Exchanging Back 2 Mac + a snooty MA

[onezumi]

If you get something via back 2 Mac and find that it looks bad on you once you get home, are you not allowed to exchange it? I couldn't find any info in the search...

I went to the Short Hills, NJ Mac Store last weekend to return 1 thing and exchange an eyeshadow that I got via Back to Mac for a better shade. The MA I had that selected these didn't do a good job. My intention was to actually buy more in the proper shade for me, but I had a problem with 2 snooty MA's.

First, there were only 4 people in the store including me. The MA at the register let someone cut in front of me in line and took her first. Then she leaves the register to kiss the butt of another shopper who was looking at things, telling her in this fake bs way how cute her baby was etc.

I'm still just standing there and this guy comes to check me out and tells me I can't exchange B2M purchased things even if they "suck" (his words). Now, I know you can return mac even without a receipt if you have a box, right? So this seemed wrong to me but who knows maybe I just don't know.

Then he palms me off on the other MA who keeps me waiting so long that my friends called me on my mobile to see if I got lost.

I honestly don't give a crap about the money. I have money and I can buy another e/s. I just didn't like how I was treated. Is the policy really like this or was he being a jerk? Because if he lied, I'll go ahead and blog about it as well as write to their corporate. If he didn't lie then I'll just complain about how I was treated and not that.

 

[Girl about town]

i think exchanging back to mac is like exchanging something free that came with a magazine!!! i wouldn't expect to do it, why should they have loads of wasted product!! they should have been polite though xxx

 

[pumpkincat210]

At the mac's around here you can't exchange anything you got via the back2mac program. They take the box and make an X on the product to show it was a freebie.

 

[Simply Elegant]

Hmm I'm not sure if you can, but they have a really good return policy on anything you buy so who knows.

They should have been more polite though, I agree.

 

[onezumi]

Yeah, the way he said it seemed like he was saying it to be mean. Ah well. The odd part is mine does not have an X on if...I guess not only did I get a bad rec but she forgot that...she must have been having a bad day.

Usually all the MAs are really nice and well informed. This location is in a very rich area where movie stars fly in via heliocopter to buy, so maybe he wanted to wait on one of them or something. I feel better knowing the policy though.

 

[amoona]

B2M are nonreturnable nonexchangeable. It's a free gift. Also just remember just because you think it was a bad recommendation doesn't mean it was. You should have asked to try it on or given more of your opinion of what you wanted. Not to sound snotty but we are not mind readers all we can do is give suggestions and see how you react.

 

[lara]

Quote:

Originally Posted by amoona B2M are nonreturnable nonexchangeable. It's a free gift. Also just remember just because you think it was a bad recommendation doesn't mean it was. You should have asked to try it on or given more of your opinion of what you wanted. Not to sound snotty but we are not mind readers all we can do is give suggestions and see how you react.

Quoted for truth. If you're unsure of something, take advantage of all those testers and test it! We can give suggestions until we're blue in the face, but ultimately if you don't decide for yourself it's not our fault that you're not 100% on something.

And yes, exchanging a B2M product isn't done. It's a free gift, don't be precious about it. You'll be more prepared next time.

 

[abbyquack]

yea every time i get a b2m they inform me that it isn't exchangeable, and i totally understand your frustration b/c i've gotten a couple that i wasn't so fond of later. but i guess if they didn't mark it...(i'm not encouraging you to lie or anything!

)

that is still rude of them to pawn you off and treat you like crap. i would definitely inform the store manager of their behavior, even if it's about a b2m, they should be courteous.

 

[onezumi]

Yeah, like I said, I'm not angry about it as much now after reading what you all wrote because I'm cool with it if it's policy. I'm not someone to try and break rules. (I almost never return makeup). I would only be mad if he just made it up or something.

Thank you guys for clearing that up.

amoona: You are probably right, I should be less shy about trying stuff on. I did try this one on but maybe because I'm vision impaired I couldn't see it well. What I might do is bring a friend with me so I can ask their opinion... It really sucks to not be able to see well.

Hmm..maybe when I buy my next round of stuff I will ask them to help me do something different with this e/s. I'll bet someone more skilled than me could figure out something cool. I'm a NOOB!

My collection is small so far.

You guys rock. Thanks!

 

[COBI]

When I B2M, they blackline (draw a mark with a sharpie) on the actual product label as it is not returnable. I always make sure that whatever I get with B2M is something I know that I want to keep.

For example, if I get two shades of e/s or l/s, and I know for sure that I like/love one, I will ask them to use that one as the B2M.

Re: your observations, such as "talking about how cute the baby was in a fake BS way"... I just thought this comment, as one of your examples, maybe says more about your mood that day than the actual MA who was interacting with a customer. I guess it kind of makes you sound "snooty" to make that kind of observation. How do you decide it's fake BS? Did she tell you later that she thinks the baby was ugly?

 

[janelovesyou]

While everyone deserves good customer service, if you think about it, it doesn't make very much sense to be able to return or exchange a free item. MAC is already out b/c they gave you a free item (find me more places that will do something like this) but if you were to continue to be able to return and get new product(s) they would be out too much and they wouldn't even have the program any more.

Quote:

Originally Posted by COBI When I B2M, they blackline (draw a mark with a Re: your observations, such as "talking about how cute the baby was in a fake BS way"... I just thought this comment, as one of your examples, maybe says more about your mood that day than the actual MA who was interacting with a customer. I guess it kind of makes you sound "snooty" to make that kind of observation. How do you decide it's fake BS? Did she tell you later that she thinks the baby was ugly?

This is what I wanted to point out as well, but I didn't know how to put it. Well said

 

[purrtykitty]

Even if you couldn't exchange the product, there's no need for the MA to be snooty. Now at least you know so you won't try that again.

