After just having an hour long discussion the CSR manager of ShopNBC, Edina, there are 3 very important things that she informed me of with regards to shopping with her company.
First, if you ask a CSR, customer service representative, something about a product that they are selling, don't be inclined to take it for fact because it just might be his or her opinion.
Next, and I will directly quote Edina, "When you shop on television, you are always taking a risk". Which, is definitely an opinion and not an opinion shared by QVC.
And lastly, the one thing that the ShopNBC reps and I agreed upon, that I have been a terrific customer for a very long time, does not help when it comes to getting service from the "customer service" dept.
One morning, I was looking at my living room and thought to myself, "This room needs a change in color". So, I decided that I would shop fror a Navy Blue carpet to replace the Mauve carpet that I already had down in order to add the infusion of color that I wanted. Navy Blue, that's what I wanted.
Coincidentally, not long after, I saw that ShopNBC had carpets on sale for a very decent price and for the exact size that I was looking for, I thought it was a stroke of luck. The carpets were advertised as red, green or blue, depending on your choice. Not being sure what the exact color of the carpet was, I dont have the ShopNbc channel in HD, I decided to call them and verify what shade of blue that their advertised blue carpet was. I called, asked the color, was placed on hold while the CSR checked, when he came back, he confirmed that it was Navy Blue. Super. I'll buy two!
I continued watching the ShopNBC channel as they were selling the carpets, but the more I watched, the more the carpets didn't look Navy to me. I tried to cancel my order, thinking that something was off, to my dismay and surprise, I had only placed my order less than an hour prior, I was unable to cancel through their automated process. So, I called the customer service dept again. I specifed that I require a Navy Blue carpet and wanted to cancel my order, the csr reassured me that it was the correct color and that I could not cancel because the order had already been processed, but being told that it was Navy Blue put me at ease. I thought no more about it.
Upon delivery, you probably guessed it by now, the carpet was much too light to be Navy Blue. I'm not exactly sure what shade of blue it is, but it is definitely not Navy. I immediately called ShopNBC to return the carpets. Here's the insanity that ensued.
After speaking, at length, with the first csr, despite being very friendly and understanding of my plight, she could not help me. All she could do was tell was that ShopNBC would not pay for the the return shipping because they were not damaged. Her hands were tied, so I asked to speak with someone with more authority. I was transferred to Rebecca, her supervisor
Rebecca was of no more help and even became insulting, stating that I was delivered exactly what I had ordered and that there weren't any Navy Blue carpets for sale that day. After explaining to her that, the purchase was based on information I had obtained from the ShopNBC CSR that initially told me that it was Navy Blue, she explained to me that when I was told that, it was the CSR's opinion and not fact and that I shouldn't shop according to someone else's opinion. Yeah, I thought it was an asinine thing to say, too. After realizing that Rebecca would be of no help, I again asked to speak to a superior. I was then put on the phone with Edina.
I retold my story to Edina, and waited for a response, I got none. I said "hello" in the receiver several times before she responded, I wasn't even sure if she had been listening. Edina, told me that the information that I received from the CSR that I talked to before the purchase was his opinion. I tried to explain to her that color isn't an opinion, it's either Navy Blue or it isn't. She didn't seem to understand that simple concept. I told her that the purchase was made based on the words of their CSR and that telling me that the carpet was Navy Blue is not a matter of opinion, it's a matter of truth or lie. It's either Navy Blue or it isn't, color isn't subjective, but she didn't understand that either.
So, I asked her, "who am I supposed to ask, if I have questions about one of the products that you are advertising?"
She replied, "Our Customer Service Dept."
I then said, "I did that, and made my purchase based on what he told me"
It seems that ShopNBC doesn't stand behind what their employees tell their customers.
Seeing the futility in speaking to these people. I decided to just return the carpets and pay for the S&H, which I new would be ridiculous. I mean, what am I going to do with, not one but two carpets, that don't match anything in my home. I called one of the major shipping companies and was quoted a price of $129 per carpet. I only paid $169 for each of them, shipping them back doesn't make sense to me either. So, either way, I out a few hundred bucks, the difference is, out a few hundred with carpet stowed away in the garage or without. I'm not happy in either regard.
To make a much too long story short, if you have any questions about a product on ShopNBC, feel free to call their CSR dept., but don't rely on any information that they give you, it might be a lie, which they will tell you is their opinion. I think, on my next drivers license, I'll say that my brown eyes are green, that would be my opinion. Also, that shopping with ShopNBC, is, according to their very own CSR manager, "a risk". I knew that the term "buyer beware" applied to used cars and flea markets, but somehow, I expected more from NBC. Oops, my bad. Lastly, I found out that years of being a loyal and regular customer doesn't do much for you with ShopNBC, I guess they don't think in the long term when it comes to customer service.
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