I called Comcast today and immediately asked to be connected to the retentions department. This is was a tip given to me by my brother. The retentions department is there to retain you as a customer. You can either give your sob story to a customer service rep, only to be transferred to retentions, or immediately ask to be transferred to them so you only have to deliver the sob story one time. I chose the latter.
I explained to the woman that my bill had been escalating steadily for several months now. This was the case. It seemed like each month one promotion would run out, or they'd raise a rate, leading to a very annoying $5 increase each month. This took the bill from $140 or so to $200 (this includes internet as well). In that time, we did add one DVR box, which costs $15 a month, but other than that, nothing had changed.
Let me quickly interject here and say that I am bound to some bizarre moral code, probably learned through Sesame Street. Even though I know Comcast makes a ridiculous profit off of me, I do not feel like I can ask them to charge me less than any rate that I ever paid. They are offering me a service, and I don't feel like I need to cheat them. I just feel like they shouldn't be cheating me. So I have absolutely no problem paying $140+$15 per month for exactly what we've been receiving. My brother's idea was to say, "I'll pay $99 and not a dollar more," but I am just not capable of doing that. It's the same reason why I can't steal music or movies or whatever. I feel like they provide a service, and that they should be compensated for it. End of sermon.
They connected me to a lady in the retention department, and I explained to her that I was frustrated with my rates slowly increasing, and that I had been paying $140 which I was cool with, but $200 I was decidedly less cool with. She put me on hold saying she was going to look into what to do. This took a minute or two, but when she came back she had good news. She said she could give me all of the premium channels, my sports package that I've been receiving, and the DVR service for $155, which is exactly what I was hoping for. I agreed, and she said the promotion would last for 6 months. This is what my brother said happened to him, only they never took away the promotion.
All told, the call took about 10 minutes, most of which I was on hold while the lady updated the system, etc. I would gladly wait 10 minutes to save $50 a month, or $600 a year. This was incredibly easy to do, and I would recommend it to anyone.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
Store Update
So far, the store is up and running. I think the summary of items posted is as follows:
1) A bundle of roughly 90 comic graphic novels I bought for $58.
2) Chris has posted a few photography/art pieces.
3) A few scattered older books I still had from my half.com/amazon.com stores.
At this time, I have sold about 14 books going at roughly $3 each. 11 of them belong to the series I just purchased, so out of the 90 books, I am down to about 79 (with a few repeats), and have received $36 back. Pretty happy with that progress. I also sold 3 other books that had been on half.com or amazon for a few months with no bites. It seems that posting them on ebay opened up a whole new audience, and also allowing me to offer free shipping made a huge difference. It cuts into the profits slightly, but, when I picked up the 90 books, I decided that all I needed was $1 per book, and I would be doing alright. Right now I am averaging well over $3 per book. 4-5 more books and the rest will be house money.
As for the photography/art, perhaps my brother can comment more on this topic, or post something for us. He has been getting some more looks than in the past, and the flexibility of allowing the art to remain posted for an extended period at a fixed price has helped his cause. He also mentioned that he has seen more traffic to his other website, so a sale should be coming in the near future. Maybe posting up a few more items soon could gain even more attention (nudge nudge).
Anywho, that is the ebay store update for now. Less than one month in, and I still think it is a good idea. Now I just need to get my hands on some more books. I am always in the market for more products. Keep me posted if you get any.
1) A bundle of roughly 90 comic graphic novels I bought for $58.
2) Chris has posted a few photography/art pieces.
3) A few scattered older books I still had from my half.com/amazon.com stores.
At this time, I have sold about 14 books going at roughly $3 each. 11 of them belong to the series I just purchased, so out of the 90 books, I am down to about 79 (with a few repeats), and have received $36 back. Pretty happy with that progress. I also sold 3 other books that had been on half.com or amazon for a few months with no bites. It seems that posting them on ebay opened up a whole new audience, and also allowing me to offer free shipping made a huge difference. It cuts into the profits slightly, but, when I picked up the 90 books, I decided that all I needed was $1 per book, and I would be doing alright. Right now I am averaging well over $3 per book. 4-5 more books and the rest will be house money.
