Without a receipt for a return, some stores screw you over!
Bad customer service is all too common, unfortunately. You may recall my terrible shopping experience at Babies R Us, which spurred Jeannie to write in with her own story:
Fraudulent store returns cost retailers an estimated $14 billion annually. On the flip side, the return policies of LL Bean and Nordstrom have earned legendary shopper loyalty. My recent experience at Rite Aid left me feeling like some return policies cost the retailer and the customer alike.My mother asked me to buy Maalox antacid for her. Unbeknownst to me, Maalox was pulled from shelves earlier this year due to a factory shut-down. After attempting to find Maalox at CVS, Wal-Mart and Market Basket (a local grocery chain), I bought a generic equivalent at the last store I visited, Rite Aid.
Running late to Mom’s house, I gave the cashier a $5 bill for a 12-ounce bottle of Rite Aid cherry antacid priced at $4.99, but didn’t wait to get my receipt. My bad.
Later, Mom asked if I could return the cherry flavor and get mint instead. Returning to Rite Aid, I was relieved to find the same cashier still on duty. Better yet, she remembered me and my receipt-less exit! Unfortunately, they were sold out of mint, so I asked for a refund.Cashier: “You don’t have a receipt.”Me: “But you can identify me as the person who bought this a few hours ago.”Cashier: “You don’t have a receipt.”Me: “But you know that I bought it. It’s not Maalox from another store that I’m trying to return. It’s your own store brand.”Cashier (holding up a wastebasket): “When you left, I tore your receipt in half. I would have to look through this wastebasket to find it.”So we’ve established that I bought the antacid, paid for it and generated a receipt.What was a 3×4″ slip of paper going to tell her that she didn’t already know?I asked what options were available.“I can issue a store credit for $4.49.”“But I paid $4.99!”“Store policy. Without a receipt, I can only give you the sale price.”Let’s sum up: I was being charged 50 cents to return an item because I didn’t have a receipt, even though the cashier could verify that I purchased the item.Really, Rite Aid? In an age of the empowered consumer and social media? At a time when there are brick-and-mortar drug stores on every corner and a world wide web of shopping choices? In a world where Bargain Babe rules?!“Store policy,” the Rite Aid manager said when he called me the next day. He offered to reimburse the 50 cents on my next trip to the store, but I explained that I, too, had a “store policy” of not shopping with retailers who are so rigid about returns.I also called the managers of the CVS, Wal-Mart and Market Basket stores I had visited prior to Rite Aid to ask how they would handle my receipt-less return.“Making a customer angry over 50 cents is not worth the long-term cost of losing a customer,” said one. “Happy customers tell 5 people. Unhappy ones tell dozens.”“I empower my cashiers to bend store policy in cases like yours,” said another. “I would have refunded you $4.99 based on my cashier’s memory rather than corporate policy.”“What bothers me most is that the manager felt saving 50 cents was worth losing your future business,” the third manager said.In the end, I found a 24-ounce bottle of Equate mint antacid for $3.24 at Wal-Mart, a 300% savings”¦ but Rite Aid lost me as a customer forever.
Sorry to hear you had such a terrible experience, much like the one I had at Babies R Us. I’m surprised you couldn’t do the transaction as an exchange, seeing how you only wanted a different flavor. Stores have policies like this for good reason, but given your circumstances it is very disappointing that the cashier and manager could not work with you.
I’ve had plenty of good customer service experiences at Rite Aid, including with a pharmacist who went out of her way to find me a $25 coupon for transferring a prescription.
Whatever the store, what surprises me is how many stores are willing to lose a customer over a very small amount of money. They fail to appreciate that our loyalty has a price!
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. 
You need to take some responsibility for your experience – you left the store without your receipt…
I agree with baginsta. It’s your own fault for not obtaining a receipt. I’ve gone to many stores where the most they will refund a product without a receipt is for the lowest price the product was ever on sale for. And I completely understand that. It is their policy, and as a customer either you respect their policy or you don’t shop there. I don’t think they will be heartbroken over the loss of a customer such as you.
I usually enjoy your posts, but this one made you just seem like a whiny baby for something that was YOUR mistake for not getting a receipt.
Sorry, but I don’t feel bad for you at all. Go shop at Wal-mart!
