Are tax refund and tax return the same thing?

Sears Return Policy - Should I receive a full refund?

• I made a purchase at Sears around the beginning of December, and the cashier persuaded me into signing up for their credit cards so that I could receive $25 in store credit. It was the end of the day, and the store was about to close. I had $15 worth in purchases, leaving me with $10 remaining in store credit. But the store was closing in a few minutes, and the clerk told me I still had $10 credit, wrote $10 credit on my receipt, and said I could use it at another store the following day. So I go to another Sears store the next day and make a purchase. At first the clerk was reluctant to accept the $10 remaining credit because she tells me I had to use the $25 all in the same day. I said it was the very end of the night, the store was closing, the clerk said so herself I could use it at another store the following day. So the clerk at this store gets permission from her manager to accept the $10 remaining store credit towards my purchase. One of the items I bought was a travel mug that was a gift for my boss. My boss comes back to me saying the travel mug is defective. It has a small, barely noticeable crack inside it, and the coffee has leaked in between the plastic and the steel cup inside. She tells me she wants me to take it back and get her another mug. So I go back and the store doesn't have that particular mug anymore. It was apparently considered a seasonal stocking stuffer, and the store doesn't have it. So I try to return the item. I had both my receipt and the gift receipt with me. The mug cost me $7.20 plus tax, for a total of $7.71. I was expecting to receive that amount back with the idea I would find the same mug at another Sear's store, or a comparable mug at another store. Instead the cashier hands me back $2.76. I tell the clerk that this isn't right, that the mug costs $7.71, and this is not enough to cover the cost if I were to purchase it at another Sears. She tells me that because I bought two items and I had a $10 credit, they had to deduct $5.00 from each item, leaving me with only the $2.76. O.K., what's wrong with this picture? You sell me a defective item, which I try to return, and you think it's fair to deduct the $5 store credit from this item, and leave me with only $2.76. I can't even buy a cup of coffee at Starbucks for that price! I told her if I were to try and purchase this same mug with $2.76 at another Sear's store, I wouldn't be able to do it unless I shelled out another $5 out of my pocket. I return this defective item, and I am the one who's supposed to accept a loss of $5 on my purchase! Ridiculous store return policy! No wonder so many Sears stores are going out of business! Shouldn't I receive a full refund for a defective item? It shouldn't matter if there was a store credit in the case of a return of an item that proved defective. I believe I should receive my refund in full, and the store that sold me the defective item is the one who should be taking the loss for it, not me. Seems only fair to me! They told me the only thing they could do is an even exchange, but there wasn't anything there I wanted to purchase instead. That is why I opted to return it for a full refund. I ended up giving them back the $2.76 and took back the defective travel mug in case I find that exact mug or something comparable.

• Answer:

  Contrary to what the first responder named "Rarri" said, your story was not non-sense!! You are absolutely right and deserve a full refund!! Make an appointment and go talk to the store manager. If that doesn't work, you need to find out who the area supervisor is and talk with that person. You deserve the full amount. Good Luck.