As for the photography/art, perhaps my brother can comment more on this topic, or post something for us. He has been getting some more looks than in the past, and the flexibility of allowing the art to remain posted for an extended period at a fixed price has helped his cause. He also mentioned that he has seen more traffic to his other website, so a sale should be coming in the near future. Maybe posting up a few more items soon could gain even more attention (nudge nudge).
Anywho, that is the ebay store update for now. Less than one month in, and I still think it is a good idea. Now I just need to get my hands on some more books. I am always in the market for more products. Keep me posted if you get any.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Sprint to the finish
Today, I felt like writing more of a remember the time I... type of story. Today's story is about Sprint. A few years back, Erin's family decided to get sprint phones. She was not available when the phones were being selected, and the person at the store said that it would be OK to bring the phone back within two weeks and exchange it for store credit towards whichever phone the user wanted. So, Erin's mom wanted to get the phones turned on, and she dropped off Erin's phone at school later that night. So, Erin decided to try it out, see if she liked this one or not. After a couple of days, she decided that she would rather have a flip phone, so, on the weekend, we took a little trip to the local Sprint store, and that is when the story changes.
We arrive at the store, and we explain the story to the person at the counter. She comes back and says that a manager would need to help, so she goes and finds a manager. We explain the story to the manager. She takes a look at the phone and says, "We can't take that back because there are finger prints on the phone, and a small scratch". We explained that the lady told us originally that the phone could be used, and then brought back. The scratch, may I add, may have already been there. It was so small, and so shallow, it could have been created just putting in the battery. This wasn't happening with this lady though. No way. So... we argued with her for a good 15 minutes. She brought out another manager, and they all decided that they could not take the phone back.
We went to the car, because at that time, Erin was not buying a new phone from those people. She called the customer support line while we were in the car, and told them what had happened. The lady on the phone said, "Oh sure, we will take the phone back and you can just order it this way". That easy. No questions. Mentioned the small scratch, she said no big deal. Then we discussed what happened at the store, and she told us that should not have happened, and that if we wanted to file a complaint we could. She would just need to know the name of the manager we spoke to, etc. So, I walked back into the store, up to the lady who looked less than enthused, and I asked her for her business card. I told her that the Sprint in the sky will fix the problem, and that we needed her card so that I could file a complaint against her. She said, I will go get you one. Then I left...
Within a month at the most, that store was gone. No lie. Funny to think that maybe I helped, but I imagine I was in a long line of people with that same problem. But, the moral is, don't take no without a little fight. Always ask for the next level up. You are paying them for their service and people like cell phone companies just want you to stay signed up.
We arrive at the store, and we explain the story to the person at the counter. She comes back and says that a manager would need to help, so she goes and finds a manager. We explain the story to the manager. She takes a look at the phone and says, "We can't take that back because there are finger prints on the phone, and a small scratch". We explained that the lady told us originally that the phone could be used, and then brought back. The scratch, may I add, may have already been there. It was so small, and so shallow, it could have been created just putting in the battery. This wasn't happening with this lady though. No way. So... we argued with her for a good 15 minutes. She brought out another manager, and they all decided that they could not take the phone back.
We went to the car, because at that time, Erin was not buying a new phone from those people. She called the customer support line while we were in the car, and told them what had happened. The lady on the phone said, "Oh sure, we will take the phone back and you can just order it this way". That easy. No questions. Mentioned the small scratch, she said no big deal. Then we discussed what happened at the store, and she told us that should not have happened, and that if we wanted to file a complaint we could. She would just need to know the name of the manager we spoke to, etc. So, I walked back into the store, up to the lady who looked less than enthused, and I asked her for her business card. I told her that the Sprint in the sky will fix the problem, and that we needed her card so that I could file a complaint against her. She said, I will go get you one. Then I left...
Within a month at the most, that store was gone. No lie. Funny to think that maybe I helped, but I imagine I was in a long line of people with that same problem. But, the moral is, don't take no without a little fight. Always ask for the next level up. You are paying them for their service and people like cell phone companies just want you to stay signed up.
Monday, January 12, 2009
FiOS is Coming...
