Three triumphant fights for refunds
Just ask. It’s a strategy to use when negotiating with large companies about a consumer problem.
You never know what help is available unless you ask. Stay calm and courteous. Never insult or confront.
Here are stories of three customers who asked for what they thought was right — and won refunds worth $1,250 in total. Health device dies a premature death: Anne Deoni bought a Fitbit in late 2016 at HBC. A popular device that measures your heart rate and calories, the Fitbit Alta model was reduced to $130 at a Bay Day sale from a regular price of $199.
She started using it in January 2017, but it conked out within 18 months. All attempts at emergency resuscitation failed.
“Did a reset, booted it back up, prompted to do an update again, same result,” said her daughter Sharon Gillies, who tried to revive it.
“Live chat online with Fitbit, where we were taken through numerous steps both on the computer and iPad app, same result.
“Agent indicated the Fitbit was dead, past the one-year warranty, so they couldn’t replace it.”
Deoni was railing against Fitbit when I spoke at a Probus Club meeting in Milton. When she mentioned HBC, I knew she had a fighting chance.
Retailing is a tough business for traditional department stores.
HBC works hard to retain customer loyalty when I pass along complaints and, in this case, the results were better than expected.
HBC called Deoni within minutes and arranged for her to pick up a new Fitbit at no charge. She can return the broken one later.
“I was received at Hudson Bay, Mississauga, with open arms and made to feel like a queen,” she said.
If a manufacturer says no to repairs or replacement, always ask the retailer to help. Stores usually have more clout with suppliers than you do. Name mixup adds to costs in real estate deal: David Bourque was applying for a mortgage to buy real estate. His lawyers found a writ filed in Ontario against a man whose last name was the same as his, and whose first name was the same as his middle name.
“In order for my lawyer to release my mortgage funds, I had to sign affidavits stating and proving that I was not the delinquent payer,” he said in June. “This is so the creditor (CIBC) will acknowledge that I am not their delinquent client.
“I was charged $282.50 to prove that I am not guilty. Shouldn’t it be incumbent on CIBC to prove that I am their guy? Wouldn’t the data, such as birth date or social insurance number, show that I am not the delinquent?”
By the time I caught up with Bourque, he’d paid the $282.50 for the real estate sale to proceed, feeling he had no recourse.
I asked CIBC’s media contacts for a review, resulting in a quick refund — rounded up to $300.
“I am very happy with the service I received from CIBC,” Bourque said later. “CIBC deserves a pat on the back for this one.” Online review of barbecue is too hot to handle: Jan Christie bought a $750 two-burner gas barbecue grill in June. After trying out her Napoleon Legend LD325 for small spaces, she posted a critical review at Canadian Tire’s website.
“Poorly engineered, it should never have passed safety tests. I had flames shoot out the front, right above the control knobs,” she wrote, using the name Mrs. BBQ.
Canadian Tire wrote back to say her review could not be published. She asked what the guidelines were and redid the review to meet them: “Must be careful anytime you use a BBQ, had flames shoot out the front right above the control knobs.”
A week later, Canadian Tire rejected her review again, saying she had probably experienced a “flashback fire” caused by insects building a nest inside the burner. This was not considered a product defect.
“No insects whatsoever,” Christie said about the flashback fire theory. She cited a 2015 review posted at CanadianTire.ca, saying flames shot out the back of the same Napoleon grill.
Canadian Tire eventually decided the review could be published after all. It also offered a choice of a new Napoleon grill or a different manufacturer’s model.
Christie refused to accept a replacement. She proposed that Canadian Tire donate the $749.99 to Parkinson Canada, which it did on Sept. 7. Update: The grill in question is no longer sold at Canadian Tire. Thanks to Christie for fighting for the right to write an honest review at the retailer’s site.