Introduction:
The Gap Inc., commonly referred to as Gap, is a multinational clothing and items retailer of American Origin. Founded in the year 1969, Gap has grown rapidly over the years with it being ranked first in the United States among all the specialty goods retailers. The company had been founded by Donald Fisher and Doris Fisher, and the family remains involved in the company matters even today. The company has six primary divisions that operate under the banner of Gap. They include Gap (same name as the business conglomerate), Banana Republic, Old Navy, Intermix, Athleta, and Hill City.
Gap has several subsidiaries and the return policies vary according to the brand involved. Items that are purchased from Athleta can be returned up to 60 days from the day of purchase, while the limit is 45 days for the other brands involved. The company would issue a replacement or a refund depending on the customer’s request as soon as the original product is received.
Procedure to be followed for return/refund:
Online: A customer can choose to have their items replaced either offline or online. However, it must be noted that Items marked as “Mail only” can only be returned/refunded online. The steps to be followed for online return include:
- Get the prepaid return label. The company’s interactive returns process can be used to generate a label.
- Get the package ready. All the tags and stickers need to be kept intact and the original invoice as well. Without these, any return request would not be processed.
- Ship the package. One can choose to have their package shipped either by using the postal service or by scheduling a free pickup.
After the item has been received at the company, checks would be conducted and the refund/return would be processed. An email confirmation will be sent to the consumer on the successful completion of the request.
Offline: If a customer chooses to have their refund/return offline, he/she simply needs to walk into a Gap store with the product and the original tags intact, and hand it over to an executive at the store. The remaining procedure would be taken care of by the store executive.
Conditions for items to be returned: Items need to be unworn and unwashed with their original tags intact for them to be eligible to be placed for return/refund at Gap Factory within 60 days of the original purchase. Athleta offers a special “give-it-a-workout” guarantee, where the customers can work something out for 60 days and then, opt to return it if it doesn’t perform well.
Time required for the completion of the process: The return/refund request is processed as soon as the original product is received by the company. It takes typically 1 week for a refund to be processed, while replacement requests can sometimes take as many as 10 days for the item to be redelivered again.
Cost for return/refund: The company charges no additional cost if a product is either replaced or returned. It is only natural that customers may not always be satisfied with the product they have received and Gap factory has kept that in mind while framing its return policies.
Items that cannot be returned: A few final sale items cannot be returned to the company once purchased. Items such as swimwear, sunglasses, and masks cannot be returned once delivered to the customers. As such, people need to be extra cautious when buying these products.
Frequently Asked Questions:
We took a look at some of the most asked questions on the internet about Gap and its policies. In this section, a few of those questions have been answered.
Question. Can someone return products from the Banana Republic to Gap?
The answer to this is NO. Although these companies come from the house of the same parent organization, i.e., Gap, yet they are separate subsidiaries that are individually run. Thus, one can return the products only to the same brand they were initially purchased from.
Question. What is the minimum age to be working at Gap?
The minimum age to be applying for a job at Gap is 16 years. They have both full-time and part-time jobs and the candidates do not need a formal college degree to be applying for a position at the company. Senior jobs usually require the applicants to have some degree or experience in the related field. Gap has been reported to be a great place to work by its employees.
Question. Are the customers satisfied with their experience at Gap?
Gap has come a long way since its founding days and is currently one of the best-known clothing brands worldwide. It is only natural that customers are satisfied with the treatment they receive from the company. Gap has been praised not only for its excellent products but also, for its excellent customer service.