Target Stores

Target Stores • Returns • Pricing disputes • Customer service • Target Online • Security measures • Portrait studio • Target defenders --- • Target Misses Price Target, Backs Out of Sale • Ruling Against Target May Open Other Web Sites to the Blind • Target Bans the Salvation Army • Customers React to Salvation Army Ban

Their stores are big and bright and somehow more "upscale" than Wal-Mart or Kmart. But behind that chipper-looking exterior lurks a company that can be downright mean-spirited when its customers run into even the slightest problem.

Target's spiteful returns and exchanges policy, in particular, is making it the target of some pretty heated rhetoric from its former customers.

A few of the more recent complaints ...

Conrad of DAVIE, FL May 27, 2009

We purchased 4 outdoor stack chairs. The plastic leg/"feet" inserts at the bottom of each leg is worn down to quickly - all the way to the metal of the legs. We spoke on phone with what is supposed to be Courtyard Creations. I asked how I could obtain the plastic inserts where chair leg touches the ground. They told me to email my request and photos to [website], which we did. It has been weeks now - with no acknowledgement of my email, phone or U.S. mail. If the plastic leg bottom inserts/protectors are not replace soon, the chair will be damaged.

Frank of Cooperburg, PA May 17, 2009

Target, in their infinite wisdom advertised their Alexander patio furniture on sale between 5/3-5/9. I went to the store on 5/6 and they had the chairs in stock, the round table but not the rectangular table. I was told that the truck would be in on Friday 5/8 with more tables. I proceeded to purchase the 6 chairs and loaded them up and took them home. Friday I called and no table. I called again on Saturday,,no table. I called every day for almost 2 weeks,,no table. I called EVERY Target store within a 50 mile radius,,no tables !

How can you advertise items for sale and never have any to sell? I called and inquired about this and was told the sales flyer's are made up months in advance and they do not know if the items will be in stock when they make up the flyer's . I told them that should give you plenty of time to order what you are advertising.. Anyway, I asked for an ETA,,nothing. I asked that they find it in another store and have it shipped to this store,,would not do it. Asked if they could trigger an inventory replenishment and was told that they can not do that either.

Seems they can not do much of anythinig. I have 4 side chairs and 2 rockers that cost me over 300.00 plus the time I spent assembling them... I am taking them back to the store and plan on causing a scene. If you would like to be entertained, go to the Q-Town PA store and watch an irate customer throw 6 chairs over the customer service desk... Never again ! I am out almost 400.00. Target will feel my pain for making me waste all of my time on this fiasco.

Ashley of Seattle, WA May 15, 2009

I am livid after getting off the phone with Target's credit card division. I've been a customer since 2002; have been in good standing for years; and am being hit with almost 120 in fees after a mistake that originated from their transition from phone payments to online payments.

For years I have paid over the phone, until they switched a few months ago to an all online system, unless the customer is willing to pay a small fee. This isn't unusual for cc companies and so I got with the program and started paying online.

In April my husband and I finally switched to one checking account - his - and I needed to shut down my old account. Target's system would not let me delete my old information (at least from what I could tell), so I put in the new account information next to my old one. And, made a payment.

By the time I got the notification letter that the payment did not go through (it bounced out of the old account), Target had racked up three 39 fees onto my account.

I called to sort it out, fully expecting to pay off what I originally owed, but hoping Target would waive the fees as well. They did not. They blamed me for the entire thing, and only after 45 minutes (and three customer service reps) could I get even one fee waived.

Hey - I acknowledge things happen in life, and this is a classic "he said she said" situation with me saying I did my best to get it in the right account and Target saying that I attributed it to the wrong acount....but, 79 worth of fees on a original balance of 75 seems ridiculous! I offered to pay the bounced check fee of 39 and the 2 finance charge that accumalated, but they insist that I owe it all. Am I just getting screwed here? It seems Target is winning it all - not only do they not have to pay for phone customer service agents (by making us all move to online payments) but they are collecting outrageous fees in the process.

Chris of Hartsville, SC May 13, 2009

Glass top patio table shattered into millions of tiny pieces. Glass went everywhere. Had the table about 2 years so not covered under warranty. Had to replace table since not covered under warranty. Still finding bits of glass on the deck and in the yard

Nancy of Berkeley, CA May 12, 2009

We purchased some shelving and drawers through Target.com. The product arrived with extremely strong toxic fumes and odors. I called Target who told us we had to deal directly with Foremost, the manufacturer. When I called Foremost to find out what was in the shelving I was told by George that the product does not meet current standards as they have 18 mos to get rid of inventory after new standards were passed. We aired out the shelves in the garage for one month before bringing them in the house and assembling them. Within 24 hours of having them in the house in the closet I became ill and we moved them back into the garage.

