I can sympathize. I was also read the riot act when attempting to return a purchase I made with the original receipt to boot! I think it is a sad commentary on the state of this country's future: we don't "produce" anything (besides bullshit "financial products" and the like to export to other unsuspecting nations), so "service-oriented" jobs comprise the majority of all employment, yet the ungrateful CSRs who staff these positions behave like entitled children behind their respective store counters or telephone lines. They need to get over themselves, just do their job, and stop giving hell to their customers. I would never go back to that particular Brookstone store. The disrespectful high schooler they hired was a poor investment.
Got a gift from here and I tried to return it. They treated me like a thief. Have to go back a third time. I've never experienced retail like this. I will never purchase anything from there again in my life.