WET SEAL CLOTHING STORE RIPPED OFF MY 13 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER

OK, it does not matter AT ALL if it is illegal for a 13 year old to smoke because, 1st of all, illegal things do happen, second, maybe someone else smoked, and 3rd, the employee doesn't even know that it necessarily WAS the 13-year-old's shirt. that's just plain ridiculous to say that because it's illegal it voids the argument.

Also, i have never, EVER been to a store that allows you to return without tags. this is a common policy which people complain about as if its the first time they've ever freaking heard it. return policies are clearly stated, and they had no obligation to do the return. I do understand that customers should be treated well, but I'm sorry, you can't do a return for every person who complains because then no one makes money. I know that makes people think "boo h*o, the big rich company doesn't make any money," but that adds up, and that's why these policies are set up. If you're going to get upset about this, then go shopping with your kids, watch them try on their clothes and make sure it fits, then this won't happen! (and read the return policy!)

Most 13 year olds are just old enough to get into trouble --especially romantic and stalker trouble --and do not have the maturity of judgment that adults have which is why the age of legal majority in Texas is set at 17 and the voting and drinking age is set at 21, smoking too and NOT at 13.

Would YOU want your daughter to look like Brittany Spears when she performs on stage or the hos in the rap videos when she is too young to really know what she is asking for when she wears the fashions for young ladies, many of which more resemble what SKANKS and street corner hookers of my day used to wear?

WITHOUT PROPER PARENTAL GUIDANCE, that is what happens when you have a 13 year old and money and a place to shop...

Doesn't she know to TRY THE CLOTHES ON BEFORE SHE BUYS THEM? Or maybe she did and some fast talking slickster of a saleslady who thinks SKANKY styles are the way to go convinced her that she was looking good.

My sister was 13 years old before she stopped getting the hand me downs from relatives and got her first new clothes and my mother went along with her and told her that she had to try on the clothes and let her see them before she would approve the purchase.

And back then, the Malls did not teem with gangstas and danger and trouble like they do now.

ALL THE MORE REASON NOT TO TAKE YOUR CHILD TO THE MALL AND DUMP HER THERE OR LET HER GO THERE ALONE!

IF I WERE YOU, I WOULD FIND THE CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS OF WET SEAL AND FILE A COMPLAINT TO THEM ABOUT THE STORE AND WHAT YOU WERE TOLD WHEN YOU TRIED TO RETURN THE MERCHANDISE.

IT IS ILLEGAL FOR 13 YEAR OLDS TO SMOKE ANYTHING SO THE STORE EMPLOYEE EXCUSE FOR NO REFUND DOES NOT STAND.

COMPLAIN TO CORPORATE, TELL THEM HOW YOU WERE TREATED AND THAT YOU WANT A REFUND.

THIS WILL CAUSE THE HATEFUL PERSON WHO IS SO RUDE TO YOU TO LOSE HER JOB AND MAYBE THE COMPANY WILL TRY TO MAKE IT UP TO YOU SOMEHOW.

THESE RETAIL WORKERS ARE A DIME A DOZEN SO THEY SHOULD HAVE A REPLACEMENT WITHIN DAYS OR EVEN HOURS ONCE THEY CAN HER AND MAYBE SHE WILL LEARN SOME CUSTOMER SERVICE AND BETTER MANNERS AFTER THE WAY SHE MISTREATED YOU.
P.S. WITH THE TEEN PREGNANCIES AND THE MARGINALLY INDECENT FASHIONS THAT ARE BEING PUSHED UPON OUR YOUNG LADIES BEFORE THEY ARE PSYCHOLOGICALLY OR CHRONOLOGICALLY READY, I WOULD NOT LET HER BUY ANY MORE CLOTHES ALONE UNLESS YOU OR ANOTHER FEMALE RELATIVE WITH A BETTER FASHION SENSE ACCOMPANIES HER.

WITH THE BAD REPUTATIONS AND INCREASE IN VIOLENT INCIDENTS IN THE MALLS (NOT TO MENTION GENERALLY HIGHER PRICES), I PERSONALLY WOULD NOT RECOMMEND ANYONE GOING THERE AND CERTAINLY NOT A YOUNG LADY JUST ENTERING HER TEENS--WHO DOES NOT NEED TO BE THERE ALONE!!!!

Most 13 year olds are just old enough to get into trouble --especially romantic and stalker trouble --and do not have the maturity of judgment that adults have which is why the age of legal majority in Texas is set at 17 and the voting and drinking age is set at 21, smoking too and NOT at 13.

