What terrible service! I'm so sorry for your experience, Marley.
I'm trying to be a reformed former impulse shopper, too, but a situation like that would just make me feel sick.

The back of the receipt states that you can return the items, unworn with tags still attached within 30 days for either store credit or refund - it does not say anything about what happens after 30 days. I wasn't arguing with them about getting store credit - I was grateful to them that they were giving it to me because I was beyond the 30 day time table. What bothered me was that I had to "spend" the store credit on the spot. I begged them to let me come back the next day - I offered to take the clothes back home with me and bring them back the next day and we could do the transaction then - whatever I could do so that I wouldn't have to "shop" on the spot - and they just wouldn't compromise on anything. In fact the manager even wrote on the receipt that it was only good for store credit through 9 p.m., December 14th!

A good lesson for me in a lot of ways. No more impulse shopping, no more procrastination of returning items that I'm not wearing!

Marley, I'm sorry to hear of this stressful experience. While clearly she was extending you a courtesy by allowing you to return after the 30 days (the language implies no returns after 30 days), she sounds like she wanted to make you suffer for it!! I guess someone was on a little power trip at the store! Argh, I would NEVER be able to make that kind of decision in 20 minutes!

wow Marley... UNbelievable!

The craziest thing about it is that it would have been better business for Zara to take the clothes back and issue you a store credit that expired in a day or two. When they told you that you had to use the credit immediately, that guaranteed that you would take clothing home. But if they had let you return the clothes leave the store with a quickly-expiring credit, there is a chance that you wouldn't have returned for whatever reason, and the credit would have expired without you using it, which would be money in the bank for Zara. Generally stores love giving store credits because a certain percentage are not used, which is pure profit for the store. So in addition to being bad business because it alienated a customer, it was also bad business from a financial perspective when considering that one transaction.

I'm usually pretty understanding of return policies, but what appalls me about this situation is the apparent attempt at humiliation. Twenty minutes to shop while the SAs stand around and sigh? Seriously?

Unconscionable behavior from Zara, IMO. I'm so sorry, Marley:(

I think Beth has nailed it. As you point out, Marley, the manager was giving you a break by letting you return an item after the exchange period. So, in one sense, she was providing service beyond what was expected.

BUT, trying to humiliate you after being the "good guy" is just plain dumb. I teach a communications class to business majors and constantly try to get them to understand this very point. If you refuse to provide a refund or credit, you make that choice knowing you may lose that customer's future business, but, at least, you get to keep the money from that transaction. If you choose to refund, or give a credit, you do so to maintain goodwill, even if it results in a loss of revenue.

So I tell my budding entrepreneurs, once you've decided to provide a refund or credit, put on your best smile and make the customer feel like he/she did exactly the right thing by returning the item-- because the only thing that makes you happy is making the customer happy. Providing a refund (or credit) in a way that makes the customer feel humiliated or upset is the ultimate stupidity-- you manage to alienate the customer while providing him/her with exceptional service.

So true Gaylene! How many replies are there to this post??? 36??? Give or take a few additional comments, plus all the people who may have read the post but haven't commented. So that's a whole lot of people who have been told about Zara's terrible customer service, who may then think twice about shopping there, as well as one customer who has vowed never to cross the threshold again! I think what a lot of business people and sales assistants do not understand is that a customer has a 'lifetime value' which is way beyond a single transaction..... and it costs way more to advertise and capture one new customer than it does to keep your existing customers happy. Boo to Zara! Sorry to hear about your experience Marley.

Hasn't every major and minor retailer extended returns through Jan. 31 st ? Not a good move by ZARA at all.

I had some big problems with both Canon and Sears a couple of years ago. I got no where with them...and I was within the time line. ( Our problem was over an $800 camera and tires for $450 ).

In the end, I contacted their investor services dept. Believe me, the last thing that these stores want is bad press. I would let them know that you understand that they were stretching their policy but feel it was totally unfair to give you 20 mins to rectify it and that you are utterly unhappy with not only the clothes but the store.

I would then let them know that you posted on a fashion site for advice and that you would LOVE to post on the site again that they were responsive to you.

Here is their investor services contact site :

http://www.inditex.com/en/contact

Good luck !

Marley, you poor thing!

I must be turning into a grumpy old woman, because I would be writing a letter to head office about your totally unsatisfactory experience. She may very well have been the store manager, but she surely must answer to someone! I would have thought that keeping the customer happy is ultimately what is at stake here!