I spent close to $700 in the last 2 weeks at Lord and Taylor, Fair Oaks Mall, Fairfax, VA. Last night I tried to return 3 pairs of pants on my way home from the grocery store. Keyword = TRIED.
With groceries in car, I took my return items into Lord and Taylor. With clothes neatly folded, tags still on, presented them to clerk for return. Clerk was in training so trainer and trainee processed the return. I waited while they entered each item into the computer, scanned each item and the trainer explained the entire process to the trainee. The trainer then handed me a piece of paper and said, "sorry we don't have that much cash in our register but if you walk over to Mens Dept, they can help you". She pointed in their direction.
I was a little dismayed because I had groceries in the car but walked to the men's dept. I only saw 1 clerk at 1 of the check-out areas so I went there.
I then waited for her to finish with the person she was helping. Took a little while, as she couldn't find the proper sized bag. Finally she finished and turned to me.
I presented her with the paper from my return and explained the other clerk told me to bring it here because they didn't have enough cash in their register. She looked at me, then at the paper and seemed puzzled. Said she wasn't sure what to do. I again repeated what the return clerk said to me, "they will give you cash, just take it to the mens dept., any register".
Nope, she still wasn't sure what to do. She picked up the phone and tried to call someone in the store to ask. No luck, sounded like they told her to call someone else. She then asked me where I came from, I pointed to the register in the other dept. She then made another call. No luck, sounded like they told her to contact someone ELSE.
By now, I'm getting a little frustrated and I said, could we get this done please, I have groceries in the car? She smiled and said, let's try... As her voice trailed off, she led me to the other side of the men's dept to another register. The clerk there took one look at the paper I was given and blurted, or I should say SHOUTED - "STORE CREDIT, THATS A STORE CREDIT". I said no, they told me to come here to mens dept for a cash refund, they didn't have enough in their register. "NO", she corrected me, still SHOUTING, "STORE CREDIT THATS WHAT THAT IS!".
OK, now I'm reaching my limit. This little 10 minute return errand is now turning into a very aggravating ordeal.
Clerk #1 from the mens dept now leads me BACK to her register. She again picks up the phone and says I am calling mngt. At least SHE is polite and apologetic. I again explain, look, I've got groceries in the car melting, this is ridiculous. Can I please just have my refund so I can go?"Someone will be here shortly", she explains.
So I WAIT some MORE!
After 3-4 mintues, a woman comes rushing over, sorry she says, I was busy doing [such and such]. She quickly surveys the paper I was given and asks me how I paid for the items originally. I answer "Check"."Oh, she says, well, thats a store credit, not a cash refund. You'll have to go back to the dept where you bought them and have them reprocess it". She points to the other dept. And walks off.
Can I express how I am now boiling over, fit to be tied???
I now say to the men's dept. Clerk in a raised voice, "Look I've about had it, I just want my refund and to get the heck out of here!!!"
She again apologies and says can't do that, will call a mangager (AGAIN!!!). She makes another phone call. We wait SOME MORE minutes.
Finally a guy shows up, surveys my paper and asks what dept. Did you purchase from? I point. He starts walking that way, without another word to me.
I follow.
We meet up with the "trainer" and "trainee" clerks who processed my return in the original dept. He ignores me for the most part and says to her, this is a merchandise credit only, she paid my check. Do this, do that and gets them RE-PROCESSING my refund. Im thinking, OK hes a mgr, hes going to have them give me the cash refund anyway for all this aggravation. How wrong I was.
Continuing to ignore me, says to trainer clerk, where are the items she returned? She points, he says go get them. She complies. I say what is happening? Can I get my refund sometime tonight?
In a short while, I realize the reason he is ignoring me is that he is about to write VOID on the paper originally given me by the trainer clerk and tell me that there will be no cash refund today, he is about to hand me a bag with the clothes I brought back and simply say, "you paid by check, come back in 14 days for refund".
I then tell him, no I don't WANT the clothes back, I want a refund. Then just MAIL me a refund.
He says, no there is no way to do that.
I reply, OK, so it's very clear that Lord and Taylor can TAKE my $600 in the last 2 weeks in about 30 seconds but that you're now telling me you not technically advanced enough to MAIL me a refund???
He ignores me and says, "store policy, you paid by check so there is a 14 day holding period for a refund".
OK, now I'm REALLY happy, just thrilled with the treatment from idiotic store clerks at Lord and Taylor who just WASTED over 30 minutes of my time, who don't know WHAT they're doing and are totally incompetent and RUDE on top of it. Im equally as thrilled for the cold, indifferent, who-cares attitude of mngt that just shuffle you out of their way and out of the store to follow their idiotic store policy.
After all, Im a Lord and Taylor credit card holder. They have EVERY piece of info on me and Ive had a Lord and Taylor credit card for probably 10 years! You would think that would count for SOMEthing. Nope.
I take my bag and leave the store.
If you go online to lord and taylor website and click on the AT YOUR SERVICE/RETURNS link, it says NOTHING about any holding period for any reason. It simply says, "if you have a regular receipt, you will be refunded in the manner provided".
However if you hold a magnifying glass to the back of a Lord and Taylor receipt, and read the fine print, inconveniently printed in light ink, small, small letters, it says, returns originally paid by check will get a store credit if returned withing 10 [ that's TEN, not FOURTEEN ] days.
So even the person who shuffled me "out of the way" in an abrupt, rude fashion, doesn't even KNOW HIS STORE POLICY that's he's quoting as he's shuffling me on my way.
The clerks who processed my original return don't have a clue. The clerk #1 in the men's dept. Doesn't have a clue about store policy (at least she was the ONLY polite person in this whole scenario). The shouting clerk #2 in the men's dept probably knows the policy but is too LOUD AND RUDE to convey it. She just SHOUTS HER WAY AROUND.
So I ended up with melted ice cream, warm fish, and warm milk — ruined groceries — because of my attempted return to Lord and Taylor — which I thought would be a 10 minute errand. Plus I get the honor of spending MORE gas money to make ANOTHER trip to return these stupid clothes. I am totally disgusted with Lord and Taylor and will NEVER shop there again.
I suggest you don't either. There are MUCH better stores who treat you better and don't waste your time.
What a HORRIBLE store Lord and Taylor Fairfax is!!!
J.K. - Fairfax, VA
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