People From These 2 N.J. Towns Can't Get Refund From Online Retailer

Residents of two New Jersey towns are more than welcome to shop at Shan and Toad, an online children's clothing store. The online retailer's website will gladly take the money of residents from Lakewood and Passaic.

But the company has a specific policy for those two towns and three in New York: No refunds.

Residents of those towns, for reasons apparently known for certain by Shan and Toad, can't get their money back for merchandise, no matter how faulty.

The company has not responded to requests for comment, though one employee referred Patch to the company's "owner."

Here is what the website says:

NJ101.5, which reported on the story, pointed out what the "no refund" towns have in common: large populations of Orthodox Jews. The radio station said the policy was first brought to light by the Lakewood Scoop, where commenters complained they were not notified about the policy in advance.

"'Shan and Toad aims to please,' they write on their website, however, if you’re from Lakewood or some other largely Jewish-populated towns, they won’t give you a refund," the Lakewood Scoop said in an Aug. 30 report, which generated dozens of comments from angry shoppers.

"I feel like I fell into a trap. Don’t tell me on your product page that you offer easy returns with an asterisk and then state on the fully outlined policy that there is an exception of 5 cities in the U.S. That is deceiving," user Yenta mama commented on the Lakewood Scoop's report.

Agudath Israel New Jersey Director Rabbi Avi Schnall said he would have no comment on the matter.

Lisa Coryell, a spokeswoman for the state Division of Consumer Affairs, said the state law does not address online sales, although stores must post their return policy in a visible place.

In this case, the "Return Policy" is located at the bottom of the site under the title "Help."

"New Jersey's Refund Policy Disclosure Act does not address online sales," Coryell said in a statement. "The act requires stores in New Jersey to conspicuously post their refund policy on an item, at the point of sale, in a spot visible to the buyer from a cash register, or at each store entrance used by the public."

"The act does not set any parameters for the refund policy itself," she said. "If there is a misrepresentation or omission in the refund policy, the Consumer Fraud Act may apply to the online seller."

Photo: Tom Davis