Deceptive Buisness Practices - Vent

doctorima

Fri, Nov 14 2014, 11:31 am

Can I also suggest making these purchases (any any major purchase) using American Express? They are great at protecting their customers exactly from situations like this, and you have either 60 or 90 days (forget which) to dispute a charge. If you send them pictures and documentation for your claims, much of the time you will get a full refund, and once the store in question hears from AmEx, they will also be a lot quicker to pick up the phone to call you and try to resolve it.

debsey

Fri, Nov 14 2014, 11:33 am

FranticFrummie wrote:

Like I said, I totally agree with you. We need a version of the Better Business Bureau, but I just don't see it happening. Some kind of rating system like Ebay feedback would be super helpful.

Just saying that especially in the Jewish community, people are going to be hesitant to speak up. Heck, if people are still willing to cover up and protect child molesters, how can we expect to be informed about bad sheitel sellers?

I'm very happy that your situation turned out OK. It would be great if we all had connections like that. Maybe what we REALLY need is proteksia, and some enforcers to go around and make sure that things are made right! Banging head

You know what - I felt so powerless, and I felt like the boutique owner KNEW I was powerless and was perfectly happy to take advantage of me. It's not like I ran to my friend to "tell" on them. We were chatting and I mentioned it, I even said something like clearly I'm not cut out for major fashion. She didn't even tell me she was going to call them till after she called. But I hope it was a life lesson to that boutique owner! And now I CAN afford to shop there and I wouldn't. Ever.

monseychick

Fri, Nov 14 2014, 11:41 am

doctorima wrote:

Many heimish ppl only deal in cash

because its not ehlicha gelt

so it cuts both ways

sky

Fri, Nov 14 2014, 11:49 am

debsey wrote:

I had a similar situation where I bought an expensive outfit from a specific store because I needed that at the time. the outfit was totally defective. I wore it once. She sent me to multiple tailors to get it fixed (using time I didn't have and it obviously wasn't fixable - there were tiny elastic threads running through the fabric and every one had torn along every seem - top and skirt and there were tiny white elastic threads everywhere.) She wasn't even embarrassed to admit to me that some of this fabric had been cut incorrectly and was prone to this issue.

Finally she agreed to refund the money IF and WHEN the company would refund her. I needed a replacement then. I felt like my hands were tied.

I spoke to my rav who said I was right. And I called her and told me that if she didn't give me a refund then I would ask her to come with me to speak to my rav. She gave me a refund.

[Then I went back to her store with someone else who specifically needed her. I thought I was doing the right thing. She said something really nasty to me]

Fri, Nov 14 2014, 11:58 am

This reminds me... I bought my husband something when we were engaged from a HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Jewish store. It came with a warrantee for five years. I paid by check.

When I bought it, I ASKED how the warrantee works, and they told me if I ever need it fixed I should bring it back to them and they'll deal with it. One year later, it broke. I brought it back to the store, and they called me to tell me it would cost $250 to fix.

I said what about the five year warrantee. She proceeded to tell me that there's no such thing as a five year warrantee for such an item. When I told her she GAVE it to me herself, she told me that the part that was broken wasn't covered by the warrantee. I CALLED the company myself, and they said that would be covered, but that if there was any evidence of tampering by the store, the warrantee would be voided. Oh, and that I needed the warrantee stamped by the store.

I called back the store, she said she can't stamp it because she's not an authorized seller, that she was only able to give me such a good price (it was, actually!) on the item because she had gotten it "in a certain way" and told me she has never encountered such a nasty, chutzpadik, customer in all her experience... we can take her to a din torah if we want. (We didn't.)

My husband called a rav who said, yes, we are right, but that we shouldn't bother fighting because it won't get us anywhere. We got it fixed ourselves (and the problem wasn't even what the store had said it was!!)

nyer1

Fri, Nov 14 2014, 11:58 am

although there is always still a chance u can get an awful piece for 2k, there's definitely less of a chance.
I say, if it's a hardship to buy a newer sheital, save up for a year or to do it. a little bit of money each month… it's worth it, most of the times.

ALWAYS buy through a reputable sheital macher, never DIRECTLY from a company. but if you DO decide to buy directly through a company, NEVER pay cash. pay with american express credit card.. because they WILL back you up.

33055

Fri, Nov 14 2014, 12:31 pm

nyer1 wrote:

I bought my Shevy direct from the company and paid in cash. They have great customer service and it still looks gorgeous 3 years later. I was looking to buy a cheap sheital for when I do sports and when I travel on long plane trips. I need something a bit better than gross and not so perfect that I would feel bad wearing it rough.

For all the money I spent on these sheitals coated with the goop to fool the customer and sold deceptively, I could have bought another shevy.

The really sad part is when frum sheital company owners do this.

questioner

Fri, Nov 14 2014, 1:53 pm

sky wrote:

I had a similar story where I bought an expensive skirt for my brother's Bar Mitzva and when I tried it on a few weeks later to match the shirt, the zipper snapped (it wasn't too tight, the zipper pull just tangled in the wool and snapped off).
Difference is - I didn't even try to get my money back from the store, since it was within 90 days, my American Express card covered any damages. I got my money back after a 10 minute phone call.

imasoftov

Sat, Nov 15 2014, 12:05 pm

FranticFrummie wrote:

I'm very happy that your situation turned out OK. It would be great if we all had connections like that. Maybe what we REALLY need is proteksia, and some enforcers to go around and make sure that things are made right! Banging head

Yeah, Jewish thugs would be SO MUCH better than Jewish rip-off artists. I'm also SURE that the thugs would only go after the "right people," at least when their attention could be spared from shaking down honest Jews to fund their activities ...