criminal behavior

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I absolutely hate Target, and I'm not sure that HATE is even a strong enough word to convey how I truly feel...

Last night, I did some Christmas shopping at Target. I don't go there often, but without fail, every time I go they end up overcharging me for something. Last night was no exception, and one of the items I purchased ($30) rang up as $50.

Normally, I always watch them scan each item, and stop them when it happens... but last night I got distracted and missed it at the register. On my way out of the store, I was reading my receipt and I noticed it, so I turned around and went back in... over to the customer support desk and explained my situation. The lady was nice enough, and explained that since I paid with my debit card, she would VOID out my entire transaction, and then ring it up for the $20 less. Sounds ok to me, so I ask her how it will show up on my account at the bank. She proceeds to tell me that I will see a debit, then a credit for the same amount and then the new debit. Fair enough.

Well, this wouldn't be much of a blog post if I was happy, now would it?

I get home and check my account balance. Hmm... Looks like there's a debit for $453.xx (hey I said it was Christmas) immediately followed by another debit for $432.xx. Unfortunately there is no credit there... ok so I let this sink in for moment as I start to get annoyed. I think to myself, well... it's only been an hour, maybe the debit won't show up until they do end of day processing. I check it again around 1:00am and there's still no credit. Ok, I'm pretty annoyed at this point but I think, well I'll just go visit my bank in the morning and see if maybe there's a credit somewhere in the pipeline, that just isn't showing up on the web view of my account.

I head to the bank around 9:30 and they inform me that there is NO pending credit in there system, but there are definitely 2 debits, within 10 minutes of each other. They explain to me, while smiling, that I'm completely screwed until at least Monday because it's the weekend. Apparently they can't even begin a dispute until Monday because the system has post dated the transaction for 12/5. Nevermind the fact that the money came out instantly, getting it back requires an act of god or congress.

edit: I almost forgot this part: Then she tells me that she can post $450 to my account that I can use as needed, but that it will disappear at midnight and if I end up overdrawn then of course I'll have overdraft charges... Yeah lady, that's helpful!!

So I get a phone number for the branch manager, who is still smiling at me, and decide to head over to Target. The first person I talk to at Target looks at me as though I were a complete idiot and says "well everybody knows it takes 3 days to get a credit from a refund." Resisting the urge to choke the living sh!t out of this person, I ask for her manager. I calmly explain (again) that I didn't return an item for a refund, that I had a transaction voided due to an overcharge, and that I was assured I would not have a double charge on my card. She acted annoyed with me and rudely told me to "stay there" and that she would be back. Naturally, I followed her back to her office.

After explaining my situation 7 more times, to 3 more people and waiting just under 3 hours... I finally got an answer. "Sorry, but we can't actually prove anything went wrong so we aren't going to give you your money back. If you want, you can come back Monday and talk to our manager." This idiot actually smiled at me as he said it.

At this point, I less than politely inform them that not only have they brutally raped my bank account for nearly $500, but they have also completely trashed my Saturday by making me spend 3 hours of it sitting around Target waiting for them to extract their heads from their collective assi.

That got him to stop smiling, briefly. I also mentioned something about unethical business practices and a class action lawsuit as I was leaving.

So that got me seriously considering things... how is it ethical or legal for them to be able to get the money from my account near instantly, but take 3-4 days (according to them) to give it back when they make a mistake. I sorta understand if you bring in something as a return, that it might take a few days, or they give you a gift card... but this was not the case. They were supposed to void the transaction. It never should have happened. I shouldn't have debit credit debit... if you void it, there should just be a single debit, the end.

Anybody here ever start a class action lawsuit before? If they have the technology to take money out of my account instantly, then surely the same technology exists to put it back just as quickly. They're making money off the interest in the 3-4 days it takes to show up. That's MY money... and MY interest.

Considering that Target overcharges me for at least one item every time I go, it's almost like they are banking on the fact that it isn't worth the hassle to you to get it corrected... especially considering the hassle they've put me through this weekend.

Edit: 12/5/05 - update: I still haven't gotten my money back. Spent the morning at Wachovia talking to a very nice lady who is trying to help me, but she can't actually fix the problem herself.  Target has made no visible effort at fixing the situation, and has, at this point, lied to me several times regarding promised return phone calls that never happened. Basically, they're not even acknowledging there is a problem. There is still no pending credit to my account (according to Wachovia.)  Do yourself a favor and shop at WalMart from now on, but pay cash!!

Edit: 12/6/05 - update: More lies from Target. The lady I spoke to on the phone at the local Target store assured me they would reimburse any overdraft charges, and I just got a phone call from Target saying that it wasn't their problem, they didn't cause it and they were NOT reimbursing any overdraft charges. Their exact words were: “take it up with your bank”

Target will never, ever have my business again. I understand mistakes happen, we all make them. Mine was shopping at Target. This goes beyond a mistake. This is undeniable proof that they don't give a damn about who they screw over. LAWSUIT!!