Nicole, you are a cool, great mom. I love it. Fortunately, I've never been in a Hot Topic. But I do know that a lack of common sense is prevalent just about everywhere!

I used to shop at HT when I was a teenager, but it was pretty cheap. I had a plaid jumper that I LOVED for $$17, and some lace-up platform bump toe boots that I wore every day for a year. Suddenly it's becoming clear why my feet are in such horrible shape. Anyway...

I guess they really didn't have a choice but to give the remaining money, but I can't understand:

1) Why they didn't just process a return
2) Why they had to send the gift card separately from the rest of the package

And why did they fed ex it? They could have stuck it in an envelope and popped it in the US mail for 42 cents. (still more than the gift card was worth!)

Oh, you are such a good mom, Nicole! That's a sweet story between you and your daughter. Those are the ones my kids like to tell years later: "remember that time....". I bet it's a moment she'll remember that she had someone in her corner, coaching her along.

maybe they left off a couple of zeroes on the gift card amount.

I had a similar strange situation happen at Younkers over the holiday's. I've shopped there for years & done many returns. Ironically, right after Christmas I went to return something (with a receipt mind you where I'd used either my debit or credit card) and the cashier tried to hand me a gift card. I quickly corrected her & let her know that I had my receipt. She had to check with another person to see if they could do a regular refund that day?! How odd! I later heard on the news that many stores were doing in store credits after the holiday's due to the economy. She ended up giving me a regular refund but it just seemed really odd! Makes you appreciate sites like zappo's!!

This is such a bizarre story and completely lacking in common sense!

I love that you were able to clue your daughter in, Nicole. Some day as she gets older, she will be clueing you in!

Oh she already "clues me in"....the other day I replied to something she told me by saying "cool beans" and she let me know, in uncertain terms, that saying that was very 80's. I said "hey I am a product of the 80's...besides the 80's are back!"

How interesting. I have never heard that expression, 'cool beans'. Is it an east coast saying? I know I am old but seems like I would have heard someone say it in the 80's here on the west coast.

I don't think I have heard "cool beans" since I was 10 years old. Maybe it is an east coast thing, but it definitely carried over into the 90's.

Aw, Nicole, you are such a good mom! Good thing you caught on to what the T-shirt was saying before your daughter wore it (not that there's anything wrong with the t-shirt's actual message--it's just not what your daughter meant!). When I read the slogan at first I thought it meant what your daughter said at first, too! I might not have caught on to the "out of the closet" interpretation for a while either.

Teens get embarrassed so easily, poor dears... I would have been too embarassed to go back to the store when I was 12, too. I'm so glad those years are behind me. Talk about awkward. Your kids are lucky to have you. :)

The gift card thing is wacko. I've had random things like that happen before (government refund cheque for $0.75 or something). I'm sure it's a record-keeping thing that is either automated or has to happen to keep their books accurate.

Brianna, I am sure you are right that it's a record keeping thing. I regularly send out checks for pennies when there are discrepancies with the escrow accounts I work with. Because my boss could lose his license to practice law if his accounts are audited and he is keeping a client's money that does not belong to him. It's a very strict law in place to protect consumers. WHen people don't cash these checks, it really messes me up on my end. So, sometimes I'll just tape the coins to a piece of paper and mail that instead. hehe. But I really thought the Fed Ex delivery of the gift card was over the top. I bet it cost them $7-$12 to use Fed Ex.

LOL @ mailing the pennies taped to a piece of paper!

Yeah, the Fed Ex thing is ridiculous. What the heck?