Another K-Mart Rip-Off

As a former K-Mart employee, I have to agree with some of the other posts I have seen here. The return policies that are in place were enacted due to the almost-constant thievery and trickery of some bad customers. Here are some examples from my days doing time at the customer service desk:

Customer trying to return a "brand new" cordless telephone. When I took it out of the box, the white phone had a yellow tint and smelled like a guinea pig cage. Said customer proceeded to call our store manager a moron and threw the phone at me, hitting me with it.

Customer who brought back 4 empty Just My Size bra boxes and said she took them home and there were NO bras in any of the boxes. Come on now, is there someone who is actually stupid enough to pick up 4 empty boxes and not notice they are empty before paying for them?

Customer who tried to bring back a 1999 Nascar shirt in 2003. When told that a refund could not be given, this person proceeded to throw a houseplant at my 6-months pregnant HR manager. I ended up testifying in court on that one, as the manager sued the customer for assault.

I could go on and on all day about how people try to return items from others stores (like Sam's Club brand merchandise), change the price tags on items (changing the sticker on a $99.00 piece of furniture to the sticker to a 99 cent candle and hoping no one would notice), and just plain steal from the shelves and try to get cash back for the stolen merchandise.

It really stinks that K-mart and other stores have had to enact policies that may not be convenient for the good customers who truly bought the wrong size or got a defective product, but this is the only way these stores can keep prices down. The year I did inventory at my store, we had experienced a loss of almost half a million dollars in invetory, which raises prices and makes it more difficult on customers who want to return their items for good reasons.

All I can say is, keep a receipt file at home and put all of your receipts in it. If you want to return something and you lost the receipt, give the store manager a call before you come to the store and see if you can get advance permission to make the return for store credit.

To respond to the woman above who complained about the supervisor not cashiering when it was busy, I can tell you that it is against K-Mart policy for a supervisor to run a cash register while supervising. I encountered the same situation once - it was a busy Sunday morning and I opened the store (my usual 6:30-3 shift). It was the first day of setting the clocks back and apparently, half of the employees forgot to do so, because only one other person showed up on time. I saw that we were getting backed up and opened a register for myself and proceeded to get SCREAMED at by my manager. The reasoning behind that policy is you can't do your job of supervising (monitoring the service desk employees, layaway calls, calls from other departments for register help, using the key to override price exceptions, etc.) if you are busy working the register.

Also, to everyone: please remember that the employees do not make the policies. It is not necessary to dump your slushy drink on their new shoes or throw houseplants at them if the policy makes you mad.

I've been to that K-Mart in Santa Maria. It's usually kind of empty because their customer service is terrible. If the skates are still brand new, have all of the K-Mart tags and she doesn't even want any money - just A LARGER PAIR -
why in heaven's name shouldn't they just exchange them for her? Good grief... It's like the minimum-wage hirees - who by the way all seem extremely young and inexperienced - don't have any common sense and can't make even the simplest decisions.

As for the lady who left her groceries and walked out: GOOD FOR YOU! Maybe it's just having been in the military (quite a while ago) where teamwork is Job 1, maturity, a good work ethic, or whatever... but I wouldn't be caught dead standing there gossiping with my friends, talking on the phone, or whatever while customers were waiting. Their job is to wait on customers, not stand there and watch them seek help for pete's sake.

Reminds me of the time I was at the Home Depot in Santa Maria. I went to the little checkout next to the tool section and the (young) guy ACTUALLY MADE ME STAND THERE FOR ABOUT 2-3 MINUTES as he talked to his friend on his cellphone! Now it seems to me that at the very least he could have: (1) Told his friend, "Gotta go, call ya back later" or (2) At least start scanning my stuff while he's talking. (Can't he multi-task?) But to just stand there and chat while the customer is standing there is totally inexcusable. What an idiot!

I am writing this as a consumer and as a former employee for kmart. I would just like to first say that the customer is NOT always right, I don't know who started that saying but the customer is not always right. I think that people use that statement to their advantage.

