I had accumulated a number of Gymboree bucks and then used them at the appropriate time and spent well over the amount required to cash them in. After getting home and having my daughter try on the bathing suit it didn't fit properly so I went back to the store to return the suit, that was when I found out they don't actually give you the $25 for every $50 spent they divide it among all items purchased so if you return and item they said I either had to buy another item or forfeit the money - I chose to forfeit and won't be shopping there again.

Let me explain how Gymboree bucks really work, according to the store manager at Fair Oaks Mall. They don't just take $25 off your total purchase they divide the $25 among the items purchased so if you return one they can't apply the discount the rest of the purchase even if you spent over the $50. So I had $50 in Gymboree bucks and spent well over $100, I returned a bathing suit and was still over the $100 threshhold, but they would not apply the discount to the remaining items in my purchase and insisted I had to buy something else in order to still receive that discount. The money wasn't that much as it was divided among all items, but that is not the point.

The point is Gymboree is STEALING from their customers with FALSE ADVERTISING on their Gymboree bucks. Yes it's shocking a big company would steal from their customers but it's true. My total discount no matter what should have been $50 (as I spent over the required thershhold) but not according to Gymboree once I returned the item I forfeit that amount unless something else was purchased, I didn't want anything else. And a little $ here and a little $ here adds up for Gymboree. I can't imagine I'm the only person this has happened too. Needless to say for the little $ they stole from me will cost them a whole lot more in lost purchases from me and definitely benefit their competitors. I just wanted others to be aware of the SHADY dealings of Gymboree.

It is actually better that Gymboree splits the money from the Gymbucks up. if they didn't take a little here and a little there, what would they do instead? They would logically make items up to a certain point, free. Then it would be impossible to return any of those items because you didn't pay for them. It is better that you get less money back, rather than no money at all. And I do agree with the people above, that if you return with no receipt, you can say you bought them without Gymbucks and you are actually stealing from Gymbucks.