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Target Complaint - Sale Items They Can't Sell You - Televisions / Customer Service
Televisions / Customer Service - Complaint
OAK CREEK, WISCONSIN -- Target had TV's on sale 2/15/09. Phillips 42"and Westing House 32".
I went early in the morning, they said they didn't have any 42" Phillips. Never had them and don't know if they are going to get them in. They can't give you a rain check either, says it right in their flier. No body in the area has them. They told me to call customer service to complain. Customer service calls are answered by people in India who read off of cards, the guy told me they have no Targets in India, so I said basically he didn't know anything about anything.
What a crappy business approach, I hope people wake up and quit shopping at Target. They lure you into the store on false advertising, isn't that fraud.
The 32" Westing House I bought I ended up boxing back up and returning that day. Couldn't get it to auto program, the only way I could get it to turn off was to unplug it.
I am done with Target, I went through the same thing 2 years ago when I tried to buy a TV, I should of learn my lesson.
I went early in the morning, they said they didn't have any 42" Phillips. Never had them and don't know if they are going to get them in. They can't give you a rain check either, says it right in their flier. No body in the area has them. They told me to call customer service to complain. Customer service calls are answered by people in India who read off of cards, the guy told me they have no Targets in India, so I said basically he didn't know anything about anything.
What a crappy business approach, I hope people wake up and quit shopping at Target. They lure you into the store on false advertising, isn't that fraud.
The 32" Westing House I bought I ended up boxing back up and returning that day. Couldn't get it to auto program, the only way I could get it to turn off was to unplug it.
I am done with Target, I went through the same thing 2 years ago when I tried to buy a TV, I should of learn my lesson.
Comments:
Posted by NickL11354 on 2009-02-16:
Yup another example of Targets 'legendary' (bad) customer service or dis service. Seriously, this store will likely go the way of circuit city.
Lets see:
Trying to return something and getting the third degree
These 'team members' who romp around the store with those annoying walkie talkies or whatever they are and can't be bothered to help customers
Not having advertised items in stock -- never having them. What good is it to have a huge sign that says 'price cut' on a TV if you don't have it available to sell right now.
And the general 'dollar store' type feel.
Lets see:
Trying to return something and getting the third degree
These 'team members' who romp around the store with those annoying walkie talkies or whatever they are and can't be bothered to help customers
Not having advertised items in stock -- never having them. What good is it to have a huge sign that says 'price cut' on a TV if you don't have it available to sell right now.
And the general 'dollar store' type feel.
Posted by financiallyfit on 2009-02-16:
Are there laws in the United States regarding items listed on sale? In Canada, the Federal Competition Bureau requires stores to have sufficient supply of sale items available for sale. There are plenty of loopholes, of course, and "sufficient" can be interpreted differently, but the provision provides some consumer protection. Next time this happens, you may want to find out if such a law exists. If it doesn't, my comment is useless to you, but it may be worth looking in to.
Posted by yoke on 2009-02-16:
It is not just Target that does this. Advertisements are made months in advance. The product was ordered months in advance. If the product does not come in or does not ship it is not the stores fault.
Posted by Target no longer exists on 2009-02-16:
If the advertisements are made months in advance and they can't pull them, somebody isn't doing their job. That individual should be held resposible for hurting the business. I will never shop for anything thing there again.
Posted by yoke on 2009-02-16:
The advertisements and orders are made months in advance. The stores, not just Target, has no control if the manufacturer can not produce the items and have them shipped out on time.
It crakcs me up how the Target haters are claiming it is only Target that does this, LMAO!
It crakcs me up how the Target haters are claiming it is only Target that does this, LMAO!
Posted by NickL11354 on 2009-02-16:
target's ads made 'months in advance' -- how do you know that??
target doesn't even have print advertisements anymore, they are all online an automatically emailed to you.
what good is a sale or 'temporary price cut' (which is a tease & come on) if you have none of the item available and there is no easy way for the store to order it for you and have it shipped for free.. Can target even find out if any of the other stores have it in stock or is that done by the old telephone -- calling & then being put on hold (if not hung up on).
target doesn't even have print advertisements anymore, they are all online an automatically emailed to you.
what good is a sale or 'temporary price cut' (which is a tease & come on) if you have none of the item available and there is no easy way for the store to order it for you and have it shipped for free.. Can target even find out if any of the other stores have it in stock or is that done by the old telephone -- calling & then being put on hold (if not hung up on).
