Skrewed by Barnes & Noble

[Joe Nerve]

Update on original post: I take it back. I'll bump the thread with my reason and update.

Bought a $45 DVD package for someone for xmas. They just went to watch it yesterday and the DVDs don't work. Barnes & Noble won't exchange it. Called customer service 2X to speak with 2 different people and they both said Xmas gifts had to be returned by Jan. 31st, and they won't budge. I told them I have no control over when someone watches a DVD that I give as a gift, and that it's only 2 weeks past their cutoff date, not months or years. I don't even want a return. I told them I want to exchange for DVDs that work. They said, "Dispute it with your bank. Is there anything else I can do for you today?"

Feel helpless. Will dispute it with the bank. Will trash them here and on whatever review sites I can for the product that didn't work.

[warwick.hoy]

Barnes & Noble is the McDonalds of book stores.

Funny that most of them have Starbucks in them.

Starbucks is the McDonalds of Espresso.

[hbarcat]

Talking to some drone won't help you because all they know is the rule book in front of them, but there is always someone higher up the food chain who has the power to override the rules in order to keep their good customers happy when they find themselves in circumstances such as yours.

If B&N doesn't have people in their organization whose job it is to keep their PR good in cases like this then they deserve to get publicly trashed on a high traffic website like this.

[Pilgrim]

They told you what to do:

Dispute it with your bank.

If they tell you that's how to get their attention, do it.

[7StringBassist]

if the receipt has a date or return/exchange info on the back the only person that could help is a manager because they would have to override the return

[HollowBassman]

Did you talk to Eric?

[DanAleks]

If you paid with a credit card, call the card company.
They will reverse it.

[RWP]

Go buy another DVD set, if they have them, then take defective DVDs back for a refund.

[Joe Nerve]

Originally Posted by hbarcat

Talking to some drone won't help you because all they know is the rule book in front of them, but there is always someone higher up the food chain who has the power to override the rules in order to keep their good customers happy when they find themselves in circumstances such as yours.

Did that and left a message with the supervisor who the customer service person supposedly discussed the matter with. Left a nice polite detailed message. I'm waiting on the return call. Yeah.....

Considering having the person I gave it to take it with the receipt into a barnes and noble - but it sucks that they might have to fight it out. They're also in Fl, and I'm here in NY. :/

I get really peaved when big corporations do some of the crap they do and get away with it. Cuz they can. And do.

[Joe Nerve]

Originally Posted by RWP

Go buy another DVD set, if they have them, then take defective DVDs back for a refund.

I thought, Bingo, for a second! But they have an exchange only policy for opened DVDs. That, I can understand.

[Beta]

Originally Posted by warwick.hoy

Barnes & Noble is the McDonalds of book stores.

Funny that most of them have Starbucks in them.

Starbucks is the McDonalds of Espresso.

Derail, but McDonald's now sells lattes and cappucinos, etc.

I'm not a coffee drinker, but I'm of the opinion that McDonald's coffee is probably comparable to McDonald's burgers. That's not exactly a positive, is it?

Joe, my GF had a similar experience with Border's. She ordered the Glee soundtrack CD for someone for Christmas. It never showed, and she called customer service twice, finally getting it replaced after the second call (it was a couple of weeks after Christmas, by then).

The first CD showed up a week after the replacement- with a hefty footprint on the packaging, and a crack in the jewel case. But, at least Borders replaced it.

[Buslady7803]

strangely enough McDonald's "McCafe" stuff is ten times better than Starschmucks

[Jim Campbell]

Originally Posted by Joe Nerve

Bought a $45 DVD package for someone for xmas. They just went to watch it yesterday and the DVDs don't work. Barnes & Noble won't exchange it. Called customer service 2X to speak with 2 different people and they both said Xmas gifts had to be returned by Jan. 31st, and they won't budge. I told them I have no control over when someone watches a DVD that I give as a gift, and that it's only 2 weeks past their cutoff date, not months or years. I don't even want a return. I told them I want to exchange for DVDs that work. They said, "Dispute it with your bank. Is there anything else I can do for you today?"

Feel helpless. Will dispute it with the bank. Will trash them here and on whatever review sites I can for the product that didn't work.

did you try them on another player....the thing i always do with multi disc sets is give them a shake at the store and if anything sounds loose,i have the clerk open them....i tried to buy a set once and all three copies they had in stock had loose discs.......but since it was a gift,try the credit card reversal

[need4mospd]

Originally Posted by Joe Nerve

Called customer service 2X to speak with 2 different people and they both said Xmas gifts had to be returned by Jan. 31st, and they won't budge.

Aaaaaaand there your problem. Customer service over the phone is lame. In store they'll do so much more for you. No manager wants an irate customer at the front desk, they'll do anything to get you out. Go to the store you bought it from. Go when it's crowded. Make sure you're firm, but polite at first, slowly escalating your voice til it's audible throughout the store(but not yelling). Return home with working DVDs.

[Deluge Of Sound]

Originally Posted by Buslady7803

strangely enough McDonald's "McCafe" stuff is ten times better than Starschmucks

I think McDonalds uses a Newman's Own blend. At least, they did the last time I got coffee there.

[MJ5150]

Originally Posted by Deluge Of Sound

I think McDonalds uses a Newman's Own blend. At least, they did the last time I got coffee there.

Up here, they use Seattles Best, which is owned by Fourbucks.

-Mike

[Deluge Of Sound]

Yeah, I just checked, I guess the Newman's Own is a NE thing.

Best coffee in New England is the Green Mountain coffee you get free on the VT highways, though.

[Joey3313]

I agree, the letter "c" is completely overrated.

[warwick.hoy]

I'm sorry Joe,...I didn't mean to derail your thread from B&N bashing to Starbucks/McD's bashing.

[Pilgrim]

Is their statement "Dispute it with your bank" still not registering?

You haven't commented about that, but it's what they told you to do.