Lucy is 9 weeks old!
I had a terrible customer service experience at Babies R Us yesterday, and I’ll never shop there again. Here’s what happened.
Weeks ago I purchased three boxes of Lansinoh nursing pads (they keep milk from leaking out of your boobs into your shirt). I quickly realized three boxes was too many, and brought in my online receipt with two of the still unopened, new boxes.
At the return counter, a clerk told me I needed the packing receipt but would call headquarters to get a return number. Meanwhile, I headed to the cloth diaper section and loaded $231 worth of gPants into my cart. (Lucy is almost ready to move up to size medium, 14-26 pounds).
Back at the counter,
the clerk entered the return number for the nursing pads but the computer wouldn’t accept it.
The problem?
I paid $10.99 per box but the computer only wanted to refund me $7.99 per box. Why?
Babies R Us policy dictates that for an online purchase, an in store return can only be processed for the price paid with a packing slip. Otherwise you get the lowest price the item has sold for in the past 60 days.
Not the current price. The past 60 days. So if the nursing pads had been on sale for just one day at a lower price – which they had, for $7.99 – that is all Babies R Us would give me.
Even though I had a receipt showing I had paid $10.99. Aaaaag!
The amount in question was $5.98. The principle at hand was priceless.
In my most polite but I-am-totally-ticked-off voice, I made my case.
I had proof I had paid the higher amount!
She repeated the policy.
I said it was a terrible policy to offer less money than the customer paid.
She said there was nothing she could do.
I asked to speak with the manager.
She was the manager.
I said I was a loyal customer and spent a lot of money at the store.
She didn’t bat an eye.
I said I was within the return period.
She didn’t care.
I asked for a bit of discretion considering I had proof of purchase.
She pointed out my missing packing slip.
I said I was never going to shop at Babies R Us again.
She apologized and said she didn’t make the policy.
I was out of ammo.
I could walk out in a huff with the nursing pads, or accept a few dollars less. I took the money. My only satisfaction was that after I relented, she began ringing up the $231 in gPants.
“I was serious when I said I’m never going to shop here again,” I said. “I don’t want those.”
“Oh,” she replied weakly.
From now on, Amazon, Target, and my local kids consignment store will get my baby dollars. I’m done with BRU. (I’m especially fond of Amazon because of the shopping trick I just discovered).
I still have a bad feeling about the entire experience. And I can’t help but wonder. Is it really worth it for Babies R Us to lose a customer for $5.98?
Welcome to Bargain Babe! I’m Mara, and I’m so glad you’re here. I am an obsessive bargain hunter and penny pincher, and I am determined to live a full life without EVER paying full price. 
That makes me so angry! I’m sorry you had such a horrible experience.
When I worked at ToysRus in customer service, the manager had power to override the computer if it was wrong. Believe me, the computer is almost always wrong. My husband and I always triple check prices and the register when we shop at the store.
I have had great customer service at Toys R Us and yes, the manager has been able to override the computer. Since they are the same company I cant imagine they would have a different policy for each store. I think maybe you just got a mangaer who just did not care. Maybe you could send your post to corporate and see what they have to say. I would feel bad for the entire company to loose business over one bad manager.
You should forward this story to the corporate office. I’m sure that they would be upset that they lost a once-loyal customer for less than $6. They also do not want the negative publicity that your story is giving them (rightly so). I would think that they would do something nice to make up for your bad experience such as send you a giftcard. Good luck!
Good for you to stand up for yourself against nonsensical policy of big box stores! I bet if you write a complaint to corporate you might get your extra $ back.
Maybe try diapers.com – a very pregnant friend of mine has gotten lots of her supplies from there, including a nice selection of gPants!
Well done! I agree w/ sending a post to corporate. The fact that you have a blog and report your savings/LOSSES ought to speak to them. I’m sorry for your poor experience. Their store lost a loyal customer and other customers over $6.00. Back to business 101 with them!
