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I did something I consider pretty awesome today. I returned Christmas gifts that no one wanted. The flip in that script is that I bought those particular gifts for my family.

The first gift was the game Apples to Apples that Cooper “bought” for Sydney. This was returned because I had forgotten that I’d already gotten her the junior edition of the game several weeks before. That was a brain fart on my behalf, and I felt super bad about it. So, it got returned. The second gift was a game that Sydney and I got for Brian, the Brain Games board game. At first glance, this was a great idea. We love the Brain Games television show. What didn’t occur to me until after he’d opened it and shown no interest or excitement, is that probably after the first time we go through all the games in that game, we’d know all the tricks, and it would cease to be fun at all. So, it got returned, as well.

I bought both at Toys R Us, so it was a quick fix to return them. But this is interesting: I had to provide my driver’s license for the return (the Toys R Us employee input my address into their computer system) and my phone number. (Duly noted, that I did have my receipt.) I asked why they needed to see my ID, and she said that it was a change in policy from a few months ago, but that they couldn’t process my return without that information. I’m annoyed by that. Almost to the point that I hate Radio Shack for needing my full address to buy a battery or cable or something.

Also, because I used my debit card for the purchase, they would prefer to give me cash back because to return the money electronically back to my debit card “may take several days.” I’m all, “What?” Yeah, it’ll take a while, she said to me. I said, fine, give me the cash, though I think you need to check with your processes because everyone else can get money back on a debit card within a day or two.
I don’t understand why Toys R Us would go rogue on parents like that, for sure. As for the irritation I have right now for Toys R Us, it translates into the solid reason why I won’t be going back without the person for whom the trip is being made. No more gifting from Toys R Us, because they want too much from me. My address and phone number are not their business.