Really bad experience from an online store

[Raene]

And I feel so badly b/c I thought they'd be great and recommended them to someone b/c their Blendtecs and Vitamixes are all on sale.
I ordered a Blendtec last week after finding this company had the best prices. Spent two weeks of my salary and then two days ago when it came in the mail I discovered that it's defective. I called the company, Living Right and the woman told me I was probably just using it wrong (?) even though I told her I'd followed two recipes in the book that came with the machine. She told me they couldn't help me and that I'd have to speak with Blendtec. Blendtec won't refund my money b/c I bought it elsewhere, so no one really wants to help, and to make matters worse, when Blendtec suggested I talk to Living Right again, I called L.R. and the man HUNG UP on me! I wasn't even yelling, just explaining my situation. I cannot believe it, esp bc they are supposedly known for having excellent customer service.
Just FYI the man I spoke with at Blendtec has been incredibly kind, and although they cannot refund my money, they are definitely willing to ship a replacement out, unlike Living Right. It's not Blendtec I'm upset with, it's Living Right. Beware of online companies. I know now that I should've just paid the extra fifty $ and bought on the Blendtec site so that I could've gotten my refund and it would be happily over.

[GlimR]

This is their return policy...pretty harsh!http://www.livingright.com/returns.php

..but still they do say to call for returns and refunds.......???

[oai]

Thanks for letting us know. I'll make sure not to order from them!

[buffalogal]

If you paid with your credit card, contact the credit card company and see if there is any way that they can help you...perhaps somehow dispute it. Contact the State Attorney General in the state that they are located in and lodge a complaint with them. Contact the small claims court in the town in which they are located and talk to them about this. Contact the Better Business Bureau in their town and lodge a complaint with them! Don't let them get away with this without a fight!! This is terrible business!! They are probably crooks and need to be stopped!!!:mad: I'm furious that they would take advantage of a sincere customer!! Don't let it drop!! Good luck with it!!:(

[RawHeaven]

Yes I agree. Definately file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and get in touch with your credit card company.

[Care4raw]

And I feel so badly b/c I thought they'd be great and recommended them to someone b/c their Blendtecs and Vitamixes are all on sale.
I ordered a Blendtec last week after finding this company had the best prices. Spent two weeks of my salary and then two days ago when it came in the mail I discovered that it's defective. I called the company, Living Right and the woman told me I was probably just using it wrong (?) even though I told her I'd followed two recipes in the book that came with the machine. She told me they couldn't help me and that I'd have to speak with Blendtec. Blendtec won't refund my money b/c I bought it elsewhere, so no one really wants to help, and to make matters worse, when Blendtec suggested I talk to Living Right again, I called L.R. and the man HUNG UP on me! I wasn't even yelling, just explaining my situation. I cannot believe it, esp bc they are supposedly known for having excellent customer service.
Just FYI the man I spoke with at Blendtec has been incredibly kind, and although they cannot refund my money, they are definitely willing to ship a replacement out, unlike Living Right. It's not Blendtec I'm upset with, it's Living Right. Beware of online companies. I know now that I should've just paid the extra fifty $ and bought on the Blendtec site so that I could've gotten my refund and it would be happily over.



Man that sucks!I can still be naive and figure if someone is selling these 'wonderful' products that they are good , caring biz people.

I am glad you posted..hope you sort it out!

[Hygeia]

That is horrible, sorry to hear that you are having such a hard time. Especially where you spent so much money. Definately call and dispute the charge, you can with any credit card not just Amex (American Express is just no questions asked about it).

I hope it works out for you and soon.

And thanks for the heads up.

[Revvell]

Maybe they'd like to respond to this on my new program. :D

[c'estlaviebelle]

I'm wondering why you can't go to Blendtec directly and handle it there. I would think the item would still be under warranty and they would replace it.... just because you purchased it through a retailer you would think the warranty would still apply.

Sorry to hear you are having such a hard time with the online store. Thanks for letting us know, as they are now definitely off of my list of retailers to purchase from. They should be wiser about how they treat their customers.

[Raene]

Thanks you guys...this board always makes me feel better!! :)
Blendtec is sending me a replacement tomorrow and a prepaid box to send this defective one back. They just can't take it back and refund my money, which I had originally wanted b/c this has been so frustrating. The only way to get my money back is through Living Right and they won't call me back. I found out it was the manager who hung up on me! I'll see what I can do about the credit card, too, and I'll definitely contact the BBB. That's the scary thing about online stores; next time I'll stick with buying from someone I trust (ie Alissa, Amazon, etc).

[buffalogal]

Living Right sure got alot of BAD publicity on this site!!! I don't think anyone on this sight will EVER order from them!!! I know I won't!!! Tell ALL your friends too!!! I'm glad to hear that Blendtec will make this right and hopefully, you will be happy with your new Blendtec!!:)

[Zuri]

WOW, and I got my Omega from them. Sorry for your experience. I won't be buying from them again, that's for sure.

