Duped by a retail store and now they will not take care of me, What are my options?
everett000
Newbie

I was given a "too good to be true" promotion on an I-Pad at the retail store in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. 2 days later I found out that everything was not as promised. I was angry that I had been mislead by the sales reps at the store. I returned the I-Pad to the store only to find out now they wanted to charge me a restocking fee of $70 dollars.

I will admit I was angry and maybe could have listened to their sales pitch of why I should keep the I-Pad, but they had not been fully forthcoming with all the details 2 days earlier so why would I want to listen to another sales pitch. I went back and fourth between the 1-800 customer service and the sales clerk. Customer service told me to ask for the manager of the store. When I asked to speak to the store manager the person I was speaking with told me "I am the manager" and she had made her decision "You are going to pay the restocking fee". Later I noticed an employee who had walked over close to me when I was talking to customer service on the phone. The employee's name badge said "General Manager".  I asked "Are you the person in charge of this store?" to which she replied yes.

I once again felt I had been deceived. Why would have the store manager not identified herself when I asked for the store manager earlier, instead she walks over close to hear my conversation with the 1-800 Verizon customer service.

I went back and forth with the store all day long. The store manager held her ground stating "You had signed the contract" and she even highlighted the receipt where it had the restocking fee listed. (What I signed is an I-Pad screen and then my signature is inserted onto the receipt.) I wonder how many customers read the whole contract of what they are signing.

To make a long story short the store never gave me back the $70 dollars. Verizon Customer service did credit me for my loss. I just do not think it is fair that the store who mislead me also got to charge me a restocking fee.

I know I need to let it go since Verizon Customer Service did take care of me. From now on I will never deal with a retail store. I will do all my interaction with Verizon Online where I will not have to worry about a sales rep, wanting to make extra commission, and leave a lot of the details out.

I have been a Verizon customer for 10 years and will remain one if I stay out of the retail stores.

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Re: Duped by a retail store and now they will not take care of me, What are my options?
Weth
Legend

The tablet add on deals are too often to get commission fees. Tablet lines are one of the biggest growth areas of Verizon right now, so they are really being pushed.

However, and at this point it is lesson learned, you are responsible for what you signed. The iPad you signed is just a legal as a paper, and it had the same information, so you can't argue the printed receipt with your captured signature is not valid. When you signed the iPad it had the $70 restocking fee information. As far as your argument that no one reads the contract they sign is also not valid. You are responsible for what you sign.

Having said that, what details did they verbally mislead you on that differed from the signed contract?

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Re: Duped by a retail store and now they will not take care of me, What are my options?
MiiHere
Champion - Level 3

Can we hear how you were duped while buying an iPad?

Re: Duped by a retail store and now they will not take care of me, What are my options?
Weth
Legend

The tablet add on deals are too often to get commission fees. Tablet lines are one of the biggest growth areas of Verizon right now, so they are really being pushed.

However, and at this point it is lesson learned, you are responsible for what you signed. The iPad you signed is just a legal as a paper, and it had the same information, so you can't argue the printed receipt with your captured signature is not valid. When you signed the iPad it had the $70 restocking fee information. As far as your argument that no one reads the contract they sign is also not valid. You are responsible for what you sign.

Having said that, what details did they verbally mislead you on that differed from the signed contract?

Re: Duped by a retail store and now they will not take care of me, What are my options?
everett000
Newbie

Weth - You are 100% correct about the issue with the contract. I have learned my lesson.

I feel a customer should be able to trust the word of anyone they do business with. If you can't trust someone, stop doing business with them!!

The sales rep told us our plan would be changed and our line charge was going to be reduced from $40 per line to $20 per line (on 2 of our 4 lines). What really happened was we were getting a 12 month promotion or credit to the 2 lines. The rates she quoted was for only 12 months. I would not have made the purchase if this was disclosed to me.

2 days later when I returned to the store, They kept trying to convince me that "it is still a good deal".

It was not the deal or the plan I was told about two days earlier.

From a legal standpoint I signed the document. My mistake.

From an ethical standpoint, Very poor business on their behalf.

It is not about the $70 dollars. It's about standing behind your word.

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Re: Duped by a retail store and now they will not take care of me, What are my options?
MiiHere
Champion - Level 3

Did you think the discount would be...for the remainder of the time you stayed with Verizon or...?

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Re: Duped by a retail store and now they will not take care of me, What are my options?
everett000
Newbie

The sales rep did not use the words "discount" but said I can change your plan. So the answer is "Yes" I thought as long as I did not make any further changes to the account the "Plan" would remain.

Just a final word. I appreciate the opportunity to vent. That's all I really needed,

I have been credited what I lost in monetary value. I am now spending way too much time and negative energy toward this small issue that has been resolved.

I will be a little wiser in the future.

"I hope I shall possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man."
George Washington

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Re: Duped by a retail store and now they will not take care of me, What are my options?
MiiHere
Champion - Level 3

That's good info for the Verizon folks reading this. They have VERY poor training practices between stores, calling and chat. Assuming you signed up for a 2 year plan with the tablet, personally I probably would have assumed I got the discount for those 2 years. They should definitely clearly state things.

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Re: Duped by a retail store and now they will not take care of me, What are my options?
Tidbits
Legend

They may not have poor training. Training is as effective as the person is willing to learn it. A managers can't keep tabs on all staff 24/7 either. Often a lot of these sales reps have high churn rates along with CSR reps.

Re: Duped by a retail store and now they will not take care of me, What are my options?
MiiHere
Champion - Level 3

Perhaps it's just from my own recent experience and reading everyone's posts on here, but I've gotten completely different answers from Verizon depending on how I contact them and who I reach. I even ask all the appropriate questions and check and doubled check and still they provide incorrect information.

Which is why so many people post on here "I'VE BEEN LIED TO!" when really I think most of the time it's an honest mistake and they just didn't know any better. Part training and part lack of understanding and asking appropriate questions.

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Re: Duped by a retail store and now they will not take care of me, What are my options?
Tidbits
Legend

High churn rate means higher chances of inexperienced reps especially or those that don't take the job seriously they are not going to learn the material. Most reps don't last a year.

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