Posted by yoke on 2009-02-16:
Nick,when do you think they plan sales, the day before? They order items for a sale months in advance. They have NO control if the manufacturer can get the items shipped. When I worked for Yamaha stores would order the items months in advance for a sale they were planning. There were times that the items were backordered from Japan and we could not get them to the stores. It was not only Target it happens to. We would send the specs to the store chain months in advance of the sale so they can get the flyers printed. I can't beleive that you think that people make a decision overnight to have a sale.
Posted by DumdHead on 2009-02-16:
The other thing to keep in mind is that adds are regional or national. In either case not all stores carry the same product. If a store doesn't carry that item on a regular basis they typically will not get the item in for a sale.
as far as you not going back they will probably prefer it.
I tresspassed one of my pains a while back. Noboby elese did on the fear that he would tell people and sales would decline. With out him in the store every day going on about something sales went up. So hurt them, go some place else. LOL
as far as you not going back they will probably prefer it.
I tresspassed one of my pains a while back. Noboby elese did on the fear that he would tell people and sales would decline. With out him in the store every day going on about something sales went up. So hurt them, go some place else. LOL
Posted by JohnInSoCal on 2009-02-16:
How about not selling you an item that they DO have in stock. http://www.my3cents.com/showReview.cgi?id=47019 The promo these were for were planned for one month after they had the product in stock.
Posted by ChuhBaca on 2009-02-16:
Yoke, maybe it isn't just Target that does this. You may, however, notice that the complaint is about Target! Again! I believe Financially Fit is correct and there are also laws in the US against this practice. Maybe instead of defending bad practices, you can take some of the feed back you see on this site, to your employer. You may helps save some customers and maybe even your job.
Posted by yoke on 2009-02-16:
chu, i no longer work for Yamaaha, but you are missing the point. Stores order the items months in advance. If there is a problem with manufacturing the product what do you want Target to do? The flyers are made months in advance. The reason Target probably did not offer rain checks is they have no idea when the item will, if ever will come in. It is out of their control. I am not defending bad practices, I am telling you how it happens. To bash Target for it when it happens to all the stores is wrong.
The way stores get away with not having the products available is the disclaimer they have in their adds.
The way stores get away with not having the products available is the disclaimer they have in their adds.
Posted by Principissa on 2009-02-16:
Maybe I'm naive, but I thought the store had no control over what the manufacturer sent to them. Any flier I've seen usually states "In stores where available" as a disclaimer on the ad itself. I'm in no way sticking up for Target, I think they should have informed customers that they didn't have these items in stock, but I really think that your beef lies with the manufacturers who didn't send them any/enough product.
Posted by yoke on 2009-02-16:
princi, you are not naive, the store has no control of what is sent to them.
Posted by ChuhBaca on 2009-02-16:
Here is the customer service question of the day; When the customer showed up at the store to purchase the sale item and they could not fulfill the customer's expectation? Did they A: Offer an acceptable or reasonable alternative (rain check, special order, discount another similar product)?
B: Give the customer an 800 number and advised them to call someone who cares?
In typical Target fashion, the answer is B. Target should start taping a quarter to the back of that card to complete the phrase.
B: Give the customer an 800 number and advised them to call someone who cares?
In typical Target fashion, the answer is B. Target should start taping a quarter to the back of that card to complete the phrase.
Posted by Ghost of Doc J on 2009-02-16:
I agree, Princi. The phrase 'while supplies last' usually also appears. I got a Target ad today. There is a paragraph disclaimer on the back. "While supplies last...", "Some items not available at all locations...". Doesn't seem too confusing.
Posted by yoke on 2009-02-16:
chu, why do they need to offer something else when the add states they do not have to? When the CS gave the number to call it was the right thing since nothing the person at the store said was going to make the person happy. Again, it is not just Target that does this. All stores do this. If the product does not come in there is nothing the store can do, but some customers just won't take I'm sorry for an answer. They think that by calling the headquarters they will be able to get what the store has already told them they can not.
Posted by Target no longer exists on 2009-02-16:
Yes they tell you to call customer care. Where---in India, yes I told some guy in India about Target, like he cares.I am so tired of getting the brush off from these types of merchants. America needs to do something about it.
We need to quit shopping at these stores.
We need to quit shopping at these stores.
Posted by yoke on 2009-02-16:
Where exactly should we shop then?
Posted by TGT101 on 2009-02-16:
Your going to stop shopping at every store? Where will you get your stuff?
Posted by mathprofmatt on 2009-02-27:
Did you ask about (or did they offer) a substitute? If sale items are out of stock, they'll usually have a similar prodcut (say a Westing House 42" for the Philips) designated as the ad-substitute, and they'll mark it down the same percentage as the original sale item.
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