I wouldn’t have taken the $$, but rather donated the items to a women’s shelter or something similar…You do a good deed & can take it off your taxes… AND I wouuld also recommend telling the corporate office your story & indicating that they’ve not only lost your patronage, but that you’ve blogged about it..
You should have indicated which Babies R Us store you visited. Another outlet may have given you the service that you deserved and delivered it with a smile.
Same thing happened to me with an online purchase. Luckily, I had saved the confirmation receipt on my ipad and had to make a second trip for them to see it. Bunch of BS…..they clearly have a record of the sale to validate cost and purchase. They never make anything easy…everything is a hassle there especially after all the holiday shopping crap I went through. They never applied my rewards # to any of my online purchases…then failed to notify me that rewards were via web only so of course, by the time I created an account and checked…all rewards expired, they didn’t give a shit. I don’t shop there either unless its an opportunity to rip them off….
I am not a BRU fan for many reasons.
On the plus side, you can now purchase cloth dupes from a local store or a WAHM. There are amazing options and you get to support someone specific rather than a company’s owners or shareholders.
So obviously, I meant cloth dipes, as in cloth diapers. Oops!
Welcome to the corporate merchandise machine. I would call corporate costumer service and let them know what happened. They will possibly send you some coupons. Your receipt will let them know the store and the manager who was on duty at the time and perhaps she will be corrected. However, the lesson to be learned here is this: Do not shop at “R us” stores – online or off. This is a great lesson to learn so early because what you really want to know is that you do not want to ever take your darling Lucy into those stores where she will learn to desire all the pretty packages and things she has seen on the commercials. Yard sales, consignment stores, clothing swaps, meetups – that is where to shop.
Same thing happened to me but with bottle nipples. Even though I was going to exchange them for something different they could only give me the sale price. So lame. I hate shopping there and will only go if I really need something in a pinch.
Your daughter is absolutely beautiful! Well, back in the day when I returned to work after my first was born I had purchased a plastic cup thing that fit over you and inside your bra. It contained the overflow. I was great because it did now show the way those pads do and it is “green” now! I got it at MotherCare or Motherhood… a maternity store that used to be in the malls. And Babies R Us is overpriced anyway!
I’d write an email to complain. Perhaps that might get you some attention. I’ve always been lucky with email contact. : )
I’ve had terrible service at ToysRUs and then again, wonderful service at a different location. Guess it depends on the attitude of the manager-you did not happen to get a good one, that is for sure!
Your little Lucy-what a sweetie! More pics, more pics, more pics……….!
Forward your blog and all these comments to the corporate office. Bet they will be all over themselves to make it right.
I had rotten service at a Lowes once, emailed the CEO and the store manager called me and sent me a $25 gift card.
I would send a link of this post to corporate & tell them to read the comments as well as the post. It is a ridiculous policy. It’s not like you were trying to take advantage of them or anything.
I do realize they have to deal with people who over react all the time but it’s perfectly normal to expect to get reimbursed what you paid for an unopened product – & to have proof of the price you paid! Who knows – maybe corporate would reimburse you the difference & even throw in some coupons. Whether they do or not you should let them know what happened. HTH
I too find BRU way over-priced on most items, and usually head straight to Target when I need to purchase a gift for a newborn. I also agree with Bobbi about looking for baby items at yard sales, etc., and consignment stores can be a treasure trove for new moms. I’d be very careful with yard sales, however, as I’ve seen a neighbor put out things that obviously have been abused and not kept clean. Please let us know the outcome of your efforts after you contact corporate.
I had a similar experience with an item that I wanted to return. I talked to one person at customer service who would only give me the refund for the sale amount. I went back to get something else and when I got back to the customer service register someone else was working it and gave me the full price refund. It must depend on the person. Very frustrating!
I’m pregnant with my first baby and wanted to create a baby registry. I’ve hesitated to open my registry in BRU for this particular reason that I’m nervous about returning items there.