I will admit that kmart isnt the cleanist or the most organized, there were times that prices were wrong and the customer was right, when a customer came through my line and had a problem I would try to help them to the best of my ability. I always tried to provide the best customer service that I could. Most people were understanding that a store with well over 10,000 items there would be mistakes. It is people that believed that "the customer is always right" were the ones in my face yelling and screaming they were not open to me helping them they were the ones that yelled i am going to walmart! and like someone above said i was happy when those people would leave because i dont have to deal with that and i was happy that they would leave, because they didnt want my help in the first place.

As far as most of the kmarts return policy if you have an item that you have purchased at a kmart and you do not have a receipt the you can exchange it for the exact same item color and size. This is a protection for you and me because we are consumers.

There are bad apples in every company no matter where you go there are lazy people and there are people that slack off you cant escape that those people were eventually let go. So for the lady that bought skates for her grandson you stated "Between the time I bought them and he received them his feet grew too big for the shoes skates. This happens with 6 yr. olds." you should have bought them a couple of sizes bigger so he could have enjoyed them. The policies that kmart and old navy and alot of other compinies have is not for their benifit alone but for the comsumers protection as well so stop complaing and be thankful because if it wasnt for these policies i can guarentee you that you would be paying close to 1 or 2 dollars more for an item then you already are.

yes i have 5 things

1 how many times have you walked into a K-mart and seen stuff spilled on the floor it takes them weeks to clean it up i fell a couple of times in the store wat does it take a elderly woman to fall break her hip and DIE for them to clean up

2 higher people who know how to read a cash register my mom and i were in the visalia k-mart we rung up and got our cash back the lady before giving the cash back actually asked do i give you two dollars back right when it said two dollars owed back to the customer how do you say stupid like that

3 i bought something at another k-mart and on the way home it broke i had the reciept and i went back there to exchange it with something else of the same brand and they lady said if its not the same price i won't give it to you even with the recipet and she wanted me to keep the makeup broken and use it broken WOW YOUR KIND LADY !!!! :P but so sadly it was same price and that pissed her off to give it to me

4. how many times do u keep a reicpt for a 99 cent 2 liter bottle of soda
my soda was flat and i wasn't gonna drink i went back to exchange it i had to have a reciept they said they were out of it and i said well give me something else they said you need a recipet i said for a 99 cent bottle of soda which is rediculous finally they gave it to me

5 when did they start highering people that make my a$$ twitch i swear they are rude ignorant or just high school drop outs I say I MAKE YOUR PAY I'M THE ONE WHO BRINGS IN YOUR CHECKS IT'S NOT MY FAULT YOU WORK AT K-MART ITS YOURs DON'T TAKE IT OUT ON ME

The reason companies like Kmart and Old Navy changed their return policy is not to piss off customers but to keep shoplifters from steal merchandise and making a profit. Old Navy used to take back "anything under the sun" that was Old Navy, no questions asked.

People do crazy things to get merchandise and get money back on it. Some people have the audasity to take things off the shelf in the store and try to return it at customer service, saying they came in with it and couldn't find anything to exchange it for.

Some people will fill garbage bags full of merchandise and run out of the store. They then have someone else return the merchandise and get the store giftcard. Later they will be on the side of the street selling a $300 store giftcard for $100. So if you guys want to complain about the companies changing their return policies you need to complain to the shoplifters.

If it wasn't for them, you would not have half of the problems you are having. These policies are put in place so that companies don't have to raise the prices for the honest consumers. You should be glad that the company has you in mind.

I cannot believe that every person complaining about K-mart truly believes that they are right! Come on! Why don't you read over what you write before you send it. Maybe then you would realize how trivial you are really being. Have you got nothing better to do with your time than to rant and rave about how ridiculous K-mart is? You all seem to think the company is out to rip you off, when it is exactly the opposite. I do understand how someone can be upset if they know that they purchased something, but don't have a receipt, and K-mart (or any other company for that matter) won't refund your money. It's frustrating, I know. But if you had kept your receipt in the first place, there wouldn't be a problem. You are getting mad at the company for your own mistake. Just think how much more smoothly things would have gone if you'd kept your receipt. The transaction would've been processed, and you'd be on your way. As for Janelle, I see you've written comments on more than one complaint against K-mart. You sound like you are the type of customer we wouldn't want in our store anyway. You complain about EVERYTHING. It has to be your way or no way at all. Well sorry, K-mart is not here to cater to YOUR every need. We try to satisfy the customer population as a whole. Sorry if you don't like all of the policies, but that's the way it is. They are fair. It seems to me you are just a grumpy old lady who has nothing better to do with her time than hold a bunch of hatred towards others in your heart over extremely trivial things. Look back at what you've written and think about what you've said. Is it all worth complaining about? Why don't you find something in life to be happy about. Go to the park with your granddaughter. Don't take her to kmart in the middle of the night. No wonder she was cranky. She was probably bored and tired.

