Don't Get Scammed When Returning Items
Marden's, Rumford, MaineTo Whom It May Concern:
I wish to inform people of my recent Christmas tree buying experience. For the first time in twenty years, we decided to go with an artificial tree. We bought one from Mardens for seventy-three dollars ($73.00) that came with eight hundred (800) colored lights and revolved three hundred and sixty degrees (360⁰ ) continually! It was a beautiful tree, but after a week or so, it stopped revolving. At that point, I had the skirting down, presents everywhere, my free-standing Mr. and Mrs. Snowman, and my Santa Claus all set up, and the thought of breaking it all down to return the tree before Christmas was daunting to say the least.
When I did return the tree to the store on January 2nd (within the thirty (30) day stated requirement), the clerk said I could only get a 50% refund as it was a Christmas item and was being returned after Christmas. I was immediately irate, to say the least as I had my receipt and was in compliance with their stated policy of "returning the item within thirty (30) days for my hassle free refund".
I asked to speak with the manager. When the manager, Roberta Wallace, came to the front of the store, all she would do was keep repeating that I should have returned the tree when it stopped working! I explained to her what that would have entailed, and besides, I did not realize I was working under a time constraint as my receipt stated that as long as I returned the item within thirty days, with my receipt, I would get a "hassle free" full refund. When I asked Ms. Wallace to show me where on the receipt it states that "Christmas items will only be refunded at fifty percent (50%)", she stated that, "Well it doesn't say it on the receipt, it's just store policy".
When I said I wanted to speak to her supervisor because I was not willing to settle for a fifty percent (50%) refund, Ms. Wallace stated that "I'm it, I manage the entire store, there is no one else to go to." I replied with "Oh, so you own the store, make all business decisions, cut all payroll checks, etc.?" She said that no, she didn't own the store. I said then there is someone you report to, a district manager, the CEO, the owner, someone. I reiterated that I wanted to talk to her superior and was becoming quite upset at this point. This woman absolutely refused to honor Marden's contract and I told her what she was doing was a crime, that it was consumer fraud!
I referred to the terms of my receipt/contract which stated that upon returning an item to the store within 30 days, a full refund will be issued! When she realized I wasn't leaving until this issue was resolved, she said she would "make a call" but as this was Saturday, she couldn't do anything until Monday. I said "just to reiterate, you told me you were the store manager, yet you can't authorize a $35.00 customer refund?!"
I said fine, I gave her my name and number and told her I would be expecting her call Monday. Well, I went to the store Monday afternoon at which point Ms. Wallace told me she had a call into Walt Huffman, her manager, and was waiting for a return call. When I stated that it was getting quite late in the day she said "The day is not over yet." At that point, I showed her the following documents (please click on attachments) and she responded that she thought I was "a little over the top!" to which I replied if I didn't get my FULL refund that day, I was fully prepared to initiate a civil suit within the local court system, a criminal complaint with the attorney generals office, and a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, their consumer fraud division.
Miraculously, I received a telephone call within twenty (20) minutes saying my full refund was available to me anytime I wanted to come by the store!
Considering what I had to go through and the legal avenues I was prepared to pursue, I cannot help wondering how many people have been defrauded by this company. Not only how many were willing to just accept the fifty percent (50%) refund, but how many more did not know that they had avenues to pursue, and, furthermore, that they were the victims of consumer fraud?!
Jean Ford
Marden's Return Policy
Consumer Complaint Avenues
I wish to inform people of my recent Christmas tree buying experience. For the first time in twenty years, we decided to go with an artificial tree. We bought one from Mardens for seventy-three dollars ($73.00) that came with eight hundred (800) colored lights and revolved three hundred and sixty degrees (360⁰ ) continually! It was a beautiful tree, but after a week or so, it stopped revolving. At that point, I had the skirting down, presents everywhere, my free-standing Mr. and Mrs. Snowman, and my Santa Claus all set up, and the thought of breaking it all down to return the tree before Christmas was daunting to say the least.
When I did return the tree to the store on January 2nd (within the thirty (30) day stated requirement), the clerk said I could only get a 50% refund as it was a Christmas item and was being returned after Christmas. I was immediately irate, to say the least as I had my receipt and was in compliance with their stated policy of "returning the item within thirty (30) days for my hassle free refund".
I asked to speak with the manager. When the manager, Roberta Wallace, came to the front of the store, all she would do was keep repeating that I should have returned the tree when it stopped working! I explained to her what that would have entailed, and besides, I did not realize I was working under a time constraint as my receipt stated that as long as I returned the item within thirty days, with my receipt, I would get a "hassle free" full refund. When I asked Ms. Wallace to show me where on the receipt it states that "Christmas items will only be refunded at fifty percent (50%)", she stated that, "Well it doesn't say it on the receipt, it's just store policy".
When I said I wanted to speak to her supervisor because I was not willing to settle for a fifty percent (50%) refund, Ms. Wallace stated that "I'm it, I manage the entire store, there is no one else to go to." I replied with "Oh, so you own the store, make all business decisions, cut all payroll checks, etc.?" She said that no, she didn't own the store. I said then there is someone you report to, a district manager, the CEO, the owner, someone. I reiterated that I wanted to talk to her superior and was becoming quite upset at this point. This woman absolutely refused to honor Marden's contract and I told her what she was doing was a crime, that it was consumer fraud!
I referred to the terms of my receipt/contract which stated that upon returning an item to the store within 30 days, a full refund will be issued! When she realized I wasn't leaving until this issue was resolved, she said she would "make a call" but as this was Saturday, she couldn't do anything until Monday. I said "just to reiterate, you told me you were the store manager, yet you can't authorize a $35.00 customer refund?!"
I said fine, I gave her my name and number and told her I would be expecting her call Monday. Well, I went to the store Monday afternoon at which point Ms. Wallace told me she had a call into Walt Huffman, her manager, and was waiting for a return call. When I stated that it was getting quite late in the day she said "The day is not over yet." At that point, I showed her the following documents (please click on attachments) and she responded that she thought I was "a little over the top!" to which I replied if I didn't get my FULL refund that day, I was fully prepared to initiate a civil suit within the local court system, a criminal complaint with the attorney generals office, and a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, their consumer fraud division.
Miraculously, I received a telephone call within twenty (20) minutes saying my full refund was available to me anytime I wanted to come by the store!
Considering what I had to go through and the legal avenues I was prepared to pursue, I cannot help wondering how many people have been defrauded by this company. Not only how many were willing to just accept the fifty percent (50%) refund, but how many more did not know that they had avenues to pursue, and, furthermore, that they were the victims of consumer fraud?!
Jean Ford
Marden's Return Policy
Consumer Complaint Avenues
