A recent thread brought these two incidents to mind. After having Sears hold money for 6 months without delivery of $600 worth of items, I called the Better Business Bureau and the city where the store was situated, successfully asking both entities to give Sears their opinion about its order fulfillment practices.
What later ensued was abrupt message from Sears on my answering robot instructing me to pick up the merchandise. On arriving at the store, the scowling greeting overwhelmed my heart. When the boxes where wheeled out with the snarling announcement of "Here's your stuff", I wondered. Then I asked them to watch while the boxes were opened, earning a warm "What, you think we're trying to screw you?" from the clerk. On opening, every door in the rollaways was kicked in. No need to think what my situation would have been if I called in that report from the house.
Case two involves Home Depot. I binged on supplies for a project. At home, I opened the heavy nail gun case and--voila!--no nail gun. Returning back to the store, my revelation of the situation won some suspicious looks at the return desk. The manager came and-- kindly and, reluctantly-- said "Give him another one". Returning to the tool department after getting the gun, I found they had unpacked the orignial gun from the first box and used it as a display item without marking or tossing the empty case they first sold me.
After that, I open everything before getting a receipt. It is unsurpring how many boxes have been pilfered or have damaged merchandise which it is far less awkward to deal with before you plunk the money down than later.
Regards,
Edward Hennessey