Zellers Complaint
Complaint
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.
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
Good bye Zellers and thank you for all the opportunities you afforded me.