I’m thinking of going with Amazon’s baby registry – they have better prices than BRU and 365-day returns. Of course, I haven’t tried it so far – so I don’t know how good that is.
I have also had horrid customer service with the company ! I wrote the company’s corporate office due to i was just tired of this company always treating there customers like a inconvenience ! they were very forth right in there e-mail back to me but i have found i avoid shopping with this company due to crappy customer service, rude employees, and very bad bathrooms .
i was a cashier forever b4 becoming a mom…if there was a price difference w/no manager around, i would manuelly ring it to the lower price…i have always wondered why some people are so steadfast in being the “holder of the purse strings” when it came to customer service. and there are some stores that i will never go back to because of this, and i tell people (not with a blog, but remember the old revlon shampoo commercial…and you tell 2 friends, and they tell 2 friends and so on & so on )
I too have had horrible experiences in relation to BRU retrun policy. I understang that some people abuse their returns, but obviously from all the responses you’ve recieved, they have lost many customers due to their inflexible policies. Our family doesn’t shop there anymore. You should forward this entire blog to them in the hope they will at least review their policies.
I agree, they use to have the best return policy and once I found out that them and toyrus no longer honors returns for the price paid. I stopped shopping there. Then my kids were entering the tweens when they changed their policy but still.
BRU and TRU have terrible return policies. The customer service is awful too. In fact, I rarely go there for this very reason. I’d much rather buy online just to avoid dealing with the customer service and crappy return policy.
PLEASE REPORT THIS TO YOUR STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE AND THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU! THIS is so not right! You had your receipt-which is “proof” of what you paid for the item!
I admire the way you stuck to your guns, and let her know you would never shop there again….and you wouldn’t be missing anything. As a grandmother and great aunt, I’ve had plenty of baby gifts to buy, and I hate that store. Instead, I go to the Lands End site, and purchase a beautiful towel with the baby’s name embroidered on it, and it’s a very good size….perfect for when the babies outgrow those tiny baby towels. They last forever, come with a washcloth, and kids can use them way past kindergarten. Lucy is adorable. Have fun with her.
I detest that store. I had two baby shower purchases recently. They insisted both registrants requested the warranty for all applicable products and extra batteries for any item that takes batteries. After a little investigating I found out that neither mother to be had made that request. It has to be a nationwide policy (scam) as they are from different areas. Beware!
This is not exclusive to BRU. Target and Walmart have similar policies, although Walmart will give you back purchase price. Without a receipt at either store, however, how will subject to the “lowest possible price” scam.
@Jon The frustrating thing was that I did have a receipt. Without one I wouldn’t have insisted on the full refund.
@CateS Donating the pads would have been a great idea. I’ll keep that in mind if something like this happens again.
@Barb and others who suggested i report this to corporate. I agree that reporting BRU’s policy is needed. Think of all the thousands of customers they are ripping off. Will add it to my to do list.
I just found this after googling “I will NEVER shop at Babies R Us again!†— so, I appreciate the sentiment. I’ll spare you the gory details, but lets just say I’ve been on the phone for well over 6 hrs in the past two days between the retail store and the websites customer service number trying (in vain) to spend my money. I bought a crib when my son was born—one they are still selling as a 4 in 1 crib—and was just trying to order the toddler bed conversion kit. No one knew what to do. Everyone wanted to pass the buck. They told me to call the store, which told me to call customer service, who told me to call the manufacture, who told me to start back at store level. I was on hold for the 54th minute at the store when the man said he could help me. “No such part is made or available.†I said, you’re selling it on line AS WE SPEAK! He put me on hold. After 20 more minutes, I hung up, called another retailer who I had never heard of – the man answered the phone immediately, took my order, and said it would be two weeks at the most. I vow never to spend a penny there again. Even if I have friends registered there, they will get a Target gift card from me!
