Bed Bath & Beyond

On Friday, March 12, 2021, I stood in the Bed Bath & Beyond #1350, located at 2829 Wilma Rudolph Blvd. Clarksville, Tennessee 37040, wearing handcuffs as I watched my terrified twelve-year-old daughter frantically called her father while fighting to hold back her tears. All because Manager Cherie Bonine (may have misspelled the last name) called 911 after telling me to leave the store when I asked for a refund on some products. Sadly, this manager would rather have a customer arrested than issue a $19.02 refund on products that were improperly stocked with the wrong price causing me to overspend. I asked for a refund of the difference in the actual cost vs what was shown on the labeled wall hook, but she refused to help me.
This day I made three separate trips. On the first trip, I found three packages of twelve count cascading hooks marked at $4.99. I got home, used the hooks, and discarded the packages into the trash. I then realized I needed more, so I returned to the store and tried to purchase more. Furthermore, I noticed that they rang up at $10.49 and notified the cashier. When she scanned the item on her phone, it showed the Beyond Member price that was still over $4.99, so I took a picture of the product on the wall hook. She proceeded to call the manager who inspected the wall display and informed us that the product was in the wrong place and that she would not allow all the items to sell for the $4.99 price, just one. I explained to Mrs. Bonine that there was not only one out of place; there were eight out of eleven products out of place. I decided not to purchase the cascading hooks anymore, but I then asked Mrs. Bonine about the previous purchase. Since I was already using them and discarded the packages, I requested that I get the price difference since I would not have purchased the cascading hooks if I had known their actual price. Her exact words to me were, "It sounds like you want 50% off? The only way you are going to get any money back is if you return the merchandise." I told her multiple times that I had already discarded the packaging and used the hooks in my closet. I did not just walk into Bed Bath and Beyond, pick up a product, and demand 50% off. Furthermore, I purchased items at a higher cost than what the store associates had marked them, and honestly, I feel like I have been scammed into spending money I had not budgeted to do so.
I returned home, disassembled all thirty-six cascading hooks, and dug the packages out of the trash to then make my third trip to the store and collect my refund. When Mrs. Bonine returned to the counter, she investigated the bag, saw the dirty products, and refused to accept them. I asked Mrs. Bonine for the difference in the prices as a refund, and she refused. I followed her directions in returning the products, even after repeatedly stating that the cascading hooks were in use and that I already discarded the packages into the trash. Yet, she still refused to issue a refund.
She then told me to leave the store. I questioned why she would not issue me a full or partial refund and expressed that I felt scammed into purchasing in the store. Mrs. Bonine called 911 on her cellphone and requested the police to escort me out of the store. After arguing with me for several minutes, Mrs. Bonine started to issue the difference in the cost of $6.49 for just one product, but not all three that I purchased. At that point, the police officers walked in, and she stopped issuing the refund while watching the police detain me with handcuffs in front of my daughter. I questioned the officers why I would be arrested for 1) being scammed and 2) getting a refund. My questions lead the officers and Mrs. Bonine to agree on settling with a written statement to the officers and the officers issuing me a "Notice of Criminal Trespassing." The officers told me that I would be banned from ever returning to Bed Bath & Beyond in Clarksville. The next the nearest store is an hour away or rely on online only. As Mrs. Bonine finished the refund of $6.34, she continued to say to the police that she just wanted me to leave, and if I had just left, we would not be in this situation.
I have never EVER been able to return an item to the store without the package and barcode, and I have never EVER been treated so callously before by any staff member of Bed Bath & Beyond. I have never EVER seen a manager protect a large corporation from losing $19.02 after its store associates stocked the products in the wrong area. Likewise, I have never EVER witnessed anyone willing to terrify a twelve-year-old by having their mother placed in handcuffs and threatened to be arrested for wanted a refund. I have been a loyal customer for many years. The only avoidance strategy to such a horrible night that should have happened was Mrs. Bonine selling the items at the price I found them stocked at and issued a difference in price refund for the things I already purchased. This whole situation angers me so much. Knowing I could have spent the weekend in jail away from my children, my daughter already terrified as she has never been in that situation before, just because I asked for a refund over the mistakes made by store associates, has me shaking as I type this!

Ms. Badillo
1350 03/12/[protected]
RVN # [protected]-2100