Complain about a product or service

Toys R Us - Gift Cards

Michael of Booker, TX January 25, 2010

On 1/21/2010 my wife drove 2 and a half hours to our nearest Toys R Us store to take advantage to a special advertized on the Toys R Us website. The special was for Buy 2 select PS3/Xbox 360 games and you will get a FREE 60 Gift Card. When she attempted to buy the select games, she presented a print out of the sale from the website and the store refused to honor the ad. The store manager disputed the ad that my wife brought from the companies website and said after 3 hours of waiting around the store that there was simply nothing her or her District Manager would do to help her. I have contacted the corporate office at Toys R Us and reported the issue with them and they TOO validated the ad and could not understand why we were turned down by the store.

David of carrollton, TX December 18, 2009

We received a 110 gift card from my employer a couple of months ago (July 09) and we decided to use it for our childrens Christmas gifts. My wife went to the store last week only to find that the balance was 0. I had this card in my wallet for the entire time and never used it to purchase anything. It turns out that the card was used in LA California, back in Sep 09. We have never been in California and neither have gone to a Toys R Us there. I have talked to the office manager, who bought the gift card and she is extremely disapointed in how TRU are handling the situation. I am getting really upset because my children wont have a gift this Christmas. We file a complaint with customer service and the open a case but they said it could take up to 4 weeks to resolve the problem. I have also been to the store where the gift card was purchased and they took my information but I have not heard back from anybody, store #7813 (7730 N. MACARTHUR BOULEVARD IRVING, TX 75063 Phone: (972)556-0733

jessica of stanton, CA December 9, 2009

I called about my KBTOY gift cards and talked with an agent about if the use of my cards would be any good. After waiting for about 15 min on the phone with him for an answer to come over his computer he finally informed me that yes I would be able to use them with no problem. Well that was a BIG LIE!!!!! I then spoke with a supervisor and she was unprofessional then I recieved a email from there customer service stating that someone from the corporate office would be contacting me. Nothing!! For a company that is so big they sure have a funny way of respecting their customers.

Ronda of Sonoma, CA July 22, 2009

In April I purchased a gift card for 200 for my son and daughter-in-law's baby shower. When they attempted to use it a few weeks later they discovered that the balance was 0!! I called and was told an investigation would be done and I would have to wait several weeks for a call-back. None came, so I called again. I was told that someone had used it in Southern California (hundreds of miles from us) and asked if we had ever been there! I was told now that another call would come after more investigation. Again, none came. A third call by me uncovered the fact that they had found out that the card had been used fraudulently and that a new one would be sent to my son.

A month later... no card. I got on the phone and spent TWO HOURS trying to get this resolved. Each person I spoke with said that all they could do was send a request for a call-back to another department. I kept asking for that person's manager (moving up the ranks). Finally, I was told that another one would be mailed out that day and I should receive it in approximately a week (exactly what I was told the first time!). I said that was not acceptable. I wanted them to over-night the card. Afterall, we had been waiting nearly three months to use the 200 they had been given. I was told that was "impossible" and that I should be thankful that they had done the investigation to find the person who had used the card. Thankful!

I told that person it was in no way my fault and I was not responsible for their lack of security on their gift cards. She was very rude and when I asked to speak to her manager she told me that she was the head of Customer Relations for all of ToysRUs. I didn't believe it for a minute. I got off the line, called the corporate office in Wayne, NJ and told my tale once again (after at least a dozen times). Of course this girl was not the head of CR, but I sure got some help this time. I was told a new card would be sent out immediately with an extra 10 added to it. Don't bother with the 800 number to get customer service. It doesn't exist with this company. Better yet, don't ever shop here!

Kris of Goodyear, AZ June 22, 2009

I purchased a 100 gift card for my step grandson in Dec. 2008 and mailed it to him in Utah. He never received it or activated it. I called Customer Service in February, 2009, and was told I had to fax in a copy of my original receipt and I would be contacted in 48-72 hours by a supervisor to get my credit card information so it could be credited back to my Visa card. I called again in March, still no activation on the card, and no credit back to my Visa card.

I had the CSR cancel the gift card and in April, told the same story, faxed the same information in, still no response from a supervisor. Finally,after three more calls in May to customer service, a supervisor named Joseph called me. (employee number 177434) and told me the CSRs had all been wrong, all he could do was issue me another TRU gift card in the original amount. I told him that was unacceptable, based on what all the CSRs had told me, and I wanted a credit back to my Visa card. He refused to do so, and became petulant.

I asked for his supervisor's name at TRU's Corporate office, and he gave me the name of Gerald Storch at Toys R Us Corporate office in Wayne, NJ. I wrote MR. Storch a letter detailing the debacle of customer service I had been subjected to. As of this date, June 22, 2009, it has been almost two weeks, and no response from Mr. Storch. Apparently, the management of TRU is as bad and as poorly trained as the level one CSRs. I will never, ever step foot inside a ToysRUs store again!

