As a mom, aren't I supposed to love Babies R Us? Well, I don't. In fact, I downright hate the store and here's why:
Reason #1 - There are no cart corrals in the parking lot. Where am I supposed to put my cart when I'm finished with it? Since I became a mom I have made it a habit of parking near (if not next to) a cart corral at all times for easy return access. I am not one of the inconsiderate people who leaves a cart in the middle of the parking lot, so at Babies R Us I am forced to return the cart to the store. Not necessarily a huge deal UNLESS YOU HAVE A SMALL CHILD. I am physically unable to carry my 9 month-old, a diaper bag, and multiple purchases to my car all at the same time. I can't put my child in the car and then return the cart. So my option is: push the cart to my car, empty my purchases into my car, push the cart back into the store, remove my child, and return to my car. Inconvenient to say the least, which leads to reason #2.
Reason #2 - The doors to the store are in-only and out-only. Again, this is not usually a big deal for me, but when I have to return my cart to the store before I can get in my car and drive home it's a pain in the butt. Not only do I have to re-enter the store to return my cart, but I have to walk back into the actual store, around the customer service counter and all registers, go out the "out" door and THEN return to my car. I have now wasted 10 minutes of my life returning a cart, when normally all I would have to do would be to push it into the cart corral that SHOULD be conveniently located next to my car!
Reason #3 - They don't remove things from registries in a timely manner, if at all. I've had this happen to several of my friends and to myself at my own baby shower. Someone buys something, the cashier scans the registry, and the item DOESN'T COME OFF. I'm sorry, but isn't that how a registry works? The item comes off the registry when it is purchased so you don't get multiples of the same item? I received 3 baby monitors at my shower. You would think that IF for some reason the first item didn't come off the registry, maybe the 2nd purchase of the same item would take it off. It should definitely not take 3 purchases of the same item for it to come off a registry. A pain in the butt for all parties involved, which leads to reason #4 - the big one.
Reason #4 - THEIR RETURN POLICY SUCKS! It seems to me that in a store where a large percentage of purchases are gifts, a return policy would be a little more convenient. Their current policy is this: you may return an item if you have a receipt or it is an item off your registry. This policy became effective the day AFTER my shower last year, which is exactly when my problems with said policy began. My issue was that I received SEVERAL gifts that were NOT on my registry and I did NOT want from people I did NOT know (another issue altogether). Of course, receipts were not included with these gifts, and as the customer service representative in the store so sweetly suggested, I could not contact them after the shower for a copy of the receipt. So now I am stuck with about 40 sippy cups and a wipe warmer that has never been used. Today I tried to return a gate. It happens to be a wonderful gate but it is the kind that you have to bolt to the wall. Since we are trying to sell our house, I would like to avoid putting any more holes in the walls. I, of course, had no receipt. Who keeps receipts for 9 months? And how was I supposed to know that 11 months after my shower my house would be on the market and I wouldn't want this gate anymore? Soo...here's the conversation between me and the not-so-helpful customer service rep today:
Me: I have a return.
Her: Is there anything wrong with it?
Me: No, I just want one that I don't have to screw into the wall.
Her: Do you have a receipt?
Me: No, I've had this for a while but it was on my registry.
Her: Well, how old is the registry? (as she looks at my baby sitting independently in the cart - so obviously NOT 3 months old)
Me: Well, my baby is 9 months old so it's a little older than that. (I actually registered in May of last year, so the registry is over a year old)
Her: I'm sorry, we have a 90-day return policy.
Me: 90 days? In a BABY store? How was I supposed to know that I wasn't going to need this gate when my baby was 3 MONTHS OLD? (which, in fact, he wouldn't have even been born at the point that this policy asks items to be returned )
Her: (looking stumped) I'm sorry, that's our policy. You needed to return this item within 90 days of the purchase date.
Me: (getting very annoyed) This place has been nothing but a pain in my ass for returns. How do you expect people to be able to return something before 90 days if you're not even going to need to use it until your baby is 6 months old?! How are you supposed to know if you need it, like it, or can even use it at that point?
Her: I'm sorry, we have a 90-day return policy.
Me: This is ridiculous! Your store is completely un-baby-friendly. Now I'm stuck with this gate that I can't even carry around the store with me because it won't fit in my cart! (It fell off the bottom of the cart 4 times just in the parking lot on the way into the store. It wouldn't actually fit in the cart.)
Her: Would you like me to get a manager?
Me: No (as I storm off and continue to shop, even though I SO wanted to storm out of the store and NEVER go back).
I may have been a little harsh and/or dramatic, but this place really has been a pain in my ass for returns and I was having a bad day anyway.
So, I get home and read the back of my receipt with the return policy on it. Turns out that the 90-day return policy applies even if you do have a receipt and obviously, based on my experiences, if the item came off your registry. Am I wrong to think that this is completely idiotic? Some baby items aren't used within the first 90 days, and since most people register a few months before their baby is actually due, how are you supposed to know if you like something and can use it BEFORE YOUR BABY IS EVEN BORN?!
Moral of the story: ALWAYS save your Babies R Us receipts. ALWAYS give a receipt when giving a gift. Return anything you can't use within your baby's first 3 months because if you decide you don't like it later, you can't return it then. In fact, don't even register for things you can't use after your baby is 3 months old because if you decide you want to take it back, YOU CAN'T.
I so badly want to love this store because it is the only place nearby for quality baby goods (except Target, but their selection is a lot smaller and their return policy sucks too), but I can't love it. I can't even like it. I wish I never had to go there again.
And while I'm on this tangent, stores like Gymboree and Children's Place are supposed to be mom and baby friendly too, right? Then make your store big enough to fit a stroller between clothing racks! Ugh!
