TARGET PROTEST

Letter I sent to TARGET...

Dear Friends, Family and TARGET GUEST:

I am so MAD, HURT, and ANGRY, with TARGET I don’t know whether to cry or laugh. I do know they have lost the HYLAND’S as customers. It is so very sad when a big corporation like TARGET has no authority to be human or make exceptions? It seems like in some very perverse way they like to say “NO” and make you feel like a convict whose picture is on the wall for the most wanted only because you want what is FAIR. When they make $1,000 of dollars in profit from you in one year they are willing to tell you that for $20.00 (this being the difference in the exchange price) take your business someplace else TARGET policy is TARGET policy. SORRY we will not make any exceptions. What has happened to us as people if for $20.00 you are just a big NOTHING to corporate GIANT - TARGET! (Wal-Mart here I come)

BACKGROUND we average a minimum of 4 to 8 prescriptions filled there every month. We pay $25.00 for our co-pay and our insurance company reimburses them whatever the agreed amount is for the prescription. I would assume they are making a nice profit in the pharmacy department (by the way I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Target Crossroads pharmacy people that is one of the main reasons I get our meds filled with them)

PLUS- I am probably at Target 4 or more times per month buying household items and plenty of gift cards during the holiday season (at least 8 this year).

STORY - I was in Target on December 16, 2007 and bumped into Barry and the girls (I know this date without a doubt because of another story that has to do with “THIS HOME BELIEVES”). They were so very excited about buying Rich season 5 of the TV program 24(they probably paid between $35.00 and $45.00) and giving it to him for Christmas, knowing it would be some good entertainment while he spends his 4 weeks at the City of Hope for his transplant. Of course at this time I did not know that we already owned season 5 which is totally my fault since I told them it would be a great gift. It was in the eyes and mind of Taylor and Jordan the perfect well thought out gift for Uncle Richie.

Yesterday January 10, 2008, I went to Target to EXCHANGE the season 5 “24” DVD’s (current price on Target site $44.99 not on sale) for some SEINFELD DVD’s (current price on Internet $33.99, since I will no longer shop at Target I can not verify the current in store NOT on sale prices). I was told that without a gift receipt or the actual receipt I would only get $14.98 towards the $34.00 purchase of the Seinfeld DVD. Apparently if you can believe TARGET would sell the “24” product for less than their cost at a Thanksgiving sale then I am only entitled to the lowest selling price the product has sold for sometime in the past YEAR, without a receipt. After much discussion from their customer service people about - lie to your friends tell them the DVD’s skip or they are damaged to get the receipt and then you can return them and then you can exchange them for FULL CREDIT. I told them I did not want to ask Barry for the receipt and ruin what the girls were so proud to give to Rich. And in my world I just wanted the Christmas gift giving experience to us to be perfect for them (all those ohhhs and ahhhs when you open those gifts). Besides with Barry’s limited time and situation you know he no longer has the receipt and again I would not ask him.

I called the manager yesterday Lee and did not receive a call back. No surprise there. I called today and talked to Manager Maria. Same story we don’t care if we lose you as a customer you only get $14.98 credit without a receipt. I asked her and begged if she could look up my ATM number and see exactly how much we spend at TARGET in one year and that we were not criminals trying to steal from TARGET (she could not be bothered to look it up never asked for my name, never said I will take it up with someone else, never offered any other suggestions for a solution…. That is our policy good by have a nice life) and were they willing to lose us as shoppers for what amounts to about $20.00. The ANSWER is YES they DON’T care! I need to add at this point that I did lower myself and my standards and even tired using the “C” card (cancer, bone marrow transplant, entertainment for my hubby while at City of Hope). Still no give… I did tell her I was sorry for her that she worked for a corporation that had no authority to be human or have a heart. DEFEATED and shaking I was so very upset and now crying to a TARGET TEAM MEMBER over the phone that I said not good enough I want that exception on this exchange give me someone else to call. She said in a very polite COLD manner I can ONLY give you a number for GUEST RELATIONS… who are they kidding there are no RELATIONS with TARGET. This number is not something they keep by the phone since she had to leave me hanging for sometime to go retrieve the number. In case you need the number for Guest Relations it is 800-440-0680.

Several minutes and deep deep breaths later (although I was still shaking) I called the number. Talked to a nicer person named Michelle and told her the story….. No receipt and I don’t want to bother asking the people who gave us the gift, just want to exchange it… Target makes $1,000 of dollars profit from my family every year, husband has to have bone marrow transplant, can we please have an exception (by now this has become principal with me over $20.00 and I feel their $14.98 refund is an INSULT). She said SORRY that is our POLICY and we will not make exceptions for you or anyone else…. (crying again just thinking about how angry and sad this makes me I need to get this done and move on) and of course her worldly advise that since my husband had health issues I really did have bigger things to worry about…. INSULT….dhua….. do you think?….. Then help me out here LADY.

This is my official protest I will be calling my favorite Target Pharmacy team members and asking them to transfer all of our prescription needs to another pharmacy…. Any one have recommendations or suggestions? I just want everyone to be aware of what we as consumers are dealing with when it comes to TARGET. Personally it makes me very sad. What makes me the angriest is myself…. As you know we have lots of Heath stuff happening at the Hyland House and I feel like the dam is ready to break at any moment and I hold it together quite well but when I let something like this get to me and I cry over the phone to the Target Team Member, I realize how little you or I really matter. I know I can not cure Rich’s cancers but maybe I can get a big corporation to make some exceptions now and again it gives me something to fight, and in someway I need something else to vent my anger towards especially when it is unjust and unfair.

One more question I have asked them (and they of course have no answer)…. .Did the Seinfeld DVD’s go on sale during the year (you know they did)? And if they did why can’t you give me the lowest sale price on the Seinfeld DVDs for the $14.98 you are willing to give me on the return of the “24” DVD’s. I will be happy to pay the difference. In other words if I was trying to exchange Seinfeld for “24” I would get the lowest sale price Seinfeld sold for during the year.
These policies are true for all Targets. Pass this on and let TARGET know we are worth more than a $20.00 difference…. Copy this letter and give it to them next time you are in the store…. Email them… Let’s start a TARGET complaint BLOG! jmhyland79@yahoo.com