Daughter Ripped Off?

 
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Dallas
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Post by Dallas » Tue. Sep. 09, 2008 9:50 am

Sometimes, you just have to leave 'em go, to see if what you tried to teach them, "took".

If I were you, I'd forget it for a little while ... maybe go to HD and grab some stove pipe for her. :twisted:


 
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beatle78
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Post by beatle78 » Tue. Sep. 09, 2008 9:50 am

yep, that be the place!

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&client=firefox- ... 1&ct=title

Yah, I just finished there in 2006. Mostly night school for my Master's.

SMU? WOW you must be really old :D

 
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Devil505
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Post by Devil505 » Tue. Sep. 09, 2008 10:07 am

beatle78 wrote:SMU? WOW you must be really old :D
Hey watch it!! :mad:

Yup...My oldest daughter just turned 40 & she graduated SMU (Southeastern Mass Univ)....Now UMASS Dartmouth..... in 1989.

 
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Devil505
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Post by Devil505 » Tue. Sep. 09, 2008 10:43 am

Final Report:

I just spoke with my daughter who reports a manager at Ashaway agreed to give her a black door & refund 1/2 of the $80.00 delivery charge she paid (for Saturday's "partial" delivery) if she picks it up at the store in Dartmouth. (about 35 miles away)

She agreed to that.

Now that I've named the store, I have to be careful how I categorize my perception of their ethics & business practices, so I will simply advise potential customers to read this thread & make their own decisions. Caveat Emptor
Last edited by Devil505 on Tue. Sep. 09, 2008 11:13 am, edited 2 times in total.

 
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coalkirk
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Post by coalkirk » Tue. Sep. 09, 2008 10:46 am

That's fair and I hope they reamed out the idiot who sold the stove that way.

 
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Post by CapeCoaler » Tue. Sep. 09, 2008 10:54 am

And report them to BBB and the State...
Stove with no door...
Cars with no motor...
Cats and Dogs living together...
Sound like a George Carlin skit...

 
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Devil505
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Post by Devil505 » Tue. Sep. 09, 2008 11:01 am

coalkirk wrote:That's fair and I hope they reamed out the idiot who sold the stove that way.
Let me state that this is strictly my opinion based on the admitted bias I naturally have due to my daughter being involved:

I feel that this situation discloses a much deeper problem with their business ethics than the "reaming out" of a particular employee would solve. For a situation like this, relating to a $1600.00 purchase, to be allowed to go this far, with multiple employees & managers involved is simply inexcusable in my opinion & I would never step foot in their store for that reason.

If anyone from their store is reading this & would care to respond, feel free.

I can, however strongly recommend the Harman dealer where I bought my stove, which is just a few miles away:

AMERICAN ENERGY SAVERS
302 N. FRONT STREET / PO BOX 61295
NEW BEDFORD, MA 02746
508-992-2020

Ask for the owner: Rainee


 
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Post by traderfjp » Tue. Sep. 09, 2008 4:01 pm

It sounds like this dealer is an a-hole. I think your advice is partly correct. The stove should have come with a door. This is the scam they play at some electronic stores. They will take something out of the box and then try to sell it back to the customer and say it is an extra. If u charge it back you will definetely get sued unless the guy is an idiot. You did buy a stove and have to pay for it. The stove is incomplete. The correct thing to do is to return the stove and tell the guy to shove it high but the problem is that they may not be able to get the stove at another dealer. If it was me I would pay for the door and then dispute that charge. He probably won't take you to court for 120.00 and the CC will not care to much about a chargeback that is so minimal but for 1600.00 and his stove you're going to have a fight on your hands. It all depends on how far u want to go with all this. I think in the end the dealer would loose especially if you can get Harman to say that their stoves some with a door. His argument will be that the stove has two doors to choose from and that is why they are priced individually.

