2-for-1??
These boxes look remarkably alike, don’t they?
That’s because they ARE!
When Mom and I went out last Saturday, our main stop was Bath and Body Works so that I could get some of my favorite body wash, but … I wandered all over the store, and they just didn’t have it in stock.
Grr. Particularly frustrating, you know, because as a rule, I buy everything online these days, so the fact that I made a point of GOING there only for them not to have it in stock? Frustrating! But, okay, whatever. I came home and sucked up the fact that I was going to have to pay postage, and I ordered it online.
B&BW must have been feeling generous because they sent me the whole order TWICE!
Well, mostly. One of them, in fact, is incorrect, but still … they printed my packing slip twice by mistake and then sent me two boxes.
Now, I admit I was seriously tempted to just keep the extra box of stuff, but Mom and Dad raised me to be an honest person, so, I sent them an email explaining the problem and asking if they wanted me to send the extras back, or could I keep them?
I got an email back saying, “Due to the complex nature of your inquiry, please contact us directly at 1-800-756-5005 regarding this matter.”
Um, maybe it’s just me, but this didn’t seem particularly complex to me, and I found it pretty annoying that the burden was on me to call THEM and then wait for an available operator … so I wrote them back and said so.
The email I got back? Well, they nicely credited my credit card for the shipping charges on my original order, which I thought was pretty nice of them, but they still wanted me to call them back to resolve the problem. (Sigh.) So I did. Ultimately, they do want the duplicate products back and said they would send me a UPS shipping label via email to cover the cost … though I haven’t gotten it yet.
Now, I mentioned this to a coworker this afternoon, and she thought I was crazy for calling them. “After all,” she said,” It was their mistake.” She would have just kept it. She even said that she never says anything if a cashier at a store gives her incorrect change (which really surprised me).
But I wouldn’t have felt right about that. One extra item in my box? Well, yeah, I suppose I wouldn’t have bothered to tell them about an extra bottle of bodywash–the shipping to send it back would have cost more than the item, what would be the point? But, an entire order?
How about you? What would you have done? Hypothetically, of course!
And after you’re done thinking about that, here are a couple links for you:
- Ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes at the Food Network Challenge show? Well, here’s a link to an article–going through the blog of a local baker who was on the show. Check out some of the cakes on her blog–they’re amazing! In fact, Don’t Miss the Party Dress Cake in this entry–it’s the most beautiful thing…
- Go read my guest post/entry over at Joyful Jubilant Learning!
- Check out this call for submissions for an eBook about love, raising money for charity.
Now, go forth and be fruitful and knit … just don’t forget to answer my deep, moral question before you go!
Click here to subscribe via RSS
Follow me on Twitter!
Tannenbaum.
House Calls
I would have e-mailed B&BW, having been raised to be honest also. However, If they didn’t feel they could resolve it by e-mail, I would not have called them but would have sent another e-mail, pointing out that I was trying to be honest about THEIR mistake when I could have just kept the stuff and that I would not go out of my way to call an 800# just to be put on hold.
At this point? I wouldn’t lift another finger. If no UPS label shows up I would just write it all off as their problem and keep the stuff.
that’s a tough one. A couple of years back hubby had ordered all kinds of fun things to put on my jeep. One item being new fog lights. Well at first they sent the wrong ones (yellow vs clear), then they sent ones that the one lens was cracked, then they resent new ones twice! at this point i have almost 400.00 worth of fog lights that i have only paid once for. i called and asked them what i should do…they told me to keep them! they are all still sitting in boxes in the garage as right after we finally got the right ones hubby traded my jeep in for the new jeep! I say it might feel like it sucks a bit at the time but i think Karma keeps tabs and will catch up someday!
Tanya’s last blog post..And the rain fell down, down, down….and some pimp!
i’ll tell you what i did. i went to the grocery store, and bought the makings for nachos, to include a packet of taco seasoning. i went through the self check out, and asked the cashier monitoring if i could have some paper bags (we recycle paper, and it’s easier to stuff it all into a paper bag). she gave me a handful, and i laid them in the cart, and put the rest of my groceries in one. well, apparently, i laid the bags on top of the taco seasoning, and forgot to ring it up.
i went out to the van, and unloaded the groceries, and found the un-paid-for taco seasoning. I hesitated for afew minutes, then decided to walk back in with it and pay for it. the cashier thanked me for my honesty, and told me most people would have just taken it home. i told her i couldn’t do that, and still tell my kids to be honest. the real kicker? it was 56 cents.
does that give you my answer?
minnie’s last blog post..i can’t believe this
Good for you! To answer you question, yes, I would have contacted B&BW. I figure that if I am going to complain when I am overcharged, it just makes sense to point out when I am undercharged. Businesses are in business to make a profit and taking advantage of them is the same as stealing.