[Andre]

First of all, the sales rep does NOT care. They are paid by the hour and likely comissioned, so they won't care if you don't want their business.

The person that WILL care is the CEO, but the CEO doesn't care about one persons business that much. They already have your money. An idea would be to tell the CEO that you know many people in the raw community with network contacts and you'll be publishing several network boycott articles around the web (and articles about purchasing from reputable dealers) on their company and your experience with THEIR company - this will reach hundreds of thousands. Mention that BlendTec's CEO will be contacted about this company's service style. Tell the CEO this.

Whatever the scam company CEO tells you, say that the boycott will continue until you receive the brand new WORKING BlendTec in your home. Only then will the boycott be stopped.

Tell the CEO that the Better Business Bureau has been contacted and an inquery will be made within one week. Say that you'd like to record the call (I'm going to record this call, okay?) for legal purposes.

Be professional and super polite. You words are powerful, speech understanding, and you WILL go through NO MATTER WHAT if you do not receive a fully functional BlendTec within one week. DO NOT THREATEN! This is matter of factly. Be brief and do not mention anything that is even slightly irrevilant. Be assertive and nice. Do not let the CEO sweet talk you, they are PROFESSIONALS at this!!! You will stand strong and yet polite.

At a minimum you'll be on the CEO's his mind for a couple of days. ;)

Maybe the CEO will think their scam was not such a great idea! :)

This will take only five minutes.

[Andre]

Also, do not let he CEO use their salesrep as a scapegoat. They will likely try to apoligize for the CEO's hangup. They almost always know what's going on. The CEO doesn't want to take that product back! They usually instruct the managers to tell the reps to do exactly what they're doing, and their good at it. That's why they have the job. Infact I work in sales (insurance) and we rip people off as well, all day. Tell them that the salesrep is a direct representation of the quality of their company and there is NO excuse.

Be assertive, nice, firm. Do not ask "why", simply state what YOU are going to do. You are not looking for excuses or comfort, all of which they gladly give you, you are looking for ACTION!

Like I said, 5 minutes is all it takes. Make the call short.

Sorry for the long post. :o

[Raene]

The whole thing makes my blood pressure rise, so I pretty much think it's better for my health to just move on and forget about it, but I also don't want others to get screwed by them.
So today I filed a complaint with the BBB and with the Arizona Attorney General and I called my credit card company to make the dispute. I don't know how to contact the CEO and I feel like they'll make my blood pressure rise too much by their rude and condescending ways making me feel like it's my fault, my problem and that *I* don't know *HOW* to use the machine.
That's what they kept saying yesterday...maybe you're not using enough water. You need to thaw the berries first. Ice is softer than frozen fruit, so really, thaw it out. etc etc etc. Then asking me how I cut up the carrot and telling me that it was too big...I need to cut it in 1 inch by 1 inch pieces. I'm sorry, isn't that WHY I'M BUYING A BLENDER! I'm not cutting my freakin carrots up in uniform pieces, I'm trying to blend up my food! Arg.

[Aleesha Sattva]

May I ask a question? Why would you dispute the sale with your credit card company is you are getting a new one from Blendtec?

Exchange is very important in life. You cannot control how a company does their exchange but you can watch your own. You are getting a new product so isn't your exchange equal now?


Infact I work in sales (insurance) and we rip people off as well, all day.

And Andre, I can't imagine working in a company which rips people off and feeling good about my daily expenditure of energy. What we put out, we receive back 3 fold... I sure wouldn't want all that "rip off" energy coming back at me! Yuck.

Just some thoughts for you both. Ignore me if you like. ;)

[Andrealite]

Wow, I guess I'm lucky. I bought a Vitamix 4500 from them for 319.00 including shipping but it wasn't defective. Thanks for letting us all know. They won't get my $ again.

[Raene]

Well, what I agreed to do with Blendtec doesn't have anything to do with my experience with Living Right. They do say in their return policy that if an item is defective they will offer a refund OR exchange it, neither of which they cared to do for me. They hung up on me and won't call me back...this is fraud.
I am getting the BBB involved b/c they have not handled the situation correctly.
What if Target did this? You go and by an X-box and it's broken and they tell you, "Oh sorry. Its not our problem. You'll just have to check with the X-box manufacturer." How would that fly? Not well.
I used to have an online store and I chose customer service over making money hands down. I don't understand companies who aren't honest, especially when they say on their site that they have excellent customer service and their customers are all so happy. Well, not me, but they don't care and they don't want to help.

[oai]

Not only are you going through the process have improving their customer service for yourself due to their actions with this situation, but you're helping out everyone else as well who will do (will probably not from us!) with them!

