Wow. I just had a very similar experience, and I am looking to vent myself.
I received gifts for my daughter's 3rd birthday. I just wanted to change the size, AND I had a gift receipt for most items. The person who gave the gift cut the price off and in doing so took off some of the barcodes, although the top of the tag showing Babies R' Us and the manufacturer tags were on it. They claimed they couldn't scan it, however the items were still on the shelves, and most of them in her correct size. Then they said I could not exchange bathing suits. The woman was so unbelievably rude and obnoxious. She starts telling me that you can't because of hygiene. Now I know you can't exchange underwear, but I have never heard of not being able to exchange a bathing suit. She was telling me it was the same as underwear. Yeah $3 item, $30 item. Underwear cannot be tried on in a fitting room, bathing suits can. So similar. When she tries a bathing suit on, I keep her underwear on, and when I purchase bathing suits, they are always washed before they are worn in case not everyone is as considerate. Who on earth would spend that kind of money purchasing items that cannot be exchanged for a growing child. Especially since their sizing is not very consistent, and she is different sizes in different bathing suits. When I told her that I have exchanged bathing suits before, she gave me a weird look as if it was unheard of, and then starting telling me that bathing suits can never be exchanged because of hygene. Well, here is the ironic part. I was already really heated because when I walked into the store, my 3 year old daughter told me she needed to go pee pee. I took her to the bathroom. NO TOITLET PAPER. NOT ONE SHREAD OF ANY PAPER (TIOLET PAPER, TISSUE, PAPER TOWEL, NOT EVEN A SEAT COVER) IN THE WHOLE BATHROOM. After checking each stall, I was going to go to the car to get my tissues I left there, but my daughter informed me that the pee pee was about to come out. I had to hold her over the toilet bowl so she did not touch the seats with pee all over it. Now it was time to wash our hands, and I am sure you can guess the situation with the soap. Yup! NONE! So, when she told me of her store's concern with hygiene, I told her to take a trip over to her bathroom since to me it appeared that hygiene was not so much a concern to them.
When I returned home irate from this experience, I checked online for the company's return policy and the list of items with return restrictions, and just as I expected, bathing suits was not one of the items listed as restricted. I am so disgusted. I am going back there tomorrow to speak with a manager with the return policy in my hand to discuss with him this policy, the incorrect information given to me by the idiot employee, the customer service received by the rude employee, and the unsanitary conditions of their bathrooms. I normally would have spoken to a manager right away, however just like you, I was too aggravated. In fact, when I read your post, it sounded exactly how I feel. I am also planning on reporting them to the Better Business Bureau and the Department of Consumer Affairs.
My only solace is knowing that ultimately, it is their loss. I will never buy thing from that company again. I wouldn't buy a bottle of water from them in a draught. And when people ask me what to get my daughter for her birthday. My new response will be "Nothing from Babies R Us or Toys R Us". They need to educate their employees on customer service and treat their customers a little better, because when I did a web search for their return policy, the results included the return policy page of their website and page after page of reviews and message boards of complaints pertaining to their return policy. Maybe they will get the picture.
Thanks for the post so that I could vent as well.
PS I agree with Valerie. Also try the Better Business Bureau. You can do it online through their website, www.bbb.org. When I had a problem with my old mobile phone company and they would not help me, I reported them to the BBB, and I had a manager call me a couple of days later and he resolved my issue. I am about to go ahead and do this as well.
And Carrie, are you kidding me? I thought the point of a gift receipt was to be able to allow the recipient to exchange the gift if necessary, without having to advertise the amount you spent of the gift, and not to screw you out of money. Is that even legal?
Well, my daughter had almost 30 kids at her birthday party , which means she gets invited to a party every other week. I wouldn't want to give her friends parents the same aggravation I am having, so I will not be purchasing birthday gifts from Babies R Us or Toys R Us. So they can keep the money for these items, but they will not get a dime of business from me again.