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Retailers’ statements about ‘secret filth’ report

Representatives of Gap, Nordstrom, Victoria’s Secret, Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s respond to TODAY’s “Secret Filth Exposed” segment reporting on the resale of used underwear and swimwear that has been returned to stores.
/ Source: TODAY

On Tuesday, March 2, 2010, TODAY aired a report about used undergarments and swimwear being put back on sale as if they were new, as part of a series entitled “Secret Filth Exposed.” Below are statements in response from representatives of retailers cited in the segment:

Statement from Gap spokesperson Louise Callagy:
“Under Gap’s customer service policy, our customers can return unwashed, unworn merchandise, with a receipt within 30 days of purchase. Selling anything to our customers that’s been worn or soiled in any way is absolutely against our policy and after hearing your experience, we’re immediately investigating the matter and in the meantime will reinforce this policy across all our stores.”

Statement from Nordstrom spokesperson Tara Darrow:
"Thank you for bringing this situation to our attention. Nordstrom Full-Line stores will not knowingly sell worn merchandise. We rely upon the experience and good judgment of our people to take appropriate actions when they accept returned merchandise and we also have guidelines in place for how to handle those items. Since learning about this incident, we realize we need to do a better job of clarifying our processes and educating our teams about how to handle returned items. As such, moving forward all returned swimwear and intimate apparel (bras and panties) without attached tags will not be placed back on to the Nordstrom Full-Line store or Nordstrom Rack sales floors. We want our customers to feel confident that the merchandise they purchase at Nordstrom is of the highest quality possible. We value the trust our customers place in us and work hard to uphold that trust every day."

Statement from Victoria’s Secret spokesperson Jennifer Ortiz Brown:“Our customers’ safety and satisfaction are of utmost concern to us. Our policy allows customers to return and exchange merchandise; however it clearly forbids returns of any worn merchandise. We are taking immediate steps to re-educate our associates on our policy and the importance of following these practices.”

Statement from Macy's spokesperson Jim Sluzewski:
“Our policy is to set aside any returned merchandise that is damaged so that it can be returned to the vendor or destroyed. While Macy’s has a generous return policy, merchandise that is damaged should not have been placed back on the sales floor. We made a mistake in not disposing of these items properly. We are reminding our associates of the policy. If customers see any damaged merchandise on the selling floor, they should bring it to the attention of a sales associate.”

Statement from Bloomingdale's spokesperson Anne Keating:
“Bloomingdale’s return and exchange policy does not exclude the retailer from accepting soiled goods, since we believe there are legitimate causes for such instances. Any damaged items accepted for returns are to be declared and processed per Bloomingdale’s guidelines for goods deemed unsalable. Bloomingdale’s has these processes in place to reinforce a standard of high-quality and consistent customer service. We have alerted all store managers to pay strict attention to these policies and procedures to avoid any further incidents such as the one reported.”