fanofdmb84
it IS called 'fur'-niture
I'm looking for unbiased opinions on an issue I've had recently. My husband thinks I'm crazy for trying to be nice and helpful, but I think putting forth extra effort for customer service will go a long way in the end...maybe I'm wrong :/
Background: I have an online store where I sell custom/made-to-order items. A buyer purchased one of these items around Christmas time, however he requested an add-on that he did not pay for. I emailed him to talk about it and arrange payment. He agreed but also said he had expected the item to arrive within the next day or two. I pointed out that the item was special-order, and it was during the holiday, so it would be 1-3 weeks. Had he bothered to read the item description he would have known that, but I digress....
The story: Fast forward a few weeks, and I get several early morning phone calls and a voicemail, followed by an email. Apparently the item he purchased had broken. He demanded a replacement item to be overnighted to him and a full refund of his original purchase price and shipping, minus the expense for the replacement, however I was expected to cover any and all shipping charges for the replacement as well as the return of the broken item. From what I can tell it was under an unusual amount of stress, however I stand by my 60 day guarantee, so I told him I would be happy to repair it for no charge, all he had to do was send it back. He insisted that he was still using it and could not send it back until I sent him a replacement. I explained that I make all of these items as they are ordered, and that I did not have one to send out immediately - because of this, he really ought to just send his back for repair. I also questioned how he could still be using the item when it was apparently completely broken. At this point I started to get suspicious of his story. He was quite rude in his reply, but basically said that they had made "temporary repairs" so they were still using it. I conceded and made and sent out a replacement first thing this morning, as he requested, and he said once it arrived he would return the original item. I was OK with that since I can repair and resell the original, refund him the difference, and only be out shipping fees. Furthermore, I've never had an item break like this, so I was surprised and more than willing to rectify it.
I received an email a few minutes ago from him saying he took the item somewhere locally and had it repaired, and is now expecting me to pay HIM for the repairs he had done. Keep in mind, I still have NO proof that the item was broken/damaged in the first place. Typically if people have a problem I ask for pictures as proof, OR they just send it back to me.
Considering I offered to repair it for free, there is no way I am going to pay him for repairs he had done to it. Furthermore, now that it has been modified by someone else, my original 60 warranty is null and void. On top of that, he didn't tell me of this until after the fact, AND after I already sent out another item that I cannot get back.
What do you think? Do you think I should have done more or do you think I'm being fair? Considering most business require you to return the original item before they send another one, I think I was more than accommodating. Unfortunately for me, he could very well dispute his cc charges and leave me without both items, shipping, and payment for any of it, I'm afraid.
I'm going to be rewriting some of my policies as a result of this, so at least something helpful will come of it.
Background: I have an online store where I sell custom/made-to-order items. A buyer purchased one of these items around Christmas time, however he requested an add-on that he did not pay for. I emailed him to talk about it and arrange payment. He agreed but also said he had expected the item to arrive within the next day or two. I pointed out that the item was special-order, and it was during the holiday, so it would be 1-3 weeks. Had he bothered to read the item description he would have known that, but I digress....
The story: Fast forward a few weeks, and I get several early morning phone calls and a voicemail, followed by an email. Apparently the item he purchased had broken. He demanded a replacement item to be overnighted to him and a full refund of his original purchase price and shipping, minus the expense for the replacement, however I was expected to cover any and all shipping charges for the replacement as well as the return of the broken item. From what I can tell it was under an unusual amount of stress, however I stand by my 60 day guarantee, so I told him I would be happy to repair it for no charge, all he had to do was send it back. He insisted that he was still using it and could not send it back until I sent him a replacement. I explained that I make all of these items as they are ordered, and that I did not have one to send out immediately - because of this, he really ought to just send his back for repair. I also questioned how he could still be using the item when it was apparently completely broken. At this point I started to get suspicious of his story. He was quite rude in his reply, but basically said that they had made "temporary repairs" so they were still using it. I conceded and made and sent out a replacement first thing this morning, as he requested, and he said once it arrived he would return the original item. I was OK with that since I can repair and resell the original, refund him the difference, and only be out shipping fees. Furthermore, I've never had an item break like this, so I was surprised and more than willing to rectify it.
I received an email a few minutes ago from him saying he took the item somewhere locally and had it repaired, and is now expecting me to pay HIM for the repairs he had done. Keep in mind, I still have NO proof that the item was broken/damaged in the first place. Typically if people have a problem I ask for pictures as proof, OR they just send it back to me.
Considering I offered to repair it for free, there is no way I am going to pay him for repairs he had done to it. Furthermore, now that it has been modified by someone else, my original 60 warranty is null and void. On top of that, he didn't tell me of this until after the fact, AND after I already sent out another item that I cannot get back.
What do you think? Do you think I should have done more or do you think I'm being fair? Considering most business require you to return the original item before they send another one, I think I was more than accommodating. Unfortunately for me, he could very well dispute his cc charges and leave me without both items, shipping, and payment for any of it, I'm afraid.
I'm going to be rewriting some of my policies as a result of this, so at least something helpful will come of it.
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I hope he just leaves you alone.