 
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Post by Devil505 » Tue. Sep. 09, 2008 4:33 pm

If you look at my 10:43 post you will see the situation has been resolved, but I'll make a couple of points regarding your post anyway:
traderfjp wrote:You did buy a stove and have to pay for it. The stove is incomplete. The correct thing to do is to return the stove and tell the guy to shove it
If we took your advice, there would have been little chance of finding any replacement stove at this late date, so that was not an option. My argument in court would have been that my daughter paid $1600.00 for a new heating appliance with the obvious intent of using it for heating purposes. Both the Harman brochures & store salespeople advertise it's only real use is for that purpose. The item actually delivered Saturday was totally incapable of being used as a heat source & therefore the store took $1600.00 but did not keep their part of the contract........Delivering a usable heat appliance. (what they actually did deliver is not usable for any purpose whatsoever!.....well ok.....maybe she could store her shoes in it)
traderfjp wrote:If u charge it back you will definitely get sued unless the guy is an idiot.
I disagree.( I Have a working knowledge of the legal system, having appeared as a government witness hundreds of times & having represented myself in a few civil actions) I think any attorney would have advised him (the store) that they would undoubtedly lose that lawsuit & that a settlement would be the much more cost effective way to resolve the matter. ($180.00 doesn't pay for many "Billable Hours" for legal representation!) They had an untenable hand to play......& they obviously knew it! :)
Last edited by Devil505 on Wed. Sep. 10, 2008 11:21 am, edited 1 time in total.

 
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Post by coalkirk » Tue. Sep. 09, 2008 5:06 pm

I think it's highly unlikley this was a deliberate act by this store. It's clearly they are not familair with the product and that the door is listed separatley. That doesn't absolve them of responsibility but I don't think there was evil intent, just ignorance and then trying to cover their tails.

 
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Devil505
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Post by Devil505 » Tue. Sep. 09, 2008 5:17 pm

coalkirk wrote:I think it's highly unlikley this was a deliberate act by this store. It's clearly they are not familair with the product and that the door is listed separatley. That doesn't absolve them of responsibility but I don't think there was evil intent, just ignorance and then trying to cover their tails.
I never accused anyone of evil intent Terry, & while I'm sure the whole situation arose out of unfamiliarity with the stove by a salesman, that in no way absolves the store from its responsibility to do the right thing in the end: Accept the fact that their employee made a big mistake & "eat" that mistake financially, instead of trying to sleaze money out of an innocent customer's pocket. The original "mistake" (giving them the benefit of doubt) was never the issue.....The store's (unethical) attempted solution was.
Last edited by Devil505 on Tue. Sep. 09, 2008 8:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.

 
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Post by coalkirk » Tue. Sep. 09, 2008 5:27 pm

Dick I totally agree and I didn't think you thought that but it see,ed others may have thought this was some planned scheme to rip off customers. Just garden variety stupidity. The manager should have immedialtey made it good. I've got my own business and I don't make many mistakes ;) but if I do, I bend over backwards to make things right and not try to blame shift.

 
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Post by Devil505 » Tue. Sep. 09, 2008 5:36 pm

coalkirk wrote:Dick I totally agree and I didn't think you thought that but it see,ed others may have thought this was some planned scheme to rip off customers. Just garden variety stupidity.
After taking a handful of those conspiracy pills that I always keep at hand, :D I think the store's immediate, poor reaction may represent more than "Just garden variety stupidity." To carry the saga this far, & not immediately admit the fault was theirs, I tend to believe it may disclose a deeper store problem: An unethical business psychology for which any potential customers should take that risk into account. Again...caveat emptor!

 
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Post by japar » Tue. Sep. 09, 2008 9:28 pm

I am a small business owner and I always eat and learn from my own mistakes but what I don't inderstand is that this is not the first Harman stove they sold so what does that tell ya !

 
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Post by traderfjp » Tue. Sep. 09, 2008 10:51 pm

I guess you didn't read my post carefully I didn't say to return the stove. I said if there wasn't a shortage then you would want to return the stove because why would u want to give a suspect dealer any of your business?

Also, I was sued in federal court and our family lawyer suggested that we not try to defend ourselves because of the special procedures they have - he said we would mostly likely lose. We got the notices and all that but was stubborn like you. Lets say you would have charged back the stove and then the dealer sicks his high powered lawyer on your butt. If he can prove that he sells the stove with the doors extra because there are two different types of doors - I don't think you would win hands down. There are always two sides to a story. You're also not going to get Harman to put anything in writing. I agree that in this case it sounds like they were slimeballing your daughter but just because your upset and not happy doesn't mean a judge would side with you.


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