Circuit City Owes Me $389 - UPDATE: 24 days later I'm getting my money back

[Jschmuck2]

Long story short - and it is a long story. I purchased a TV online from Circuit City.com atwo weeks ago today. I think I'm finding a great deal because with said television comes a free Home Theater in a Box. Nothing special - but I'm not rich so the bonus definitely weighs heavily on my purchasing decision.

I pull the trigger on the TV (with HTIB included) for about ~$1500. I get my shipping invoice and nowhere does it mention anything about receiving the HTIB.

"No problem," I figure, "but I'll just call to double check and make sure that I'm getting everything I'm supposed to."

Good thing I called. As it turns out, I never clicked the "web only special" link so, according to the folks on the other side of the phone, I won't be getting a surround sound system with my television. I know that it's completely my fault for not clicking that link and I feel pretty stupid as I consider myself fairly internet savvy. I figure, however, that this is something that can be rectified fairly easily with just a few mouse clicks. Oops.

After spending roughly three hours on the phone with downright awful outsourced tech support. They tell me that they'll have to cancel my current order and I'll have to re order the since the price had gone up to ~$1900! I refuse to do this because, although I did not click the correct link, I obviously purchased the TV within the correct time frame to receive the HTIB.


I'm finally connected to a "retail escalation" specialist who is, I assume, based in Virgina at CC HQ. Things get wrapped up in roughly 10 minutes. She explains that they'll be canceling my first order and re-placing it again at the higher price, after which I'll have the difference between the two purchases (~$400) refunded to my Visa.

Everything goes as planned - the TV is delivered and the original ~$1500 purchase is refunded...but I've still got a roughly $400 hole in my bank account that CC has yet to fill. This is business day #10 since this went down and my 10 or so emails and phone calls have yet to be responded to by the retail escalation manager that I dealt with.

So what to do? Small claims? Picket? Cut myself in a closet?

Cliffs:

1. Buy HDTV from CC.com for $1500 with free HTIB.
   
   Realize I clicked the wrong link and won't be receiving the HTIB based solely on the fact that I did not click the correct link.
   
   Call Circuit City outsourced tech support for help, they tell me that I'll have to re-order the TV at the new price of $1900.
   
   Complain enough so they connect me to America and I'm promised the difference between the now-canceled $1500 purchase and the new $1900 which, if my math skills don't fail me, is $400.
   
   10 business days pass and I've heard nothing about my "price matched difference." My multiple emails and phone calls go un-replied to.
   

CC Executive customer support called yesterday and told me that everything was going to be fixed. I should be seeing my refund in a couple of days.

For both of you who care, however, there seems to be a lot of confusion and general douchebaggery regarding this topic so in my own defense, I feel as though I should clear things up.

1.) Yes, I forgot to click a link and I felt like a moron. But what I didn't think is that it would be such a huge deal for a company that sells consumer electronics in the year 2007 to add a stupid item into my order. Reality check: it is.

2.) Had they not offered to fix things in the first place, I would've just chalked it up to user error, canceled my own order and gone about my business. But that didn't happen - they did offer to fix it and damn near didn't. This isn't something to be upset about?



Anyhow, it's done. Thanks to the folks who gave me kind words of support - and the rest of you...enjoy voting Republican

 

[Polish3d]

Call 'em back. They should hopefully have some kind of 'notes' for your particular order mentioning what sort of arrangement they worked out with you

 

[aurareturn]

Obviously thing to do is call back.

 

[Jschmuck2]

I have been calling. A lot. I've left multiple messages and still nada.

 

[d33pt]

contact your CC company

 

[DrPizza]

Be careful of their return policy, threaten to file a dispute with the CC, contact CC company. Document everything.

 

[RossMAN]

Originally posted by: Jschmuck2
Complain enough so they connect me to America and I'm promised the difference between the now-canceled $1500 purchase and the new $1900 which, if my math skills don't fail me, is $400.

Please tell me you documented the date, time, phone number, name/extension/badge ID # or maybe received a confirmation number?

I would send a letter to Mr. Philip J. Schoonover detailing what happened and how you would like them to fix it. Send it USPS certified mail with return receipt.

 

[Jschmuck2]

Yep, I have all of those things. I most definitely have the name of the woman I spoke with, her location, phone number and email address. As well as copies of all of the emails I've sent thus far.

 

[RossMAN]

Originally posted by: Jschmuck2
Yep, I have all of those things. I most definitely have the name of the woman I spoke with, her location, phone number and email address. As well as copies of all of the emails I've sent thus far.

Then I would compose complaint letter listing the events that took place, what was promised, it wasn't delivered and how you would like it fixed.

Print it, sign it and mail it via USPS certified with return receipt.

 

[Captante]

Originally posted by: RossMAN

Originally posted by: Jschmuck2
Yep, I have all of those things. I most definitely have the name of the woman I spoke with, her location, phone number and email address. As well as copies of all of the emails I've sent thus far.

Then I would compose complaint letter listing the events that took place, what was promised, it wasn't delivered and how you would like it fixed.

Print it, sign it and mail it via USPS certified with return receipt.

The above sounds like good advice to me & I would suggest getting right on it ... also it would be a good idea to contact your credit card company to confirm your options if things get nasty.

 

[CPA]

I feel your pain.

Last Christmas, I purchased a Dell desktop that had several rebates (2 manufacturers rebates and 1 CC rebate). In addition, I had a "Receive a Giftcard worth 10% of your purchase" card that I received in the mail. The card, nor the rebates, stated they could not be used in conjunction. I used the card; the salesman, in order to "properly" list the giftcard on my order applied a 10% reduction to each component of the my desktop order. Strange, but it worked out in total dollars.