The packing slip should not be a reason to reduce the price. You had your receipt and it is as if they are trying to find a way to refund you less than hat you paid. I do not like Babies R Us very much and their service is terrible, especially considering they tend to be the most expensive. I’m glad you didn’t purchase the diapers to show what they really lost of $6. That purchase plus the hundreds of dollars more you would have spent in the future.
I hope you found time to contact the corporate office.
After reading this story, I will never shop there again. Amazon all the way.
I’m not a mom and I don’t shop at Babies R Us, but I am absolutely appalled at the way they treated you. This just seems like robbery. Good for you for walking out and not buying those other items. I agree with everyone else … I would definitely contact corporate about this. It makes me sad to think about all of the new parents they’re likely taking advantage of.
I haven’t read all the comments, BUT…good for you! I can’t stand BRU…I’ve had a couple friends who’ve had babies–every item on their BRU registries I have seen cheaper at Target, on Amazon, or elsewhere. My mom friends (who buy things like nursing pads & other newborn/baby/toddler items) back that up also. It’s crazy, really…you’d think a store whose main client base is hormonal & frazzled expectant & new moms would have a better return policy, and more competitive pricing!
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We have a newly adopted 14 year old daughter and we are using cloth diapers and plastic pants on her 24/7 for her adjustment period.I buy the cloth diapers in the 24×27 or 26x 27 inch size and the diaper pins at babies r us and get her rubberpants from a website.We recently had her baptized and christened and did her in the white gown and bonnet with lace socks and white shoes.We decided before her baptism that we would do a size 8 pampers cruiser diaper with rubberpants over it under her gown,so i went back to babies r us the one evening and there was a high school girl working there in the diaper section and i asked her if they had the size 8 pampers and she looked and said they didnt carry them.i told her about our daughters up comming baptism and that we wanted the pampers instead of doing the cloth diapers on her and this girl went ballistic on me!She thought it was abusive and degrading that we have her in diapers and were dressing her like a baby for her baptism and christening.I left pretty up set and thought this was not how to treat customers!
When our daughter was 7,she made her First Holy Communion,and per the parish dress code,had to wear the poofy communion dress and veil,lace socks and white shoes.I went to Babies R us and got the required rubberpants that had to be worn under the dress in the toddler size,that came 3 pair to a package.I had her try a pair on and they just barely fit her,so i took them back and told the girl at the service desk that they didnt fit my daughter and i wanted my money back,she told me the rubberpants are only for babies and not older kids and that i couldnt get my money back.I even had the sheet of paper with me from the parish listing the dress code and showed her that the rubberpants are required and that still didnt help.So i left mad,and stuck with the package of rubberpants! i found a pair of rubberpants in a thrift store that fit the daughter perfect!
My daughter was 13 when her and dad went to a purity ball and i got her a poofy,white,knee length dress and white tights and white shoes to wear for the ball.A week before the ball i went to Babies R Us and got a package of the largest size plastic pants they had for her to wear under her tights.It was a young high school girl who was checking me out and she asked me how old my baby is and i told her that my daughter is not a baby,that she is 13 and and going to a purity ball with daddy and that she is going to wear a pair of the plastic pants under her tights.She got a little up tight and told me that i was not doing the right thing and that a 13 year old shouldnt be wearing plastic pants! Itold her that dad and i discussed it and that we agreed she would wear rubberpants under her tights and that was it.
To Brenda D.-My husband and 14 year old daughter went to a purity ball and i did the daughter in a cute,white,poofy top of the knees,short sleeve flower girl dress,with a flower crown with ribbons down the back,white tights and white patent leather shoes.I too did a pair of white,adult size small rubberpants under her tights with a camisole as her top.