I disagree, in a lot of cases if you are not handed your receipt, it is their error…and I have only received poor service at Rite Aid–Including waiting 45 minutes with my sick 11 month old (when they were clearly not busy) for a Rx when they guarantee 20 min fills. That and many other issues have prevented me from ever shopping their again.
@elizabeth In this case, she didn’t stick around to get her receipt so it’s not the cashier’s slip up. What was she supposed to do — chase after her? The cashier’s mistake — as Jeannie puts it — was not being accommodating when she returned.
You always want to make sure you have your receipt before you leave just like you always want to make sure that you have everything you purchased before you leave any store. No matter who’s fault it is, you still should take it upon yourself to make sure you have a receipt before you leave.
And as has been mentioned before, shop at Walmart. Better selection and much better prices than any drug store.
As far as Rite-Aid specifically, I’ve had family that have had terrible experiences, similar to Elizabeth’s with their pharmacy. They’ll go in to pick up a prescription, no one else is in line and the pharmacist or assistant, whoever is behind the counter, will just ignore them, even though the prescription has already been filled and just needs to be picked up. What should take a couple minutes tops, ends up taking 15-20 minutes for no good reason whatsoever. So needless to say, should I ever need a prescription filled, I’ll go somewhere other than Rite-Aid.
I believe Rite-Aid is in the wrong. Did the cashier say why she needed the receipt other than it’s store policy? I can understand the cashier needing a receipt no. to process the refund but the Manager! The receipt is a means to verify the purchase which was obviously already established by the cashier. Penny wise and pound foolish in my opinion.
One other reason to always get a receipt. You’ll need it as an alibi if the police arrest you for a shooting at around the time you were in the store.
As the writer of this piece, I’d like to offer additional context & respond to comments. First, I freely cop to having not waited for my receipt. I was in a hurry because my mother has late-stage ovarian cancer and needed the antacid to ease discomfort. The cashier was slow, and by the time I got up to her and she asked if I wanted to donate $1 to charity, I just wanted to buy the med and go (Rite Aid was my 4th store visit that morning and I was out of time). I couldn’t get a direct exchange because they didn’t have the flavor Mom wanted. The cashier could identify me as a paying customer, not a fraudulent return, so yes, I did expect a “Mulligan” in this case. Had I known Rite Aid had such a strict policy on receipts, I might not have shopped there (hence my posting this piece, to alert others). The other store managers I quoted made the 3 key points that I felt were valid in my case, and one also pointed out that the receipt itself isn’t always needed: the store cash registers are also computers, so the clerk might have been able to re-verify my purchase without the receipt. I also felt that effectively “charging” me 50 cents for a simple human error was short-sighted in the larger scheme of the economic climate. If anyone has further questions, I would be happy to reply. Thanks for reading, Jeannie
i shop at a local rite aid in nyc near my job for a year and a half, always recieved a receipt and the workers bend over backwards to assist. cashiers are told what to do and and have to follow procedures. jeannie should have asked her to get her manager right away.
Sorry that Jeannie had a bad experience at Rite Aid. By contrast, I find the folks at my local Rite Aid very accommodating, helpful and friendly.
However, best bet is to always retain a receipt. I would stock up on printer ink at Staples, and one day my printer went dead. I bought another printer at Staples, yet a different brand that required different ink. I dug out my ink receipts, and Staples gladly gave me credit on new, unopened boxes of ink – over $100 worth, and some beyond the deadline of their return policy.
It pays to get those receipts, even if it’s a pain in the arse.
I recently had a horrible experience with American Eagle Outfitter. I ordered two pairs of shoes,one for my Mom and one for me. Hers were fine, but mine had one shoe size 7 and one size 8. Even though it was THEIR mistake,I still had to pay for the return shipping, and they wouldn’t refund it! I paid $7.78 for that one pair of shoes,including shipping. To return it I had to pay $13 something. They said they couldn’t issue exchanges,so they refunded me the $7.78. So not only did I end up with no shoes,I PAID over $13 for nothing. I emailed and called customer service,and they just said that the customer is responsible for return shipping. Definitely never going to be shopping there again.
