I filed a BBB complaint on The Blind Shop (TBS) but TBS refuted it and BBB would not accept my complaint. TBS failed to deliver contracted goods and services for which I had paid.
An estimate for $1580.25 by TBS for installation of blinds in my home was delivered late on 21 July. I agreed to pay 50% security ($800). Early the very next morning I phoned TBS to say that I wanted to scale back the order so I could see the aesthetic effect of the installed blinds and the quality of workmanship in the INSTALLATION (critical because TBS subsequently claimed that installation was not included in the contract; see below). Tracy (whom I found to be Ms. Harrington, owner of TBS), said no problem, but my Discover had been charged that evening, and it would be inconvenient to reverse that charge.
I trusted this Tracy, and I wanted very much to support this small business (TBS) and planned to have them complete window treatments for the whole house. So when TBS told me that they would install the blinds and adjust to the $700.90, I thought, fine.
In a letter to Discover TBS writes: He agreed to leave the credit on file of $99.10
That statement in her letter is the first I've heard of my agreement and indeed, if I did agree, why did TBS not charge back my Discover account for $99.10? It took MONTHS to get the $99.10 charged back to my account and I never received an itemized accounting of what I was charged for.
Essentially, communication with TBS was one way: I phoned TBS repeatedly over the next month asking for updates. I requested a response within a deadline; TBS did not make that deadline. When I finally decided that I had waited long enough without hope of the contract being fulfilled, I first called TBS and left a message on their answering machine that I was going to dispute the $800 charge to my Discover account. I called Discover and filed a dispute on the charge. Within an hour of contacting Discover in response to my answering machine message, TBS phoned me and told me that they wanted to COME TO MY HOME THAT AFTERNOON TO INSTALL the blinds.
TBS: On 8/24/04 I called Mr. Lepo to inform him that all products were available, we (sic) wanted to come that afternoon to INSTALL.
I too have a job. When I get a call around 12:30, while I'm having lunch, I can't just drop everything and have strangers come to my home that afternoon to install the blinds at the drop of a hat; I told her so.indeed, I said (as she acknowledges in her letter), Let's just start over, refund the $800 charged to my Discover (which TBS claims should have been $700.90 anyway), clarify the contract, and reschedule the installation. That should not be confusing to Ms. Harrington, as it was intended to clear the slate and get things back on track.
TBS: No fees were ever assessed for an installation charge. That is generally a courtesy.
Generally a courtesy?!!! Indeed, we are not considering generalities, but rather a contract that TBS advances in Ms. Harrington's letter to Discover as a basis for charging me $700.90, in which she/TBS repeatedly cites THEIR OBLIGATION TO INSTALL THE BLINDS.
TBS: We do have signed contract for the work and payment
The WORK can be clearly understood in the context of the TBS letter to Discover, and all invoices relating to this issue was the installation of the ordered product. And the payment is equally clearly understood as payment for the work of satisfactorily installing products that were ordered from TBS.
Too late... I found that TBS had complaints filed against it with the Better Business Bureau. When I asked Tracy/Ms. Harrington about this, she responded: everyone has those.
Well, only ONE custom blind shop in NW Florida had BBB complaints, and that one is TBS.
Finally, I picked up the blinds and paid someone to install them. I wanted to help a local small business and considered Ms. Harrington's TBS exactly the kind of business I routinely support. But I got burned.
My take-home lesson: Check BBB and Ripoff for complaints and avoid businesses with such complaints. If someone takes the time to file a complaint, there is a reason.
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