Or so Verizon would like to make you think. They have been putting these commercials out for a few years now, and I still can't get it in my area, nor can my parents. My brother and I discuss the commercial with the FiOS guy and the cable guy bumping into each other in the hallway, and the FiOS guy says he is doing a few installs and mentions the addresses. Then the cable guy says he is doing a few cancellations, and mentions the same addresses. Unless the houses they mention happen to be at a 5-way intersection, I just don't believe that there are that many people who even have access to FiOS. Either way, externally Comcast has not shown that they are worried about this even though no company could be too excited about a new, well established competitor.
Internally however, I have noticed a significant change in the customer service at Comcast since FiOS began popping up. When I lived at Drexel, we had a few issues when the internet would be out, or the cable would be fuzzy, and it took forever for them to show up or to care. Then I graduated, moved to Delaware, and got a new cable plan. I looked at Verizon then and they did not offer FiOS there yet, but they did have an internet and DirectTV package for $99/month. While I had no intention of using DirectTV due to the fact that most Flyers, Phillies games would be on comcast sportsnet, I told Comcast about this offer and they gave me that rate for 6 months with a free installation etc. Not bad to start.
6 months later, I now had my HD TV, so I was paying $13 per month for the HD DVR plus $3/month for the modem, then the $99. The promotional rate expired, and I got a bill in the mail for $140+. I decided that this was too much, called Comcast. The first person I spoke too told me about the promotions available, and none of them were very good. I said that I could not afford $140/month, so I guess I would have to cancel. She sent me to the retentions department. I think it is hilarious that cable, cell phone, and credit card companies have retention departments. Basically people who try to offer you whatever they can to keep you just a bit longer. Anyway, I spoke to a second lady, told her I used to pay $99, then with these other add-ons and the promotion expiring, it is now $140+ and I can't afford that, so I need to cancel. She asked me if I could afford the $99 from before, and I said yes but only if I still had what I used to. Done! Now I pay $99/month, no rental fees, and I still get the top tier digital cable with HD DVR and the internet.
In the end, I think Comcast still makes out because for them, the cable is already there in the neighborhood, it is just an issue of leaving a switch turned on or flipping it off. However, I appreciate that they realized something that many other companies do not. When faced with a "I can offer you this much money or cancel" situation, Comcast chose any number greater than $0. I will share stories in the future where companies chose the other option, but it left both parties moderately happy. I have since received several general notices about changes in prices for plans and so forth, but my plan remains $99/month, and has for a year now.
My suggestion to the readers is to call Comcast and try something similar. Tell them that what you are paying right now is just too much in this troubled economy, and that one of the first luxeries to go is going to be super hyper digital cable. I would be shocked it they say OK, it is off. I think you could talk them under $100 and keep everything you have, since they are struggling too. Just my thoughts. If anyone tries this, let me know how it turns out.
Internally however, I have noticed a significant change in the customer service at Comcast since FiOS began popping up. When I lived at Drexel, we had a few issues when the internet would be out, or the cable would be fuzzy, and it took forever for them to show up or to care. Then I graduated, moved to Delaware, and got a new cable plan. I looked at Verizon then and they did not offer FiOS there yet, but they did have an internet and DirectTV package for $99/month. While I had no intention of using DirectTV due to the fact that most Flyers, Phillies games would be on comcast sportsnet, I told Comcast about this offer and they gave me that rate for 6 months with a free installation etc. Not bad to start.
6 months later, I now had my HD TV, so I was paying $13 per month for the HD DVR plus $3/month for the modem, then the $99. The promotional rate expired, and I got a bill in the mail for $140+. I decided that this was too much, called Comcast. The first person I spoke too told me about the promotions available, and none of them were very good. I said that I could not afford $140/month, so I guess I would have to cancel. She sent me to the retentions department. I think it is hilarious that cable, cell phone, and credit card companies have retention departments. Basically people who try to offer you whatever they can to keep you just a bit longer. Anyway, I spoke to a second lady, told her I used to pay $99, then with these other add-ons and the promotion expiring, it is now $140+ and I can't afford that, so I need to cancel. She asked me if I could afford the $99 from before, and I said yes but only if I still had what I used to. Done! Now I pay $99/month, no rental fees, and I still get the top tier digital cable with HD DVR and the internet.