The issue is not who to blame for the situation (such as, walking out without a receipt) but what makes sense in resolving this. Since the sale and price were confirmed by the clerk, and were not an issue, she should have been refunded the entire price, and as an added benefit, also learned something in the process.
I also have an elderly, sick relative that I shop for, etc. so I definitely sympathize with the stress of that situation. I don’t think it entitles me to special treatment at retailers, however. I think it’s ridiculous to expect a refund without a receipt when it’s against the store’s policy. If someone can find the time to call three different store managers to complain about another store’s policies, I find it hard to believe they can’t wait five seconds to be handed a receipt after a transaction. It’s so easy to blame the store for everything and assume that rules only apply to other people.
There are several Rite Aid stores in my area and I have had good service at all of them. The employees are always friendly and more than willing to answer questions or help me find a product. I also think the Wellness+ program is great. I don’t know any other store that offers you a 20% discount on nearly every item in the store every day. I always try to buy things when they’re on sale but sometimes I need an item right away and I really appreciate that discount.
For Jessica P. – Did American Eagle Outfitter charge you the $13 return shipping fee directly? If so, have you tried disputing the charge with your credit card company? I can’t imagine a company charging you for a return when they clearly made a mistake and sent you the wrong product. That makes no sense at all.
I agree with Jen: to have so much free time (even later on) to call THREE competitors smacks of a somewhat juvenile desire to be right-all-the-time. Not only was it a waste of time, but they are competitors…their policies are different. What did you accomplish from calling them, other than to receive a sense that you were “correct”?
It truly WAS your fault for leaving without the receipt, and it is wrong of you to blame the cashier. If you’d used your phone in the first place, youu could have called each retailer before you left your home, asked who had the product, and made a beeline to the store that had it in stock. Now, I realize your mother is sick and pray to the Gods she gets better…but for her to have you return the item just because she’d prefer Mint over Cherry? That rather smacks of her not *really* needing it. After all, a flavor is a flavor, so long as it doesn’t make me throw it back up, I’ll quite gladly put up with a mere twenty seconds of bad taste in my mouth, if it provides the relief I desperately need.
Which brings me to my last point. If you mentioned to the cashier that it was the wrong flavor and that was your ONLY reason for returning it, your comment might have set off warning bells in her head. If you made the comment that your mother desperately required this medicine, that you’d been rushing around trying to find it, and that you were in such a hurry to get it to her that you left without a receipt…only to return it because of such a inconsequential reason, well let’s just say *I* would be overly cautious too!
By the fact that both the cashier and manager said it was store policy and were unwilling to waive the fifty cents makes me think that there may have been a rash of returns in that district. Perhaps the corporation now requires that store to staple the original receipt to the return receipt, or it must be present during the weekly write up of what was returned. Maybe they thought you looked like a scammer they’ve been dealing with…you don’t know. Honestly though, if you’re the type of “customer” who will not shop with a store due to a fifty cent fee that was your own fault, I’d certainly not want you to shop at MY store!
I’m sorry you had such a terrible experience, even though as a loyal customer at Rite Aid; I can say truthfully they are the best drug store in New York City. However, I really do apologize for your bad experience; but this story is clearly fabricated. First, you ALWAYS take your recipt no matter what. Second, if you returned this the same day with the same cashier, the sale price is literally what you payed for, which should’ve been $4.99, NOT $4.49 BUT if you returned it after Sunday, which is a new cycle of sales for the upcoming week, without a receipt they are entitled to give you the lowest amount of payment, which could be the original price of $4.99 or the new sale price of $4.49 this is a policy many corporation shares, and it’s completely fair if you DO NOT HAVE A RECEIPT. Third, this post really made me feel like you’re looking for some console for your own mistakes. It’s also ironic you found the item you were looking for right after the incident, at a much better price.
If you except customer service to baby you and make exceptions for you, that’s just wishful thinking; seriously people will not remember you and you’re sitituion.
I bought an item from Rite-Aid for $35, lost my receipt and device didn’t work. Store credit was issued upon return for $15. My cousin had a similar experience where they issued a credit for less than 1/2 the price she bought it for. At some point they say the item was on sale for this price. Pi$$es me off either way.