Stay strong! I hope you're able to take the actions. Then enjoy that new blender of yours, when ya get it! AGh smoothie & juice heaven, baby!

[queenfluff]

Hey Raene,

I didn't get my BlendTec directly from BlendTec either but when it died because I did an overload on it (my fault - too many nuts!) I sent it back to blendtec and they sent me a new one (at least, I think it is new - anyhow they fixed it). My bf talked to them on the phone and said they were really helpful and explained how to ship it back to them and what info they needed from me.

I got mine through Raw Guru. I got a great price and I got free shipping because I spent over $100 (and it arrived TWO days after I ordered it - how great is that for free shipping!). Did you get a pamphet with yours? It should say how to send it back on the back and there is a warranty (I forgot for how long - it is at least a year though).

It did take a few weeks to do all of this but in order to get it replaced, you do have to send it back and they will ship you another one. Yeah, unfortunately, they won't just give you a refund - you have to send it back - I think it is pretty much the same with any electronics. Blendtec looks at the blender to see how many cycles are on it - my bf says since it is high tech that they can tell by looking it how it died etc. It also helps them learn about any defects that customers might be finding in their products.

I know it sucks since you feel ripped off. But Blendtec can't really control what Living Right might be doing to their blenders that they ship to their customers. But if you send it back to BlendTec, they will fix it or give you a new one.

[Raspberry4]

I feel for you - that is so frustrating! Thanks for posting this. I am having a problem with some workout DVD's (Joyce Vedral site). This is off your topic but please let me tell anyone interested - I placed a large order from her. I have had to write her about 5 ot 6 times to find out where it is and she keeps telling me it is coming - that was 3 weeks worth. Today she just emailed me to stop emailing her and "wait for the package". Isn't that nice customer service??????? I spent close to $200 on her stuff. That will not make or break her service, but come on, that is alot of money for me. I know this probably has not happened to alot of people, but once is more than enough and then to send a rude email to stop emailing her to find out where my product is and when I am getting it? Excuse me! Anyway...I hope things work out for you. And, I will try some of the above suggestions too. She is in New York so I will research where to find all the places to make a complaint to. Anyway...good luck to you!

[Aleesha Sattva]

May I ask a question? Why would you dispute the sale with your credit card company is you are getting a new one from Blendtec?

Exchange is very important in life. You cannot control how a company does their exchange but you can watch your own. You are getting a new product so isn't your exchange equal now?


Well, what I agreed to do with Blendtec doesn't have anything to do with my experience with Living Right. They do say in their return policy that if an item is defective they will offer a refund OR exchange it, neither of which they cared to do for me. They hung up on me and won't call me back...this is fraud.
I am getting the BBB involved b/c they have not handled the situation correctly.

but you are getting a new blendtec. i have no problem with you contacting the BBB and i agree with that decision 100%. it's the "get your money back" with the credit card company that i have issue with.

cause in reality... aren't you stealing? (if you get your money back?)

i agree that the company, Living Right, is at fault... but you aren't sending them back their product so they get a credit... they get nothing back and you still want your money back???

again... ignore me if you choose. just some food for thought.

[Raene]

No, I would return the machine (whether it's the new one or the old broken one). I don't want it any longer and I don't feel that I should give Living Right that money.
Honestly I'd rather return it to them, get my money back, and then give Blendtec that amount for a new blender. I don't want to support companies that are ripping people off.

[Raw Hope]

thank you for being considerate to tell others about your unpleasent experience

[tepiglet]

I feel for you - that is so frustrating! Thanks for posting this. I am having a problem with some workout DVD's (Joyce Vedral site). This is off your topic but please let me tell anyone interested - I placed a large order from her. I have had to write her about 5 ot 6 times to find out where it is and she keeps telling me it is coming - that was 3 weeks worth. Today she just emailed me to stop emailing her and "wait for the package". Isn't that nice customer service??????? I spent close to $200 on her stuff. That will not make or break her service, but come on, that is alot of money for me. I know this probably has not happened to alot of people, but once is more than enough and then to send a rude email to stop emailing her to find out where my product is and when I am getting it? Excuse me! Anyway...I hope things work out for you. And, I will try some of the above suggestions too. She is in New York so I will research where to find all the places to make a complaint to. Anyway...good luck to you!