 

[HeavenLeiBlu]

LOL@ the snootiness. That's just par for the course with many of the salespeople @ Short Hills Mall

 

[Bernadette]

No one should be rude but they may have been expressing a certain amount of frustration at you for doing something they considered rude (trying to return something that was free to you).

 

[Covergirl913]

Now I rarely return makeup to MAC. But the rare occasion that somehting doesn't work and I have to I almost always buy more things. The first time I made a return I noticed that when you go into the store with a bag in your hands no one rushes up to help you. So I made a mental note to myself that in future just keep the bag in my purse until after I finish picking out my items and then inform them that I have a return when I get to the register. Those makeup artist should not have treated you like that. Some of them really need to get over themselves. If there is a return policy, no need for the stink attitudes. I know some people abuse the return policy, but most people don't. 9 times out of 10 a return can be turned into another sale.

 

[erine1881]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Covergirl913 Now I rarely return makeup to MAC. But the rare occasion that somehting doesn't work and I have to I almost always buy more things. The first time I made a return I noticed that when you go into the store with a bag in your hands no one rushes up to help you. So I made a mental note to myself that in future just keep the bag in my purse until after I finish picking out my items and then inform them that I have a return when I get to the register. Those makeup artist should not have treated you like that. Some of them really need to get over themselves. If there is a return policy, no need for the stink attitudes. I know some people abuse the return policy, but most people don't. 9 times out of 10 a return can be turned into another sale.

they shouldn't have treated her like that for any reason. but she wasn't talking about a regular return. she wanted to return/exchange a b2m item, which isn't allowed. mac does have a great return policy, but b2m items are excluded from that policy.

its a free gift. and it's not like a free gift you get with other cosmetic companies, where they are all the same item, that hardly anyone will use. at mac, you get to pick out your free gift. you get to choose the color. and, if you get home and don't like the color you picked out, which is unfortunate, it was free. you weren't out any money getting it. either give it to someone else that likes it, or just use it as an empty for your next b2m trip.

 

[MACForME]

Gah- I know who that guy is!!

I don't go to Short Hills MAC anymore! Even though I work down the street and would go all the time! I go to Willowbrook instead and go to the same MA every time. Ihad lost the last of my patience and my taste for Short Hills MAC a few weeks ago when the MA was super condescending..but changed her tune real fast (mind you, the damage was WAY done) when I handed over my PPID. Suddenly, she's real nice.. hah.. too little, too late.. beeyotch.. If you must go to SHM, go see Chris in the Nordstroms at Short Hills.. He's a heavy set guy, rather short, but i LOVE HIM!! He reminds me of the Chris from Project Runway..

Go to Willowbrook's MAC.. Ask for Mari.. she is SUPER AWESOME! She has waist length gorgeous black hair.. You can't miss her..

 

[onezumi]

Oh, I think some people got the wrong impression from what I wrote before...I did have a legitimate return in addition to the b2m...

The b2m thing came up after I did my return. After they had already treated me poorly to start with. I honestly didn't know how they view b2m and since they take returns on all kinds of things I thought it might be OK to exchange(not return) since its the same makeup that they sell...I have never gotten a b2m before.

I wasn't trying to get away with anything.

I am just a noob, so that is why I ask...so I can learn about it.

I didn't come in there demanding anything and I was nice the whole time.

I just wanted to find out if he was lying or not because he was mean about it. I'm glad he wasn't lying, but MacforMe...I will take your advice and get my Mac at a different store.

It makes me feel better that others here also felt the same way in this store. *waves to the Jersey people*

 

[MACForME]

Quote:

Originally Posted by onezumi I will take your advice and get my Mac at a different store. It makes me feel better that others here also felt the same way in this store. *waves to the Jersey people*

You are welcome to come meet up with us when we go to MAC at Willowbrook if you'd like!

I used to be able to let the attitude roll off my back, but after going there for SO long, and still getting 'tude, i got sick of it.. There is no reason to be rude..

 

[Lauren1981]

it's SO crazy reading this because my best friend and i JUST had a conversation about this (snooty MA).
i think some people that get hired onto MAC let it run them instead of being thankful to be part of such a great company, ya kno? like, they feel they can treat people any ole way and that's not cool. furthermore, i'm gonna point out that you live in jersey, i live in ft. lauderdale and am from kansas city. my best friend is from k.c. but had much of her MAC experience while living in san diego and to see that we have ALL experienced this is not a good thing. i used to work at Nordies and was always hittin up the MAC counter. thank God the best people there were also the nicest people there so i only really dealt with them. BUT on staff were 2 of the laziest people i ever met! and rude! they always just blew customers with questions off! like everyone just needed to automatically know exactly what they wanted when they came in. i went there once and this lazy chick, who instead of doing my eyes like i politely asked her to so she could show me how to work these four colors i wanted, proceeded to smear the colors across the back of my hand saying "is this good?" and then before letting me answer askin did i want to buy them. WTF?! LOL! hell naw! i put them back and waited til the next day when my homegirl came back to work and gave her the sale and then some WITH that lazy chick standin right there. she never talked to me again the rest of the time i worked there. i didn't care tho! i wanted her to see that being lazy and rude at a high end make up counter will get you no where real quick!

and in my 10 years of wearing MAC i've always understood that as long as you have the box you can return anything and exchange whatever. i've exchanged colors that i bought my mom before without a problem. and i bought an eyeliner a couple of months ago and the chick forgot to put it in my bag (and went home) so when i went back up there the other girl was like "i can give u the eyeliner but not the box". fine by me, i just want what i paid for. ha!