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Barnes and Noble Complaint - The first time was one time too many! - Barnes and Noble's online "service"
Barnes and Noble's online "service" - Complaint
Although I usually order from Amazon, I got a B&N gift card, and thought I'd order my brother's birthday present from them. For about $30, I got an email promise to deliver the book, gift wrapped, within three days - plenty of time, since the birthday was still 8 days off.
Seven days later, I tried to call. The automated number 1-800-THE BOOK is a joke; three times, an automated voice tells you that the operators are busy, and then the system hangs up on you. Call the local line - 201-559-3882 - and prepare to be lied to, starting with the agent's cheerful "I can help you" (they can't and won't) and ending with "a manager will call within two hours" (that won't happen, either). I did get an offer to refund the shipping portion of my order, which I thought was funny, since THEY HADN'T USED THE THREE DAY SHIPPING SERVICE I PAID FOR (in related news, they also aren't charging me for fixing my car, cooking my dinner, or any other services that they did not provide).
My last call - with my third "customer service" representative - ended with her saying how much B&N appreciates my business, echoing the line from their email, "We are glad we could be of service and look forward to your next visit". This, too, is a lie; I'm sure they would rather have not done business with me (since I get mad when you take my money, make promises, and then don't deliver), and I most certainly am sorry that I did business with them. Amazon works; why mess around with a firm that is repeatedly dishonest?
Seven days later, I tried to call. The automated number 1-800-THE BOOK is a joke; three times, an automated voice tells you that the operators are busy, and then the system hangs up on you. Call the local line - 201-559-3882 - and prepare to be lied to, starting with the agent's cheerful "I can help you" (they can't and won't) and ending with "a manager will call within two hours" (that won't happen, either). I did get an offer to refund the shipping portion of my order, which I thought was funny, since THEY HADN'T USED THE THREE DAY SHIPPING SERVICE I PAID FOR (in related news, they also aren't charging me for fixing my car, cooking my dinner, or any other services that they did not provide).
My last call - with my third "customer service" representative - ended with her saying how much B&N appreciates my business, echoing the line from their email, "We are glad we could be of service and look forward to your next visit". This, too, is a lie; I'm sure they would rather have not done business with me (since I get mad when you take my money, make promises, and then don't deliver), and I most certainly am sorry that I did business with them. Amazon works; why mess around with a firm that is repeatedly dishonest?
Comments:
Posted by ProConsumer on 2010-04-01:
No company representative believe their canned language claiming to value you as a customer including Barnes and Noble. The only value they place is on the dollars you spend with them. Once the transaction has been completeld with the money in their pocket, we're nothing but a faceless account number. Wish that was not the case but these days it is the sad truth.
Posted by goduke on 2010-04-01:
Odd. I use B&N all the time (some would say a bit too much). I never have had a single issue with them. Not sure how the shipping method could have gone awry, since the label is printed automatically from the system based upon the option that you select in the shipping method box online. Maybe you'll get another gift card from someone and can give them another try.
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