Columnist Muriel Stevens: Thoughts on return and service policies

I rarely return things I receive as gifts, but two lovely birthday gifts -- a pair of John Hardy silver earrings and a terrific metal magazine rack on wheels -- were not usable.

The earrings are for pierced ears, mine are not; one shelf of the magazine rack collapsed when I attempted to fill it. The clips that should hold the shelf in place are above the shelf instead of under, so there's no support.

It was the last rack the store had and could not be reordered. Neither the shopkeeper nor my friend who gave it to me saw the flaw.

After I left the shop, she thoughtfully bought the rack for me.

It wasn't until I started to fill the shelves and the top one folded like a second-rate fighter that I realized something was amiss.

The earrings pose no return problem. I'll get a pair with clip backs. The magazine rack solution is not so easy.

It is not usable as it is. When I called the store to relate my tale, the owner of the store assured me they had magazines in the rack and it had not collapsed. She was right.

When I put just a few magazines on the top shelf, it was OK. It was only when I put on a dozen or so that it gave way.

There is a chance, the owner said, that they have extra clips and can correct the problem. Left unsaid is what will happen if they can't "correct" it.

I don't know what the return policy is at the store, but I'm hoping that it's a reasonable one when returns are made because a product is imperfect.

I'd much rather keep my gift than return it. This is the best designed and most practical magazine rack I've ever seen, and when in good order should hold whatever I put on the shelves.

Whatever the end result, I'll share with you the outcome. I hope it's a happy one.

New Year's morning I arose earlier than I would normally have after a night of good cheer. My mission was clear -- I would be at Saks Off Fifth in the Belz all when the doors opened at 9 a.m.

SOF is one of my favorite outlet hunting grounds. I've made some exceptional buys on these special sale days. Service has always been caring ... until New Year's Day.

Unlike the SOF stores in other areas, there are no carts in the Las Vegas store. Normally the service desk holds items until you're ready to check out. Not this day.

I watched in amazement as a woman on crutches, barely managing what she was carrying, was turned away at the service desk and then at the cashier counter where someone at the service desk had told her to go. The store manager had decided to cancel this service for the day.

I had someone page the manager to ask why. Her answer -- it was too busy to do it, she said, but there were exactly 21 people in the store -- was as inane as the decision. What's more, when I told her about the woman on crutches, she said someone should have called her and she "would have made an exception."

Since I wasn't finished shopping, but didn't want to check out three times, I made my own exception. I finished my shopping at another store.

Later that day I noticed there was a full moon. Had I known earlier, I would have stayed in bed with a crossword puzzle and a good book.

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