English: Stearns lawn mower – Made in Syracuse, New York – 1934 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
If we’ve spent any time chatting you’ve probably guessed that I’m fairly frugal or at least trying to be (we all have our exceptions). Provided there’s a legitimate grievance, I think it’s good financial and consumer behavior to complain about poor services or products. I also think it provides valuable feedback to the practitioner or manufacturer. I don’t mean sending a wine or restaurant dish back because you don’t like the taste—but send it back if it’s spoiled or over-salted or cold when it should be hot. I don’t have a problem with returns if the business model demands it—like online shoe purchases. Many people complain illegitimately, but many people don’t complain at all. Sure it’s a pain, and sometimes the magic works and sometimes it doesn’t, as they say. Here are two recent experiences to illustrate the perils and worth. I make the mistakes so you don’t have to.
I need a new lawn mower, as you will agree if you’ve been here recently. After five years of struggling to be ecological with a mechanical push mower, I’ve decided it’s a lot less time consuming to go to the gym than to spend two hours cutting a few inches at a time. I researched mowers with Consumer Reports and to my delight found the one I wanted available online at both Amazon and Home Depot for the same price (no driving around for an entire Saturday). However, because dear daughter has Prime, Amazon was offering to deliver it within two days (that grass is really high) whereas Home Depot was going to take about 10 days. I ordered it from Amazon. Big mistake. Amazon used UPS as a carrier, and they dumped the 91 lb. package at my gate (blocking entrance) while I was out for the afternoon. It poured rain, soaking the box. In addition, it looked like gorillas had played polo with the carton.
I called Amazon to notify them that I would not accept a damaged and soaked electronic item that had a limited warranty, since if past experience is a guide, it will go kaput days after the warranty expires. They informed me that they would not pick it up because it was a hazmat item due to the battery. While they’d send another one, this one was my problem to dispose of (!) I’m not quite sure how I’d wrestle a dripping wet and falling apart 91lb. box to whatever hazmat disposal site exists in Chicago, but you can probably imagine that the conversation went somewhat south. That was 5 days ago. They decided to make a “one-time special exception” and send out a disposal service. I have still not heard from the hazmat disposal and to frost the cake, UPS delivered the second one right next to the first one, out in the yard. At least until I called and they sent the guy back to re-deliver it to the house. Finally, upon reading the warranty, I discovered that in order to exercise the guarantee, you have to return the machine to where you purchased it, or to a Black and Decker repair center, including shipping. I’m not going to analyze how much time I’ve spent on the phone on this one, because for a $300 item there was nothing else I would have done. But my moral for the story is that if you are thinking about buying large electronics or machines that are likely to need servicing, well, I’ll think a long time before I buy them on Amazon again.
My other experience was delightful. I’m a huge fan of Craftsy and I do feel somewhat guilty about the money I spend, although as entertainment goes it’s not much more than going to the movies. Recently I anted up for 2 more classes, and 2 days later got a promo for the same classes for a total of $25 less. I complained and received a response with a coupon for TWO free classes (worth far more than the $25), and an explanation that they guarantee their prices for 30 days if purchased through them (I had used the Apple app, where I got charged tax). Sometime ago I had complained that the cost of essential materials (over $250) should have been disclosed before the class, and they refunded the entire class fee, although I’d assured them there was no problem with the actual class. And finally, some time ago they just sent me a free class to thank me for my patronage. It’s not a publicly traded company, but if it ever is, I’d be really tempted to take a hard look.