In the end, I think Comcast still makes out because for them, the cable is already there in the neighborhood, it is just an issue of leaving a switch turned on or flipping it off. However, I appreciate that they realized something that many other companies do not. When faced with a "I can offer you this much money or cancel" situation, Comcast chose any number greater than $0. I will share stories in the future where companies chose the other option, but it left both parties moderately happy. I have since received several general notices about changes in prices for plans and so forth, but my plan remains $99/month, and has for a year now.
My suggestion to the readers is to call Comcast and try something similar. Tell them that what you are paying right now is just too much in this troubled economy, and that one of the first luxeries to go is going to be super hyper digital cable. I would be shocked it they say OK, it is off. I think you could talk them under $100 and keep everything you have, since they are struggling too. Just my thoughts. If anyone tries this, let me know how it turns out.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
The Store is Up and Running!!
Few Phone meetings and things over lunch today, so can't write much. However, the ebay store is up and running, with some items posted. The store is the C&C Stuff Factory. More details to come, but the first sale happened overnight. Tomorrow, my brother and I should be millionaires.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
How long should stuff last?
That was the question I asked Catherine after a successful return of a 3 year old Christmas gift. For Christmas 2005, Catherine received an iHome iPod alarm clock. An iPod alarm clock is a lot like a regular alarm clock, except it can wake you up to whatever is on your iPod. This particular version costs $100, which seems expensive, but if people are buying it, why not?
Catherine's alarm clock began to malfunction after about 1.5 years of service. In a nod to the device that gave the iHome clock life, it has two wheels that let you control things like volume, tuning, and setting the time for your alarms. One of the wheels started to work improperly to the point that the device was no longer usable. It sat on Catherine's dresser for some time (1.5 years), not doing anything.
This year during the Christmas season, we decided to try to return it to Bed, Bath & Beyond. It had now been about 3 years since the time the device was purchased. We saw two issues with this attempted return:
1) There have been possibly 2, but at least 1 new version of the alarm clock released since hers was purchased.
b) She wasn't sure it came from Bed, Bath & Beyond in the first place.
We did know that BBB sells the new version of the alarm clock, so we decided to try it out. We took the box and all of the original pieces back to the store and handed it to the cashier. She scanned the item and it came up on their system. Value: $99.99. She handed us a receipt for store credit, and that was that. She didn't even look in the box, which was fairly amazing. Doubly amazing was that the current iHome clock was selling for $89.99 as a part of a sale, AND we had a 20% off coupon, so it ended up costing much less than the 3 year old version we just traded in.
Places not named Radio Shack are usually very eager to please their customers, so it never hurts to try to return something that you believe has failed you. As I learned from Catherine's mom, places like Costco will take back any item you purchased their no questions asked for 2 years. They simply ship it back to the manufacturer and get a refund from them, claiming that the product did not live up to the customer's standards. Since Costco sells so much stuff, the manufacturer wouldn't dream of pulling out of there, so they comply. This benefits you greatly, and keeps the manufacturer from producing a crappy product which will be returned en masse.
Last point: how long should stuff last? I asked Catherine if she was disappointed in the length of time her clock lasted, and she said very. 1.5 years does seem like a short life span. But what about 3 years? 5 years? Many electronic products are upgraded on a yearly basis, and some even more frequently than that. This leaves us with a lot of outdated gadgets laying around, some of which no longer work correctly. Just because your device broke down after a year or so, and there's a new version out doesn't mean you should feel OK that your crappy product is broken. Talk to the retailer and see if you can return your item for credit towards the new one. If that doesn't work, talk to the manufacturer and see if they will help you.
And of course, if all of that fails, stage an 8 year boycott and send follow up letters to the CEO whenever you have a chance.
Catherine's alarm clock began to malfunction after about 1.5 years of service. In a nod to the device that gave the iHome clock life, it has two wheels that let you control things like volume, tuning, and setting the time for your alarms. One of the wheels started to work improperly to the point that the device was no longer usable. It sat on Catherine's dresser for some time (1.5 years), not doing anything.
