Can't return item

[LdiJ]

The Nicorette lozenges are placed in the same cold medicine section as Luden’s, Halls, Richland and other throat lozenges. It appears to be an honest error made by the Kroger shopper, and further complicated by the Kroger employees who probably saw the word “nicotine” somewhere on the package and thought they fell under tobacco laws.

Whatever the case, the lozenges should be returnable and a refund made with the receipt.

I agree that they should be returnable, but an honest error doesn't mean that it wasn't an error that should be handled as an error.

 

[quincy]

I agree that they should be returnable, but an honest error doesn't mean that it wasn't an error that should be handled as an error.

Handled as an error? It should simply be handled as a return and a refund.

 

[marybeth8]

The app sends you a text message with substitutions that you can deny up to 15 minutes before your pickup time.

The problem is if your order wasn't picked up 15 minutes before your pickup time, then the app does not tell you the subs, I guess because you can't change it. You can ask the employee but they hate being asked, they have to go back to the store, look it up on the computer, write it down, then come back to you and tell you, then dig through bags to find the item, go back to the store and cancel, etc. I've done pickup every week for about three years now and honestly never had any problem with subs. This order was picked up late (seems to be the norm now) so I was not told about the sub.

Had a problem a year ago with some peanut butter that was expired as a pickup order. Went to the app and selected problem with item and it immediately just gave me a refund for the item. They didn't ask me to return it or even ask me what was wrong. Tried to do that with this item and the app asks me to take it to the store to return it, not sure if it's the item itself or the dollar amount.

Store appears to have a rule that you can't return tobacco. And they seem to think this is a tobacco product. Back of package does say must be 18 to purchase. Saw a post on reddit from a year ago that a guy couldn't return alcohol to Kroger, but he had another Kroger nearby and the second store took the return. So not sure how strict these "local laws" are. But there isn't another store any where near me so that's not an option.

I'll try again to talk to a manager, I'll try calling the national number, I haven't tried that. Looks like I'll just end up doing a dispute with my AMEX card and see how that turns out.

 

[quincy]

The app sends you a text message with substitutions that you can deny up to 15 minutes before your pickup time.

The problem is if your order wasn't picked up 15 minutes before your pickup time, then the app does not tell you the subs, I guess because you can't change it. You can ask the employee but they hate being asked, they have to go back to the store, look it up on the computer, write it down, then come back to you and tell you, then dig through bags to find the item, go back to the store and cancel, etc. I've done pickup every week for about three years now and honestly never had any problem with subs. This order was picked up late (seems to be the norm now) so I was not told about the sub.

Had a problem a year ago with some peanut butter that was expired as a pickup order. Went to the app and selected problem with item and it immediately just gave me a refund for the item. They didn't ask me to return it or even ask me what was wrong. Tried to do that with this item and the app asks me to take it to the store to return it, not sure if it's the item itself or the dollar amount.

Store appears to have a rule that you can't return tobacco. And they seem to think this is a tobacco product. Back of package does say must be 18 to purchase. Saw a post on reddit from a year ago that a guy couldn't return alcohol to Kroger, but he had another Kroger nearby and the second store took the return. So not sure how strict these "local laws" are. But there isn't another store any where near me so that's not an option.

I'll try again to talk to a manager, I'll try calling the national number, I haven't tried that. Looks like I'll just end up doing a dispute with my AMEX card and see how that turns out.

I suspect the problem with the return and refund is due to just a natural confusion over the tobacco laws. The exemption for Nicorette products is, admittedly, an odd exemption.

What you propose to do sounds like a good plan. Good luck.