Banana Republic

Brooke of Grundy Center, IA November 2, 2009

I, like many others here, missed the return date and was offered a measly 50 store credit for my 140 dress despite having the receipt, tags attached, on the original hanger and everything! While I understand that everyone has to watch costs in the poor economy, their costs will be greater if they continue to alienate good customers! How do they think it feels on my bottom line to be out 90. What can you buy there for 50 anyway!?!?! For all of us that would someday like to return to buying the clothes that they like, but will only buy them from a store that respects their customers, I say we force them to reconsider their customer un-friendly return policy!

Ritee of redwood city, CA October 1, 2009

I received a banana republic visa card in the mail and somehow it happened to be activated (not sure how). In any case, I received a statement for 35 a few months ago claiming that I made a transaction in March. Not having any further recollection of my transaction, I called customer service to inquire about the matter. No one could provide me with any details proving that I was the one who actually made the transaction.

So, I asked them, what if this was a fraud? how would you handle such a situation? There was no one response in this matter. So, in order to avoid any further hassle, I went ahead and decided to close my account over the phone by paying the 35 fee. I was not really impressed the way they handled my situation leaving me with very little faith in their services (especially fraud detection). But, at least, I was under the impression that I closed the account and that the matter was resolved.

Just a few weeks ago, I received another statement (after cancelling my account) that I owe a 15 phone fee. I was really unhappy to discover that the matter was still unresolved. So, I decided to call customer service again and explain my entire story. The manager who I spoke with was named jack and declined to offer any type of resolution. In addition, he demanded that I pay the phone fee by October.

I have never had such horrible experience with any visa cards services before. The amount doesn't really bother me; it's the unethical practice of exploiting customers to make money is wrong and unacceptable.

Rebecca of Roeland Park, KS September 16, 2009

I went in to return to items that didn't fit right or were defective. I didn't realize that their return policy had changed from 90 days to 30 days and I just so happened to be returning my merchandise on the 31st day. I am a very good customer and spend a lot of money there. I even have a Luxe card which is supposed to give you perks of some kind. The manager refused to return the 2 items.

I told him the zipper on the dress sticks. He tried it and said he didn't see a problem with it. I told him there is a problem when the dress is on your body and you are trying to maneuver it from an odd angle. He asked me to go in and put the dress on and he would try the zipper while it was on my body. What?!? I'm not going to let some sicko unzip my dress for me!

I left the store unable to return my merchandise. I am very upset to have been treated that way and won't shop at that store again. I am out at least 85 for the dress and another 50 for the sweater that I won't wear because it doesn't fit.

jody of omaha, NE September 4, 2009

For months I had paid my bills weeks before the due date and Banana Republic had posted my checks late to my account then blamed me! The next month I only owed 32.00, but ended up paying, weeks before the due date, the whole bill off. I still received a letter from their credit department saying I was late with my payment! The letter even came before the payment was due!

I had talked to a supervisor named, Abby who wouldn't listen to my problem, then hung up on me. I called back to talk to someone else and had to explain it her 4 times before she understood the problem, then said there was nothing she could do! Never admitting that it Banana Republic's fault and that they weren't doing their jobs correctly!

Kathleen of Los Gatos, CA August 15, 2009

Today I received a recorded telephone message from Banana Repubilc informing me of upcoming store specials. I then needed to take time out of my busy morning to listen to the message telling me how I could get off their call list. Then I had to take my time dialing numbers. What gall this store has! What would it be like to have every company & store that I deal with call me to try to drum up business? I am on a "Do not call list".

Bonnie of Westlake Village, CA July 5, 2009

I returned an item bought online 6 weeks ago with original tags and I presented my original sales receipt. There is a NEW return policy in place that I was not aware of - they refunded me a new lower reduced price instead of what I paid for the item - they essentially STOLE 34.63 from me. Probably HUNDREDS of customers are in my same position - Gap Inc. owns Banana Republic, Gap, Old Navy, Piperlime, and Athleta. They said it was MY fault for not reading the fine print on the website. THE RECEIPT DOES NOT SHOW A NEW (or any) RETURN POLICY. this is ripping people off unfairly.

Natan of New York, NY November 23, 2008

I opened this Banana Republic visa credit card to get a 15% discount. The first time I made a full payment of 122.96, I made a mistake of one digit so the payment didn't go through. First call, an agent told me not to worry because they had courtesy first time removable fee. The mistake fee was 29.00.

Then I was concerned because the due date was the 19th of November 2008 and I was going be penalized again. I only had five or four days to make a payment and I had a 0 balance in the banana republic account which didn't allowed me to make my payment in full. Their system didn't allowed me to make a payment so I called Banana Republic to let them know. I told them that I tried to pay and the system only let me pay them 29 (the mistake fee). I told them that I was not allowed to make my 122.96 payment and that I had verified my account number with Bank of America.