The following week I submitted my three rebates. Two months later I received a letter for one of the rebates, the CC rebate (it was $140). They stated the rebate was not good because the price of the desktop was not the correct price - remember the salesman reduced the price by 10% for the giftcard. A call to the rebate center went nowhere as they said I had to work with the Store Manager. An hour with the Store Manager and several follow-up calls to him over 4 week went nowhere, as well. I gave up and resolved I will never purchase anything from CC again.

 

[Injury]

If there is no resolution on by the last day you can return it, return it and make selling a used TV their problem and wait for another deal. Probably a lot less stressful than dealing with customer service over the phone for weeks and dealing with a CC chargeback that might not resolve in your favor.

 

[Kelemvor]

Hopefully you got the person's name who said they'd hnor the deal for you? Leave them one more message telling them that if they don't contact you, you'll be contacting your CC company to dispute the entire charge, the BBB to file a compliant, and your state's Attorney General's office for more action to be done.

Then contact those 3 people and watch the fun begin.

 

[Phoenix86]

CC or checking ATM card thingie?

 

[Fraggable]

If you don't get what you want from CC, file a complaint with the BBB and call your CC company to get the $400 charged back to them. Sounds like you have the proof you need.

 

[RadiclDreamer]

Ok, lets be rational about this. They do not OWE you anything. Yes, it would be the right thing to do imho, but you were the one that made the mistake. They do NOT owe you anything however. Try calling up and being nice about the situation, this gets you further than anything with CSR

 

[blurredvision]

Originally posted by: RadiclDreamer
Ok, lets be rational about this. They do not OWE you anything. Yes, it would be the right thing to do imho, but you were the one that made the mistake. They do NOT owe you anything however. Try calling up and being nice about the situation, this gets you further than anything with CSR

Did you not read the part about the retail escalation specialist offering to make things right by giving him the lower price from when he ordered along with the HTIB? Would you like it if a store said they'd give you one price, then charge you $400 more and not give it back? Would they then not owe you money?

....

....

Think about it....

....

Yes, they do owe him money.

 

[Sinsear]

Originally posted by: RadiclDreamer
Ok, lets be rational about this. They do not OWE you anything. Yes, it would be the right thing to do imho, but you were the one that made the mistake. They do NOT owe you anything however. Try calling up and being nice about the situation, this gets you further than anything with CSR

Yes they do owe him;

I'm finally connected to a "retail escalation" specialist who is, I assume, based in Virgina at CC HQ. Things get wrapped up in roughly 10 minutes. She explains that they'll be canceling my first order and re-placing it again at the higher price, after which I'll have the difference between the two purchases (~$400) refunded to my Visa.

Reading comprehension ftw.

 

[911paramedic]

That "web only" crap is a scam. I wanted to buy a soundcard so I searched online and found one at CC, said NOTHING about a "web only" price, even when I checked the in-store stock online.

I get there and it's labeled $10 more than the web, and when I get to the register they give me that same story... "That's the price you pay online and then pick it up here."

MANAGER!!! MANAGER!!!

It's crap.

 

[Xavier434]

Do not file a dispute yet. That could screw you big time. Understand that credit card refunds like this can often take up to 30 days to process on the credit card's end. The key thing for you to do is to keep following up and find out what step they are on in the process. Make sure the ball has not been dropped. Document everything. If at any point Circuit City drops the ball and a manager tells you that they will not refund your card no matter what then file the dispute.

 

[anxi80]

Originally posted by: Phoenix86
CC or checking ATM card thingie?

i believe he used a check card. im going off by what he said in this thread:

"Retail Escalations" sets everything straight - but the order has to be canceled and a new one placed - draining, in total, about $3k from my bank account (to be refunded in 5-7 days but still)

so pretty much he's looking to recoup money that already has been taken out. it's going to be a little bit more of an uphill battle.

 

[Jschmuck2]

Day 11 and still no response. I fear things may get ugly.


[/quote]Ok, lets be rational about this. They do not OWE you anything. Yes, it would be the right thing to do imho, but you were the one that made the mistake. They do NOT owe you anything however. Try calling up and being nice about the situation, this gets you further than anything with CSR

Yeah...yeah, they do owe me. I wish $400 was just a drop in the bucket and I could forget all about it...but unfortunately that's not the case.

As far as my CC company goes - I'm not sure if I have any recourse there. And I did use a debit card. I mean - all I had was a verbal contract with this woman...I don't think that's proof enough for them to just give me back $400.

I could return the TV - but have no way to transport it back to the store. That...and frankly...it's a pretty wicked TV.

 

[Xavier434]

Originally posted by: Jschmuck2
As far as my CC company goes - I'm not sure if I have any recourse there. I mean - all I had was a verbal contract with this woman...I don't think that's proof enough for them to just give me back $400.

Verbal = bad

Staying on the phone with them until they send you an e-mail summarizing the important details of their promises is the right way to go. Call them 5 times a day if that's what it takes to get a hold of them. Get that e-mail. Always be nice, but never forget that the squeaky wheel gets the oil first.

 

[Phoenix86]

Originally posted by: anxi80

Originally posted by: Phoenix86
CC or checking ATM card thingie?

i believe he used a check card. im going off by what he said in this thread:

"Retail Escalations" sets everything straight - but the order has to be canceled and a new one placed - draining, in total, about $3k from my bank account (to be refunded in 5-7 days but still)

so pretty much he's looking to recoup money that already has been taken out. it's going to be a little bit more of an uphill battle.

Debit card refunds can take weeks, but most people refunding the money will assume it's a real CC or don't care to mention that part.

 

[Jschmuck2]

Up for anger.