My God it’s stupid people using smart phones,! I have one saying “the customer is always right” ! The fact that they give you the least amount if ever that item was on sale if it is ever put on sale is bullshit! If you scan an item at Target that was purchased at CVS it won’t read it so therefore all you have to do is scan the item if it reads it then it was purchased at your store. Do the math. But you sweating me for a receipt! Save the trees the world. The whales! But I guess the stores are only green when someone is listening. Pity,
Rite Aid along with other chains have strict requirements on return policies without a receipt.
There have been way too many incidents of customers strolling into stores with empty bags only to return pilfered items at a register. While it irritates some customers it also ptotects the store from what could be catstrophic losses..
Most managers have some flexibility that the cashier lacks to make individual determinations.
If there is a remote possibility an item may need to be returned…keep the receipt!
I have been a cashier at Rite Aid for over 7 years, and if someone doesn’t have a receipt when returning something and we sold it to them 5 minutes ago, without the barcode on the receipt to scan to validate the return, the computer automatically does give the lowest price. We have no power to override this, and anything done out of common sense could potentially cost us our job.They treat us like criminals waiting to be caught. We are observed on camera and any “red flag” transactions that are detected through their computer system are investigated. Not following store policy is grounds for immediate termination. The cashier has no power, only a manager or supervisor can override any functions.Please stop blaming the cashiers, helping you could cost us our job.
That’s a terrible policy! Thanks for giving us the other side of the story. It’s an important reminder that good customer service is not always up to the employee.
I love how customers try to tell others how to do their job….
And next time , grab your reciept before you leave.
This is a very old post but I feel like I need to comment after hearing everyone on here say “Your fault, you didn’t have the receipt”.
I had to return something to Rite Aid and did have the receipt. I was unable to return the item for what I paid for because the scan thingie on the receipt faded so they couldn’t scan it.
I asked them if they could just look up my phone number from the membership thing (you know where you just give your phone number) and they said that they couldn’t because it doesn’t tell you the price that you paid. I then said I could hand them my credit card and to look up the purchase order but they said that they couldn’t do that either.
I think people are missing the point. If a store wants to keep customers when customers when there are a ton of stores of competitors, why would someone go back if you are going to be rigid about returns (unless it’s something like convenience)?
I purchased a power bank from RiteAid, a RiteAid that I have been going to for as long as I can remember, minimally 15 years. The Craig power bank was on sale for 7.99$ vs the normal price of 29.99$. I jokingly asked the teller if it was on sale because they were recalled.
Brought the power bank home, had to rip the box off due to the amount of tape on the package. Directions say to charge for at least 8 hours. Plugged it in, 8 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours, 3 days the light did not move beyond the 1st bar and the power bank did not hold a charge. I bought this on 7/7 and returned it on 7/14 with receipt, instructions, charging cords. They would not accept it because I did not have the original package. I explained that due to the security tape all over the box it was impossible to salvage. I used my RiteAid card along with a debit card for the purchase. The manager told me she needed to scan the barcode on the original package to be able to refund or exchange. There was nothing they could do without the original package. So RiteAid lost not just one but an entire family of loyal customers for 8$ and some story another needing the original packaging. The teller even remembered me asking him if they were defective because the price had dropped. The price was clearly visible on the receipt. The power bank was pristine and the cables were still wrapped in twist ties, but now I’m stuck with a none functioning power bank and RiteAid has lost more than one customer over 8$ and/or an exchange. I was shocked at this unbelievable behavior. This is the 1st time I’ve ever been told that no exchanges or refunds without original package?
Maybe they planned on putting it back behind the glass in the locked down electronics section for some other unwitting soul to purchase and end up with a known defective power bank? This is the only conclusion I could draw to explain this new “policy”. The manager went so far as to tell me this is a policy at EVERY store? Pardon me missy but being past 50 and 3 times removed from your age I’m quite aware of stores policy and I have never read or been subject to needing the original package to return an obviously defective item.
Well CVS is less than a block away, and if they aren’t satisfactory we will take our business to Rios or Walgreens……maybe Wal-Mart? Business should be working to retain customers in this new world of masked men and women and a ongoing pandemic. Treating a long term customer like they are ridiculous to try to exchange a non functioning item for a working one is a shame. Management seems to need training and maybe a touch of common sense.