Zellers Complaint

Complaint

0
April
Country: United States
Dear Sir or Madam,

I received a My Little Pony castle as a birthday gift for my now one year old daughter this past weekend. The gift is not age appropriate, as it is for children 3 years and up, nor is it appropriate for us to take home to Mexico with us. I do not have the receipt. I attempted to return the gift for a cash refund, and was not granted this. The store manager (Maple Ridge B.C.) offered me a gift card. I do not live here in Canada, I live in Mexico, and though a gift card is not ideal for my situation, the manager insisted that this was the only option. I was disappointed, but I accepted reluctantly. I was issued both a gift card, and a receipt bearing the value of the gift card.

I attempted to use the gift card to make a purchase approximately an hour later, and the card had a balance of $0.00. The cashier called customer service, and the representative inquired as to what I was attempting to purchase. She told the representative on the other end of the phone. I was directed to customer service, where I was handed a phone number, and no explanation. I asked for an explanation, and was told that the manager was in a meeting, and that she had directed the customer service representative to give me the phone number, and to retain both the gift, and the gift card. I was very upset at this information. This representative was adamant that she was not going to return either. This, I respectfully suggested to her, may be considered theft.

I called the number given, which was out of service. The customer service representative offered me a second number, I called and got a message service. Since I did not know what the current situation was, I did not know what to say, so I left my name and phone number.

I then told the 'customer service representative' in the store that I needed to speak to a manager, to get an explanation. She said I would have to speak to someone at the number she gave me. I told her that I would not be leaving the store without either my gift, of the gift card. She then spoke again to her manager, and directed me to lift the phone to speak to 'someone at another store'. I spoke to a representative in an 'investigation department' . She advised me that I would not be granted a gift card, nor would I receive my gift back. (note that when I originally brought the gift into the store, it had a large fluorescent 'Zellers' security tape across it, which the original customer service representative removed in my presence) I advised the 'Investigations Department Representative' that I did not wish to leave the store without either my gift, or the balance of the gift in a gift card. She said that if that was my position, then I had 2 options. I could leave the gift, and the gift card in the store, while 'an audit investigation' was conducted to 'determine the original purchase information' of I could leave with the gift, and there would be no investigation. I questioned why there would be an investigation, and she assured me this was protocol for gifts returned without a receipt. I was employed by Zellers some years ago, and I do not know this to be policy.

Is it also policy to issue 'fake' gift cards to embarrass customers as they attempt to make a purchase? Is it also policy to refuse an explanation for this behavior?

I asked this representative to replace the security tape to my gift, and I chose to leave with it. I am absolutely outraged with this disrespectful behavior. I am not a thief, nor a criminal, and I did not behave inappropriately. I did not, and do not deserve this mistreatment. I was not offered an explanation for the actions and decisions of the management of the store. I have now left Zellers, with no resolution for the unsatisfactory product that was purchased in that store. I was not offered a substitution, an exchange, or the balance in a gift card. I respectfully demand an explanation for this substandard quality of customer service.

