A few months ago, my son and I were on one of our regular shopping trips to Target when we found a new cookie that looked promising: Target’s Market Pantry Creme Sandwich cookies.  They looked a bit like Oreo Cookies, except that they had a different design and they had chocolate, rather than vanilla, creme inside. Also, there was  a peeka-boo window in the top of the cookie holding an extra button of yummy-looking chocolate. We decided to give these cookies a try.

They were delicious! So, on our next trip to Target, we picked up TWO more boxes. Unfortunately, this time, there was a problem: the cookies in both boxes looked as thought they might be way past their shelf life–which the “best buy” date on the boxes did not seem to support. Or, the quality of the cookies had been severely compromised due to lengthy exposure to heat, either during transport or storage. (The chocolate button on the top of the cookie was separating, and you could see the cocoa-butter film developing on the surface.)

The Market Pantry boxes say “Value / Quality Guaranteed”. Yet it was fairly challenging to find out what to do–or to whom I needed to complain if I wasn’t satisfied.

(The email address to contact with a complaint about Target brand items is guest.rela​tions@targe​t.com.)

When I did get an email sent off to Target customer service, here’s how they responded:

I am sorry to hear you are having problems with a Market Pantry product.

We’d like to discuss your specific circumstances further. You can either reply back to this e-mail or call our Guest Relations team at (800) 440-0680, Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., Central time. When you call, just provide a team member with the following reference number: x-xxxxxxxxx.

If you decide to write back please include the following information:

– Date and store location where this item was purchased
– Expiration date and production code, which are printed on the package
– Complete description of the item, including brand, size, weight and package design
– The 12-digit barcode (UPC) from the item or the 9-digit inventory (DPCI) number printed on your receipt next to the description of the item

We look forward to working with you.

 

After I provided the info requested, Target customer service still had additional questions that they had apparently failed to ask before:

I’m sorry for the trouble you had with the cookies you bought at your local Target store. We appreciate you taking the time to let us know about your experience.

We work hard to make sure we have only the best products, and we take quality issues at Target very seriously. In order to accurately report your concerns to our Grocery Quality team, I’ll need some more information from you:

– What was wrong with the cookies?

Your comments are very important to us, so please write back today.

I answered their questions. And they responded back:

I’m sorry for the trouble you had with the Cookies you bought at our Target store. We appreciate you taking the time to let us know about your experience.

We work hard to make sure we have only the best products, and we take quality issues at Target very seriously.

I’m sending you two $3 Target coupons to reimburse you for the Cookies and to invite you back to Target for a better experience. We’ll keep working to make sure you can always count on the quality you’ve come to expect from Target.

Thanks for shopping with us.

Target was good to their word; within a couple of weeks, I received (2) $3 coupons. The cookies had originally cost me about $2.50/box.

I am generally satisfied with how Target’s customer service handled the situation, although I would have preferred never to have had the problem, at all. It was annoying to have to email back and forth so many times, and to discover that my tasty cookies were heat-damaged. And in the end, I only broke even on the money I spent; when you consider the time and inconvenience  I went through to get the refund, I netted a loss.

This being said, at least I didn’t have to drive back to the store with the cookies. And I DO LOVE these Market Pantry Fudge creme sandwich cookies–they’re way more awesome than Oreos, in my opinion; and at least Target does guarantee you won’t get a bad batch.