This year during the Christmas season, we decided to try to return it to Bed, Bath & Beyond. It had now been about 3 years since the time the device was purchased. We saw two issues with this attempted return:
1) There have been possibly 2, but at least 1 new version of the alarm clock released since hers was purchased.
b) She wasn't sure it came from Bed, Bath & Beyond in the first place.
We did know that BBB sells the new version of the alarm clock, so we decided to try it out. We took the box and all of the original pieces back to the store and handed it to the cashier. She scanned the item and it came up on their system. Value: $99.99. She handed us a receipt for store credit, and that was that. She didn't even look in the box, which was fairly amazing. Doubly amazing was that the current iHome clock was selling for $89.99 as a part of a sale, AND we had a 20% off coupon, so it ended up costing much less than the 3 year old version we just traded in.
Places not named Radio Shack are usually very eager to please their customers, so it never hurts to try to return something that you believe has failed you. As I learned from Catherine's mom, places like Costco will take back any item you purchased their no questions asked for 2 years. They simply ship it back to the manufacturer and get a refund from them, claiming that the product did not live up to the customer's standards. Since Costco sells so much stuff, the manufacturer wouldn't dream of pulling out of there, so they comply. This benefits you greatly, and keeps the manufacturer from producing a crappy product which will be returned en masse.
Last point: how long should stuff last? I asked Catherine if she was disappointed in the length of time her clock lasted, and she said very. 1.5 years does seem like a short life span. But what about 3 years? 5 years? Many electronic products are upgraded on a yearly basis, and some even more frequently than that. This leaves us with a lot of outdated gadgets laying around, some of which no longer work correctly. Just because your device broke down after a year or so, and there's a new version out doesn't mean you should feel OK that your crappy product is broken. Talk to the retailer and see if you can return your item for credit towards the new one. If that doesn't work, talk to the manufacturer and see if they will help you.
And of course, if all of that fails, stage an 8 year boycott and send follow up letters to the CEO whenever you have a chance.
What can't you sell on ebay?!?!
I felt like writing about some ebay stories today, rather than my ranting and raving about a particular company. I have always been one to buy things online over buying things in the store. Just ask my brother. I am always telling him about the prices of something at buy.com, or bestbuy.com or some other place. Recently though, I realized that ebay is a great place to start for almost any item. Especially ones that wouldn't bother you if they were used (books, movies, games, light bulbs, parts, accesories). I have had great luck in the past selling basically anything and everything on ebay. I have sold used bowling balls, books, movies, CDs, old routers, old computer speakers, old computer monitors, old car magazines, a portable refrigerator, fans, and more. Basically, I think that any item you are staring at one weekend, thinking about replacing or just tossing entirely, it is worth it to post it up on ebay first. For your basic item, it is about $1.00 to post with some pictures, and for books it is even less (free to post if you use half.com or amazon over ebay). Sure there are some closing fees, but only if the items sell. If it doesn't sell, you are just out the posting fee. But if you do sell it, you make a little money for something that you were just going to discard.
Sometimes it is a bit disappointing to not sell an item. However, I can think of several times I did post something that I did not expect to sell and then it would go for a profit of maybe $5, $10, or maybe more. No it is not a fortune, but it helps offset the next item you do buy.
As to selling tips that I have observed, think of the same things that entice you to buy something from a particular online store. Free shipping is huge. Free shipping has made all the difference in selling items on ebay. However, you need to be sure that you get a good estimate of the shipping costs and figure that in to your price. The best thing I have seen is to take advantage of the Post Office. In particular, any media item should be sent media mail. It is dirt cheap. But, you have to make sure your item qualifies. It can't have any advertisements in it, that is the main rule. But there are others. Also, for larger items, the USPS has flat rate Priority mail boxes. These are great. No matter the weight of the item, the boxes are a flat price. Perfect for things like old magazines that weight a lot, but aren't large. Also good if you were to sell barbells, or something similar that is heavy but small. If your item does not fit into a flat rate box, and is not a book, then FedEX or UPS is the way to go. USPS has other options for large items, but their prices typically don't compare, and often times will be twice as much.
