Complaint Regarding Failed Delivery -- Store #147, Maple Location…read more
My wife and I recently purchased a refrigerator for over $2,000 at the 147th and Maple location. The associate who helped us was very pleasant and confirmed our delivery would be this Thursday.
This morning, I received a notice stating the refrigerator would actually be delivered today. Based on that notice, we took the necessary steps to prepare: we removed all perishable items from our existing refrigerator, unplugged it, and defrosted it so it would be ready for the swap -- done as a courtesy to the delivery crew.
We waited all day. At approximately 3:00 PM, a truck arrived -- not with our refrigerator, but with a compression hose for a refrigerator component. The driver seemed as confused as I was that no refrigerator was on the truck.
I called the store and spoke with an employee who was unsure how to handle the situation, and I was escalated to a manager named Matt, who declined to provide his last name when asked. I explained the situation in full: the notice I'd received, the steps we'd taken in good faith, and the fact that our perishable food had been sitting out and spoiling all day.
Matt explained that the delivery was actually being fulfilled by a different store location, and that the incorrect notice was likely their error. I told him that regardless of internal fulfillment logistics, this company was my point of purchase, and the responsibility for accurate communication rests with them -- not with me. He was polite and apologetic, but stated there was nothing he could do: it was too late in the day to correct, and the refrigerator would now not arrive until tomorrow.
When I asked how the company intended to compensate for the inconvenience -- spoiled food, a wasted day, and a defrosted, unusable refrigerator -- I was told there would be no compensation, only an apology.
Unfortunately, this isn't an isolated incident. Not long ago, I purchased a dishwasher from this same company, which included a paid installation service as part of the purchase. When the installation crew arrived, they were unable to determine how to shut off the water source to the installation area and, as a result, could not complete the job. I ended up having to hire and pay for my own plumber just to get the water shut off so the installation could be finished. I was partially refunded for the installation fee, but was left without a working dishwasher for several additional days in the meantime.
Between the mishandled dishwasher installation and now this refrigerator delivery failure, I'm seeing a clear pattern: poor internal coordination, a lack of preparedness, and -- when things go wrong -- no meaningful accountability or compensation for the customer's time, money, or inconvenience.
I'll leave it to others to judge whether this is acceptable conduct from a major retailer after two large purchases, both made and prepared for in good faith. From where I stand, this reflects a recurring failure at the operational level that the company seems unwilling to own. Needless to say, I will not be doing business with this company again.