Hi Raspberry4,

I just noticed your post,and I'm sorry that you're having such a difficult time
with Joyce Vedral's site,and I feel kind of bad since, I was the one who suggested her workouts and website in the first place.
I've never had a problem with receiving items ordered from her site,however
I have taken issue with her 'customer relation skills',in the past.
Once,some years back,when I initially started her workouts,I ordered quite a
few VHS tapes from her,and spent a few hundred dollars-which was/is a lot of money for me to spend on extraneous items,given my current budget.
I believe it was either same day I ordered,or perhaps the day after,she had a MASSIVE sale on her website,for ordering items in bulk,which would have saved me a substantial amount of money off my original ordering price.
I e-mailed her straight away,and asked if she could possibly give me the discount retroactively,since my credit card hadn't been charged yet,and the items hadn't been shipped -and she flat out refused.
Granted,she was under no obligation to do so,but this kind of rubbed me the wrong way.
I mean, I just spent hundreds of $,and it would have been good customer service to offer me the discount or give me credit and/or some kind of voucher.
Plenty of businesses do this kind of thing all the time,and it wouldn't have cost her anything to belatedly offer me the discount-especially since my order hadn't
been completely processed yet!
I still love her workouts,and recently ordered most of her dvds,to replace my
old VHS tapes,and added in some of her her newer workouts-and I'm getting in great shape.
However,I agree that her customer service is sorely lacking,and she does give the impression of being a pushy salesperson,at times.
Then again,this is her sole means of support,so I guess she has to be pushy.
But,that is NO excuse for the way she's treated you.
AND,she's constantly telling her customers to e-mail her about anything and everything,and then she tells you to stop e-mailing her?!
Unbelievable!!!!:mad:
Three weeks is a long freaking time!
Again,I'm sincerely sorry for your experience.

[Aleesha Sattva]

No, I would return the machine (whether it's the new one or the old broken one). I don't want it any longer and I don't feel that I should give Living Right that money.
Honestly I'd rather return it to them, get my money back, and then give Blendtec that amount for a new blender. I don't want to support companies that are ripping people off.

ahhhh that makes sense.

i'm so sorry you have gone through this. what a horrific situation... and honestly i hope you can get resolution.

sending "get er done" vibes to the universe for ya!

[Aleesha Sattva]

i have an idea... why don't we do letter writing campaign?

raene can you post her email addy and name etc. and then we can all put our words where our mouth is! :) i'll happily email her and let her know that, not only do i disagree with the way you are being treated but i'm inclined to allow you to write about in the next issue of my magazine... sharing your experience with my 50,000 readers.

of course, everyone writing and saying they are against what she's doing and plan on posting this situation on every raw forum they visit... making sure every one knows what is going on...

if that doesn't make a difference... then we do it! we all have to do what we tell her we will. plain and simple.

what do you all think? anyone else willing to put their 'sympathy' into action?

*raises arm and chants.... I AM I AM I AM *

[Raene]

Wow, that would be amazing. But wait, did you want my email address or Living Right's? I am confused...
Thanks for caring, I really appreciate it. I'm so bummed out about this. I can't believe they told me to cut the carrots in 1 inch pieces b/c I just watched a video on Blendtec's site and they stick a whole carrot in there...I guess Living Right just doesn't know what they're talking about at all.

[Raspberry4]

Tepiglet - please do not blame yourself at all for this. I know you referred her to me; however, this is not your fault in any way! I still want to use her tapes - I am curious if they work. Her emails have gotten progressively more rude. Yes, it may be her sole form of support; however, my husband has his own business and I have never heard him treat anyone this way and he has had plenty of cause too. Anyway...what we put out in the universe comes back to us, I believe that. If she does not produce the items I will continue on with the BBB and her State Attorney General office, etc. She did write again to me to say "here is to a thicker skin" whatever that means, and also "You are not the only one who has lost money". However, I know as a fact that she can write off any losses as a bad debt from her gross sales which will reduce her tax base. She is not out the money. But, just that customer service thing - does she know she will lose business from this type of treatment? Let alone - it is not very Christianly (or just plain decent) not to give you the discount, and to make this out to be 'my fault' in not getting the product! PLEASE! Take care, I will let you know if I get it and if the tapes work for me and my darned cellulite :o Have a great raw day ;)

[tepiglet]

Tepiglet - please do not blame yourself at all for this. I know you referred her to me; however, this is not your fault in any way! I still want to use her tapes - I am curious if they work. Her emails have gotten progressively more rude. Yes, it may be her sole form of support; however, my husband has his own business and I have never heard him treat anyone this way and he has had plenty of cause too. Anyway...what we put out in the universe comes back to us, I believe that. If she does not produce the items I will continue on with the BBB and her State Attorney General office, etc. She did write again to me to say "here is to a thicker skin" whatever that means, and also "You are not the only one who has lost money". However, I know as a fact that she can write off any losses as a bad debt from her gross sales which will reduce her tax base. She is not out the money. But, just that customer service thing - does she know she will lose business from this type of treatment? Let alone - it is not very Christianly (or just plain decent) not to give you the discount, and to make this out to be 'my fault' in not getting the product! PLEASE! Take care, I will let you know if I get it and if the tapes work for me and my darned cellulite :o Have a great raw day ;)

