Baby Age ripoff false advertising innapropriate behavior by CS rep and manager Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania

Baby age Complaint

6/7/06 Placed order with www.babyage.com for a baby stroller with bassinet as pictured. When package arrived via UPS, the box was very light and not what I expected to be the weight of a baby stroller. I opened the box along the tape line and pulled out a sealed plastic bag containing a bassinet. Looking at the order slip, I realized that the $149.oo I spent was not for a stroller with a bassinet, but that was the cost of the bassinet itself.

Realizing I thought I had purchased the entire stroller, I immediately called the Baby Age company and explained that I thought I was ordering what was in the photo on the website and this was not what I wanted. The customer service rep at Baby Age told me that as long as the plastic was not opened around the product that I could return it for a refund. She gave me a Return Authorization Number of RA#: RA1713R6B1, and told me to make sure that the number was on the return label.

On 6/19/06 I took the sealed up box with the unopened product inside, and the proper paper work with the proper RA # to the UPS store. I paid $33.57 for shipping to return the item.

On 7/12/06 I received an e-mail from Baby Age stating:

From: returns@babyage.com
Subject: Babyage.com Return Received
Date: Mon, 26 Jun 2006 11:25:37 -0400

Dear customer

A return has been recieved from order # 387205 placed
on 6/7/2006
RA#:RA1713R6B1

The following items have been received
140HAR1
Inglesina
Inglesina 2006 Bassinet for the Zippy Stroller
-- Condition of the Product --
Damaged : No
Open Box : Yes
Missing Parts : No

Your Return Process has now been completed, and we
will notify you by Email the processing results

Return Department
Babyage.com


On Monday 6/26/06 I received this e-mail:
From: returns@babyage.com
Dear Valued BabyAge Customer:

This email includes important information regarding
your return number:RA1713R6B1

We regret to learn you were not satisfied with your
purchase. Your return was completed and a store credit
in the amount of $149.99 has been processed.

Certificate Number : 5BE6AA3E53
Certificate Value : $149.99

This credit can easily be redeemed at BabyAge.com
during your next purchase within the next 90 days.
Simply enter in the code 5BE6AA3E53 at check out and
the amount above will be deducted from the new balance.

Detailed Credit Description
SKU#: 140HAR1
Has been fully credited the amount of:$149.99

This item is only eligible for store credit, becasue
the box was opened by customer, and not closed back in
a resellable condition

Thank you for shopping at BabyAge.com.
Customer Service Department

On 7/7/06, after finally opening my e-mails, I made an immediate phone call to Baby Age and told the customer service rep, a woman, that I had sealed the box up in the exact way it was delivered, with the exact tape. I had not opened the sealed product and was told that I would get a refund as long as the plastic around the product was not tampered with. The rep told me that the policy clearly states that if the box was opened then it was only good for store credit. I told her I had to open the box to see what was in it.

After several minutes of arguing, I asked the rep, So just out of curiosity, how did you know that I did not send you the box stuffed with old news papers, and not the product? And she said, We have to open the box to make sure you did return what you ordered!
I said, EXACTLY!

The Rep told me that there was nothing she could do because it was a Friday and the manager had left. She told me to call back on Monday and talk to Matilda.

On 7/10/06 I phoned at 7:30 am PST and asked for Matilda. They said she was on another line. I told the rep I would hold. Two minutes passed and the rep came back on the phone saying that Matilda was helping a customer and there was another customer holding to talk to her. I told her again, I would hold. A few minutes pass again, when the rep returned to the phone and told me that I would probably have an hour wait to speak to Matilda. I said, No problem, I will hold. The rep said that I could not hold for an hour because I would tie up the line and they could not receive phone calls. So I told her I would wait another 5 minutes to get an idea of how much longer Matilda would be. When the rep put me on hold, I used my cell phone to call the 800 number, while I was waiting on the land line. Sure enough they answered and were interested in taking my order as I pretended to be someone else. The rep came back on the land line and said I was tying up the line and she would give Matilda a message. I asked Matilda could call me back as if I were still holding and my call was being treated as the next in line. The rep's exact words were, Oh, Sure! Of course!

At 8:07am I called Baby Age back and asked to speak to Matilda. They asked who I was and then said that Matilda was still on another line. Again, I asked that I be given the courtesy to be called back as if I were holding, and the rep said, No Problem.

At12:00 pm I called Baby Age again and Asked for Matilda. The rep, irritated, said, Is this Julia? I answered yes and she told me that Matilda was now in a meeting and would be busy for several hours. I explained my feelings of being mislead and ignored, and the rep snapped at me and told me there was nothing she could do.

At 4:00 pm PST, 7:00pm EST, I knew they would be closed but hoped for a message machine. With luck I was directed by the message to Matilda's voice mail box. I described the situation above and also mentioned how their on-hold message boast about great customer satisfaction, and that I was very dissatisfied.

The next morning, approximately 9:15 am PST, I receive a call from Matilda. She explained that even though they opened the box after I did, that their policy clearly states, in the fine print, that any opened box can only be returned for store credit, which has to be used by 90 days or they keep my money. I told her that I had $100.00 insurance on the package and that should cover a new box if that was important. Then she started to tell me that the plastic around the bassinet was opened. I told her that she was making excuses because this issue was about the box and she new that the plastic was never touched around the product. Then she just kept repeating over my words, I am sorry, that is our policy! I am sorry, that is our policy! I am sorry, that is our policy! I am sorry, that is our policy! until I hung up.

One hour later, I received this e-mail:
From: customerservice@babyage.com
Subject: Merchandise Return Policy - Opened Package
Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2006 11:31:59 -0400

Dear Customer,

Order:387205

Thank you for contacting Babyage regarding your
service issue. We received your return, however,
inspection of the package indicated that the manufacturer's box had been unsealed and-or opened. Since the items that we sell are purchased for new born babies, our unopened merchandise policy was established to ensure product integrity and quality, as well as, health and hygiene protection due to possible product contamination. This is why we stand firm and have to maintain consistency with this policy, which an overwhelming majority of our customers appreciate.

If the product packaging and-or manufacturer's box is
opened, we do not know if the product inside was
contaminated so we reserve the right to assume that it is in all cases to ensure the safety of our current and
future customers. Due to this reason, products returned
that are opened can not be resold, therefore, store
credit is issued as a courtesy to our customers. As per
our returns policy, store credit was issued accordingly and can not be reverted.

Sincerely,
Matilda Hall - Manager
Returns Processing Department


I have filed a complaint with my credit card company and the process is pending.

In the mean time, I feel that customers should know how Baby Age advertises with photos that are misleading, and then will not return your money if you order a product and open the box to see what you were sent. Also customers should know how much grief they put me through just to talk to a manager, and how horrible Baby Age treats their customers in general.

Julia
Chatsworth, California
U.S.A.