I used to love Target. They had cool stuff, they had great clearance stuff (my personal addiction) and I generally liked their clean, wonderful stores.

Then Target done me wrong. WRONG. And I've never gone back. It has been 4+ years since I stepped foot in a Target store, and I will never ever ever go back in one again.

What got me THAT angry, you may ask? It was a return policy problem. I had bought several things over a month from Target that had problems...wrong hair color, a book that was a duplicate, a cordless phone that didn't work out of the box. No, I didn't have my receipts, but I have small children, and this is not surprising. I'm lucky I can find my durned wallet when I want to go somewhere. At the time I was also pregnant with baby number three, I was 41 years old (can you say SURPRISE??) and just not in the mood to be messed with.

I took my items back to get my money back, or a store credit. They insisted they didn't sell the book in their store at all, and that because I didn't have a receipt, I couldn't return or exchange the hair color or the phone. They asked me if I'd used my credit card or a check to pay for the items? I said I didn't know, that I might have, but that I also used cash.

Here's where it got ugly. The service clerk pulled up my name by my license number on her computer. Then she showed me what I'd purchased and when at their store over the past year. I'd spent the better part of $3000 in that store and they would NOT take back these three small items I was trying to return. Worse yet, my license number was right there on the screen for any service clerk to see. I was appalled!!

I even asked to complain to headquarters, and when I did, got a form letter back.

I'm never shopping at Target again. Ever!

I have a Target right down the street, and find myself there often. One trick I've learned is that before I check out, I survey the cart, and do a quick $ tally in my head. I take out all the impulse items and return them to the shelves, and buy just those items I need or just have to have.

Lisa

Target does have great clearance sales but buyer beware. The last 3 times I've been there I have caught errors in the price that rings up versus the shelf price. I then had to go to customer service, wait in line, then get my money back (one item was off by $4.00). I asked if they had a policy that if the shelf price and rung up price aren't the same then the item should be free. She laughed at me. I haven't been back.

I have also had that happen; you do have to watch. But if I had to see on a screen what I have spent at target over the last year... OMG- I would be scared. But what a total wake up call that would be. I might have to ask dh to dig through receipts and do that for me. Then I would have to face my Toy Clearance Tally of Shame, LOL

__________________
I don't believe in miracles; I depend on them

This is exactly what I did........I can't tell you how liberating it was........even know when I go to Target....I don't feel the urge to buy something just cause it's on clearance. I can actually think about it and decide if I really want it. As opposed to before when I just "had" to buy it.

I am totally the person as described by the moderator. In the height of clearance season (holidays & toys), I'll take a day off work and do the "Tour de Target". I hit about 8 stores in a 50-mile ellipical pattern (in LA area it's easy via freeway). I'll use about 4 cards to avoid the calls from the card company that there has been a 'high amount of activity today.' One time, I had (3) shopping carts after checkout. My car (4-door sedan) has at least twice been packed from end-to-end (trunk, back seats, back window, front seat, under my feet, etc.) with me driving. The hardest part is finding a spot to unload and sort. I usually either have to wait until I have the house to myself to turn the living room/bedroom areas into sorting floors or park in a quiet secluded spot to open the trunk/car doors to sort. I have to keep all my receipts in an envelope in my purse sorted by return date. I'm finally now writing the return date on the bags when I make purchases so I can more easily figure out what items go with which receipt. I'm trying to go through the receipts every chance I get (at least once a week) to review what I should return and get it organized (return + receipt = 1 bag).

I'm finally at a point where I'm tired of going to Target. I usually go about 3-4 times a week, sometimes more during clearance. But when I don't, I've felt better that, "Hey, I didn't go to Target, didn't spend any money and was able to do something else." As much as I love to bargain-hunt, I'm getting tired of sorting/returning/hiding/stashing stuff and then not finding it or able to uncover it when I can really use or need it.

I've tried to talk myself into not buying anything until the holiday clearance is 90%. That way, what I do find will be a great deal (no second-guessing) and there won't be much left to store. We'll see if I can do that this season.

Wow, that's a lot of unloading (mentally). Thanks for the opportunity. Now to unload physically. I'd love to find someone to partner with to ebay off my finds and continue bargain-hunting for profit. Thanks.

Tape Queen-

Good for you! You did some unloading today- Target is a tough one to beat. I used to shop there like a normal person, just going in and out, and if I happened to find a great deal that was wonderful. Then I don't know what happened... maybe I found too many great deals... and I just spiraled down into feeling like I always had to go back and look for bargains.

Now I am snapping back into a more "normal" mode. Rakshanda, Crazy Kelly and some of the others who have "beat" Target were my inspiration. And I have to say that it's true- the longer I stay out of the store the more my desire to go there fades. Maybe it's the time I've gained back to do other things, maybe it's the relief I feel about not having to go there all the time- anyway, something has changed, thankfully.

In fact, now when I go in, I feel leery, as in "OK, try your hardest Target, but you cannot make me load up on STUFF. I have my list!"

It does get easier...

__________________
I don't believe in miracles; I depend on them