Hi Raspberry4,
I know it isn't my fault,but I still feel bad that you're being treated this way.
I've worked in customer service,and used to be employed in the airline industry,and I've always gone out of my way/bent over backwards to make clients/customers happy-that was just the way that my parents' raised me, i.e
to respect and value people,you know 'Do unto others...'.
Therefore,I find it unconscionable,that you are being disrespected in this manner-it's about common decency and respect.
Kudos to your husband for being an honest and decent man.
And you're right,she can write it off as a loss,so I don't get her comments.
Her e-mails are indeed rude and uncalled for,so good for you,that you're considering contacting the BBB.
When I said that this was her 'sole means of support',I wasn't defending her,
I was referring to her pushy sales tactics,and her unwillingness to offer me the discount,meaning somewhat sarcastically,that she must really 'need' the money,if she 'couldn't' offer me the sale price,when it was well within her means to do so-just to clarify.
Although,at the time,I wasn't sure if I was just being sensitive at the time,to be somewhat miffed that she wouldn't offer me the discounted price for the items
I ordered.
Again,though,now that I think about it,you're right-her treatment of you and
myself,is DEFINITELY neither Christianly or decent.
However,in the spirit of 'what we put out in the universe comes back to us...',
I have an offer for you.
If you want,I have a quite a few of her VHS tapes,that I no longer use,
since I've switched over to DVDS.
If you're interested,I can send them to you(free of charge).
I'm not using them anyways,and they're taking up valuable space in my entertainment
unit,besides.:)
So if you want them,they're yours-trust me.I can empathise with the problem
cellulite.LOL
It's not a problem at all,I'd be glad to give them to you.
Just let me know.
You have a great raw day too!:)

[Aleesha Sattva]

Wow, that would be amazing. But wait, did you want my email address or Living Right's? I am confused...
Thanks for caring, I really appreciate it. I'm so bummed out about this. I can't believe they told me to cut the carrots in 1 inch pieces b/c I just watched a video on Blendtec's site and they stick a whole carrot in there...I guess Living Right just doesn't know what they're talking about at all.

Her email addy and HER name. We don't want to email you, we want to email her! :D

[Raene]

It was a man who was rude and hung up on me from Living Right. He's the manager there, gosh, I wish I knew his name and/or email but I just don't. I have always dealt with them over the phone. He seems to be the only manager though, if that helps. I know...I'm not very helpful. Sorry.

[baltochef]

Raene

I am truly sorry for all of the troubles that you are going through with the Blend Tec blender..

Last March, I purchased a Blend Tec blender from Raw Guru..After using it several times I decided to return it for several reasons..(see my older posts)

In the process of purchasing the blender, a dehydrator, a juicer, some raw foods, & several books; as well as in returning the blender, I discovered that Raw Guru (at least at that time) did not actually own & stock the equipment that they sell on their website..

Like so many other e-businesses these days Raw Guru, & most likely Living Right, do not own, warehouse, & ship the equipment that they sell..They are facilitators..They are middlemen (middlewomen)..They have agreements with other businesses that allow them to sell hard goods, foods, books, etc. for a percentage of the brick & mortar businesses' profits..This benefits both companies..The lowest prices are often to be had through such e-businesses, but not always the best of services after the purchase is completed..

IMO, it is the reciprocal agreements between a wholesaler & such e-businesses that often times interferes with returns & warranties..My gut feelings are that the manufacturer tries not to honor a warranty due to the legal complexities involved with someone needing to be responsible for the return, replacement, & or loss of a manufactured product..No manufacturer is going to want such additional legal hassles..

As a result of my experiences with Raw Guru & other similar e-businesses last spring, I have elected NOT to ever again purchase anything through such a business..I always contact by telephone any new business that I am contemplating doing business with..The very first question that I ask when contacting a new business is "Do you actually have a brick & mortar store or warehouse that you conduct business out of?"..

If they say no, or if they prevaricate in any fashion, I politely end the conversation..And proceed to search for another business that does have an actual building that they work out of..While this is no assurance that the business is reputable, it at least shows that they have a large monetary stake in the business; especially if there is a retail store..And IMO, there is a greater likelihood that a business with an actual building & the investment necessary to run such a business will operate ethically, than an e-business with multiple phones as their only investment..

E-businesses such as I have described only need multiple phone lines & a series of reciprocal agreements with a wholesale distributor for any given product in order to do business..While I am sure that there are a lot of reputable e-businesses, including Raw Guru, it is much, much, much easier for this type of business to engage in disreputable & illegal business practices..They can pack up, skedaddle, & be set up with a similar business in another location (state) in a matter of days or weeks..Something that is a lot harder to accomplish if there are buildings & goods involved..

Again, I am truly sorry for your troubles, & I wish you the best of luck in resolving them..

