Macy's registry warning to other brides...

seabreeze1053 · May 2011

Hello fellow Knotties!

Just wanted to let y'all know what just happened to our Macy's registry. Maybe I'm naive about this -- and maybe all registries let this happen -- but apparently, even when an item is marked as "fulfilled," your guests can still buy you more of them. So, we now have 3 of the same giant salad bowl coming our way and a 4th box of dishes we didn't even register for (who needs 16 place settings?!?).

I called Macy's, and they blamed it on the guests (they either didn't notice or didn't care that it had already been fulfilled). I asked him why guests were even allowed to purchase something through the registry if it was fulfilled already, and of course, he didn't have a good answer for that one. Even if they can't prevent guests from doing it, they could at least make it harder to do... I design user interfaces for a living; it wouldn't be that difficult to design it that way.

Anyways, a heads-up to others registered at Macy's!!!

Happy weddings to all.

caseyandlizzie · May 2011

A store is not going to stop someone from purchasing something. I'm sure that if its on your registry you will have no problems returning it though. Sorry that happened.

MsLaura31 · May 2011

Eh... You'd be surprised how many people forget to have the registry printout scanned when they check out with the gift. If it doesn't get scanned, future gift buyers won't realize it has already been purchased.

Are they letting you return the extras? If not, that's the real problem...

hlq2011 · May 2011

Ditto PPs. Just how is a store going to not permit someone to purchase something?

I'm sure you can return it. I know it's a hassle, but I don't think it's really that big a deal.

Wiscisbliss · May 2011

Yeah, this isn't a Macy's problem. I'm pretty sure no store would ever stop someone from purchasing something.

After the weddding, just return the duplicates (Macy's is good about returns) and pick out something else.

LauraT25 · May 2011

This is not a Macy's issue - the person you talked to was correct, this is user error and out of their control. This can happen with any registry, and is a result of people not checking the registry immediately before shopping, the registry not updating fast enough (not user error, but not Macy's-specific), or people not mentioning the registry when they make a purchase. Not that you should be blaming your guests for buying you gifts; just thank them graciously and return the duplicates later. Macy's has been good with returns for me in the past, so you should be fine.

Edit: Seriously, what do you expect though? When someone picks something that's not on your registry, I'm sure they're aware of it. Wouldn't you be offended if you were trying to buy something for a couple and the salesclerk said, "Sorry, ma'am, but I can't let you buy that, you're restricted to registry items ONLY." That's so rude and ungrateful - it was nice of those guests to mention your registry at all, on the off-chance that someone might consider buying that same gift.

peanutty2 · May 2011

My guess is the guest didn't give the cashier the registry to scan. I could see that happening.

Seperate issue with Macys registry i just had is that I printed out someones registry and I kept finding items on teh registry that matched teh description and prices exactly and the UPCs didn't match. So they said it wasn't the right item, but there was no other item even close, and i'm still convinced they were the right items but were using different numbers. So anyway, I had a very, very small list of things to choose from. Also, I bought 2 things, then ended up turning right around and returning them (cuz i realized the other item i bought to go with it didn't have the exact upc and didn't want to run the risk i was buying the wrong item) and now their registry says those 2 items are fulfilled! i gave the guy the registry to scan with the return (it was literally 2 mins later) but i'm thinking he didn't scan it. kind of sucks. Hopefully in this case someone else does buy those items even though it says fulfilled.

end rant. but yea, i'm a little wary of macys now too. but i think the whole thing about getting things that are fulfilled could be a user error and happen with any store.

LindaD76 · May 2011

Wow. I don't even know what to say...why in the WORLD would Macy's care whether or not you are purchased 3 of the same salad bowl? They provide their registry as a free service to increase their sales. Not decrease them. If they put anything in their interface that did anything other than make it as easy as possible for people to purchase their products, it would be a silly business move on their part.

I have honestly been SHOCKED by the attitudes I have seen on this and other message boards re: wedding registries. People are buying you a gift that they don't have to purchase. Yes, it is rude to go to a wedding w/o a gift, however etiquette aside no one owes you anything because you invited them to your wedding--off of your registry or or otherwise.

noodle_oo · May 2011

Yeah, I kind of agree that maybe your expectations are little too high. Sure, it will be a pain to exchange those items. But that's not enough of an "issue" to warrant a "registry warning to other brides". It is more your guests fault for not paying attention.

And honestly, 16 place settings might be useful if you ever have a large dinner party! I'd just be grateful that so many of your guests are using your registry. We ended up with 13 of our silverware and it is SO nice to have the extras.

skippylouwho · May 2011

How would/could any store forbid someone to buy something they have publicly on sale? If you walked in to a store and chose an item to purchase and if a Macy'semployee told you that you couldn't purchase it just exactly what would you do?

Think it through - Macy's, nor any other store, wouldn't stay in business long if they told people they couldn't buy something that they have for sale.

niecie_jeff · May 2011

I agree with PP. This is not a big deal, just return the extras and get something you didnt get but wanted. No store will tell some one they cant buy an item just because it is marked as fullfilled on the registry. I am sorry that you will have to deal with the hassle of returning the items, but its not a big deal. Maybe calm down and see that mistakes happen and your guests may have just over looked it on the registry.

