Bought Ipad From Target, Found A Samsung Tablet Inside, They Refuse Refund. What Can I Do?

Hi everyone, I’m located in New Jersey, and I’m seeking legal advice on a situation that just happened.

On June 13th, I purchased a brand new iPad at the Target store located at:

56 State Route 36 Eatontown, NJ 07724

Today, June 17th, I opened the sealed box and found that it contained a used Samsung tablet instead of the iPad. The box was glued shut and appeared to be sealed properly when I bought it. I went back to the store immediately, but the staff treated me with suspicion, as if I had tried to scam them, and refused to issue a refund or exchange.

I have the receipt and everything that came in the box. I never tampered with it, and I’m 100% sure I received it like that from the store.

What are my options here? Should I be contacting Target corporate, a consumer protection agency, or a lawyer? I’m honestly shocked at how we were treated and that they’re not taking any responsibility.

Any help or direction would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. Location: New Jersey

Edit: I understand the skepticism, just wanted to clarify. I don’t live in the U.S., so my credit card is from another country. When I try to make large purchases here, my bank often blocks the transaction until I get in touch with them for approval, which can take time depending on the hour and time zone. Because of that, it’s usually easier and faster for me to pay in cash for higher-value items while I’m here. That’s what I did in this case.

Edit: I’m gonna reach out to Apple and Samsung to see if there’s any way to track who switched the devices. This whole situation ruined my day not just because of the money, but because of how we were treated. The Target employees basically laughed at us and acted like we were trying to scam them. Later I saw a bunch of bad reviews from other people about the same store… so yeah, seems like it wasn’t just me.