Candace of Placerville, CA June 11, 2009

My daughter received a 50 gift card for Christmas 2007, when we went to use it the last 4 digits on the back of the card were smudged and unreadable. Toys R Us store said they can't take it as legal tender, the register requires the last 4 numbers to complete transaction, take it up with corporate office. I called, corporate said they can't do anything without the original gift receipt, which we don't have because this was received as a gift. If the numbers are so important why aren't they imprinted into the card! They are stealing my daughters 50 is what they are doing!

Joanne of Staten Island, NY June 11, 2009

Mr. Schaeser is the Supevisor I spoke with yesterday from ToyRus Corporate office. I have a complaint with them since May 25, 2009 and someone finally called me back from their Corporate office on June 10, 2009. My 9 yr. old son received gift cards for ToysRus in May. He wanted a computer notebook which they sell. First I tried to get the money for the gift cards but was told (3 different stores) that the policy is only a store credit. I also had the original receipts that the people gave to me to see if I could get my money back. The model they are advertising on the web as "New" is close to a year old.

I contacted the manufacturer, Asus, and was told there is 7 models after that one that ToysRus is displaying. I picked up the Asus Eee PC 1000 because the 3 stores closest to me didn't have them so we brought it knowing that the store in Brunswick, NJ had it. Since that was their policy I took the newest model they had. I paid 375.00 with tax. I was told by the Manager, which he was reading the specifications that were given to him, that it was 16gb hard drive and the operating system was Windows XP. Well come to find out the op system is Linux which I don't believe me nor my 9 yr. old son would know about it.

I was willing to work with ToysRus and pay the difference, which is only 25.00 more for the Asus Eee PC1000He. This model is not the newest but newer than the one they are selling and had good write-up about it. It's operating system is the XP windows and the hard drive is 160GB compared to the one I got of 40GB. Mr. Schaeser basically told me their policy again and that they cannot order that specific model (1000HE) for me. I was still trying to work with them. Mr. Schaeser basically told me hold on to the gift cards until they get a newer model which could be another 6 months or buy something in their store that we don't want. Afterall, the gift cards never expire.

First of all, this model that ToysRus is selling, is close to a year old and I am paying top dollar for. The newest model Asus has out now as of today, 6/11/09,1008HE,is only 70.00 more and a much better computer. I did try working with them but the seem not to make any exceptions to the rule. Why should I, as a consumer, be forced to buy an old computer model for this amount of money and tell my 9 yr. old he has to wait another 6 months for his birthday gift, if they even get a newer model in that time.

Also, Asus informed me that they only deal with Corporations and cannot be of assistance to me. My problem is with ToysRus. I feel the bottom line is, just waste 249.00 (gift cards) to buy anything as long as it's in their store or take what we have even though it's not what you want. I was told that that operating System, Linux, is free software given and anyone could make changes to it. It is really for computer literate people and have needs for it. We don't.

Dee of Rockville, MD February 20, 2009

Dee of Rockville MD (02/20/09)
I returned a couple of unwanted birthday gifts last September and got a merchandize credit electronic card. When I tried to use it a couple of months later, it's balance showed 0. After a lot of hassle, several calls to the customer service center, dropped callas and re-telling my story to about 5 different CSR, I was notified that someone used my card to purchase goods online. Naturally, these goods were never shipped to me. A fraud inquiry was supposed to be initiated by TRU. Emphasis on the was, because when I called a couple of weeks later (went through the same process of several calls, transfers, dropped calls, retelling my story again and again, because even though I had a case number no one had an idea what I was talking about), they promised that NOW they'll work on it.

That was in Dec. In January I got no response from them. On the first week of Feb. I called. Again. Still no answer. No one knew what was going on. In mid Feb. I finally got an answer that a new card was being issued to me. That card finally arrived by mail, but when I tried to activate it, the CSR asked my for a verifying detail that I supposedly provided them (my mom's maiden name). The thing is no-one asked me for verifying details, so of course there was a mismatch between whatever bizarre information they had on file and what I knew was my mom's maiden name.

An hour and a half call, a lot of frustration and I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do on part of the CSR, a couple of transfers later and still the card could not be activated. They even asked my for the original receipt for the original gift card, and refused to understand it was a merchandize credit for which, naturally, I have no receipt. At one point they offered that a senior CSR would call me back in 3-5 business days. I was tired of their incompetence and the fact that it took them 3 months (!) to reimburse me (in a way I couldn't even use), and threatened to sue them for that amount + any grievances that were caused. That worked!

Five minutes later that card was suddenly functional. Surprise surprise. I will go back to TRU one more time to use that card, and that's it. I will no longer take my business to a place that treats its customers that way.

Stacey of Jackson, TN December 27, 2008

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