We read online that painting over the particle board to seal in the toxic chemicals could help so we tried that, but it didn't work. After another month we brought in one shelf and I was sick again within hours. I was in contact with Foremost throughout all of this. They insist that we violated our warranty (which we don't have one!) by painting the units and will not refund our money. The odor and fumes are unbearable. We are certain they don't meet any standards, old or new We are reporting Foremost and this product to the EPA and Better Business Bureau. We want our money back! When exposed to shelving: burning nose, throat, eyes, popping ears, nausea, confusion, agitated, upper arm numbness.

Ralph of Flagstaff , AZ May 8, 2009

We purchased an outdoor glass table, today with no warning or reason it shattered all over- there are shards and slivers of glass all over our patio we have 3 dogs and now can not let them outside until we clean this up . We have photos of the mess it made

Dameshia of Overland Park, KS April 29, 2009

I was an employee from Dec 07 till June 08. I enjoyed working there and put forth my best effort with "guests". I wasn't friends with anyone higher on the food chain and I tried to be cordial with everyone. My troubles started with a LOD named Amy. I came in on my off day to get the glasses I left behind. She said that she was just talking about me and if I wanted to come in. I don't travel with a uniform in my car and that meant I had to drive all the way home 15 miles one way, with gas at 4 dollars a gallon, change and come back. She started pushing the issue and finally I told her "NO". She got mad and sulked off. Then I started getting written up by Amy for everything. I had my 6 month eval, 2 months early. This way done by Amy of course, she told me that she talked to my TL's (Team Leads) and that I basically sucked at my job and was not "Fast, Fun and Friendly". I guess that's why so many people came in and asked for me by name. I guess people that get bad service, really want the person to serve them over and over again.

So after finding this out, I talked to every TL that I worked with to find out that she hadn't talked to anyone. With this information I went to HR, to be yelled at over the phone that "Amy talked to all your Team Leads, I know she did because she told me so". I saw that I was getting nowhere and I dropped it. A couple of people that I talked to told me to call the integrity hotline, but I figured that I would get nowhere with them too (I eventually did and I was right). Then all the sudden Amy got a transfer to another store in 3 days. It looked like they were trying to move her. Not too soon after the write ups started coming from ETL-HR. The same woman that I talked to about Amy. She wrote me up for missing work for 2 weeks after my house caught fire. When the STORE manager told me to take all the time I needed.

Then as if I needed something else my PCOS started to act up. I had a cyst rupture in the middle of the night and had to go the ER. I called in from the hospital bed. The LOD I talked to told me that it was fine and to call back and let him know what was going on. I did and I told him that my doctor wanted me to take the week off. A couple of days later I called when I was scheduled to go in to talk to someone and let them also know what was going on. The LOD's never talked to each other and never knew what was going on. I was on Vicodin and don't remember who I talked to but I let them know what was going on and that I had the paperwork to back anything up. Later that week I tried to log into the website and I couldn't. So when I got better I went to the store to find out that I had been terminated. The ETL-HR wrote me up as having 3 no call no shows. I knew better so I asked for the days. I got a copy of the schedule to find out that she wrote me up for a day I wasn't even scheduled to work. But the company and everyone above her let it go and I was out the door.

April of Whittier, CA April 3, 2009

April of Whittier CA (04/03/09)
I had been told to place my baby on Similac isomil formula. My daughter was on that for about 3 months and i had purchased 2 cans of formula on a visit to target. When i purchase these cans i use the 5.00 rebate checks in my name that similac sends for signing up with their Similac Baby and mothers program. Well our pediatrition wanted us to switch back to the regular Similac advance to see how our daughter could handle that at 4 months of age.

So i took back the extra unopened (seal was still unbroken on the outside and inside) can of Isomil to see about doing an even exchange. Both the Isomil and the advanced are the same price. I didnt have the reciept but was told they could look up my reciept using my debit card. I told them i just wanted to exchange it for the advance. What i also told them is that when i purhcased the can i had used my rebate check for 5.00. On these checks it clearly tells the retailer to endorse and deposit the check just as they do other customer checks and they will be paid the 5.00. Any other use constitutes fraud.

They customer return desk then told me they wont let me even exchange the item and that i was going to have to pay the full price for my new can of formula. They would issue me back only 15.00. Now i understand they cant give me the full amount after all i did use a rebate check but basically all i wanted to do was even exchange the product for the formula i was told to use. So i had to pay reg price of 21.45 for my new formula and basically Target got to keep 5.00 from a similac rebate check. All i wanted was to exchange for the same Similac brand name, same price just the advance formula.

Nancy of Brooklet, GA March 31, 2009

Report Your Experience
If you've had a bad experience -- or a good one -- with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site. Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. File your consumer report now.

Share		Follow us on Twitter.

Back to the top |