This complaint concerns the treatment I received from Chris, the store manager, and his staff at the hhgregg location in Gastonia, NC during my attempt to purchase a Wii bundle featured in their ad for Black Friday 2008.
I lined up at 2:15 AM and was number 4 in line. Since the customers ahead of me were purchasing TV's and appliances I felt comfortable that I would secure this item for my son's Christmas. When the doors opened at 5 AM I promptly entered the store and secured a Wii bundle. I then proceeded to pick up a 7" digital photo frame for my in-laws. I scouted the store to find the touch screen mp3 player that was advertised, but as these had sold out I entered the check out line at the front of the store.
Two customers ahead of me a gentleman had his hhgregg card declined. The manager working this area berated the customer, refusing to discuss the issue and abruptly told the customer he did not have time to discuss the issue.
When my turn came to be checked out the cashier (a blonde woman, I am unsure of her name, possibly Amanda or Amber) rang up my items and swiped my hhgregg card. She encountered an error code that said approval needed. She then swiped the card again and informed me that I had an available credit balance of $138.incredulous I informed her that I had checked my balance on Thanksgiving and had available credit of $600 from a $2000 credit limit, and I made a payment that same day.
The response from the cashier was that GE Money must have reduced my credit limit, citing the recent credit crunch, etc. I was then handed a paper voucher for the Wii bundle by the same manager I previously described, and I stated that I would step out of line to contact GE to resolve the credit line issue.
I spent the next 2 hours (5:30 AM to 7:30 AM) before I could reach a live operator and GE Money. I tried use the automated system to increase my credit line so that I could purchase the bundle but was unsuccessful.
During this time I spoke to several store employees and with Chris the manager. I expressed my displeasure, yet no one offered an attitude beyond well it is GE's fault. Around 7 AM Chris informed me that they had sold out of the Wii bundles. I was enraged at this point because I held a voucher for the same, and I had never left the store so that I would not lose the right to purchase it. Chris claims that I stated I was leaving. This was a bald face lie as I had stated that due to my treatment with having my credit line reduced I would not patronize hhgregg again, a statement I remonstrated stronger after I had been told the Wii bundles were sold out.
At 7:30 AM I was able to speak to a live operator at GE Money who informed me that the reason I had $138 of credit line remaining was that I had made a $469 purchase on 11-28-08. I repeated that I had not made a purchase to which the operator stated a charge was made at hhgregg this morning. I told the operator I would speak to the store staff because I had not successfully completed any purchase.
I returned to the check out line where I dealt with the cashier I had dealt with in my first attempt to purchase the Wii bundle. I explained to her what the operator at GE had told me. She had no record of a successful transaction on her computer for my account and called GE and was told of the approved transaction. I demanded that the charge be removed from my account so that I would have my proper credit line available which was accomplished.
The part of this situation was truly pisses me off is that they refused to hold a bundle for me despite handing me a voucher for the same (the digital picture frame I had was sold from behind the counter too). No one in the store ever said they were sorry as they were too busy trying to shirk the blame.
As my parting shot I informed Chris the manager that he had permanently lost a customer and that I would inform my family and friends not to patronize hhgregg. He was genuinely unconcerned or unimpressed.
After I left the store I called hhgregg's corporate offices to register my displeasure at the lack of concern or apology from the store personnel. The person I spoke to was unhelpful and unsympathetic. They would not even call the store to register my complaint or could not locate a Wii bundle for sale in another local store.
Prior to today I had had decent experiences purchasing LCD TV's from the Gastonia store. This was despite the two returned dryers my parents had suffered at the hand of the staff from the same store. I had been willing to give this store and staff benefit of the doubt, but any goodwill I once harbored has been expended in this fiasco.
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