JCPenney, Disappointed in Return Experience at Alexandria, LA Location. I recently visited the Alexandria, Louisiana JCPenney store—the closest location to where I live, over an hour away—to return two sports coats. Although I may have mixed up the purchase dates, the items were still within the 60-day return window and were the only purchases on my account. Unfortunately, the customer service representative was rude, unhelpful, and initially refused to look up my account, claiming they couldn’t access it through my JCPenney credit card. Eventually, I was told to insert my card in the machine. The representative then claimed they didn’t sell the coats—even though they were clearly tagged—and still refused the return due to the return window, which contradicts what I was told over the phone: that any JCPenney store could help with a return within 90 days. I now have two jackets we can’t use, and the experience left me very frustrated. As a relatively new JCPenney credit card holder and someone who hasn’t shopped there consistently since my son was small, I’m extremely disappointed. The staff at both the Alexandria and parts of the Beaumont, TX location came across as dismissive and judgmental. The one exception was a kind employee in the back of the Beaumont store, who was polite, attentive, and helpful. She stood out in a good way. It’s unfortunate that employees may treat customers based on appearance. I was traveling from an oil rig site, dressed comfortably and casually, and felt like I was being judged. I’ve worked retail—I recognize when I’m being watched or treated differently. I had purchased four sports coats for my son’s school competition, not knowing what would fit. Two were great, but the others needed to be returned. Despite being on sale, they weren’t inexpensive, and the process of trying to return them has been exhausting. I even tried returning by mail and was told that wasn’t an option. When I asked about returns before store closing, the employee gave a dismissive answer. At the service desk, another associate immediately dismissed the return, saying they didn’t carry the brand. I asked her to check my account or let me provide my JCPenney card or email, but she just moved me aside to help others. Eventually, I was told I’d have to return them in Beaumont. This experience has left a bad impression. It seems impossible to get meaningful customer service or contact someone who can actually help. For a company with such a long history, you would expect better customer relations. Sadly, this kind of experience may explain why so many JCPenney locations are closing.