StacyJenniges · May 2011

All of my friends who are married find that they get multiple items of the same thing, they just return it. In fact at my cusins shower she got 8 sts of tupperware that she registared for. All of us who bought them (From target) had it removed from the registry, but she still ended up with 8 of them.

Just say thank you, I'm sure if you start getting alot of the same items people will chuckle. at a friends shower she got lots of cup cake pans. We were all joking around about how she'll have to get baking.

kristinanddan · May 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_registering-gifts_macys-registry-warning-other-brides?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:34Discussion:1e0ff636-e1b8-4bb5-be7c-6d2651da940bPost:1c3eff69-b0e3-47d6-a0c5-ffdeb9d0c978">Re: Macy's registry warning to other brides...</a>:
[QUOTE]How would/could any store forbid someone to buy something they have publicly on sale? If you walked in to a store and chose an item to purchase and if a Macy'semployee told you that you couldn't purchase it just exactly what would you do? Think it through - Macy's, nor any other store, wouldn't stay in business long if they told people they couldn't buy something that they have for sale.
Posted by skippylouwho[/QUOTE]

Seriously. This isn't Macy's problem, it's was your guests' fault for choosing to buy something that was already completed. And this could happen at any store, since obviously a store isn't going to go: "No sir, someone already purchased the salad spinner Kristin and Dan requested. You are not allowed to buy that".

MyNameIsNot · May 2011

This is not a Macy's problem. This is a clueless guest problem. A store cannot and will not stop someone from purchasing something.

I'm sorry, but if the guest is too slow to realize that "fulfilled" means it was already purchased, there's really not anything that a store can do to help them.

Just return the duplicates and get something else. Macy's is very good about taking back duplicates.

NattyGal31 · May 2011

I don't really think it is Macy's fault, I agree- they can't say "NO YOU CAN'T BUY THIS"- if a person doesn't know how to read a registry, they can buy whatever they want.

skippylouwho · May 2011

Here is another point - if the guest checks your register on the web before going to the store but doesn't print it OR they print it at the store but don't give it to the sales associate when checking out then the sales associate has no idea it is being bought for a registry. It is quite possible your guests saw the items on your registry, went to the store (or ordered online) and chose those items. They didn't indicate they were for a registry so the gift you received is in no way connected to you.

If the guest goes to the register with the item in hand and doesn't tell the sales associate it's from or for a registery then it is sold to the customer just as any other purchase that customer might make for themselves becuase the sales associate has no way of knowing the item isn't for the customer.

I know I said the same thing about ten ways to Sunday but I wanted to be sure I was making sense to everyone.

jerseydevil · May 2011

When I saw the title, I thought that you had a serious customer service issue with Macy's. I'm registered there and opened this to know what to look out for, but I'm relieved now that it's not anything unusual.

PPs are right, Macy's cannot control what people buy.

Hellokatie0517 · May 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_registering-gifts_macys-registry-warning-other-brides?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:34Discussion:1e0ff636-e1b8-4bb5-be7c-6d2651da940bPost:9722a19d-ab3b-4d89-b07f-92a34102547a">Re: Macy's registry warning to other brides...</a>:
[QUOTE]Yeah, I kind of agree that maybe your expectations are little too high. Sure, it will be a pain to exchange those items. But that's not enough of an "issue" to warrant a "registry warning to other brides". It is more your guests fault for not paying attention. <strong>And honestly, 16 place settings might be useful if you ever have a large dinner party! I'd just be grateful that so many of your guests are using your registry. We ended up with 13 of our silverware and it is SO nice to have the extras.</strong>
Posted by noodle_oo[/QUOTE]

...or some pieces break. It's not terrible to have extra place settings.

GeauxTigers17 · May 2011

I agree that this isn't a Macy's problem, but have to confess that the idea of them telling someone that they couldn't buy something made me laugh out loud.

Oh, I'll also confess that I'm the idiot that has 16 place setting of dishes, and uses them. I have people over all the time. 16 really isn't that many - you'd be surprised how quickly you need it when you have parties.

skippylouwho · May 2011

I've pulled out my china, my mom's china and another set I inherited when we've had people over. I have 3 sets of china for 12 each so 36 place settings. Extra china and extra flatwear is not a bad thing, especially extra teaspoons and forks.

veggienat · May 2011

I have had my own scenario where I bought someone something that had been fufilled on their registry. It was a co-worker of my FI who had this giant affair and only registered for like 20 things. I figured it would be an easy return for something they actually wanted. I didn't know them well enough to pick something out of the blue... It was for a shower too, so a giftcard didn't seem appropriate for that.

futurepivko · May 2011

i agree with PPs....its not Macys job to patrol what your guests buy and "stop someone" if its already bought. that happened with us-we registered for 1 but got 2 of our double belgain waffle maker. and yes it showed that it was bought. but we took 1 back and had no problems. end of story

lalaith50 · May 2011

sorry, I know everyone has been responding, but I don't think this is just a Macy's issue. Wouldn't any store where people are reigstered have the same problem?

I just think it's weird that so many people did this and bought the same thing! :-D

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