The other major thing that ebay has going for it is the lack of taxes. Some of the big time ebay stores have taxes depending on the state, but most do not. Free shipping, no taxes, sounds just like Delaware.
As for buying things on ebay, I have had great luck buying things like dress shirts and books, but also most recently compact fluorescent and LED light bulbs. These things are pricey to buy in the store, but there were some nice deals on larger lots of bulbs on ebay. Especially for a homeowner, you could get 20 60 Watt Compact bulbs for less than $20, and with free shipping. Sure these bulbs probably fell off a truck, but just don't think about that when you are enjoying cheaper energy bills.
Until next time...
Sometimes it is a bit disappointing to not sell an item. However, I can think of several times I did post something that I did not expect to sell and then it would go for a profit of maybe $5, $10, or maybe more. No it is not a fortune, but it helps offset the next item you do buy.
As to selling tips that I have observed, think of the same things that entice you to buy something from a particular online store. Free shipping is huge. Free shipping has made all the difference in selling items on ebay. However, you need to be sure that you get a good estimate of the shipping costs and figure that in to your price. The best thing I have seen is to take advantage of the Post Office. In particular, any media item should be sent media mail. It is dirt cheap. But, you have to make sure your item qualifies. It can't have any advertisements in it, that is the main rule. But there are others. Also, for larger items, the USPS has flat rate Priority mail boxes. These are great. No matter the weight of the item, the boxes are a flat price. Perfect for things like old magazines that weight a lot, but aren't large. Also good if you were to sell barbells, or something similar that is heavy but small. If your item does not fit into a flat rate box, and is not a book, then FedEX or UPS is the way to go. USPS has other options for large items, but their prices typically don't compare, and often times will be twice as much.
The other major thing that ebay has going for it is the lack of taxes. Some of the big time ebay stores have taxes depending on the state, but most do not. Free shipping, no taxes, sounds just like Delaware.
As for buying things on ebay, I have had great luck buying things like dress shirts and books, but also most recently compact fluorescent and LED light bulbs. These things are pricey to buy in the store, but there were some nice deals on larger lots of bulbs on ebay. Especially for a homeowner, you could get 20 60 Watt Compact bulbs for less than $20, and with free shipping. Sure these bulbs probably fell off a truck, but just don't think about that when you are enjoying cheaper energy bills.
Until next time...
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
First Major Boycott
Some of you may already know this story, or may at least know that I don't shop at Radio Shack but never knew why. Well, here is the story, and my follow up since then.
The story starts about 8 years ago, around this time of year actually. With our new connection to a cable modem, we no longer needed the second phone line in the computer room. So, my parents moved the second line to my bedroom since I used it most regularly anyway. For Christmas, I got an answering machine for that line, so that all of my friends could leave messages and people would not have to bother answering the line (this was of course before everyone had cell phones and no need for all these extra lines and phone machines and what-have-you). So, how psyched was I? I had my own phone line, and an answering machine. My very own Radio Shack brand answering machine, purchased at the local mall.
About two weeks later, the answering machine started doing funny things. Often times it would pick up and say nothing other than static. Other times the messages it collected would be inaudible. My mom could not find a receipt, buy hey, it is a Radio Shack branded item. I am sure they will at least offer me store credit, or an even exchange, without the receipt...
My mom and I arrive at the mall, and the man at the register tells us that with no receipt he cannot take it back, nor can we exchange it. Store policy. We say, well that is silly, but you are a mere register man and not in control of store policy. Let's talk to a manager. So out he comes.
Sorry guys, can't take it back, store policy. We make the argument again that the machine is a Radio Shack brand item, so it had to be purchased from Radio Shack. What is the difference if there is a receipt or not? Can't do it. So, we ask for the information for the next step up, the Regional Manager. The manager gives us the information, and away we went.
When I got home, we talked about what I should say. Ultimately, I decided that if this manager also refused to take the item back, I should inform him that I am a 10th grade male, who loves video games, tvs, stereos, and anything electronic. If this is their store policy, then I would make it my policy not to shop at such a store. It was good to have a plan, but I figured there was no way it would come to this. The Regional Manager would see the rediculous nature of the event, issue the return, and all would be right in the world.
