This is the second time that I have had a relationship with this company in 10 years. I should have learned the first time! I would like to point out where this company excels before I leave the negative review. First, their salesmen, the ones that come out and try to sell you their services, are GREAT I've gotta say. I already had a bad taste in my mouth (no pun intended) from years before and was SUPER RELUCTANT to sign up for their services again buuut like I said, their salesmen are REALLY THAT GOOD!!! 2nd, the delivery guy we had (I wish I could remember his name) was very nice! He was cordial/friendly and always had a smile!
Annnnd that's all I've got! Our account was put into collections less than 7 days after I received my first notice of being "PAST DUE". The reason our account was past due was because we had not received a delivery in almost 3 months. We always pay the driver with a check. Well, no deliveries, no payments! We had resorted to refilling our 5 gallon jugs 'at HEB. Anywho, we didn't find out we were in "COLLECTIONS" status until waiting on hold for nearly 15 min on the telephone with Sparkeletts/DS Services/Sierra Springs. When they finally picked up the phone, they ask for the account # and upon providing it, the young lady says "oh, your account is in collections I cannot talk to you." I laughed and said "Well, I want all of your equipment out of my store please." She responds with "we hate to hear that sir. Will the 9th be okay with you?" To which I respond with "Perfect! thank you" Then she immediately places me on another hold while my call is re-routed to a 3rd party collections company. I proceed to explain what is going on and why, and even the kind lady, Bernie, explains to me how silly DS Services is for placing my account in collections when it is barely past due and the past due amount is only for $140! Then she asks if I am going to return the equipment or pay an additional $440 dollars for the water cooler and the Keurig Coffee machine (darn salesmen came back months later and strapped me with that machine! I DONT EVEN DRINK COFFEE!! Did I mention how good their salesmen were?) Anyway, I explain to her that I already set up an appointment for them to come and pick up their equipment on the 9th. She seemed a little puzzled by that but tells me to make sure i get a signed receipt because Sparkeletts/DS Services/Sierra Springs has a bad habit of misplacing the equipment and their receipts and then the customers are left "holding the bag".
Fast-Foward a few days, I receive a hostile email from the 3rd party collections company about "avoiding the embarrassment of legal action" blah, blah, blah "$440 is seriously past due". So I pick up the phone, give them a call, provide a case #, as well as a confirmation # indicating that I had paid my past due balance and that I was waiting on Sparkletts to come and pick up their equipment. The nice lady proceeds to tell me to MAKE SURE I get a signed receipt.....................! As soon as I hang up the phone with her I call Sparkletts to verify that we were still good for our appointment on the 9th. I am only on hold for 20 min this time waiting for someone to answer. When the lady finally does she says "sir I cannot talk to you" HERE WE GO AGAIN!! I politely ask her "please, before you transfer me to the collections company, I would like to talk to your manager or supervisor please" She then transfers me. After I am on hold AGAIN for nearly 10 min, the supervisor picks up and asks "How may I help you?" I reply "I was just making sure you guys were still coming on the 9th to pick up my equipment" She responds with "Sir, once it is in collections, we no longer have anything to do with your service or the equipment. You have to call the collections company and they will arrange the pick up. There is nothing even on your account that indicates we are coming out on the 9th" Now I am LIVID!!!!!! Guess what? I finally find out that I have to return the equipment myself to their closest branch office 40 miles away! read more