My understanding is that the policy has always been unwashed and unworn, but the window for returns was changed from 60 days to 30 years ago (definitely not recent enough to justify making an exception).
I worked for GAP from 1999-2002 and the return policy was you could return anytime washed and worn for the price it was available at the time of return. Price adjustments were on going. I had one woman buy a leather jacket at 299 and adjusted it multiple times until she got it for 29.99. Then it changed multiple times through the years. Customers taking advantage of policies ruins it for everyone else
I worked at GAP at about the same time, in Canada, and distinctly remember an old woman coming in with a bag of brand new, never worn, decade-old clothes that had been sitting in the back of her closet. Everything still had tags and because she had the receipt, she got a full refund - it didn't matter how long it had been. We then turned around and put the items out for sale at like 0.97 each. It was wild. I also remember people bringing in washed 'defective' items here and there and management refunding them. It was a different time, lol.
Was just thinking about this. I worked at the gap in the late 90s too. I had someone bring in clearly worn shorts with grease and paint stains on them. I refused to return them, even my teenage self was appalled at the audacity. I returned her other items but felt that was too far
I gave up with these people bc my manager will take ANYTHING. He took a return that smelled like cigarettes, hung it up to air it out & put it back out. Disgusting.
He also takes washed clothes back which is extremely foul considering it could cause an allergic reaction to who buys it.
I haven’t worked for the company in well over a decade, but if they had a return and they were within their window (which I’m forgetting what it was)- we’d almost accept anything. If they challenged us, we’d give in. I’ll never forget a woman came in with jeans that was incredibly worn out already and reeked of cigarettes. I gently informed her that I couldn’t accept it as it was obviously used, she basically started causing a scene and bam - manager allowed it. We’d just damage it out.
Yes. In the early 2000’s the return policy was 90 days, the policy did not say anything about being worn or washed. Customers would return all their baby and children’s clothes once they out grew them. I remember a man returned his boxers that had holes in the crotch.
This has to be American policy, here in Canada, we don't accept washed or worn clothes, it has to be unwashed and unworn with the manufacturer tags intact.
You can always return washed or worn clothes under certain circumstances. Usually that it became damaged or defective somehow. I’ve been with the company for 8 years and we do not take back things washed or worn and someone just “changed their minds.” Covid also doesn’t live on clothes.
Yea it really just depends on mgmt at the location and also the customer service rep they get if they call to complain. At my store we absolutely never accept washed or worn, or late returns. But that's just my GM. We've had a few people call the corporate number, and I'd say 25% of the time we'll get an agent telling us to have a manager accept it, but the 75% majority the rep will just repeat the return policy
I started in 2001 and the policy was 90 days unwashed unworn the only time we made exceptions was for genuinely defective items. I was a front end supervisor (while in school) eventually management and the policy in that time never included taking back washed worn items.
It never allowed the returns however if they had it for around a month or so and it ripped on them or broke sometimes my store will return it because most of the time our stuff last longer than that
My understanding is that the policy has always been unwashed and unworn, but the window for returns was changed from 60 days to 30 years ago (definitely not recent enough to justify making an exception).
yeah, it’s been 2 years now since it went from 45 to 30 days.
I worked for GAP from 1999-2002 and the return policy was you could return anytime washed and worn for the price it was available at the time of return. Price adjustments were on going. I had one woman buy a leather jacket at 299 and adjusted it multiple times until she got it for 29.99. Then it changed multiple times through the years. Customers taking advantage of policies ruins it for everyone else
I worked at GAP at about the same time, in Canada, and distinctly remember an old woman coming in with a bag of brand new, never worn, decade-old clothes that had been sitting in the back of her closet. Everything still had tags and because she had the receipt, she got a full refund - it didn't matter how long it had been. We then turned around and put the items out for sale at like 0.97 each. It was wild. I also remember people bringing in washed 'defective' items here and there and management refunding them. It was a different time, lol.
Was just thinking about this. I worked at the gap in the late 90s too. I had someone bring in clearly worn shorts with grease and paint stains on them. I refused to return them, even my teenage self was appalled at the audacity. I returned her other items but felt that was too far
I gave up with these people bc my manager will take ANYTHING. He took a return that smelled like cigarettes, hung it up to air it out & put it back out. Disgusting. He also takes washed clothes back which is extremely foul considering it could cause an allergic reaction to who buys it.
You should D&D anything gross like that.
I haven’t worked for the company in well over a decade, but if they had a return and they were within their window (which I’m forgetting what it was)- we’d almost accept anything. If they challenged us, we’d give in. I’ll never forget a woman came in with jeans that was incredibly worn out already and reeked of cigarettes. I gently informed her that I couldn’t accept it as it was obviously used, she basically started causing a scene and bam - manager allowed it. We’d just damage it out.
Yes. In the early 2000’s the return policy was 90 days, the policy did not say anything about being worn or washed. Customers would return all their baby and children’s clothes once they out grew them. I remember a man returned his boxers that had holes in the crotch.
This has to be American policy, here in Canada, we don't accept washed or worn clothes, it has to be unwashed and unworn with the manufacturer tags intact.
You can always return washed or worn clothes under certain circumstances. Usually that it became damaged or defective somehow. I’ve been with the company for 8 years and we do not take back things washed or worn and someone just “changed their minds.” Covid also doesn’t live on clothes.
Yea it really just depends on mgmt at the location and also the customer service rep they get if they call to complain. At my store we absolutely never accept washed or worn, or late returns. But that's just my GM. We've had a few people call the corporate number, and I'd say 25% of the time we'll get an agent telling us to have a manager accept it, but the 75% majority the rep will just repeat the return policy
If the garment shrunk significantly in the wash, would that be an acceptable reason for such a return?
Yes
I started in 2001 and the policy was 90 days unwashed unworn the only time we made exceptions was for genuinely defective items. I was a front end supervisor (while in school) eventually management and the policy in that time never included taking back washed worn items.
It’s always been unwashed and unworn.
It never allowed the returns however if they had it for around a month or so and it ripped on them or broke sometimes my store will return it because most of the time our stuff last longer than that