Would YOU want your daughter to look like Brittany Spears when she performs on stage or the hos in the rap videos when she is too young to really know what she is asking for when she wears the fashions for young ladies, many of which more resemble what SKANKS and street corner hookers of my day used to wear?

WITHOUT PROPER PARENTAL GUIDANCE, that is what happens when you have a 13 year old and money and a place to shop...

Doesn't she know to TRY THE CLOTHES ON BEFORE SHE BUYS THEM? Or maybe she did and some fast talking slickster of a saleslady who thinks SKANKY styles are the way to go convinced her that she was looking good.

My sister was 13 years old before she stopped getting the hand me downs from relatives and got her first new clothes and my mother went along with her and told her that she had to try on the clothes and let her see them before she would approve the purchase.

And back then, the Malls did not teem with gangstas and danger and trouble like they do now.

ALL THE MORE REASON NOT TO TAKE YOUR CHILD TO THE MALL AND DUMP HER THERE OR LET HER GO THERE ALONE!

IF I WERE YOU, I WOULD FIND THE CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS OF WET SEAL AND FILE A COMPLAINT TO THEM ABOUT THE STORE AND WHAT YOU WERE TOLD WHEN YOU TRIED TO RETURN THE MERCHANDISE.

IT IS ILLEGAL FOR 13 YEAR OLDS TO SMOKE ANYTHING SO THE STORE EMPLOYEE EXCUSE FOR NO REFUND DOES NOT STAND.

COMPLAIN TO CORPORATE, TELL THEM HOW YOU WERE TREATED AND THAT YOU WANT A REFUND.

THIS WILL CAUSE THE HATEFUL PERSON WHO IS SO RUDE TO YOU TO LOSE HER JOB AND MAYBE THE COMPANY WILL TRY TO MAKE IT UP TO YOU SOMEHOW.

THESE RETAIL WORKERS ARE A DIME A DOZEN SO THEY SHOULD HAVE A REPLACEMENT WITHIN DAYS OR EVEN HOURS ONCE THEY CAN HER AND MAYBE SHE WILL LEARN SOME CUSTOMER SERVICE AND BETTER MANNERS AFTER THE WAY SHE MISTREATED YOU.
P.S. WITH THE TEEN PREGNANCIES AND THE MARGINALLY INDECENT FASHIONS THAT ARE BEING PUSHED UPON OUR YOUNG LADIES BEFORE THEY ARE PSYCHOLOGICALLY OR CHRONOLOGICALLY READY, I WOULD NOT LET HER BUY ANY MORE CLOTHES ALONE UNLESS YOU OR ANOTHER FEMALE RELATIVE WITH A BETTER FASHION SENSE ACCOMPANIES HER.

WITH THE BAD REPUTATIONS AND INCREASE IN VIOLENT INCIDENTS IN THE MALLS (NOT TO MENTION GENERALLY HIGHER PRICES), I PERSONALLY WOULD NOT RECOMMEND ANYONE GOING THERE AND CERTAINLY NOT A YOUNG LADY JUST ENTERING HER TEENS--WHO DOES NOT NEED TO BE THERE ALONE!!!!

Most 13 year olds are just old enough to get into trouble --especially romantic and stalker trouble --and do not have the maturity of judgment that adults have which is why the age of legal majority in Texas is set at 17 and the voting and drinking age is set at 21, smoking too and NOT at 13.

Would YOU want your daughter to look like Brittany Spears when she performs on stage or the hos in the rap videos when she is too young to really know what she is asking for when she wears the fashions for young ladies, many of which more resemble what SKANKS and street corner hookers of my day used to wear?

WITHOUT PROPER PARENTAL GUIDANCE, that is what happens when you have a 13 year old and money and a place to shop...

Doesn't she know to TRY THE CLOTHES ON BEFORE SHE BUYS THEM? Or maybe she did and some fast talking slickster of a saleslady who thinks SKANKY styles are the way to go convinced her that she was looking good.

My sister was 13 years old before she stopped getting the hand me downs from relatives and got her first new clothes and my mother went along with her and told her that she had to try on the clothes and let her see them before she would approve the purchase.

And back then, the Malls did not teem with gangstas and danger and trouble like they do now.

ALL THE MORE REASON NOT TO TAKE YOUR CHILD TO THE MALL AND DUMP HER THERE OR LET HER GO THERE ALONE!

IF I WERE YOU, I WOULD FIND THE CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS OF WET SEAL AND FILE A COMPLAINT TO THEM ABOUT THE STORE AND WHAT YOU WERE TOLD WHEN YOU TRIED TO RETURN THE MERCHANDISE.

IT IS ILLEGAL FOR 13 YEAR OLDS TO SMOKE ANYTHING SO THE STORE EMPLOYEE EXCUSE FOR NO REFUND DOES NOT STAND.

