Friday 3 October 2008

What will you do?


D&G Teddy Bear Necklace Situation...


I bought a D&G Teddy Bear necklace which I have posted here 4 weeks ago(bought on 13 Sept 2008). Today, the SA from D&G store in Forum Shopping Mall called me to inform me I was wrongfully given a Club 21 classic cardmembers' discount for the necklace. I got a Club 21 15% discount for this purchase, but since jewellery are not entitled for discount, I am being undercharged. The SA clearly hinted that if possible, I should go back to the store to repay the balance. And this is 4 weeks later to discover the mistake.

Although he mentioned I have a choice to repay or not...I feel I am being put in a situation where if I dun pay the balance, I have taken advantage of them and probably the junior sales person will foot the bill for the balance. But if I pay back the balance of $42, I feel very very stupid. It's their mistake, not mine. I will gladly entertain them if they inform me a day or 2 later...or even a week. Not 4 weeks later! This definitely makes me feel very upset. I was in the store last weekend and they did not detect the mistake then as well.

Strange that a reputable retailer like Club 21 will resort to this, to call the customer about their mistake not one day later...but after 4 weeks. If they had not want me to repay the balance back, then why do they call me in the first place. I am not happy! It spoils the fun of the my purchase. And I absolutely hate negative feelings attached to my shopping purchases.

I did agree reluctantly to pay back the balance tomorrow on account of the goodwill they have shown me, by giving me store credit back for a bag I bought on sale but which was of bad design and quality that rips after one use.

However, after pondering more and more, I am having second thoughts. I feel it is not right to go back to pay the balance. If I do so, it will be more of goodwill and relationship than me being silly to have to correct their mistake. 4 weeks is too long to rectify anything!

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi

I would NOT PAY the balance. As a reputable retailer like Club 21, im sure they can asorbed the $42. Its their mistake not yours.

Anonymous said...

if i were you, i will not bother. only after a month, then they realise their folly? that, coming from a reputable retailer, is absolutely not acceptable!

Kevin @ myMANybags said...

yeah, 4 weeks is ridiculous! Not acceptable at all.

Anonymous said...

NO, NO, NO... you should not have to pay for their mistake. They already gave you the discount, and after a month... it's done.

oh fudge said...

a little kindness goes a long way.

Kevin @ myMANybags said...

yes, kindness goes a long way...but after 4 weeks?...hahaha...it's so ridiculous and not really kindness anymore.

Anonymous said...

I don't know, but if it was me i'd just pay them, either it's my submissive ways of retailing, which is why sometimes i get pushed around by SAs heh, but you would wanna maintain a good relationship with the Club 21 ppl rite? then again, 4 weeks is really ridiculous. If it was 1000sgd then cannot la.

Kevin @ myMANybags said...

Well, it all depends...who cares...I am the customer. And customer is always right. If good relationship means you feel stupid...then is that worth it? I think I have to be firm on this. I will not pay back the balance...even if it is only $1. It's a matter of principle. If I commit a mistake at work, I jolly well go suck up to the consequences. And 4 weeks is absolutely unacceptable. Within a week is still understandable.

Something is wrong with the way they handle this customer situation. I have a good mind to bring this up to the customer service people at Club 21. See what they feel about their employees doing this to customers. What a bad reputation for a reputable brand and retailer.


And good service is an expected requirement in retail. I expect no less when I am paying so much money for a tee or bag. so why be pushed around by SAs. I am keeping them employed! They should be thankful!

Anonymous said...

maybe one of them likes u thats why he's making this up? heh. I thought he said there was no discount given or sales for jewelleries? wasn't that stated in the previous post? O.O

I admire your principles though! Power shopper! No wonder I'm not getting any discounts.

Kevin @ myMANybags said...

well, he only tells me that today when he calls me. About no discount for jewellery.

The thing is this is 4 weeks ago...and to take that long a time beofre finding out the mistake and requesting me to correct that...no way!

Be firm..not rude...be assertive and not snobbish...that's the true embodiment of a power shopper! Respect others while also respecting your own interests:-P

When I go to the store next time, I will explain to them why I am not paying the balance back. No one can blame me as I did not commit the mistake:-P

Kevin @ myMANybags said...

and the discount was for classic cardmembers discount for non sale items:-)

I get cardmembers discounts on all full priced items. who knows D&G jewellery is excluded.