Bruce

[Aleesha Sattva]

It was a man who was rude and hung up on me from Living Right. He's the manager there, gosh, I wish I knew his name and/or email but I just don't. I have always dealt with them over the phone. He seems to be the only manager though, if that helps. I know...I'm not very helpful. Sorry.

Raene,

We don't want to email an employee. We want to email the owner. That's the name and email addy we would all need.

Of course, we need to find out if others will write as well. A writing campaign cannot be two people LOL

[tepiglet]

Wow, that would be amazing. But wait, did you want my email address or Living Right's? I am confused...
Thanks for caring, I really appreciate it. I'm so bummed out about this. I can't believe they told me to cut the carrots in 1 inch pieces b/c I just watched a video on Blendtec's site and they stick a whole carrot in there...I guess Living Right just doesn't know what they're talking about at all.

I'm sorry you've had to go through all this hassle and frustration.
I can't believe that Living Right is attempting to put the blame on you!
From what I've read about Blendtec blenders,they're supposed to be able to
chop through a 2x4-well maybe that's a SLIGHT exageration.LOL
However,they're supposed to be one of the,if not THE most powerful blender
on the market(although I have a Vitamix,so I might have to disagree about them being the MOST powerful :) )-and it can't blend frozen berries or carrot pieces?
Puh-lease!
My beloved Vitamix pulverises pretty much anything,and it can thoroughly
mix/blend,even if you only put as little as 4 ounces of liquid in it.
I can't see why the blendtec shouldn't be able to do the same thing,so I'm
thinking you got a defective one.
However,even when I had a cheap $20-30 blender,it had NO problem with
blending frozen berries and most types of veggie chunks.
Count me in for the letter writing campaign!

[Raene]

Raene,

We don't want to email an employee. We want to email the owner. That's the name and email addy we would all need.

Of course, we need to find out if others will write as well. A writing campaign cannot be two people LOL

Ohhh okay. I don't even know how to find info like this out, lol. I know nothing about this kind of thing. Here's the info from the BBB:

Living Right aka
Open Chute Inc.
5205 W Montebello Ave # A-11
Glendale, AZ 85301

That's all I know...I don't know the owner, etc.
Interestingly enough, there are 2 other unsatisfactory experiences listed on the BBB site for them. Check this out:
http://data.phoenix.bbb.org/commonreport.html?bid=97004017
So it looks like the same thing happened so someone else...the company failed to honor their own policy.

[Aleesha Sattva]

i guess the big lesson here is:

check out the company with the BBB BEFORE purchasing items from them!

raene,

do you have an email addy of the company then?

[Raene]

i guess the big lesson here is:

check out the company with the BBB BEFORE purchasing items from them!

raene,

do you have an email addy of the company then?

Just info@openchute.com
Yes, that is a great lesson I have learned through all of this.

[Aleesha Sattva]

who else wants to join the letter writing campaign?

[carolg]

This email address may personally go to her and the owner may never see the complaint. I would suggest the writing campaign begin with the owner vs. just this customer service person. I suppose some techie peopel can quickly find out who owns the site when it was registered. It's not my expertise and would take me longer than it would a geek.

I still vote for the owner of the site and reporting the poor customer service skills and policy at their site. I believe in sticking up for great customer service. Since that is my bag, maybe I can put on a seminar for them too. I think if the student or ready or if the owner is reading the bad comments, the should be thinking about her replacement quickly or closing down the online business.

I wonder if they have been reported to BBB too. I don't mind ever paying extra for great service and peace of mind, but to be taken advantage of is my ideal way to buy. I always use my credit card--Visa--and has saved me more than once too. My bank surely wouldn't have my best interest but my credit card does.

carolg

[Raspberry4]

tepiglet - you are a true beautiful spirit in this world - thank you for offering your tapes - I cannot use them though since all I have is a DVD player. But thank you anyway! If the DVD's I purchased from her (and the dvd's I finally receive from her) do work to tone down a size and/or remove cellulite than I will forgive and forget her! :D
Hopefully this kind of customer service (and the Blendtec situation on this forum) will stop happening eventually to everyone. After all, without getting too religious (it is not allowed on this forum) I truly believe God put us here to help one another. Many people ask what is my purpose in life? To me, it is simple "love one another and treat them the way you would like to be treated". After all, we have the freedom to choose - I would rather choose to be nice. Nasty never gets anyone anywhere. That is my SPEECH for the day ;) I hope everyone has a good raw day! (Thanks again Tepiglet for the offer - you are such a sweetheart! :) )

[carolg]

I also believe in being nice regardless of the situation. There are nice ways to get your message across even if you are angry with positive results.

One of the managers is steve@livingright.com.

Not sure if the 800# at their website will get him. Someone said they are owned by a corporation, and was protective to say more. Regardless he should be aware of the feedback others have as his job could be on the line eventually if the site closes down for bad business practices.