I work in a little town where kmart is the only retail store for 20 miles. (This a farming community so that is a big deal). I have seen people return items with gift receipts but that items is not on there, I have heard of people buying items that they knew kmart sold at a store going out of business and tried to say I lost my receipt.

Our store policy is no receipt we have to call a manager if they agree then store credit for the lowest price that item has been. We had one threesome that tried to return an item, no receipt by the patience of office worker the record was found, store credit for return was approved, when the id for number one was not vailded, number two came back later and said they bought it, but by then we know what was going on, when that person was denied number three said they bought, get the picture.

Also we have had cd return saying the wrong title was in there when they got home. One employee had an item throw at them because the item was so old we no longer carried it. All the kmart tages were on there. If we have no price to give we cant make one up.

I agree if you buy something keep your receipts just like you keep you bank statements, paychecks, ect.

Just reading through some of the stories in here, this is remarkable. I am a store mgr for a rival company, and have to tell you in this state as well as many others, we have a legal right to refuse service to anyone at any time, for any reason, although corporate requires us to have a valid reason, it is not neccesary according to law. Wheneve an arrogant idiot, verbally assults one of my employees, cashier, greeter, attnedent whatever the case may be, I have that customer removed from the property, with the option of receiving a police escort, or on their own. At which point they are usually tresspassed. Cashiers like the ones in question in these stories here are not rag dolls to be used and abused at some customers benefit. I for one do not allow my employees to be abused by anyone on our property and would not hesitate to have some ignorant verbally abusive customer arrested for disorderly conduct for doing so. To the woman with the skates, I have a pair of shoes that my daughter has grown out of, I think I will take them back and get a refund, so I can buy another pair and get free shoes for the rest of her childhood. Come on customers, grow a brain, and use some common sense.

So, you bought your grandson a pair of skates for christmas. when? If you purchased them during November or December then chances are they were too small to begin with. That doesn't make them defective, if i buy shoes to small for my feet, its not k-marts fault they give me blisters. If you bought them before november then of course they your grandson would grow out of them. Kids do that. What i dont understand is how can you say kmart is ripping you off. kmart has had this return policy for almost three years, they gave you a receipt and if it was christmas time they probably offered you a gift receipt. If you know they won't refund you your money with out a receipt, then keep the receipt. Common Sence, it really is free, but you will probably want a refund on that to.

As for the other kmart bashing comment. Get over it. kmart has done very well for its self coming out of bankruptcy but they are going through a transition. You seem to be one of those people that comes in ten minutes before the store closes and then takes their time shoping. Customers are not always right im sorry that is just how it is. Maybe back in my fathers day when people had a deeper level of integrity and honesty and only wanted a fair deal, but not now. With the sickening amout of shoplifting, refund fraud, ticket switching and any number of other illegal and despicable schemes that go on, Im sorry but no, the customer is not always right. "Caveat emptor" Buyer Beware.

These customer service complaints kill me. Why is it people think that a business is going to dry up and die simply because they decide not to shop there again? In K- Marts case, they went bankrupt not because of customer service, but because their merchandise and their store set up basically sucks! I always get a laugh when I hear someone say "I'll never shop here again"! I'm sure the clerk or cashier is thinking "good"! Why would I want a pain in the a*s like you to frequent our store? How is it people think that if they scream and yell and piss and moan, that somehow makes them a much more attractive customer and one that they want to have come back. The customer is almost always wrong, and they always start to b***h if things don't go thir way. They need to realize that retail is one gigantic revolving door. For every person out there that says they will never shop at Target and will take all their business to Wal-mart, there is another person at Wal-Mart saying they will take all their business to Target etc... My advice is to grow up and accept the fact that the world we live in is full of all kinds rules and regulations we have to follow. If you don't like it, move back in with mommy and daddy and throw all the temper tantrums you want. Because basically, they are the only ones that HAVE to put up with your s**t. Happy shopping!!

