[stevedenver]

for xmas i made a list and directed my 'santa' to ridge road to order from about ten sets of preiser figures-to my delight she didnt pick a one or two,  she got them all, about $220


in some way, one set got the numbers reveresed-i dont know if it was my wife or the shop-ie instead of 123 it was 132-all the others were correct-


i got a set of duplicates-ie a set i didnt want and already had-bavarians fighting-so its not like more station passers-by or generic figures


i called and explained the situation,explained that the numbers had been reversed and could i send back the wrong set and get the right set-ie an exchange in essence 


and I was ready to order quite a bit more stuff-


until im told there will be a 10% 're-stocking fee" -nowhere on the site or the bill anything about re-stocking fee-not fair and one sided 


to me its an exchange due to a mistake-and i was polite about not pressing whos mistake it was -


so for $2.00 i wont be doing business with Ridge Road anymore-i cant tell you how pissed off about the fact they wont exchange without a charge for what was a mistake on a respectable bill-


(and had they said 'send it back but well have to charge you for postage'-no problem -)


i cannot tell you how much ive spent over the years with them


-but customers must come easy





now i feel better

 

[Gary Armitstead]

I can understand your anger in regards to this, but you didn't say if you argued beyond being told by the store that there would be a re-stocking fee. Did you question them further in the same manner that you said here in this post. IF you had argued that point further with them and received no satifaction, then you should post it here. But I don't believe this should be posted here if you haven't exhausted ALL avenues with the store FIRST.

 

[altterrain]

Sometimes its easier to gripe. From their website -

Returns, Refunds and Exchanges

If you are not satisfied with something you bought at Ridge Road Station, please contact us. Everything except Christmas ornaments and trains that have been run can be exchanged or returned for store credit within 30 days of purchase. You must have the original store receipt and, for boxed items like trains, the original package.

Unwanted items that are not defective are subject to a 10% restocking charge and customer is responsible for return shipping. Also, if there was free shipping on the original order, the shipping will be deducted from the credit for the returns.

You must contact us for a Return Authorization Number before returning an item by mail.


-Brian

 

[stevedenver]

i stated the facts as above, asked for help and was told thier final decision-i didnt feel i had to argue about customer service or help them understand why it was a poor choice -they had a chance and they know what thier site and invoices contain-plus the clerk put me on hold while she consulted the manager and returned with the verdict-
i didnt think i would be able to have her over ride the decision

no i didnt but i didnt feel that i need to be my own advocate for fair treatment and customer service -i understand we differ

but if you complain to me about my legal bill-you can be sure ill be the one explaining what transpired and asking questions and trying to make you happy and understand things, and making adjustments-sometimes even if i feel its not fair to me (within reason) -not the other way around-

 

[stevedenver]

Brian


sometimes its easier to assume facts and make a comment, from your website


where is that info on the site please? not on the main page in a conspicuous place -but rather under 'help'-which is not wher most customers look when ordering-nor is it part of the contract of purchase if it isnt brought to your attention before the time of purchase


i have dealt with RR for years and had no idea -why-because its not conspicous-and theres no way youll know if you order by phone 

-its certainly not on the order form or at the bottom of the page main page or with the list of products-


-nor is it anywhere when one calls and orders-



if it were applicable-





is an error the same as an unwanted item-?and therefore if it is unwanted because of a mistake


-everytime a mistake is made and you dont want it-its your nickle-now does that make any sense to you?


sometimes its easier to get satisfaction when otherwise denied


how clear do i need to be with a vendor-the wrong item was shipped-they are the ones that can choose an action-


 


Brian wait until this happens to you and let me know how you feel


and 


even taking your point-the issue is whats the right thing to do?-i cannot tell you how rare this is -i cant recall a shop taking this type of position


-even if it is A POLICY-even if the customer was told about it by a BIG SIGN


-talk about sniping from a website-and hiding behind a phone-bet they dont do dare this if youre a regular walk in customer


