The Toys R Us return policy used to be much more lenient than it is now. Previously customers could return toys and baby items from Toys R Us as long as they had a receipt. I returned unused items that I had for about a year with a receipt. Now customers have 90 days to return items to a Toys R Us Store.
Sale Price, Not Purchase Price
When I exchanged items at Toys R Us I was disappointed to find out that the exchange was for store credit and it was based on the sale price of the item, not the price of the toy at the time of purchase. This may be a policy determined by the local store location, since no mention of this is included in the official return policy.
No Receipt, No Exchange
Before the Toys R Us exchange policy change, it was possible to exchange items without a receipt. I returned a couple of duplicate baby shower items this way. The items clearly had a Toys R Us label on them and had been unopened.
I was lucky enough to have made a couple of exchanges before the policy changed. Had I not been in the store making an exchange, I would not have learned about the new, stricter Toys R Us policy.
As a result, I tend to shop more at Wal-mart when a product is available. Wal-mart has an extremely lenient return policy, with or without a receipt. As long as they can find the item in their system, they will take it as a return for store credit, and sometimes for cash.
90 Day Rule
Previously, Toys R Us allowed exchanges beyond 90 days. Now they have a strict 90 day return policy on most toys and baby products sold in the retail store.
If you don’t have a receipt, they won’t take the items back, even if they were given as gifts.
Keep the Gift Receipts
Whenever you shop at Toys R Us be sure to keep the receipt. File somewhere safe in case you need it.
If you shop at Toys R Us for gifts, always include the gift receipt in the card, or give the gift receipt to the parent. When kids receive duplicate gifts they won’t be able to trade in the duplicate from Toys R Us without that receipt.
Another drawback to the Toys R Us return policy is that they separate their online purchase returns from the store returns. If you buy an item online and want to return it, you have to ship it back.
It would seem that it would be easier for the customer if the Toys R Us return policy did not distinguish between online purchases and in-store purchases.
Sources
Consumer Complaints About Toys R Us, http://www.consumeraffairs.com/toys/toysrus_returns.html Personal experience with the policy before and after it changed
Toys R Us, http://www.toysrus.com/helpdesk/index.jsp?display=returns&subdisplay;=instructions
