Protecting the Consumer

We have all encountered the situation.  You hear about an amazing offer for an establishment, be it a restaurant or other retail store.  You get the coupon for the offer.  You get to the store and collect all the items that you see meets the requirements.  But, when you get to the counter, you are told you completely misread the offer and that you actually have to pay twice as much as you thought.

It happened to me not too long ago.  I went to +Lane Bryant one day during an amazing sale.  If you have ever shopped at Lane Bryant, you know that their prices are kind of high.  I examined the flyer I received.  I scoured it.  I made sure I understood the offer.  So, I grabbed everything I needed and wanted and walked up to the counter.  I had a big smile on my face and greeted the cashier happily.  Never mind that it was the same girl who asked if I was transsexual (another consumer nightmare, I swear!), but I put that transgression in the back of my mind.  She finally said, "Now you know that only one of these items meets the sale criteria, right?"

I stood there, mouth open, "What do you mean?  There is nothing in the fine print on this flyer that says that Spanx isn't eligible or a new item?"

"I told you when you came in," she said.

I was livid, "I don't want any of it now.  You can keep it.  It's false advertising to not even have all the fine print on your flyer."

Ever experience this?  Well, today, my coworkers experienced something very similar.  One of my Team Leads had an offer for Domino's Pizza that supported her son's school.  It was, again, an excellent deal.  Two medium, two-topping pizzas for $5.99.  Again, we all read over the fine print and examined the lettering.  No issue found.  Imagine the surprise of my coworker when they called, only to be told that you have to pay $5.99 EACH!  And furthermore, upon trying to argue this point, the Assistant Manager of the establishment hangs up on you!  Then, when another coworker calls, he ends up in a screaming match with the Owner!

How far has customer service fallen?  Once the dust settled and calmer tones returned, the owner finally admitted that they were in the wrong but that they weren't going to honor the coupon.  What's more, they admitted that the entire town was turning against them.  The sad thing I see here is the fact that caught in the cross fire is an elementary school that was using this as a fundraising opportunity.

True, the Better Business Bureau is in place to protect exactly this.  And believe me, calls and complaints have been filed and made to both the BBB and the media, per reliable source.  I am also offering my blog tonight to this cause and the cause of any consumer that finds themselves in the bind of false advertising.  But be wary, as you can only use these resources if you do not remain complacent in your cause!  Complacency is a plague, affecting all our society and all ages.  If you feel you have been treated wrongly as a consumer, make sure to report it to your BBB for that to be assessed and follow-up on appropriately.  Until next time, have a great weekend.  My fiance and I will be going out of town the next two days in order to more appropriately celebrate Mother's Day.  I hope to be able to post, but alas, I make not promises.