No Wonder Stores are Struggling

My daughter received several $50 gift cards to Hot Topic. For those of you who dno't know what Hot Topic is...it's a teen store that sells overpriced, poor quality clothing that falls into the punk or goth realm.

Well a few weeks ago I took her and her friend to the mall and let them shop in Hot Topic while I went to Macy's. We met up an hour later and were heading back to our car when she showed me the tee shirt she bought. The shirt said "It's In to Be Out". I asked her if she knew what that meant, and said, "yeah, like it's cool to be a nerd" and I said..."uh no honey, that means that you are "out of the closet"--like you're letting people know you are gay." I asked her if she wanted to return it (I'm trying to be openminded and not make her any more uncomfortable than she already is.) She said she did want to return it and wanted me to do the return because not only did she buy one of these shirts, but she bought one for her friend too. So we go into the store to return it and they give her a gift card receipt. (This isn't the meat of my story, though I'm sure it has grabbed your attention by now, no?)

So, now my 12 year old daughter is "too embarrassed" to go into Hot Topic again. (like they'd remember her from all the other 12 year old kids who shop there). So she asked me if she could see if her gift cards could be used online. She ended up buying a tee shirt and a calendar and used several gift cards that had small sums left on them.

So today, Fed Ex knocks on my door and hands me a very thin plastic bag from Hot Topic. And I was thinking, hmmm I hope Mia didn't order something else w/out getting my permission. So I open the envelope and it's a gift card for THIRTY CENTS!!!! Now how much do you think it cost Hot Topic to process a 30 cent gift card, and then FED EX it to my home??? I never received any kind of email or notification from them saying they owed her money. (She used my email account and name to place the order, so I would have received it.)

You'd think someone would have had the common sense to not let this happen. Now I know why their clothes are so over priced!

17 years ago

Kyle

Veteran

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!

Maya

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

Nicole

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!)

judy

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.

carissa

(website)

Active Member

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

JewelryGirl

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!!

Laura

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!"

Anonymous

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.

Ariadne

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?

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