-this type of penalty typically in my experience is for people who abuse the store-or wheres theres funny business in someway or repetedly order and exchange or return


the issue is how I feel i was treated- 


 i feel i was treated unreasonably and unfairly and not like a long time, good customer 

 

[eheading]

Steve, I have had the same experience that you had, and I know exactly how you feel - the same as I felt at the time, and the same way I still feel! My sympathy goes out to you. Unfortunately the only vote you get is with your checkbook, but you can certainly exercise that vote - just as I have!!
Ed

 

[stevedenver]

thanks 

 

[Nicholas Savatgy]

Heres all i can say to you, and ive said this a bunch.....Robbie....RLD hobbies...
Nick

 

[StanleyAmes]

Perhaps there was a misunderstanding.

There is a difference between a return for credit because you do not want the item and a return substitution for receiving the wrong item.

Last year I mis ordered a passenger car and I placed the wrong number on the order number. I explained the problem and they hapily replaced the car another car with the one I meant to order. There was no difference in price and they did an even exchange.

So I would recommend you talk directly to someone in the train department axplain you are a frequent customer and your wife made a mistake. If it is a return for an equal value item I suspect they will do the exchange for you.

If you have an order you would make at the same time this would be a plus because it does cost them to open the return box and re enter it in their inventory.

At least they did a free substitution for me when I explained the mistake to the train department. It is worth a try.

Stan

 

[stevedenver]

to your point i did explain this and even told them the item i wanted and pointed out the closeness of the numbers and the desired item and even began to place an order for several other items-i believe i was very clear in the facts -a mistake was made somewhere i all i wanted was a different set-same price


and


im not at all certain my wife is at fault-but i did not take a positionor press it as her fault or the stores or to try to manipulate the store -i was confident id be treated right without any nonsense (FWIW shes pretty sharp and careful and not dyslexic, and a business type-and we havent ever had the wrong stuff sent that i can remember-the fact is i dont know or care whos fault it was-it was an honest mistake-two numbers were reversed-someone somewhere did it-so what


i must seem unreasonable now-but how often or how much must i press in order to be treated right the first time


-i know the 'squeaky wheel'-i understand your counsel and its accurate-but im finished


do i need to repeatedly call -do i need to hope to find a 'nice' person versus a soldier? 


frankly i was onhold a few minutes-it was two dollars penalty roughly-its not the principle or the 2.00-its the attitude, and


i lost patience-


(-and im pissed at being treated this way-id be pissed if i was a first time customer having bought Thomas when my kid wanted Henry)


-no less long term and significant $$$$ customer


 


 

 

[Spule 4]

Call the owner, from my understanding and from a friend in Rochester, NY (AKA the City of Poverty) he is a reasonable person. If you have on your order list the 123, you should be OK.

I had a battle like this with a tire dealer once, 185R Vs 195R.....

 

[Ray Dunakin]

Not taking sides here, but I've seen plenty of stores (online and storefront) that have a small restocking fee for items that are returned as unwanted or due to customer error. So it's not something unique to RRS.

 

[Dave H]

Steve Denver,

I KNOW how you must feel, I think you should talk to the owner, NOT an employee.

However, with the way the economy is going:

1) people out of work

2) The sheriff selling more houses, than the real estate people (too many forclosures)

3) In the paper today, analysts say CHRYSLER, will be out of business, by the end of the year.(unless someone joins them)

After what happened to Mercedes, when they joined Chrysler, I think every other company would RUN from them.


If $2.00, and a TOY STORE, have you this UPSET, consider yourself lucky.

The rest of America, would LOVE to be in YOUR SHOES.


P.S . If it was me I would buy another item, & have them ship it FREE.

 

[John J]

Just about everybody has a re stocking fee. I would re order what I originally wanted. Put the mistake on the shelf in the shop. Somewhere down the line You may find a use for it. Maybe in Kit bashing or to practice figure painting on .

The of course you could always put it in the classifieds here on MLS Someone may want it.