Our daughter was the flowergirl in her Great Aunt Rosies wedding last year when she was 13.GA Rosie got her a cute,poofy,sleeveless,knee length,white flowergirl dress and matching veil to wear with lace anklets and white shoes.She then told me that she wanted the daughter to wear a cloth diaper and rubberpants under the dress and i told her i was planning on having the daughter wear them any way.I got the cloth diapers and diaper pins at Babies r Us and sewed the diapers together to make the one diaper out of them and got the white rubberpants from a website.The daughter walked down the aisle looking cute and with a big smile on her face and the diaper and rubberpants making her feel cute and little girlish.
To Lindsey- Our daughter is now 17 and four years ago when she was 13,she also made her First Holy Communion and had to wear the communion dress and veil with the lace socks and white patent leather shoes.I too went to babies r us and got a package of the required rubberpants in the toddler size along with a small can of babypowder.The girl at the checkout was a high school girl and asked me how old my baby is and i told her that my daughter is 13 and making her First Holy Communion and that the rubberpants are required under their white communion dresses.She thought that is weird and said that that is babyish for the girls!I took the package of rubberpants home and had the daughter try a pair on and they fit her,but snugly! I never went back to babies r us again!
To Carole M.-I had something similiar happen to me only it was’nt at babies r us,it was at the dry cleaners!We baptized our 15 year old daughter at Easter vigil last easter and like all the other preteen and teen girls,we dressed her in the traditional,white,poofy,sleeveless,top of the knees baptism dress with the matching bonnet bonnet,lace anklets and white ‘mary jane’shoes.We did the standard white under shirt and cloth diaper and rubberpants under the dress.The next week,i washed the undershirt,diaper and rubberpants and dried them and then took them with her dress and bonnet,lace socks and the shoes to the dry cleaners to have the outfit cleaned and boxed.The girl working there was 17,and i laid the dress and bonnet and the rest of the outfit on the counter and told her i wanted the outfit cleaned and boxed.She saw the outfit was teen size and asked how old my daughter is and i told her she is 15 and the girl got a little hostile with me! She saw the diaper,rubberpants and under shirt and told me that they wouldnt clean and box it because it would be considered contributing to child abuse! I told her that this is what all of the girls wore and that there is nothing abusive about it.She still said no and i took the outfit to another dry cleaners and they didnt give me any problems at all!
We just baptized our 14 year old daughter this past weekend at Easter vigil,and like all the other preteen and teen girls,she wore the traditional,white ,knee length,infant style baptism gown with the matching bonnet,white tights and white shoes.Now that babies r us is going out of business,i went there and was fotunate to get one of the last packages of the larger size cloth diapers and a card of pink diaper pins at the discounted price for her to wear under her tights.I sewed the diapers together to make the one diaper out of them and pinned it on her with the diaper pins.The traditional rubberpants worn over the diaper i got in adult size from a website.After i got the tights on her over the diaper and rubberpants,i pinned the waist band of the tights to the waist band of the rubberpants so the tights wouldnt slide down over them.All of the girls baptized had the cloth diaper and rubberpants under their tights and they will be worn under their communion dresses next month also.
I think I have said (to myself) I’m never shopping here again… EVERY SINGLE TIME I have shopped there…
To June K.-Our parish requires the girls up to 17 being baptized at Easter vigil to wear the poofy white short sleeve,top of the knees baptism dress and bonnet with the white tee shirt,rubberpants,white tights and the white mary jane shoes.When our daughter,who’s 18 now,was baptized two year ago at 16,i went to BRU and got a package of the toddler size rubberpants for her to wear under the tights and the girl at the checkout told me they carried the cloth diapers that are worn under the rubberpants,and i told her that just the rubberpants are required under the girls baptism tights and told her my daughter is 16 and has to wear the full white outfit.She thought it was weird that all of the girls had to wear the rubberpants under their tights and told me she didnt think the toddler size would fit the daughter,and i told her that many of the teen girl who were baptized the previous year were able to fit into the toddler size ones and had them on under their tights.They daughter tried them on and they fit her snug,but didnt cause any problems for her baptism and party.