On 2/11/04 I decided to make a short trip to 2 stores and return some Christmas presents. I know it is almost 2 months past Christmas but for the last month I have been sick and under a doctors care.
First stop was at Wal-Mart for 2 items totaling a little over $40 and I did not have a receipt for 1 of them. I explained had been sick and that was why I was late in returning them. I asked for an exchange or a refund and was given a full refund when I couldn't find what I was looking for.
Next stop was Circut City. I had one item a box of Microsoft Professor Teaches Microsoft Office 2000 that cost a little over $26. The box was in pristene condition still having the factory seal and I had the receipt. I figure I will explain my situation agian and either get some DVD's or a controller for my son's Gamecube and be done in 10 or 15 minutes.
Before I get into the story I have called and offered my apology to the Circut City Corporate office for a comment I made in their store. A comment that was not without provocation, that I wish now upon reflection I could have handled better.
After waiting for 10 minutes I was finally helped by John, the clerk in customer service. You can tell by observing John that he has had a not so good morning and I know I don't feel well. So I am thinking to myself, please let this go off without a hitch.
I explain to John that I have been sick for the past month and today is the first day I have felt like getting out. If there is anyway possible I would like a exchange or a refund. John looks at the receipt and tells me that the store policy is not to give refunds after 30 days. I asked John: If it is store or company policy should it not be posted at the cash registers or on the sales receipt? He replied it was on the receipt and hands it back to me. I look at the receipt and it is not their and I tell John it's not there. He gets pissed and makes a comment about me calling him a liar. I tell him that I am not calling him a liar, but he is mistaken. John calls the store manager.
After John pages him 2 more times, Donald the store manager shows up. While waiting I have read this receipt 3 times and looked at the different postings. There is nothing that says no refund after 30 days. John says to Donald this man wants a refund hands him the box and the receipt. He didn't say he has been sick, he wants an exchange or a refund, just this man wants a refund.
Donald starts inspecting the box and the receipt and proceeds to tell me the store policy agian. I tell him I am aware of the policy now that John has told me and that I want my money back and to leave. He says he will not give me my money back, and I reply that if I have to I will sue the company over the money. Donald looks right at me, you can see he is mad, his face has turned blood red and says; do what you need to do throws down the box and receipt on the counter, turns and walks off.
John who has been standing there the whole time starts laughing. Well I'm livid and the combonation of not feeling well and being mad I lost control. I did not threaten John but I did ask him if he would still think it was funny if I jumped the counter and whipped his * for $26. Being 6 foot 2 and weighing 300lbs I guess he didn't think it would be very much fun and stopped laughing. I then pick up the box and the receipt and left.
Ordinarally I am an easy going person, I don't cause trouble, would keep this bottled up inside of me. Well acording to my doctor years of doing this has caused my ulcer. The combonation of Donald treating me as if I were a student from the local high school on a day trip. And John laughing at me, well I would have been just as mad if one of them would have hit me.
Not able to let this one alone when I get home I get on the computer and find Circut City's home web page. Now in all fairness to them I did not find anything on customer service, just sales and warranties. I am not saying it's not there i just did not find it. I did find an 800 number.
I called and was connected to Troy in customer service. Explained what had happened and offered an apology for my comment to John. I also stated that was not now as interested in the $26 as I was an apology from Donald and John. He apologised for the company and asked if I would return to the store. I said no, that I would either send my wife or go to the store in Statesville, but I would never return to the store in Winston Salem. He asked me to hold so he could call Donald to get their side of the story.
When he came back on the line he said he had my phone number. And the district manager for this area would be calling me back to tell me exactly what happened.
After a couple of hours of me thinking, how is the district manager going to tell me what happened? There were only three of us there and unless John or Donald is the distict manager, how is he going to know what happened? I'm assuming that Donald version is of a Yadkin County redneck hooping and hollerin, threating to kick everyone's but in the store. So I called back to Troy and got his voice mail for him to call back. It has been 24 hours still no call from Troy or the disrict manager. If that is what they think or believe I hope they make the mistake of pressing charges agianct me. It will give me another public forum to warn people about that store.
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