Then I anticipated the problem and told the agent that she had to record everything because I knew that I was going to be charged that due date fee even though I was trying to make my payment and avoid it's fee. She said that I should not worry and that I should be concern only of making a payment of 122.96. That was fine with me.

Then I called again to tell them that I tried to pay and that the payment was not presented in my bank as a pending transaction. I asked them about our previous conversation and they had no records of it. I asked this person to transfer me to the manager and she did. The manager was rude when I asked for her name, talking to me as if I was deaf and then threatening me that she would end the call if I didn't lower my tone. Her conclusion was that I had to pay one of the fees.

I checked the Internet to see if anyone had the same problem with them and I found a few people criticizing Banana Republic for the same reasons. Since they are a credit institution they are an authoritative figure to claim and do what they please with your credit. I felt a lack a cooperation from them and a friend of mine already told me that a company just like Banana ruined his credit and that I should do what they want me to do.

I also gave them a good model to let them know what they were doing to me:

"You penalized a person for making a mistake and tell them to pay but when this person wants to pay the system is closed so they are not really penalizing this person once but twice. Which in the long run, is the way this company saves that 15% discount they promised before." Nasty business practice because that period that system was closed was about 4-5 days.

Randy of Columbus, OH March 28, 2008

I purchased some clothing items at Banana Republic on September 3, 2007 and tried to return them on December 2, 2007. The items were unworn, unwashed, and still had all original tags on them. The assistant store manager (Andrea) told me that I could not get a refund because 90 days had passed and that I would have to settle for store credit certificate to be mailed to me. My girlfriend pulled out her pocket calendar in the store and we counted how many days it had been. It was on the 90th day exactly since the items had been purchased. Furthermore it was also an hour earlier than the exact time of day that we purchased the items, so I'm not sure how their computer could calculate that the 90 day window had closed. After being treated very rudely by the manager at the store (who told me that there was nothing she could do), I processed the return and was told that I would receive a store credit in the mail. She also told me that I could call the corporate headquarters to complain about the situation.

After calling their customer relations department at (888) BR-STYLE and talking to Scott, the relations manager, I was told again that I would have to accept the store credit voucher in the mail as compensation for the items returned. When I asked him to get a calendar out to count the days himself, he refused and said that there was nothing that he could since the certificate was issued by another department. When I asked him if I could mail the certificate back to him in return for customer service authorizing a check being cut and mailed to me, he said no.

Bing of Elmhurst, NY September 25, 2007

I returned goods on two separate occassions to Banana Republic totaling approximately 200. The goods were accepted for return and I was informed by Banana Republic clerks that the company will issue me merchandise certificates through the mail. However, it is now withholding two of my merchandise certificates, totaling around 200, citing a divorce letter sent in December of 2006 and the more than 10 returns without receipts I made in July-August of 2007.

I called in January of 2007 to appeal the divorce letter with their Customer Service. I was told by a Customer Service Agent that the divorce letter was cleared. From January - August of 2007, I made returns without receipts without incident and assumed that the divorce letter was no longer in effect. However, randomly, two of my mail-in merchandise certificates are being upheld citing that letter. They have no record of my appeal call. Nowhere does Banana Republic stipulate how many returns a customer can make and to cite perfectly legal actions on my part as a reason for not giving me money back is unlawful. Furthermore, I only gave back the goods with the promise that I will be issued a merchandise certificate with the value of the goods. For them to take back the goods and then to not give me back the money is also unlawful in my opinion.

I spoke with a corporate customer relations representative as well a loss prevention agent. I am very interested in pursuing legal action against them.

Bing of Elmhurst, NY September 25, 2007

I returned goods to Banana Republic totaling approximately 200. The goods were accepted and I was informed by Banana Republic that it will issue me merchandise certificates through the mail. However, it is withholding two of my merchandise certificates, totaling around 200, citing a divorce letter sent in December of 2006 and the more than 10 returns I made in July-August of 2007. I called in January of 2007 to appeal the divorce letter with their Customer Service. From January - August of 2007, I still made returns without receipts without incident and assumed that the divorce letter was no longer in effect. However, randomly, two of my mail-in merchandise certificates are being upheld citing that letter. Nowhere does Banana Republic stipulate how many returns a customer can make and to cite perfectly legal actions on my part as a reason for not giving me money back is unlawful. I am very interested in pursuing legal action against them. I have asked for the goods back or the value of the goods back in some form of credit but they did not oblige.

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