Comments

  • 0
    jay
    stupid customer service.i just went zellersstore at birchmount /eglinton . (7.23p.m)    i bought a mop. price at self is $3.99 but at  cashier$ 6.99 .(no4) she is not interest to  check the price. if you want pay $ 6.99 ? she make a phone call but waited 10 minute nothing happen. so i came out now unterstand why  this store almost  same size of walmart.but always less than 10 people in sidethe store?  maybe my color is reason for her? never ever go that stupid store again
  • 0
    just saying..
    I've worked at Zellers for almost 13 years and I can tell you there are a staggering amount of rude and ignorant customers to which the employees have to deal with and most of us try to deal with them with respect and patience.  I have had items thrown at me, been spit upon, pushed, and verbally insulted.  We do not make the policies or rules, we try to inforce them as part of our job and for that we are the brunt of insultes and yelling.  You may, as a customer, complain about an employee at any time and believe me we are informed of such complaint.  We on the other hand, being told that the customer is always right, have to take the abuse the person chooses to dish out and that is not a pleasant experience.  We have to clean washrooms as well after many pigs that choose to destroy and deface the place.  It is there for your convenience, do you do that at home?  For the most part dealing with customers is a rewarding job but for those of you that take your frustrations out on us, please shop at Walmart.
  • 0
    ABBA
    For all of you who complain about not being able to return things without a receipt to Zellers should all grow up. Walmart doesn't except returns without a receipt and neither does Target and many, many other big retail stores for that matter.
    How does the store know for certain that you actually bought it there without a receipt? A receipt is proof of purchase. Plain and simple.
    I hang on to my receipts and keep them in an envelope just in case.
    For those complaining about Zellers poor customer service take a look at yourselves there are customers who behave rudely and poorly too.
    And Walmart and Target also have had poor customer service too I might add.
  • 0
    soo disappointed
    Zellers has handled the closing poorly. The cashiers are so slow and the stores are a mess. Inventory has been wasted with damaged, open and empty boxes everywhere.
  • 0
    Pim Delfgou
    I have some issues with Zellers myself.  The store in Elliot Lake, where I live, was a real death trap.  The store has some serious problems with the building itself and the poor condition of its merchandise that resulted.  The roof of the store leaked like a sieve; there were tarps suspended from the ceiling to catch dripping water into pails on the floor, clothing had water stains, and one time, while I had checked the price for some dinnerware that was on sale, the bottom of the box dropped out breaking two dishes that hit the floor.  Fortunately, an understandable sales associate as well as a store manager both told me politely and in a friendly manner that they are deeming that dinnerware set damaged because of the roof leaks and resulting water damage to the carton rather than my handling and that I was off the hook for having to pay $20 for this now broken dinnerware set.
    The final blow, however, came on June 23, 2012.  That afternoon, a section of the roof of the Algo Centre Mall collapsed taking the Zellers store with it.  Two women were killed in the collapse, and the disaster make many people angry about the poor structural condition of the store and mall.  The store and mall had been poorly designed and maintained over the years, and having roof leaks and water stained merchandise does not give customers a good impression about the store.  We'll find out during the ensuing public inquiry why the store fell.  Obviously I won't shop at Zellers anymore, especially after finding out that two other stores had collapsed in the past two decades.
  • 0
    Lukas
    Not surprised the least bit sellers is closing it's doors. Immigrant useless staff
  • 0
    LISE SMITH
    I bought a mattress cover for my new bed at Place D'Orleans in Ottawa, took home.
    Waited for my new mattress to be delivered, and I washed the cover and it fell apart.
    So I went back to Zellers to exchange the manager refused so I phoned the head office to complain. The ladies who answered my call was very pleasant she said the manager will call me back. I hope let me exchange I am a senior on a very small income, I would say all the year that I shopped at Zellers I always had nice cashier to serve me, and I always said good-bye to all of thems and I will miss them.
  • 0
    Disappointed and all Shaken up!
    I was at the Zellers located at Marlee and Lawrence and could not believe what happened to me and what my 11 year old daughter had to see.  I went in to buy something and then realized that the store was closing and there was not much left.  I could get the item I was looking for so we decided to look at the itens that were on sale - since they are closing down they had a liquidation sale.  When we went to the cash register a black girl rang up our items and overcharged us.  She was scanning everything but totally disregarded the sales that were going on.  She was frustrated and decided to call someone and then just walked away.  Another black lady with some kind of pearl stuck on her tongue -  was telling me that even though the item had a sticker showing 10 cents she had to charge me 50 cents.  This did not make any sense to me at all and was trying to get her to explain this to me since this was a liquidation sale.  She went on to rudely say that I don't have to buy it and I can just go.  