This person said there are several owners, but no names given out. Sounds like a secret. This person, guy, was very pleasant on phone.

Regardless, I believe owners need to be aware of the discontent of customers.

Maybe rawguru or another online store may know how to find out further about owner's contact, etc. as rawguru is computer savvy.

carolg

[Raene]

I also believe in being nice regardless of the situation. There are nice ways to get your message across even if you are angry with positive results.

One of the managers is steve@livingright.com.

Not sure if the 800# at their website will get him. Someone said they are owned by a corporation, and was protective to say more. Regardless he should be aware of the feedback others have as his job could be on the line eventually if the site closes down for bad business practices.

This person said there are several owners, but no names given out. Sounds like a secret. This person, guy, was very pleasant on phone.

Regardless, I believe owners need to be aware of the discontent of customers.

Maybe rawguru or another online store may know how to find out further about owner's contact, etc. as rawguru is computer savvy.

carolg

Thanks, Carol! I'm not wishing to call them again, so I really appreciate it.
Yes, it was Steve who I left a voice mail with and never called back and I'm 95% sure he's the same one I talked to who hung up on me. So...he may not care...but at least he is directly involved.

[Aleesha Sattva]

this absolutely has to be handled in a mature polite manner.

so raene, what is it you wish to do? do you want to drop this and forget about it? do you want to act further...

it's your call girlfriend.

[Raene]

I'd love further action, I guess I'm just not good at organizing this sort of thing. If you want to tell me what to do, feel free :D

[carolg]

Send Steve an email and also do a BCC to yourself as proof it was sent "only" if you wish to express your experience with this business and your "pending" wishes.

If you wish not to pursue this, satisified with the results you have today with the machine, new/used from the other vendor, then here you got the word out about your experience, took away some of their business. If you can post it to BBB it will also deter others from buying and saving themselves headaches and money. I do believe BBB has the right to know and other buyers.

Regardless it was a horrible experience no one should have to go through, but you learned, we learned, and now it's time to enjoy the machine you have.

Thanks for sharing. It benefitted me and tons others here. I don't want to take your experience lightly. The person you spoke with was rude to hang up, but then you are not going back to them and we aren't either. I think maybe "mission accomplished?"

If we can help further let us know how. We do care.

I don't have that machine, but right now I just finished making in my tiny Personal Tribest Blender, under $85, a "kill for marinara" sauce for pasta made out of zucchini. I am headed to rawluck. Bringing along my raw pickles I posted link for (see Boutenko carolg pickles).

Best to you.

carolg

[EZ rider]

Better Business Bureau:

http://welcome.bbb.org/

[carolg]

Okay I missed #434--your note. What further action do you wish to pursue? What's your game plan and satisfaction received once the issue is resolved? This will help us bunches I believe.

Are you wanting to post to BBB site?

You don't have that machine any longer they sent? Right? I thought you got another from the manufacturer? Right?

I don't think you can receive money back from the online business if you can't return their original purchase you paid for.

They are not going to change their standing return policy unless they wish not based on your wishes, but their wishes.

So, not trying to be rude to you here, what are you looking to do? Is it worth pursing and creating stress to your life if you already have one that works? Personally I would pursue letting BBB know and chalk this up to a hard learning experience, but one that you let others know about and never buy from them again.

Is this what you want to do or am I missing something?

It's easier to concentrate on positive areas of our life, learn and hopefully be more careful reading return policies, reading BBB about company that we are thinking about buying from, let it go. This is only me talking and how I would go after the situation that may have been resolved by you having a machine you are now satisfied with.

I'm trying to think of how I can organize your help needs, but I can't understand what they are. Can we help further and how? Thanks. Have a great day. Off to rawluck soon.

carolg

[Raene]

Are you wanting to post to BBB site?

You don't have that machine any longer they sent? Right? I thought you got another from the manufacturer? Right?

I don't think you can receive money back from the online business if you can't return their original purchase you paid for.

They are not going to change their standing return policy unless they wish not based on your wishes, but their wishes.

So, not trying to be rude to you here, what are you looking to do? Is it worth pursing and creating stress to your life if you already have one that works? Personally I would pursue letting BBB know and chalk this up to a hard learning experience, but one that you let others know about and never buy from them again.

Is this what you want to do or am I missing something?

It's easier to concentrate on positive areas of our life, learn and hopefully be more careful reading return policies, reading BBB about company that we are thinking about buying from, let it go. This is only me talking and how I would go after the situation that may have been resolved by you having a machine you are now satisfied with.

