When Lori Ashbaugh sends her rug back to Nordstrom, the company decides to keep the carpet and her money. Can it do that?

Q: Last month I purchased a Lorena Canals rug online from Nordstrom. The box arrived, but it was the wrong rug. The one they sent had a lot more fringe and none of the design of the rug I had picked out. 

I called Nordstrom and set up a return, and it was shipped back within 10 hours of receiving it. I never took it out or used it at all. 

Nordstrom says I returned a worn rug and is refusing to refund the item. I asked for details, but Nordstrom did not send me anything. 

This is unacceptable and very upsetting. I did not use the rug at all. The rug I saw didn't look worn. 

It's preposterous that Nordstrom would try to keep the rug and my money. It seems like such a scam. I would not expect this kind of thing from Nordstrom. I hope this is not a sign of the times and a way for retailers to make more money. Can you help me get my money back? -- Lori Ashbaugh, Fort Collins, Colo.

A: Nordstrom should have been able to send you photos of the allegedly worn-out rug, and it should have also made arrangements to send you the correct rug. But keeping the rug and your money -- not on my watch!

Nordstrom has a stellar reputation for customer service, so I'm as surprised as you are that this is happening to you.

How could you have protected yourself? By taking photos of the rug with the tags still on it, inside the return box. You can easily send the photos to Nordstrom as evidence if the company alleges you've sent the wrong item back. If I had to guess, I would say Nordstrom confused your return package with someone else's, so always make sure you also get a photo of the return label with the package.

Also, instead of going back and forth with Nordstrom's customer service department, you could have appealed to a higher level. I list the names, numbers and email addresses of Nordstrom's customer service managers. The company is one of just a few to get a perfect score on our responsiveness ratings.

If a company believes you've returned a used item or the wrong item, it needs to send the item back to you. There's a word for what you say Nordstrom did: theft. It can't keep your money and the rug, no matter how worn it claims it was.

I contacted Nordstrom on your behalf. You also filed a complaint with the BBB and a police report, and you disputed the charges on your credit card. Nordstrom did not answer me, so I asked again. Your bank denied your dispute. Then you reached out to the executive contacts at Nordstrom and finally, the company agreed to issue a full refund. I've also lowered Nordstrom's customer responsiveness scores as a result of this case.

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy (https://elliottadvocacy.org), a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him at https://elliottadvocacy.org/help/