Sears
On 11-09-13 I purchased (Sales Check Number 014550013277 - Transaction Number 3277) an I-Comfort Insight, firm, queen mattress (Item Number: 08293800000) from the Sears Store (01455) located at 3500 Oleander Drive in Wilmington, N.C. For $1,074.00 plus 7% Sales Tax ($75.88) for a total price of $1,159.88. A delivery date of 11-16-13 was scheduled.
My shopping experience was pleasant and the assistance provided by the sales associate (018523) was professional, knowledgeable and appreciated.
After returning home, I realized that I could have made the same purchase by going to the Sears.com website through SkyMilesShopping.com and earn two miles for each dollar spent (a value of, approximately, $120.00).
The next day (11-10-13), I returned to the Sears store and cancelled the transaction (Sales Check Number 014559090175 - Transaction Number 0175) after explaining that I would be making the same purchase online, via the SkyMilesShopping.com process. Again, the same sales associate was pleasant and understanding of my motives.
On 11-11-13, I accessed Sears.com through the SkyMilesShopping.com website. I not only repurchased the Insight mattress (Item Number 08293800000) for $1,074.00 but I also purchased an I-Comfort, Motion Perfect, queen adjustable base (Item Number 08293792000) for an additional $1,700.00. There was an, added, tax of $191.45 for a total transaction amount of $2,965.45. The, online, Sales Check Number was 093002351150. This transaction would have earned me 5,930 frequent flyer miles if not for the following:
At 3:04 pm, a couple of hours after finalizing the online order, I received a telephone call which showed up on caller ID as "1 (327) 3". A female caller identified herself as "calling to verify that I had made an online purchase from Sears.com". I informed her that I was not comfortable providing anyone who calls me, especially from a "masked telephone number" any information pertaining to any purchases that I had or had not made.
The female caller informed me that she would have to verify some personal identification information so that the order could be processed. I informed her that if she was from a retailer with whom I had done business, I would verify any information that she had, but that she would have to provide me with the information (and I would verify) but that I was not going to, blindly, provide my personal identification information. I was informed that if I did not cooperate, my order would be cancelled. I asked to speak to a supervisor.
A male then came on the line and advised that if I did not provide personal identification information to verify my identity, that my order would be cancelled and that there was nothing that I could do about it nor was there anyone higher that I could appeal to.
I informed the male that I have been a law enforcement officer, for over 20 years, and after investigating personal identity theft cases for several years there was no way that I was going to provide anyone (especially calling from a "masked number") any personal identification information. The male told me that he would just cancel my order and that there was nothing that I could do about it. I asked the male for the telephone number that he was calling from and he provided the telephone number of (888) 396-5299. I asked the male for his name and he replied "Lawrence". When I asked Lawrence for his last name, if found it even more suspicious (and ironic) that he replied that he was not going to provide his last name.
At 3:13 pm, I received an email from sears@value. Sears.com informing me that my order had been cancelled.
I have a history of extensive travel both inside and outside of the United States and am used to my credit card issuer calling me to verify that I have made a purchase that may seem "irregular". During every call that I have received, from my credit card issuer, I am never asked to provide any information. The credit card issuer provides me with the information that needs to be verified and I either verify it or inform them that I did not make that transaction.
It was my intent to provide internet links to webpages from local authorities, (ie: numerous States' Attorneys General as well as national authorities such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, US Secret Service, US Attorney General, Internal Revenue Service etc) which, strongly, advise against providing personal identification information to anyone (especially from "masked" or unknown numbers) but this correspondence has already exceeded the length intended. I'm sure that you can do a simple, internet, search and find that information on your own.in my opinion, providing personal information, in such circumstances, is as intelligent as replying to an email from a Prince, in Algeria, asking for your assistance in smuggling his family fortune out of the country, by providing your bank account information for the funds to be deposited into.
Incidentally, if you do an internet search, you can, also, find multiple cases of Sears loosing much more than my $3,000.00 sale because other customers find the telephone calls suspicious and (smartly) refuse to provide their personal identification information to an, unsolicited, telephone call from a "masked" or unknown telephone number.
Wanting to verify the authenticity of an online order is understandable. However, your company is not meeting that goal in a manner which is professional or contrary to maintaining the confidence of your customers. Nor are your actions indicative of a company that wishes to maintain, repeat, customers in an effort to prevent the value of your brand from eroding further than it has over the past few years. As a customer and an experienced identity theft investigator, I would be happy to discuss some, very simple, changes in your Loss Prevention Techniques which would, easily, prevent the continued loss of $3,000.00 customer transactions. From my, online, research of other customers who have been wary of the telephone calls, like the one I received, I am confident that you are loosing multiple customers a week because of your current techniques used in verifying the authenticity of online purchases.
Over the course of my career I have been asked to speak to hundreds of community groups about the importance of preventing identity theft and the best practices to utilize in protecting ones personal information. I have spoken to groups ranging from middle school aged kids to senior citizen organizations.
During these events I've used examples of other people who have been victims of identity theft or received unsolicited telephone calls from people asking for personal identification information. I've never had a, personal, example to use until now. I will be using this experience, in the future, to illustrate the poor techniques of a business as well known as Sears and K-Mart. I do, however, consider it fair that I provide future audiences with any replies that store level and/or executive level representatives of of Sears provides me with.
In advance, I would like to thank you for the time, and consideration, that you will provide my shopping experience with your company. Since locating email addresses of anyone associated with Sears / K-Mart is impossible, accept my apology if you are not the correct individual to handle this email. I would appreciate you forwarding this to the appropriate individual or department.
Sincerely
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