COMPLAIN TO CORPORATE, TELL THEM HOW YOU WERE TREATED AND THAT YOU WANT A REFUND.

THIS WILL CAUSE THE HATEFUL PERSON WHO IS SO RUDE TO YOU TO LOSE HER JOB AND MAYBE THE COMPANY WILL TRY TO MAKE IT UP TO YOU SOMEHOW.

THESE RETAIL WORKERS ARE A DIME A DOZEN SO THEY SHOULD HAVE A REPLACEMENT WITHIN DAYS OR EVEN HOURS ONCE THEY CAN HER AND MAYBE SHE WILL LEARN SOME CUSTOMER SERVICE AND BETTER MANNERS AFTER THE WAY SHE MISTREATED YOU.
P.S. WITH THE TEEN PREGNANCIES AND THE MARGINALLY INDECENT FASHIONS THAT ARE BEING PUSHED UPON OUR YOUNG LADIES BEFORE THEY ARE PSYCHOLOGICALLY OR CHRONOLOGICALLY READY, I WOULD NOT LET HER BUY ANY MORE CLOTHES ALONE UNLESS YOU OR ANOTHER FEMALE RELATIVE WITH A BETTER FASHION SENSE ACCOMPANIES HER.

WITH THE BAD REPUTATIONS AND INCREASE IN VIOLENT INCIDENTS IN THE MALLS (NOT TO MENTION GENERALLY HIGHER PRICES), I PERSONALLY WOULD NOT RECOMMEND ANYONE GOING THERE AND CERTAINLY NOT A YOUNG LADY JUST ENTERING HER TEENS--WHO DOES NOT NEED TO BE THERE ALONE!!!!

As a retail manager and customer, I can relate to most of the comments above. It is very frustrating to be stuck with unwanted merchandise, which is what both parties are trying to avoid. Although return policies are made to protect the customer, most customers feel that they are being punished. There is no law that requires merchants to return/exchange merchandise. Therefore, returning/exchanging merchandise is a privilege provided by the company to allow customers to change their mind.

As for the comment "Industry's worst return policy and lowest BBB rating," I have trouble relating. Webster defines "clearance" as a sale to clear out stock and "sale" as the selling of goods at a bargain prices. The policy states: "clearance merchandise sales are final and will not be accepted for exchange or store credit." You bought two items@$3.99=$8.62(after adding California sales tax.) Seeing that all Wet Seal merchandise is priced @ whole dollar or half dollar amounts with the exception of "sales to clear out stock"...your daughter purchased clearance merchandise, which is "not accepted for exchange or store credit."

If you believe that this company should not "force" the contract terms on your minor daughter, then maybe your daughter shouldn't be allowed to shop without her legal guardian. What could have been a $8.62 valuable lesson for her, has become a mother defending her daughter's mistake.

I also had a problem returning/exchanging items to Wet Seal. My 12 year old daughter purchased 2 shirts, for a total of $8.62. They were unworn, in the original bag, tags still attached, and we have the original receipt. We were also within the 21 day return/exchange period. She simply wanted to exchange for a different size.

We were refused an exchange because they claim these items were clearance. Nowhere on the receipt does it state they were clearance, and nowhere on the price tags is the word 'clearance' marked. When she purchased them, they were on a rack that had 'sale' signs, not 'clearance' signs.

I have filed a report with the Better Business Bureau against Wet Seal's corporate office in Foothill Ranch, CA. I've also left a voice mail to the regional/district manager, though she has yet to respond and I'm not holding my breath that she will. I am also in contact with the California State Attorney General's office, as this contract/sale was entered into with a minor (my 12 year old daughter) and I do not believe they can force these contract terms on a minor. By the way, Wet Seal has an 'F' rating with the Better Business Bureau...the lowest score you can receive.

In the end, it would have been a much wiser decision for Wet Seal to simply exchange the sizes since this was new tagged merchandise accompanied by the receipt. Instead, they chose to lose a customer over an $8.62 exchange, along with the bad word of mouth they will receive when my daughter tells all of her friends how poorly she was treated. And believe me...she has a BIG MOUTH! She will tell lots of people.

Even K-Mart and Goodwill have much better return/exchange policies. What does that say about Wet Seal? I would be embarrassed to admit that I work there as some previous posters have claimed. Can't you find a better job? If they treat their customers this poorly, I can only imagine how poorly they treat their employees. I honestly do feel sorry for you if you work there and have to put up with this companies B.S. policies.

