A few days have passed, and I remain astonished by the blatant lack of respect we encountered at…read morethis store. We purchased a media console that was already marked 50% off, which initially seemed like a great deal. After informing the owner, Patty, of our intent to buy, she moved to take it off the floor. Unfortunately, during the process, she dropped it, causing both drawers to fall out. Several customers, including myself, helped get the console back onto a dolly, but I didn't inspect it for damage at the time--my focus was on assisting rather than creating a scene.
Patty kindly offered to come in the next day, despite it being her day off, to help us load the console into our vehicle. We insisted it wasn't necessary and even offered to pick it up on Monday, but she insisted on coming in Sunday morning to help us. On Sunday morning, we called at 11 a.m. to inform the shop that we were running late, and the employee assured us it was fine. However, when we arrived at 11:28 a.m., Patty had already left, and we were told we could load the item ourselves--no problem.
Upon inspecting the console, we noticed the drawers had been damaged during the fall. We informed the other owner of the incident, and she called Patty. Patty responded that we should have checked for damage the day before and dismissed our concerns by emphasizing that the item was already half off and it was a great deal (which it was, if it was undamaged). To clarify, we had agreed to purchase the console before it was damaged, and the accident happened while they were handling it, not us.
At this point, we felt uneasy about taking a damaged item but were left with no choice, as we were abruptly told, "We don't offer refunds." This was deeply frustrating--especially since they damaged the item while it was in their possession. The other owner, who had curly blonde hair, was extremely rude, implying that we were at fault for not inspecting the item immediately after the fall. I didn't feel comfortable making a scene on the sales floor and had assumed that if there were any damage, we could address it at pick-up.
Despite our frustration, we loaded the console into our vehicle, as we had no other choice. While loading the console into the car, Patty called back to authorize a refund, but the other owner's final remarks were extremely unsettling. She stated that she would watch us unload the console to ensure we didn't damage it, which felt unnecessary and accusatory.
In summary, we were paying customers who supported a small business and apologized in advance for our slight delay. We did nothing to damage the item but were treated as if we were at fault. While I appreciate the eventual refund, the rude and condescending treatment from the blonde owner was unacceptable. I typically refrain from posting negative reviews, particularly for small businesses, but the level of disrespect we experienced here was egregious and cannot be overlooked.
Attached are photos of the damage that was done to the drawers from the fall.