Amazingly, ten minutes later, there I was, telling the regional manager exactly that. I would never shop at Radio Shack as long as I live. He basically said OK.
Since then, I have kept to my promise. I believe I was forced into ordering some electronic components from Radio Shack one time at school because the professor teaching the course had all the part numbers and such. Aside from that order, I have not shopped there since. I have actually sent Radio Shack in the sky two letters since then, just mentioning the amount of money that I estimate I have spent at Best Buy since that event, and the amount of money I have spent at Radio Shack. Maybe it would be time for an update, though I hesitate to figure out how much I have spent at Best Buy in the past 8 years.
So that is my story. The lesson I learned here in trying to get your way from a company is to always have a plan of what you intend to say before you call them. If things go correctly, you will never need to say them (though occasionally this is frustrating, as you get all revved up for a fight, call them up, and they just fix your problem without putting up a fight. How rude?!?!). Having written and called so many places since then, this is still one of the most surprising episodes. I am still just amazed that this $20 machine could not even be exchanged for the same item, still being sold in those stores. Some of these places are just not interested in making money.
The story starts about 8 years ago, around this time of year actually. With our new connection to a cable modem, we no longer needed the second phone line in the computer room. So, my parents moved the second line to my bedroom since I used it most regularly anyway. For Christmas, I got an answering machine for that line, so that all of my friends could leave messages and people would not have to bother answering the line (this was of course before everyone had cell phones and no need for all these extra lines and phone machines and what-have-you). So, how psyched was I? I had my own phone line, and an answering machine. My very own Radio Shack brand answering machine, purchased at the local mall.
About two weeks later, the answering machine started doing funny things. Often times it would pick up and say nothing other than static. Other times the messages it collected would be inaudible. My mom could not find a receipt, buy hey, it is a Radio Shack branded item. I am sure they will at least offer me store credit, or an even exchange, without the receipt...
My mom and I arrive at the mall, and the man at the register tells us that with no receipt he cannot take it back, nor can we exchange it. Store policy. We say, well that is silly, but you are a mere register man and not in control of store policy. Let's talk to a manager. So out he comes.
Sorry guys, can't take it back, store policy. We make the argument again that the machine is a Radio Shack brand item, so it had to be purchased from Radio Shack. What is the difference if there is a receipt or not? Can't do it. So, we ask for the information for the next step up, the Regional Manager. The manager gives us the information, and away we went.
When I got home, we talked about what I should say. Ultimately, I decided that if this manager also refused to take the item back, I should inform him that I am a 10th grade male, who loves video games, tvs, stereos, and anything electronic. If this is their store policy, then I would make it my policy not to shop at such a store. It was good to have a plan, but I figured there was no way it would come to this. The Regional Manager would see the rediculous nature of the event, issue the return, and all would be right in the world.
Amazingly, ten minutes later, there I was, telling the regional manager exactly that. I would never shop at Radio Shack as long as I live. He basically said OK.
Since then, I have kept to my promise. I believe I was forced into ordering some electronic components from Radio Shack one time at school because the professor teaching the course had all the part numbers and such. Aside from that order, I have not shopped there since. I have actually sent Radio Shack in the sky two letters since then, just mentioning the amount of money that I estimate I have spent at Best Buy since that event, and the amount of money I have spent at Radio Shack. Maybe it would be time for an update, though I hesitate to figure out how much I have spent at Best Buy in the past 8 years.
So that is my story. The lesson I learned here in trying to get your way from a company is to always have a plan of what you intend to say before you call them. If things go correctly, you will never need to say them (though occasionally this is frustrating, as you get all revved up for a fight, call them up, and they just fix your problem without putting up a fight. How rude?!?!). Having written and called so many places since then, this is still one of the most surprising episodes. I am still just amazed that this $20 machine could not even be exchanged for the same item, still being sold in those stores. Some of these places are just not interested in making money.
Monday, January 5, 2009
An Opening
So I decided to create this blog at the urging of my brother, and because sometimes time becomes available during the day.