I am a store manager for Wet Seal in NJ and although I enforced my return policy which is printed on the back of the receipt and posted throughout the store, pick your battles. The company is crap and they don't care about their employees. Our district manager, Maria Fasoli was eventually fired but she never helped us but went through all the stores firing everyone; this company had no backbone..and still does not..anyway, these young ladies wear the clothing and expect to return them to the store. If we take them back, we get yelled at, and if we don't take it back we get yelled it..double edged sword. The company says a lot when they hire a reject like Maria after two other retail giants (hint junior clothing) fire her for being who she is. Wet Seal is a mess so keep trying to return the items, managers use your discretion.

this woman hasn't posted since January of 2002. I really don't think she's gonna answer your question:)

So, what happened to the tags? You state that the shirt wasn't smoked in BUT you never address the tag issue. WHY did the tags get cut off the shirt? The only reason the tags would be removed would be if someone wanted to wear the shirt.

I was a manager at a local feed and farm type store in Coeur d'Alene and ran into this all the time. We would get people who watned to return clothing but it reaked of cigarette smoke. In those case we would not return it with or without the receipt because we can not and will not turn around and sell something as new when it stinks like cigarettes. This made a lot of people mad but I stand behind it. I am a non smoker and I know I would not want to buy a new pair of pants and get home and find they stink the house up. Sorry mom just use this as a learning experience.

im not sure what policy the last post was following (ex employee)

but i am a current manager ..it is the manager's discretion to exchange the item if the tags are not attatched...although our policy says that items MUST have tags attatched.

consider the following..
when the item is bought...
what the condition of the item is..(does it smell like detergent..smoke..deoderant..)
what the REASON for exchanging is.

obviously the customer here..put the shirt on and realized it was too small..and yes our shirts do run small..
have you reallized how many times shirts have been tried on?..they catch a fragrance of everything..and what if this was a previous return that no one could smell smoke on??


its not like the customer was trying to return it for something else or cash back..she just wanted a bigger size...i am older than 13 and ive done that several times.

..

She should have been given a bigger size.

the fact is..if a customer takes this to your DD (district director)..thats just going to make you look bad..have a little compassion about 'our girl'...and maybe you will gain some repeat customers.



-i hope you dont dislike all of wet seal...every staff is different!

I worked at Wet Seal for five years and I know for a fact they have to return merchandise regardless. That's ridiculous they didn't allow you to return the item and you should've been more thorough and demanded an exchange. You do NOT need tags attached or even a receipt for that matter.

If you don't have either of the above you just get store credit. Next time, with any store make sure you talk to high management because return policies are more helpful to the consumer than people think.

Don't get ripped-off!! Sorry about your experience and I hope your daughter continues to shop at Wet Seal, it's a good store.

You shouldn't be sending your 13 year old to do her own shopping. She should also know better than to cut the tag off of something that she has not tried on yet. What exactly do you expect the store to do with the merchandise that you return when it has no tags? I wouldn't shop at a store that told every consumer what their return policy is. It would take up many man hours and slow down service. Be a smart consumer. If you want to know what the return policy is - read it. Be a good mother - stop putting the blame of what your daughter does on someone else, and make her take responsibility for her own actions. She cut off the tags - live with it. And I bet you smoke don't you? News flash. Smoke sticks in clothing and I don't want to buy something that smells like an ashtray.

I know for a fact that Wet Seal clearly states their rightfully strict return policy on their receipts. You should have read it before attempting the exchange.

And I know that when I was 13 I was pefectly capable of determining what size I wear, by trying clothes on before I buy them. Your daughter should have tried the shirt on.

And if your daughter did not have time to try it on at the store then why did you remove the tags before you were sure it would fit?

Just teach your daughter how to be a better shopper......

I am a store manager at a Wet Seal store. I feel that it is important that customers understand why return policies are neccesary. The Wet Seal provides girl with "first quality" merchandise. Our customers do not need to worry that the item(s) they are purchasing are anything less than brand new. It is unsanitary to sell merchandise that has been worn any number of times by any number of people. I would be outraged to buy merchandise at the mall only to find out that someone else had already worn, and worked and sweated in the merchandise.

We do sell a number of tops/pants that are considered "club clothes". Primarily, our customers purchase these items Thursday, Friday and Saturdays before they go out. They wear the outfit and look great. However, many (not all)of these same girls come in again on Sunday morning and attempt to return the merchandise. If we, as retailers, allow these girls to "buy/wear/return" our company loses money. When companies lose money, what happens? There are fewer employees to help customers, longer lines, higher prices on merchanise and the list goes on.