We had this sort of situation at Pat & Oscar’s a few years ago. They didn’t ring up a drink, but they gave me the cup for it. When we got to the table and I realized the mistake, I went right up to the counter to pay for the drink. The manager was so impressed that he brought us cookies. As I pointed out to my young son, you always benefit from doing the right thing. Sometimes the benefit is just more immediate than others!
I had a similar thing happen at one of the big box yarn stores. (Can’t remember which one.) I placed an online order but I never received it. I called to check on it and they said they would send it again. It wasn’t a very large order. When it came, I realized it was my previous order, not the last one. Either I messed up or their server messed up. I called them up to tell them they sent me a duplicate and they told me to keep it. Of course I went ahead and placed the missing order.
Sydney’s last blog post..Stretching Out FOs
Wait a minute…aren’t you the one saying that my chicken broth recipe is too expensive???
You know, earlier this Christmas season I had ordered Wii Ski through Amazon for my Thing 2, and right before the holidays realized that it hadn’t come yet. I went to my account on Amazon, saw that it had shipped (and when I clicked through the tracking) that it actually had been delivered, too. I found their phone # (an effort), and told them that I hadn’t received the product. They promptly refunded me. Then, 2 days later, a neighbor (not next door, but 10 digits off my house address) showed up with the box.
I have to admit, the thought of not calling amazon back did cross my mind, but nope, I found the number again, called back and asked them to re-charge me.
And maybe that’s why my karma’s been so great to me ever since.
What Anne wrote!
I would have done what you did, too.
sprite’s last blog post..greeting, inching back in, and sunset
You are right. Your co-worker is wrong, but it is a sad sign of the times that you are expected to do all the work. And, stop baking. You’re driving me insane;–)
I would have done what you did and that is what I did with an order I received twice from another co. BUT when I called to tell them (this was years ago before e-mail! LOL) they credited my account for what I HAD ordered! Now I am sitting with a double order and not being charged for anything! I spent hours trying to explain it and finally they just told me that as long as I was satisfied with what I had received to keep it! LOL And some companies wonder why they are losing money.
Sue
I would have contacted them about the extra box of stuff. And I would have been similarly annoyed that I had to call and be on hold, etc etc. But I believe that you get back what you give. Karma. I try to be as honest as humanly possible and treat others as I would like to be treated. If I notice that a cashier gave me too much change back, I let them know and give it back. Having worked as a cashier myself (for all of 3 hrs and then I quit because the owners yelled at me because the register was 3 cents short), I know that if the cash drawer is short, the cashier sometimes has to pay the difference.
Kim’s last blog post..Happy New Year!
I probably would have emailed the one time, and if it was a big runaround, I probably wouldn’t have bothered pressing the issue. I have more important things to do with my time, I guess. The only time I am not ‘honest’ is when I go through the checkouts and the thing I bought comes up way less than it is supposed to be.
Kailana’s last blog post..The Book of Ballads by Charles Vess and Others
I would have contacted them. If they didn’t send the label, I guess I’d hold the stuff for a while and not worry about it. I speak up when cashiers make change in my favor, because I will speak up if it’s not in my favor.
I would have done what you did. I too inform people of extra change and such.
A few years ago I had ordered something in October and by Christmas I had not received the items. I asked the company to return my money and they did. That June my box came. The same one that had been shipped in October of the previous year. I called the company and they told me not to worry about it because of the delay.
I would have called them about the (almost) duplicate box. it is just the right thing to do. Good karma and all that.
Angie’s last blog post..Wait!
I ordered something from Amazon one summer, and got shipped two boxes. One box had my order in it, the second box was full of Christmas-themed things. (Like cheese spreaders?!) I called Amazon, to try to resolve this, because I didn’t want the stuff AND it wasn’t mine anyway. It was sort of a hassle to get them to understand the problem and fix it. Lame.
But I will always choose honesty. When the pet store forgot to charge us for our puppy’s tag, we went back in the store to tell them. The kid working was very nice and said “Our mistake,” and let us keep it for free. But if I hadn’t gone back in I would have felt bad about it every time I saw it.
maria’s last blog post..9 Books for 2009
[...] Tried to do the right thing over a customer-service mix-up [...]