OK. You have no receipt. The item still has a Kmart tag attached. The return policy is no receipt, no return. Period. People steal merchandise. People bring the stolen merchandise to customer service and try to get a refund. Honest people do not do this but pay for the thieves who do. This is why honest people go through so much bull***t. The thieves dictate policy and the next time you are inconvenienced, remember that there are dishonest people who shape the companies guidelines. These retailers are not out to get you- they are simply protecting themselves from thieves.

You bought some skates, the child's feet grew. Now you're claiming the skates are defective?

"Now it's with the recept or your stick with them....even if the merchandise is defective"..

Unless the skates themselves somehow managed to shrink, I fail to see how they were defective. If the skates did shrink, you've got some pretty unique skates there, and they'd be worth a lot more than ordinary non-shrinking skates.

Regarding the rant from Texas, usually when shopping late at night, there is lower staffing. They gave you an alternative if you wished, to use the self-check out. People usually don't bring young children grocery shopping late at night, young children are usually in bed late at night.

I have to agree with Jamie, the customer is not always right. If I go to my local fast-food place, buy a soda and they're out of ice, do I have the right to demand a free meal for my entire family? Customers have taken advantage of that adage. Customers deserve the benefit of the doubt, but they are not always right.

I just want to respond to Janell's comments by saying that the customer is NOT always right. Often times the customer is a jerk who tries to get their way by bullying the store employees with threats to "take my business somewhere else" if they don't get what they want.

I agree that Kmart almost always has too few employees on hand and too few registers open but c'mon how can people b***h and moan if they aren't smart enough to have a store receipt when asking for a refund?!

It seems to me that alot of consumers don't want to accept any responsibilty for thier own actions, and like to place the blame on the retailers any time they don't get their way. Whatever happened to accepting personal responsibility? And by the way I am not employed by Kmart and I don'r work in retail. I'm simply stating what I have witnessed as a consumer.

There ARE exceptions to EVERY rule, so don't act stupid. If it's KMart merchandise and it still has the KMart tag on it, it should be OBVIOUS that this person is not trying to rip you off. It's not like they asked for any money back. If it Looks like KMart, smells like KMart, and feels like KMart, then it IS Kmart merchandise.

KMART makes everyone feel like criminals and you don't trust anyone. That's not right. I'm glad ALL your Kmart Stores closed in my city.

An experience that really turned me off of Kmart:

I went late one night to do my grocery shopping. It would be a lot faster. It took me over an hour to complete. I went to the front to check-out and there were over 20 registers but only ONE was available. I was already tired and the store was always too hot anyway. So I told them they needed another cashier up front. I told this to the girl that was supposedly running things there. All she was doing was laughing and telling jokes and talking about guys. Now, if Kmart had trained their employees right to begin with...she would have taken over another register to help out. Haven't you guys ever heard of a working manager? Now don't tell me that it's policy because that's terrible customer service. You should have a back-up available for times like that. Plus it was Christmas season - and USUALLY the stores have more customers during this time and extra employees should have been assigned to help out. It's only common sense. DUH! Are the employees paid to stand around and do Nothing? I really got mad at this girl that was having a good time, talking,laughing and flirting with the boys.

