Although that experience was not pleasant, this one was the one to end my loyalty to the store Pacsun. On January 03, 2012, my longtime girlfriend and I were on our way to return a Christmas present she had gotten for me. It was a just a plain T-Shirt that she had gotten through the Buy One, Get One Half Off sale. The shirt was just too big and we wanted to get one in a smaller size. We had already asked if it was possible for us to do this with the first employee we encountered. Her answer was yes. We found a shirt we liked that fit and was of the same value of the one previously bought. We went up with the receipt and had the woman at the counter help us exchange the shirt. She went through the process as my girlfriend and I were talking. When she is done with the short process she turns to me and says, “Your total amount is $12.XX.” I was perplexed to why there was any need for a money exchange. We were just exchanging for a smaller size. So I her that I was just exchanging the shirt for a smaller size and she said it didn’t matter. I asked her why and she said, “We don’t know what shirt you paid full price for so we have to charge you for the full price if this shirt.” I tried explaining to her that my girlfriend had already bought the shirt in their sale and it was an even exchange. The tags were still on it, I had the receipt, and we got the shirt from the same rack. She rudely commented in her fresh out of high school tone, “Regardless.. YOU still owe US $12.XX.” At this point I realized there is no logical reasoning with this rude Assistant Manager. I wasn’t going to pay full price for my shirt that my girlfriend bought for me on sale. It was an even exchange but in her mind it wasn’t. I have no respect left for such a greedy and unethical store. It seems if they are trying to take my money at every opportunity. I have no faith or loyalty left for PacSun. I will take my money to a store that knows how to treat their customers.

THEN the employee who helped me out at the counter had the gull to ask me if I was sure I didn’t want anything else.
I said “No, thanks I’m good.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I looked already.”
“It’s only $4.50 you might as well get something else.”
*trying to hold back my glare here* “No, I’d just like it back on my card please.”

He was then pouty about failing to make a sale.

This has happened in one other instance with the same man, but I know the employees are capable of being better. I went in with my friend at 4am on Black Friday and we were just about pounced on every five minutes.

One of my closest friends is an employee at Pac Sun, and has been faithfully working there for three years. Nearly every night she works, she comes home with horror stories about her store manager. One particular week, after she got her work schedule, she calmly tried to ask him why she was scheduled to work a weekend she had requested off more than two weeks before, so she could attend a family wedding out of town. He was downright rude to her, and told her that if she didn’t show up, she would lose her job.

Another one of my friends had received a Pac Sun gift card as a birthday present, and found on the back that “Remaining balance will be refunded in cash upon request.” After she bought a belt, she decided that she wanted to get the rest in cash and buy a winter coat elsewhere. After purchasing the belt, she politely asked the girl working if she could have the remaining balance back in cash, and the girl gave her a weird look and asked her to hold on. She got the manager, and after he took a look at the card (which is the exact same card they are CURRENTLY selling, down to the black and blue pattern on the front), said, “Oh, this must be an old card. We don’t do that anymore.” Still remaining polite, she said, “But the card says –” and he interrupted her and repeated himself. The next day, she called and spoke with a customer service representative, who told her that ALL Pac Suns must honor what the gift cards say on the back, and even asked her Supervisor to speak with my friend on the phone, who told her the same thing. My friend also called another Pac Sun in the area, and spoke with the Store Manager there, who ALSO told her the same thing. So she went back to the store, and two girls were working. Both of them gave her the same weird look, and then called the Store Manager on the phone. The exchange went something like this:

Store Manager: Hello, ma’am? Are you the same woman who came in a couple of days ago?
My friend: Yes, I am. I spoke with a couple of customer service representatives…(She went on to explain her ordeal).
SM: Okay, but we don’t do that at THIS STORE.
MF: Really? Because the customer service representatives and other store manager said –
SM: (Interrupts) I UNDERSTAND THAT, but we don’t do that at THIS STORE. And please don’t come back to this store again asking for the same transaction.

When she came out of the store and told me what happened, I had half a mind to grab the card myself and march right back into the store, demanding they honor what THEIR gift card says in plain writing on the back. But my friend refused to hand it over, and instead said she would just call customer service the next day.

I’m hoping customer service will take action, and that this particular store manager never works in retail again. If they don’t fire him, I’ll see to it that his sales suffer by telling all of my family and friends about the experience.