I purchased a Tiffany-style table lamp which is made of plastic instead of cut glass. I called on May 3 and no one answered at Customer Service. I was hung up on several times by people claiming to be supervisors at the order-taking area; no one would help by involving a Manager to find out if customer service was open. It was closed, but we kept being told that it was open — but no one had any concern about finding a real person's number and calling to check. We wasted 2 1/2 hours in this endeavor.
Finally I reached "Daniel", PAL 6844, who said he would contact Customer Service but never did. He also said he would send me an e-mail but never did. Perhaps he believed he would and was told otherwise offline; more likely, this is policy at Shop NBC, placate the customer to get them off the phone, then forget any promise (s) you may have made.
I called again May 5 and was told that "there is a coating on the glass that makes it seem like plastic." I kid you not. A coating that makes plastic sound like glass when you tap it. A coating that makes glass light and easy to pick up like plastic. Yes, I was told, I am mistaken, this is glass. So what if there is no strain in picking up a large 16" diameter cut glass shade? It's glass, they'll tell you.
Returns?
They said that the clock started ticking on the 30 day window to return it when I ordered the lamp, not when I received it (which was April 7). Even though there is obvious fraud regarding the merchandise, that was not a circumstance under which they would make an exception. No, I am stuck with the lamp. Their concern that I received phony merchandise was exactly zero.
Zero.
They said if it's plastic, prove it. Go to a dealer, have them test it, tell us what test (s) were used, and sign a statement on their letterhead. Oh, they are ready for these calls. This request for proof is already scripted. People won't cart delicate lead-soldered items to a city (or across town) and pay to test their lamps when they know it's plastic, they will just give up. Their phone reps are aggressive and obviously accustomed to hearing about such commonplace experiences by their customers. They are well-trained to go toe to toe with them and do not make an effort to help; but they do go to great verbal lengths to claim they are making great efforts to be helpful. It's a joke.
The customer is always right? I believe their philosophy is 'there are plenty of potential customers out there to be duped, and we will find them.' I don't intend to be one of them, not by any stretch. Plastic is plastic. Avoid this lamp.
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