When mentioned in my post about the necklace that the jewellery is non sale items...it does not mean I do not get my regular club 21 discount.:-P

Anonymous said...

like that also can? okay i get the picture now, i gree not paying back. But i voted for paying them back already wor...

Kevin @ myMANybags said...

hahaha...no worries lah, Toosan:-)

you are a kind person:-). It's a good quality...so dun feel bad:-)

I can be very stubborn sometimes:-)despite me being quite accommodating most times.

I do worry about the junior sales person having to pay back the difference with his wages...that will be not so nice.

But then again, why can't Club 21 just absorbed the $42 and makes everyone happy..it's not like it's millions of dollars. Is $42 worth losing customer's impression of a retail giant? it will take much more to repair the negative impact on this situation than $42.

oh fudge said...

no, not kindness to Club 21 but to the SA. he might foot the bill.

is he cute? (lol. my standards are showing)

Bagaholicboy said...

I say pay. It ain't your fault yes, and it is probably the SA's fault to being with. However, that said, Club21 will not allow the SA to be let off without paying the SGD42 from his own pocket either.

Their company policy is at fault. But live and let live. Good karma begets good karma afterall.

Unknown said...

The fact that they call you in the first place is WRONG. It's a law that they have to abide to any figure that was quoted during sales. Even if it's wrong or lower, they have to honour that.

Telling you that they have made a mistake shows that they are completely unprofessional about it. And seeing how unprofessional they can be, I am sure they will make the SA fork out for the additional.

Anonymous said...

Don't bother. Club 21 can absorb the 'damage'. It's been way too long. Look at it the other way round, if you took you necklace back to the shop after 4 weeks and asked for a refund, would they? Or even an exchange...

It's their problem, not yours.

~Tony

Kevin @ myMANybags said...

Hahaha...allan...you are compromising on your principles based on looks:-P HEHE...the power of seduction. Good looking people do have an advantage in life.

And sorry, I like potatoe more than rice. hahaha.

And Bagaholicboy, I suppose the SA will have to fork out the balance. Yes, it's sad. We all have jobs and we are all working adults. We take responsibility for mistakes made. Just like if I make a mistake in the office, I have to bear the consequences as well. It's a fact of life. We do learn from mistakes. Plus making claims after 4 weeks is not exactly politically correct. I should never even be gotten involved in this matter. They should settle it internally instead of pretending to call me to inform me of this situation. It's outright asking me to pay back the balance on no fault of mine. It upsets me and I am not going to be back down just like that. Good karma is not to be taken granted.

I should never have been given that phone call in the first place. I should not be involved in any part of it after almost a month. I am outraged at this unprofessional way of handling this matter. If my feathers gets ruffled tommorrow...I am going to call Club 21 and make this a BIG issue.

Kevin @ myMANybags said...

And tony, exactly. you dun make claims for a sale after a whole month. I would return the necklace and ask for a refund if this happens within a week cos most probably I would not have worn it yet. But after a month, I am unable to do that since I have worn it. So I am to just pay the difference for someone's mistake. They should buck up and check on things sooner and not after a month! The more I think about it...the more I am very angry to have to recieved this call in the first place.

Anonymous said...

i say no no no! don't pay them. i'm seriously shocked that the SA would actually call you and suggest that you pay them back. it's ridiculous, and this coming from Club21 is even more shocking. I'm very sure Christina Ong will not approve of this. Even if it's one day after a sale, a sale is a sale, once the transaction is done-that's it. (P.S. I've been reading your blog since I chanced upon it and i love it! a daily read for me ;P. my first time leaving a comment..coz i realli tink u shldnt have to be responsible for the SA's mistake. :)

whats-he-wearing.com said...

club21 should have written off the $42, not gracious to call you at all

(shucks, as i was typing this, boss came over to talk and your blog and this window is open. now he knows what i get up to at work!)

Kevin @ myMANybags said...

Hi Dom, Yeah, the more I think of it, the more I am appalled that they even gave me that call. Hahaha...I am sure Christina Ong will disapprove of this. So bad for company reputation.

And thanks for your support of my blog. Welcome!

and Alvin, oh dear, hope you do not get into trouble. hahaha. And yes, it's very not gracious for them to call me.