Babies R Us rant.

Oh retail shopping world, why do you annoy me so? Next time I'll just buy the item I want on Amazon.com. At least I get free 2-day shipping on there, since I'm one of those Amazon Prime members now. Free shipping means I don't have to burn gas to drive down to the Southpoint area (12 miles one way) to buy the item, drive back home, open up the item and be disappointed by the fact that it was not a new item. I bought it full price, expecting it to be in brand new condition. I did notice that the tape on the box was obviously put on there by Babies R Us employees, and not factory sealed like most other boxes of items like it. But I figured that it was just opened up and then returned by someone who bought it or received it as a gift. I was wrong in my assumption.

I opened up the item this morning with Eliza sitting on the floor next to me, both of us excited for the new toy.

I pull out the first piece, which is one of the legs of the shopping cart. It took me 0.03 seconds to see that this toy was not brand new. I pulled out the other 3 legs of the cart and they look all the same. This toy was used more than once. Probably used even on concrete. Then probably their baby outgrew the toy and they figured, let's return it and get our money back because Babies R Us has a 90-day return policy. So Babies R Us accepts this product back onto their shelves, and gives the previous owner their money back. Which shouldn't have happened.

From the Babies R Us website:

We will gladly accept returns made within 90 days of the purchase date for most items when accompanied by your in-store receipt. Items must be returned, in new, or like-new condition, and in its original packaging, and with all paperwork including manuals, assembly instructions and your in-store receipt, as well as all accessories to ensure full credit. Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us reserve the right to refuse any returns if they do not meet our return requirements.

Babies R Us should've refused this return on the basis that the walker was not in "new" or "like new" condition. Here's an up close picture of one of the wheels:

Um yeah, not new. Not worth $44.95. I might pay $25 or $30 for this at a baby consignment shop.

So I call Babies R Us and speak to an associate about the product's condition. She tells me the return policy and she says that BRU employees are supposed to look inside the box at the condition of the toy before giving any money back. I told her that obviously that didn't happen, and it ended up back on the shelves for an unassuming purchaser to purchase it for the 2nd time. I told her that I wanted to return it for a brand new Shop and Learn Walker, and she said okay, "as long as you have the receipt you can do that." To which I asked her if I would be compensated for the trouble of driving 25 miles round trip to do so. She said she'd get a manager to talk to me. Okay. No problem. I understand how this all works because Rob works in retail in a management position, and he tells me all the time about stories where his store "drops the ball" in some way or fashion, and when the customer demands some kind of discount because of it, they always give them a discount. Because they want to keep that customer. They don't want to make that customer mad because a mad customer spreads the word about that retail store.

So a manager comes to the line and I tell her about the condition of the walker we purchased. She tells me pretty much everything that the previous associate told me. Then I asked if she would give me a discount on the walker when I came back in to return it and get a new one. She said no, we don't do that. We can't compensate for an item you bought that you were unsatisfied with because it's "just a toy". Yes, she said those 3 words. Just a toy. Then she went on to say that if the item I bought was a "necessary item, like a car seat or a breast pump and you opened the item and found that it had been in used condition, then yes, we'd give you a discount on the return-exchange because it's something that you need to be in new, never-used condition."

I paused for a moment after she said that. Quiet silence...me, dumbfounded by what she just told me. Then I told her about how my husband works in retail management and how I know what companies usually do when a customer is dissatisfied by the product quality. To which she said, "well, I can give you a discount on the item you currently have, but I can't let you return it and get a new one for a discounted price." Okay, but I'd have to drive 25 miles round trip to get that discount, and I'll still have a used item. I asked her how much of a discount she'd give me. She said she'd have to look at the item's condition to assess the discount. "10% probably, maybe 20% at most, but I can't say for sure until I see it."

I am not happy with Babies R Us right now. I will return it later today. Yes, the cost of gas is very annoying. But I do have 1 errand I can run, 2 doors down from Babies R Us, so I guess it'll all work out. But I am left feeling like Babies R Us really doesn't care about their customer's satisfaction.

Sorry Babies R Us of Durham, North Carolina for calling you out on this blog post. But you dropped the ball and didn't make it right with the customer, so now you don't get any of my money. I'm going to return it and get my $44.95 back and I'll spend it with another company who does care about their customer satisfaction.