 

[stevedenver]

you are absolutely right-its not worth the headache and 


i AM lucky 


thanks for the perspective-


just mustve had too much coffee or dealing with clients

 

[blueregal]

JJ's right keep the wrong ones, order the right ones, and put the wrong ones on EVIL BAY you'll probably double your money!!!! I have spoken with the owner on the phone over a mistake by them, and he fixed it, even though he still sent the wrong thing, but he tried, and I didnt think it was worth the effort to call him back just kept the wrong Bachmann video. Did not get any video with the engine I ordered, and he sent the wrong one trying to help. The Regal

 

[Greg Elmassian]

Whether or not the store has a restocking policy, an even exchange for an obvious accidental mistake (and $200 of figures ain't hay) and an obvious attempt to purchase one of each (you would have to be pretty catatonic not to notice what the order was about) is what I would expect as a customer.

Policy or no, I would expect an even exchange. I'm still out the return shipping and time wasted.

Trivial amount, but I stand on principal. I will pay extra for good service, knowing if there is a problem it will be handled.

I ordered a USAT streamliner from RLD... USAT made a mistake and shipped the wrong one. Robby took the wrong one back and got me the right one. Not a problem. (and these suckers are heavy).

I did not know he was stuck with it. By fortune I needed the "wrong one" later. When I found out he was stuck with it, but never griped, I was impressed. Customer for life here.

Regards, Greg

 

[Les]

Posted By stevedenver on 01/09/2009 8:00 AM


you are absolutely right-its not worth the headache and


i AM lucky


thanks for the perspective-


just mustve had too much coffee or dealing with clients







Steve,

I'm weighing in here with a bald opinion: I think you're right to feel the way you do. Vote with your checkbook, announce to like-minded customers your dissatisfaction, then let it go. You sorta got shafted. That's the business ethic today. I'm sorry. That's why I scratchbuild, scrounge junk to make different junk, and generally, P**s on the 'lay down your money, boy. I might do business with you' attitude of today's merchants.

Les

 

[CCSII]

Posted By stevedenver on 01/08/2009 6:00 PM


i dont know if it was my wife or the shop-ie instead of 123 it was 132-all the others were correct- to me its an exchange due to a mistake-and i was polite about not pressing whos mistake it was -


im told there will be a 10% 're-stocking fee" -nowhere on the site or the bill anything about re-stocking fee- 


so for $2.00 i wont be doing business with Ridge Road anymore


now i feel better


Sounds like you were looking for someone to burn. You weren't going to PRESS whose mistake it was? How could you not knowing whose mistake it was? 


Nowhere on the site becomes not on the front page, show me an internet sales site that posts restocking fees on their front page. 


$2.00 i (sic) won't be dong business with Ridge Road anymore? $2.00!!! Ten years of good service isn't worth $2.00!!!!!


now I feel better - do you really?


I made a purchase on the web of an item that when shipped to me had mysteriously increased in price as indicated in the bill. I wrote a scathing post on this site about it and created a bit of a firestorm for which I was admonished (appropriately.) Mine was about a $30 misunderstanding about a posted price that the merchant no longer honored.


I came to realize that no business and no individual is perfect and that if I were going to treat my life that way,  shortly I would have no-one to do business with and no friends. 
 
If you have NEVER erred in your life you stand on solid (but lonely) ground.

 

[SailorDon]

When I mail order, I always use a credit card for payment. That way if there is any screw up on the order, I enter a dispute with the credit card company.

I had a bad experience with train set that a vendor shipped. They sent the wrong road name. They mailed me a pre-paid UPS sticker so I sent it back and they sent me a used train set with defective sound with the right road name. When I called them about the defective sound the owner/manager told me it was shipping damage. The UPS inspector came to my house and verified there was no shipping damage. I put the credit card charge in dispute and told the vendor to come pick up his defective train set. They sent me another pre-paid shipping label. And once again, I was nice enough to take their stuff down to the UPS store and ship it back to them.

When I questioned the owner/manager how he knew the defective sound was due to shipping damage, he hung up on me.

One less vendor for me to deal with. But he didn't get any of my money. Just a lot of my time.

If it weren't for credit cards, I don't think I would do any mail orders.