Don't forget this: The Customers are What makes a business work but evidently KMart scared them all away, that's one big reason they bombed. I was told that I could use the self check out - NOT!!... talking about LAZY employees. Isn't that why you work? yOU Actually HAVE to work! I told her that I didn't want to use that self service machine - and it does have a sign on it saying to use it if you have under the limited amount of groceries - MY basket was packed with frozen foods that were thawing out, including ice cream. I told her that I didn't want to use it and then I'd also have to BAG all my OWN groceries. No way...plus I had my 4 yr old granddaughter with me and she was hot and sweaty in the store and getting cranky. So I told them to JUST FORGET IT and walked out. I left my basket there for them return all the merchandise. (And they thought they were getting out of working). I figure the employees would end up doing MORE work now by trying to get OUT of doing work. Don't you realize that you lost money 2 ways? One, because KMART lost my money when I walked out. Second because you lost me as a customer so I will be spending MY money at another store. Why are you working in the 1st place? Haven't you heard? The CUSTOMER is always right!! Now I know why most of KMART foods look really old; it's been refrozen over and over again. PROBABLY because this same merchandise had been thawed out and returned MANY times before. I'm so glad our KMarts closed. Without good customer service, a store like this shouldn't be in business....ooops I forgot, you're NOT! At least in my town you aren't. Maybe it's because the customers got tired of doing YOUR job and having to put up with rude people like you - and YES, KMart IS ripping off the customer with those STUPID policies. Who cares if 'ONE' other store (NAVY) won't refund or exchange their merchandise. You'll see... as soon as the customer sees how they are being ripped off, NAVY will proabably be gone too. Don't you people realize that without customers you don't have a business and in order to keep customers, you need to get off your high horse and treat them with respect. YOU are working for US, we are NOT working for you. WE, the customer also have rights. You don't deserve any respect with the attitude you have!! The things... like you taking up for KMART and its policy makes me sick to my stomach. I bet your nose is brown, isn't it?

There ARE exceptions to EVERY rule, so don't act stupid. If it's KMart merchandise and it still has the KMart tag on it, it should be OBVIOUS that this person is not trying to rip you off. It's not like they asked for any money back. If it Looks like KMart, smells like KMart, and feels like KMart, then it IS Kmart merchandise.

KMART makes everyone feel like criminals and you don't trust anyone. That's not right. I'm glad ALL your Kmart Stores closed in my city.

An experience that really turned me off of Kmart:

I went late one night to do my grocery shopping. It would be a lot faster. It took me over an hour to complete. I went to the front to check-out and there were over 20 registers but only ONE was available. I was already tired and the store was always too hot anyway. So I told them they needed another cashier up front. I told this to the girl that was supposedly running things there. All she was doing was laughing and telling jokes and talking about guys. Now, if Kmart had trained their employees right to begin with...she would have taken over another register to help out. Haven't you guys ever heard of a working manager? Now don't tell me that it's policy because that's terrible customer service. You should have a back-up available for times like that. Plus it was Christmas season - and USUALLY the stores have more customers during this time and extra employees should have been assigned to help out. It's only common sense. DUH! Are the employees paid to stand around and do Nothing? I really got mad at this girl that was having a good time, talking,laughing and flirting with the boys.

Don't forget this: The Customers are What makes a business work but evidently KMart scared them all away, that's one big reason they bombed. I was told that I could use the self check out - NOT!!... talking about LAZY employees. Isn't that why you work? yOU Actually HAVE to work! I told her that I didn't want to use that self service machine - and it does have a sign on it saying to use it if you have under the limited amount of groceries - MY basket was packed with frozen foods that were thawing out, including ice cream. I told her that I didn't want to use it and then I'd also have to BAG all my OWN groceries. No way...plus I had my 4 yr old granddaughter with me and she was hot and sweaty in the store and getting cranky. So I told them to JUST FORGET IT and walked out. I left my basket there for them return all the merchandise. (And they thought they were getting out of working). I figure the employees would end up doing MORE work now by trying to get OUT of doing work. Don't you realize that you lost money 2 ways? One, because KMART lost my money when I walked out. Second because you lost me as a customer so I will be spending MY money at another store. Why are you working in the 1st place? Haven't you heard? The CUSTOMER is always right!! Now I know why most of KMART foods look really old; it's been refrozen over and over again. PROBABLY because this same merchandise had been thawed out and returned MANY times before. I'm so glad our KMarts closed. Without good customer service, a store like this shouldn't be in business....ooops I forgot, you're NOT! At least in my town you aren't. Maybe it's because the customers got tired of doing YOUR job and having to put up with rude people like you - and YES, KMart IS ripping off the customer with those STUPID policies. Who cares if 'ONE' other store (NAVY) won't refund or exchange their merchandise. You'll see... as soon as the customer sees how they are being ripped off, NAVY will proabably be gone too. Don't you people realize that without customers you don't have a business and in order to keep customers, you need to get off your high horse and treat them with respect. YOU are working for US, we are NOT working for you. WE, the customer also have rights. You don't deserve any respect with the attitude you have!! The things... like you taking up for KMART and its policy makes me sick to my stomach. I bet your nose is brown, isn't it?

