (I thought) was 30 miles away, and C) I’d never picked up my mind where I left it because hello, your money?

I waited too long and the store that normally easily gave returns instead gave me guff because I made the mistake of trying to return the item on the same day the announcement was made that M+O were going out of business.

Oh.

But I spent way too much money on that sweater to have it fall apart like that so I got on the phones with Customer Service AND corporate to get a resolution.  Store closing or no, they have sister stores, a return policy that still allows returns for quality issues, and a reputation to maintain.  After a dozen emails with that many different answers, I was finally given the number to the American Eagle corporate office who again confirmed that this return was valid.  That lovely CSR went ahead and called the store manager, explained the situation and secured the promise that if the seam really had popped, my money was again mine.

Yes, I did spend $3.50 of that return money on parking, and $8.50 on tacos, but I’m still getting $70 back for a sweater that wasn’t worth $20.  The rest of that money’s going to the bank.

Small victories after a hard day at work, folks. 

10 Responses to “Fun times at the Refund Corral”

  1. I’m glad you persisted! Woot on the refund!

  2. I really think they make the refund process such a hassle so you’ll think twice about returning. If the process is so unenjoyable, they think you just might “suck it up.” Well, not me. If the quality is crap, I’m definitely giving it back.

  3. Money Funk says:

    Yeah! to small victories! *clinking of the champagne glasses*

    I hate when I buy clothing that is not worth its value. Sadly, most of the time I don’t take the time & effort to bring it back. It usually ends up in the thrift store pile or the trash.{wasted money}

  4. Jenna says:

    I love when you get refunds. Even after you have to work extra hard to earn them. The thing that stinks is when you do work hard and don’t get the refund!

  5. Matt says:

    I would say that was more than a small victory. Most people (myself included) would have given up long before you got the money. But sometimes it becomes a matter of principle. Good on you for getting the money you deserved!

  6. It seems like the most expensive items quite often are the lowest quality. I remember buying a dress at Hudsons when I first started working and the hem at the bottom fell out just about instantly. They hassled me when I returned too. My mother in law used to buy my babies clothes at an expensive store called Jacobsens and those clothes never lasted as long as the Carter’s and such bought at Kohl’s.

    Congrats on your victory!

  7. *clinks glasses*

    CONGRATS! 1 for the consumer. 🙂

  8. 444 says:

    You deserve a taco after all that! Good thing you were persistent and insistent. It’s your right as a paying customer. Paying too much for clothes is one thing, but paying too much for clothes that fall apart is another thing altogether.

  9. Good for you! That is SO frustrating. When you pay $70 for a piece of clothing, it should hold up better than something you picked up at the dollar store. Now we see why M & O is going out of business, eh?

    Grrr! For that price, you could have hired someone to make you a genuine hand-knit sweater.

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