She then decided to serve the next lady beside me.  I could not believe she was doing that - I told her that I want to pay for these items (I also had a few more items that I wanted to buy)  She just started yelling at me and accusing me of throwing something at her.  She started to swear at me and then threw a bag of licorice at me.  Security came and a manager came and basically had to hold her back.  Then there was another black employee who was just standing there decided to yell at me and say that I threw something at her.  My daughter was crying and said "my mom did nothing wrong"  and then the lady told my daughter to "shut up" .  At this point they took the cashier away to try and calm her down and the manager served me.  There were no apologiies .  I was shaking as to what had happened.  The next customer said that I did not throw anything at her and that of course they were all telling lies.  I just could not believe what was happening.  All my daughter wanted was to get some stickers and some licorice !!!!   As we were walking out the irate employee spotted us and then started swearing and freaking out again.  They had to cover her mouth because she was swearing.  We left and ran to the car...my poor daughter was crying so much because she was scared.  These ladies/animals probably lost all their jobs and are mad at the world.  I would like to complain about this but I'm not sure who I would go to seeing that Zellers is no longer in business.,,,,,,gee I wonder why !!  Anybody have any ideas ?
  • 0
    Disappointed and all Shaken up!
    I was at the Zellers located at Marlee and Lawrence and could not believe what happened to me and what my 11 year old daughter had to see.  I went in to buy something and then realized that the store was closing and there was not much left.  I could get the item I was looking for so we decided to look at the itens that were on sale - since they are closing down they had a liquidation sale.  When we went to the cash register a black girl rang up our items and overcharged us.  She was scanning everything but totally disregarded the sales that were going on.  She was frustrated and decided to call someone and then just walked away.  Another black lady with some kind of pearl stuck on her tongue -  was telling me that even though the item had a sticker showing 10 cents she had to charge me 50 cents.  This did not make any sense to me at all and was trying to get her to explain this to me since this was a liquidation sale.  She went on to rudely say that I don't have to buy it and I can just go.  She then decided to serve the next lady beside me.  I could not believe she was doing that - I told her that I want to pay for these items (I also had a few more items that I wanted to buy)  She just started yelling at me and accusing me of throwing something at her.  She started to swear at me and then threw a bag of licorice at me.  Security came and a manager came and basically had to hold her back.  Then there was another black employee who was just standing there decided to yell at me and say that I threw something at her.  My daughter was crying and said "my mom did nothing wrong"  and then the lady told my daughter to "shut up" .  At this point they took the cashier away to try and calm her down and the manager served me.  There were no apologiies .  I was shaking as to what had happened.  The next customer said that I did not throw anything at her and that of course they were all telling lies.  I just could not believe what was happening.  All my daughter wanted was to get some stickers and some licorice !!!!   As we were walking out the irate employee spotted us and then started swearing and freaking out again.  They had to cover her mouth because she was swearing.  We left and ran to the car...my poor daughter was crying so much because she was scared.  These ladies/animals probably lost all their jobs and are mad at the world.  I would like to complain about this but I'm not sure who I would go to seeing that Zellers is no longer in business.,,,,,,gee I wonder why !!  Anybody have any ideas ?
  • 0
    Ex Zellers manager
    I have to admit that alot of what is being said here is true. Zellers stores were old and dingy. They were understaffed. The bathrooms were dirty. Pricing inaccuracy definitely was an issue. Are these reasons to be upset? Definitely yes. Are these things the fault of zellers staff and store management? Definitely not. I don't control the age of the building and complaining to me that the store is old is quite honestly silly. I am given a budget and schedule my staff according to that budget. I am not an idiot. I can see that line ups are long and there are few people on the sales floor but i have scheduled everyone I can. Bathrooms are cleaned once a day. Again, a decision I have no control over.  I am not a janitor and will not clean up human waste or make an associate do so either. Pricing is something that would take pages to explain. Trust me when I say that our systems were archaic and stores generally did the best they could. As far as customer service issues, I have no doubt that some are legitimate however let's keep in mind that there are two sides to every story. Every store has policies that they follow and adhering to those policies does not equal poor customer service. May I also add that wishing others harm and rejoicing in the fact that they have lost their means of earning a living is disgusting and points to the ongoing degeneration of modern society. The Internet gives us the ability to voice our opinions anonymously and free of repercussions but that is no excuse for the ever increasing lack of basic humanity that seems so prevalent.
    Good bye Zellers and thank you for all the opportunities you afforded me.

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