At&t won't allow me to return a new device

So here the issue. I live in Arizona, my family and I went on a vacation for 2 weeks to Cincinnati Ohio area. During our stay we ventured into the Florence Kentucky area. On 1/10/17 we ended up at an at&t authorized retail store. Looks just like every at&t store does. I ended up buying a Galaxy S7 for my wife and, I also received a Gear S2 watch as a promo item. I understand the whole 2 year contract and stuff no big deal. After a few hours of seeing what this smartwatch is all about, I come to the conclusion that there are not that many useful apps for these and, it’s more of a novelty thing so I decided to return it. 

I called At&t and they assured me it wouldn't be an issue because I had 14 days to decide if I wanted to keep it. I told them that I was nowhere near the store I got it from. At&t phone rep told me that they would prefer I take it to the store I bought it at but I could return it at any location. The next day 1/11/17 I went to a corporate At&t location near me in Cincinnati. The store is on Ohio Pike. I talked to an associate "Joshua" He started to do the return until he saw the receipt said authorized retailer. He then refused to return the watch and told me I had to take it back to the store where I purchased it. I informed him that I had called and was told I could return it to any location. I cannot go to the store I got it from. It’s too far. I left and stopped a few miles down Beechmont at a different authorized retail store. They told me the same thing. I had to go to the store I got it from.

I have spent countless hours and days trying to give this watch back to them but, At&t will not take it unless I go back to the store I got it from. It pretty much ruined my last 3 days of vacation. I am back home in Arizona now and the store I got it from is about 2400 miles away. After a little research I see the At&t’s return policy online says the following under “How do I return my device”. “If your device was purchased at an AT&T retail, you may return it to any AT&T retail store during the return and exchange period.”

So it seems like I should be able to return this watch at any retail location but, no one will listen to me or except this return. There is no damage to it at all. Perfect condition but, no one will even touch it. I have spent many hours trying to get this issue resolved but, At&t doesn’t seem to really care about their own return policy. It is not realistic to expect me to go 2400 miles to return an item that was free in the first place. I feel I was misled by the store rep. He knew I was out of state. He should have warned me about not being able to return it or at least recommended I wait until I was back in my home state to get a new phone for my wife. At&t is more than willing to lose a customer that has been with them since 1992  (24 years) and, has 7 lines active. Just so they can stick me with a watch I don’t want and charge me a 150 dollar early termination fee.

I give up I can’t give this watch back no matter what unless I fly back to Kentucky. I’m guessing that if I have any kind of warranty issue with the S7 I’m out of luck. They will tell me to take it back where I got it.  At&t is being very deceptive their own policy says I can return it. Tomorrow I go to the nearest competitor and port all my lines to another carrier. This is no way to treat a customer of over 2 decades. Shame on you At&t.