There ARE exceptions to EVERY rule, so don't act stupid. If it's KMart merchandise and it still has the KMart tag on it, it should be OBVIOUS that this person is not trying to rip you off. It's not like they asked for any money back. If it Looks like KMart, smells like KMart, and feels like KMart, then it IS Kmart merchandise.

KMART makes everyone feel like criminals and you don't trust anyone. That's not right. I'm glad ALL your Kmart Stores closed in my city.

An experience that really turned me off of Kmart:

I went late one night to do my grocery shopping. It would be a lot faster. It took me over an hour to complete. I went to the front to check-out and there were over 20 registers but only ONE was available. I was already tired and the store was always too hot anyway. So I told them they needed another cashier up front. I told this to the girl that was supposedly running things there. All she was doing was laughing and telling jokes and talking about guys. Now, if Kmart had trained their employees right to begin with...she would have taken over another register to help out. Haven't you guys ever heard of a working manager? Now don't tell me that it's policy because that's terrible customer service. You should have a back-up available for times like that. Plus it was Christmas season - and USUALLY the stores have more customers during this time and extra employees should have been assigned to help out. It's only common sense. DUH! Are the employees paid to stand around and do Nothing? I really got mad at this girl that was having a good time, talking,laughing and flirting with the boys.

Don't forget this: The Customers are What makes a business work but evidently KMart scared them all away, that's one big reason they bombed. I was told that I could use the self check out - NOT!!... talking about LAZY employees. Isn't that why you work? yOU Actually HAVE to work! I told her that I didn't want to use that self service machine - and it does have a sign on it saying to use it if you have under the limited amount of groceries - MY basket was packed with frozen foods that were thawing out, including ice cream. I told her that I didn't want to use it and then I'd also have to BAG all my OWN groceries. No way...plus I had my 4 yr old granddaughter with me and she was hot and sweaty in the store and getting cranky. So I told them to JUST FORGET IT and walked out. I left my basket there for them return all the merchandise. (And they thought they were getting out of working). I figure the employees would end up doing MORE work now by trying to get OUT of doing work. Don't you realize that you lost money 2 ways? One, because KMART lost my money when I walked out. Second because you lost me as a customer so I will be spending MY money at another store. Why are you working in the 1st place? Haven't you heard? The CUSTOMER is always right!! Now I know why most of KMART foods look really old; it's been refrozen over and over again. PROBABLY because this same merchandise had been thawed out and returned MANY times before. I'm so glad our KMarts closed. Without good customer service, a store like this shouldn't be in business....ooops I forgot, you're NOT! At least in my town you aren't. Maybe it's because the customers got tired of doing YOUR job and having to put up with rude people like you - and YES, KMart IS ripping off the customer with those STUPID policies. Who cares if 'ONE' other store (NAVY) won't refund or exchange their merchandise. You'll see... as soon as the customer sees how they are being ripped off, NAVY will proabably be gone too. Don't you people realize that without customers you don't have a business and in order to keep customers, you need to get off your high horse and treat them with respect. YOU are working for US, we are NOT working for you. WE, the customer also have rights. You don't deserve any respect with the attitude you have!! The things... like you taking up for KMART and its policy makes me sick to my stomach. I bet your nose is brown, isn't it?

K-Mart's intention is not to rip people off and keep their money, K-Mart's main concern at the moment is making sure that they do not get ripped off. K-mart just filed bankruptcy, and can't quite afford to give people everything they want. Kmart can't just have people making exchanges and getting refunds when they don't have a receipt. Too many people have ripped us off like that before. And it's because of these people that the nice people like you and i have to suffer. But it is understandable. I am willing to bet that even if a million people write to K-mart, they will not be able to change their return policy. And if you haven't noticed, Old Navy has changed their policy also.