I'm trying to think of how I can organize your help needs, but I can't understand what they are. Can we help further and how? Thanks. Have a great day. Off to rawluck soon.

carolg

Carol, just to answer your questions:
I did file a complaint with the BBB, so I guess they will post it at some point.
I do still have the machine. Blendtec is sending me a replacement but at the same time, my credit card company has told me that b/c I disputed the $, I need to hold on to the broken machine in case they finally agree to take it back and refund my money. I'm wondering how long this will take. I would prefer to pay blendtec for the replacement and keep this defective one for LR to deal with eventually, but I'm afraid that if they don't ever contact me I will end up having to pay for it and I definitely can't afford a broken machine as well as the new one. So I might hold on to the new one when it comes in for a few days and see if I hear anything from LR, but most likely I'll have to just send in the defective one to Blendtec and cancel the dispute with the card company...it's very complicated and I guess I should've held off having Blendtec send a replacement, but I really didn't want to wait.
Here's what Living Right says in their return policy:
"In the unlikely case you receive an item that is defective or damaged, please contact us immediately to make arrangements for exchange or refund." Obviously although this is stated, they have not offered to do either one, so that's illegal, right? They aren't standing up to what they say.
You're right, I'd prefer to move on and not be stressed out...time to concentrate on the positives...but at the same time, I feel like if I just back down and cancel the dispute and just work through Blendtec directly that LR will continue scamming people. I want people to know what this company is really like and spread the word, and I also think whoever is higher than this Steve guy should be aware of what happened. Surely someone would care when a customer was hung up on and treated very disrespectfully, not to mention didn't stand up to what it says on their very own site? What if the owner would like to be made aware?

[Aleesha Sattva]

You're right, I'd prefer to move on and not be stressed out...time to concentrate on the positives...but at the same time, I feel like if I just back down and cancel the dispute and just work through Blendtec directly that LR will continue scamming people. I want people to know what this company is really like and spread the word, and I also think whoever is higher than this Steve guy should be aware of what happened. Surely someone would care when a customer was hung up on and treated very disrespectfully, not to mention didn't stand up to what it says on their very own site? What if the owner would like to be made aware?

I can pretty much guarantee you that the owner does know and chooses to conduct business in the way they are. Honestly, those other two BBB files on them both stated there was no response from the company, so chances are, they are just going to delete anything we write.

IMO, you've done the best you can do. You've enlightened the people on this forum, if you visit any other forums, I would enlighten them as well....

But scammers will always exist. Always. Regardless of what we 'hope for in life' they will continue.

I was thinking about this situation when I was working out (just got back) and a thought came into my head, a thought I know and live by...

"You can only change your Self, you cannot change others."

So, in this situation, you have changed your Self, as you will be more careful who you give your money to in the future... and you need to accept that nothing you do in this situation will make them a better company. Nothing.

I would accept Blendtec's generous offer to make this situation right by making sure you have a working product and simply move on from here.

I know I suggested a writing campaign, but upon further reflection and reading of this entire thread again from the beginning... I don't think we can achieve what you want to achieve. "them changing"... and wasting our energy on them is only wasting OUR energy. And I know my energy is precious to me, and so are those 1440 minutes in each day... do they honestly deserve to get any more of your minutes?

They aren't worth it.

So enlighten others, anytime you see that someone is ordering from them, mention what happened to you and ENJOY your new blendtec to the max!!!

[Aleesha Sattva]

I'd love further action, I guess I'm just not good at organizing this sort of thing. If you want to tell me what to do, feel free :D

I just want to add... if you do want to take further action. I would start a new thread asking people to join you in a writing campaign and sharing this info on the net in as many forums as possible. (although the latter will do more IMO).

[Raene]

Thanks, RG...very well said. I'll choose to move on here and I can't wait to receive the new Blendtec :)

[Aleesha Sattva]

i support you with love and lots of hugs... oh and a bunch of green smoothies!!! mmm mmm gooooooooooood :)

[Raw Mom]

I too, am sorry you have to experience this type of situation. It happens even in retail stores that you walk into. I own an online business and my return policy is very clear. We will take back anything you are not satisfied with up to one month after the purchase. They also state in their policy that they won't take anything back that has touched food. It's a sticky situation. And that is sad. I'm all about customer service. If Blendtec will give you a replacement, think again about doing that. The dispute will just bring about more negative energy. Since opening my business, I am much more aware of online policies. Just getting the word out about this site and telling your story is enough. Be well....:cool:

[Zuri]

I also believe in being nice regardless of the situation. There are nice ways to get your message across even if you are angry with positive results.

carolg

Feels better too and you're more likely to get what you want!

[Raene]

My replacement finally came in the mail and wow...
I LOVE IT!!! It's sooo awesome. I made Alissa's pizza today and used it for the cheese sauce and marinara. Whoa, it's amazing...that thing can blend!
I'm sooo excited and happy that I waited for the replacement. So glad it works! Woohoo!

[Aleesha Sattva]

i'm dancing in the street for ya girl!!!