Most 13 year old girls are not mature enough to make smart buying decisions, as it seems was the case here. Maybe the mother shouldn't blame the sales associate for her daughter's mistake, but should instead spend a Saturday afternoon shopping with her daughter. This mother will have the opportunity to teach her daughter how to make smart buying decisions, to try before she buys, to read return policies that are clearly posted at the register and on her receipt.

Also, it is important to remember that different stores have different policies. What one store may accept as a return, another may not.

It is always important that consumers educate themselves about the stores in which they shop. It is ignorant to assume that the employees have time to read their return policies to every customer that makes a purchase. Would you stand still and give your full attention to a sales associate as she reads her companies return policy to you? What if there were 3 people in line infront of you? Would you wait patiently while she reads the policy to each of the customers infront of you? What happens when you get to the next store and find yourself 4th in line again.

It is important for parents to assume their role as "teacher" to their children, even in the small everyday tasks. It is also extremely important to teach your children resposibility. You can not blame others for your own mistakes. I would consider this a $14.50 lesson learned.

in response to this rip off situation.....it is understandable why you were upset at the fact that the shirt was too small. you stated that you were not with your daughter when she bought it, but you were with her in the mall. i can assume that at some point in your travels you would have inspected what she bought.

if she was trying it on in front of you at home, then what was the necessity in removing the tags? as a wet seal manager, i am encountered with tagless items for return daily.

in a week i see around $500 in attempted returns with out tags, many being returned on sunday after the weekend. now, calculate $500 buy 500+ stores.....$250000 a week company wide.

there are 52 weeks in a year $250000* 52=$13,000,000! now please calculate that into how much it takes for us to provide the atmosphere that your daughter enjoyed shopping at.

the amount of money spent on research to know that we should provide the fickle teen girl with that specific shirt, not to mention how much the entire company looses to shop lifters.

my mother taught me at an early age about responsibility and recourse. knowing that i am provided with an insurance policy provided that i follow the rules and that i must learn the rules before i play the game.

many will argue that customers make the business and vice versa. its true, with out either there would be no economy and this great nation would be flat broke because the value of the dollar would dwindle to nothing.

its a tough lesson but it is important that the buyer beware. there are always exceptions to the rule, and in the same situation, i would have exchanged the shirt for your daughter, with one exception......the shirt didnt smell like smoke.

under no circumstances, tags attatched, original reciept, mother thresa at hand will i return something that dosent smell the way it did when it left the store. it wsnt the stores fault that someone in your family smoked...or was that part left out convieninetly.

people who dont smoke have a stronger sense of smell. so why should we retag and attempt to resale a shirt that stinks? it wont sell and we loose the profit all together. makes more sense to you now dosent it?

I am an assistant store manager of a national apparel company. I am in charge of customer care, as well as training my staff.

Any retailer should understand that withour customers we would not have a reason to come to work. Employees should be trained to think that customers are individuals and should be treated as such. There are exceptions that can be made to every rule. Be willing to do the extra work.

As an employee and an employer, I am appalled at the poor quality service that I witness and receive. There seems to be less professionalism and work ethic required by companies and accepted by customers.
My suggestions:

To the customer:
The sales associate should have assisted you and allowed the exchange. Most stores will allow a size exchange with a receipt regardless of the tags being present or not. When they did not help, you should've asked to speak with the supervisor. There is a possibility that the person you encountered was uncertain of their ability to alter rules. As a manager, I commonly will make exceptions to our guidlines if the customer explains the situation. It is important to remain unemotional about the situation, and to explain clearly what you would like done.

To the Wet Seal Co. and other retailers:
One upset customer can drive away 25-50 potential customers. Train your employees to represent the company as one that values each customer. It is not only what the shopper purchases that day, but also, what they will purchase in the future. Treat each person as an individual. Realize that there are rude customers out there, and in this day, the customer is NOT always right. HOWEVER, there are customers who are right and have reasonable requests. Listen to the customers. Meet their reasonable (and sometimes unreasonable) expectations.

The store should have verbalized the return policy, no matter the age of the customer. I have worked retail for over 10 years, and this was always the rule rather than the exception.

First of all maybe your thirteen year old daughter should not be shopping by herself. Store employees are not responsible for the merchandise a thirteen year old buys she should have tried it on.

Second, do you think store employees have the time to tell everyone the return policy on every item every customer buys. Come on how often do you go into a store and the sales person tells you their return policy unless you ask why would they? If you question the stores return policy you should ask before you buy.

Also return policies are always stated on your recipt and usually on the front of the cash wrap. I have never heard of a store giving cash back for worn merchandisie if stores were able to do that they wouldn't make any profit people would buy the merchandise wear it then return it. do you blame them for not taking it back? I don't. I suggest that you always know a stores return policy either ask or look at your recipt.