The Banana Republic Mail Mishap

Ordering things online or out of catalogs, or even just over the telephone has gotten to be rather commonplace these days. We think nothing about ordering clothing, sports equipment, medical supplies, electronic equipment, or on rare occasions, even automobiles through the internet.

Things, however, aren’t always what they appear to be in the advertisement, or the product does not work, or it’s the wrong size and we have to go through the hassle of returning it. I have even gotten the wrong product by mistake and wondered what was going on, but, for a real WTF moment, read below what this couple got when they ordered a tie from the Banana Republic:

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — With a little more than two weeks to go before their wedding, Emily Dreyfuss’ fiance ordered a tie and pocket square from Gap chain Banana Republic’s website to go with his Navy blue suit.

What the couple got in the mail instead on Thursday would make an identity thief giddy: the confidential files of about 20 former employees, including Social Security numbers and W4 tax forms.

“We totally laughed,” Dreyfuss, 29, said on Friday from her home in Cambridge, Mass.

She had misgivings about the package as soon as it arrived. It was really heavy and didn’t say Banana Republic, but Gap Inc.

She and her fiancee have been buying each other presents, and she thought it may have been a really heavy piece of clothing with catalogs, said Dreyfuss, the daughter of actor Richard Dreyfuss.

Inside were three folders sealed with tape and labeled “HR Administration.” They contained tax and Social Security information as well as handwritten resignation letters, doctors’ notes and salary information — seemingly the employees’ entire record at the company. The employees were sales support associates and at least one made $9 an hour, Dreyfuss said.

“We’re taking immediate action to evaluate and strengthen our processes to prevent mis-mailings in the future and apologize for the error,” spokeswoman Edie Kissko said in a statement.

Dreyfuss said a Banana Republic representative has since responded to a tweet about the mix-up and apologized. Dreyfuss was told clothing and employee information is sent out in the same type of gray plastic bag, and the two packages appear to have been mislabeled. It wasn’t clear how that happened. The representative told Dreyfuss the store would look into what went wrong and inform the affected employees.

The company is sending her a self-addressed, stamped envelope to return the information.

Dreyfuss said the episode with Banana Republic raised concerns about how well the company is safeguarding customer information.

“People should know about this because it’s crazy and scary,” she said.

In her statement, Kissko said the company takes the confidentiality of personal information very seriously.

Dreyfuss was offered a free tie and pocket handkerchief — a $61 value, but said she declined.

I am not sure what the employees of The Gap are thinking right now but I would be a bit concerned about my personal information if it were me. I mean, really, how does an order for a tie and a pocket handkerchief and a stack of former employee records even get in the same room together much less be inadvertently mailed to the wrong places. I wonder what HR thought when it got the tie and handkerchief? Wow! I must be doing a good job! Duh.

Thanks to SUDHIN THANAWALA and the Associated Press for their contribution to this post.

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