Let me introduce this blog then. In the last year, I have become a bit of an ebay junkie. I started buying books in lots on ebay, with the sole purpose of selling them back to people, individually, on half.com and amazon.com. This may not sound as if it would offer much in the line of income, but it does surprisingly well. I started with a modest investment to buy some medical books and mental health books, and the results were OK. Took a little bit of time, but slowly I sold a few to come back to even. Then, the big break happened. In April, my mom wanted my bro and I to clean out the ol' bedroom. Not for the faint of heart. In the process, my brother decided that he didn't want some of his old graphic novels (superman, spiderman, those types of things but longer than comics). So, I put up about 12 of his books in early May, and by the end of May, most of them sold, for an average of about $5 per book. Again, this may not sound like a big deal, but the sites include an allowance for shipping. And if one buys all their stamps ahead of time, for any book less than a pound, shipping consists of stamps and a mailbox. Not too hard.
After these books, I decided to put some money into buying larger lots of graphic novels (mostly batman). In total, I have sold approximately 150 books, ranging from books on arthritis to a free giveaway to my newest Playboy subscription, to several school text books. While I have not yet made a fortune, I have continued to buy larger lots of books, with the thoughts of cashing in someday to buy a liquidated lot from a dealer.
Now ebay Phase II is the possible opening of an ebay store. Details to follow.
For the other subject in this blog, I think my mom summarizes it best. She mentioned one time that if there was a phrase that summarized my life, it might be "that's not fair". I have always been one to stand up, and tell someone what they are doing is not fair. Whether it was directly affecting me, someone I knew, or even a total stranger. I think mostly, it is either to prove a point, or to defend a principle alone. One way or the other, it has led to many an interesting story in my life. I frequently will write to companies about products I have purchased, and give them feedback. I want to share some of those results, and see what results others have seen. I can collect these ideas and we can get a good feel for which companies actually care about customers, and which ones just try to take your first dollar, and no interest in return business.
So, those are my intial thoughts here. I will try to write some ideas out over lunch breaks, etc. Looking forward to sharing some ideas and stories.
Let me introduce this blog then. In the last year, I have become a bit of an ebay junkie. I started buying books in lots on ebay, with the sole purpose of selling them back to people, individually, on half.com and amazon.com. This may not sound as if it would offer much in the line of income, but it does surprisingly well. I started with a modest investment to buy some medical books and mental health books, and the results were OK. Took a little bit of time, but slowly I sold a few to come back to even. Then, the big break happened. In April, my mom wanted my bro and I to clean out the ol' bedroom. Not for the faint of heart. In the process, my brother decided that he didn't want some of his old graphic novels (superman, spiderman, those types of things but longer than comics). So, I put up about 12 of his books in early May, and by the end of May, most of them sold, for an average of about $5 per book. Again, this may not sound like a big deal, but the sites include an allowance for shipping. And if one buys all their stamps ahead of time, for any book less than a pound, shipping consists of stamps and a mailbox. Not too hard.
After these books, I decided to put some money into buying larger lots of graphic novels (mostly batman). In total, I have sold approximately 150 books, ranging from books on arthritis to a free giveaway to my newest Playboy subscription, to several school text books. While I have not yet made a fortune, I have continued to buy larger lots of books, with the thoughts of cashing in someday to buy a liquidated lot from a dealer.
Now ebay Phase II is the possible opening of an ebay store. Details to follow.
For the other subject in this blog, I think my mom summarizes it best. She mentioned one time that if there was a phrase that summarized my life, it might be "that's not fair". I have always been one to stand up, and tell someone what they are doing is not fair. Whether it was directly affecting me, someone I knew, or even a total stranger. I think mostly, it is either to prove a point, or to defend a principle alone. One way or the other, it has led to many an interesting story in my life. I frequently will write to companies about products I have purchased, and give them feedback. I want to share some of those results, and see what results others have seen. I can collect these ideas and we can get a good feel for which companies actually care about customers, and which ones just try to take your first dollar, and no interest in return business.
So, those are my intial thoughts here. I will try to write some ideas out over lunch breaks, etc. Looking forward to sharing some ideas and stories.
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