Collections Etc. Charging My Credit Card without Authorization Elk Grove Village Illinois

I bought two strings of solar powered holiday lights from Collections Etc by placing a web order. The strings were advertised as containing one (1) rechargable AA battery. They also claimed the lights would stay lit for six to eight hours after sunset. I put the lights up on the house early in the morning and they had plenty of time to charge. They did indeed come on at sunset, well, most of them. But their lights faded within an hour. One of the strings quit completely after one night.

Per their instructions I went to replace the battery with a new recharable battery. I could not get the back off of the dead string to replace the battery. I went ahead and replaced the "working" strings battery, discovering to my surprise that it took two (2) batteries, not one as the instructions mentioned. Still, the lights on the working string stay on for less than one hour. I was amazed to find generic Chinese batteries being used in the product, and in fact the entire working portion of the unit is very cheaply made and I can't see the connections lasting for very long anyway. To try and keep a long story short, attached are my emails back and forth with people who call themselves customer service experts.

When the unwanted unrequested string arrives I'll be shipping all three back and demanding a full refund. If that does not happen I will force the issue through my bank by filing a fraudulent claim against their charges.

Item Description: Solar Christmas Lights

Comments

One string has quit completely and I cannot get the back off of it's solar collector to replace the batteries. I've removed the screws but the back will not come off as it is jammed on too tightly. The other string only stays lit for an hour or so after sunset, and several lights on it either do not work or are very dim. I'm extremely unhappy with these lights! The solar collector sits at the south east corner of the house and gets excellent light, but it doesn't seem to be enough. Very cheap product; that became evident when I was able to get the back of the second string to replace the generic Chinese batteries. It's a wonder, as poorly made as the connectors inside are, that the product works at all!

Dear Ms XXXXX

Thank you for your recent email regarding order # XXXXX. We apologize that item #XXXXX, "Solar Christmas Light" was received defective. A replacement should arrive within 10 business days. Please keep the original item until you receive the replacement. Once you receive the
replacement, inspect it to make sure it is satisfactory. Once this is confirmed you may keep the original item. If the replacement item is not satisfactory, please contact us immediately for further action. We look forward to serving you in the future.

Thank you for shopping at Collections Etc.!

Sincerely,
The Customer Care Department
Collections Etc.

I AM EXTREMELY UNHAPPY. Show me where in my email to you I requested a replacement for these lights??? Show me where I authorized you to charge my credit card again for another set of these worthless lights? Now you're
sending me something I did not want, did not order, and you charged my card for it; a charge I did not authorize! THAT IS ILLEGAL. You need authorization from me to charge my credit card. HOW DARE YOU DO THAT!

I had a lovely conversation on the phone with one of your customer service people this morning. I asked her to reverse the charge and stop the shipment of another set of lights. I was told that's impossible; she can't stop the shipment of something I did not order and do not want, nor can she reverse the charge to my credit card that I did not authorize. Your customer service person was useless. The conversation did nothing but raise my blood pressure.

The lights are JUNK. When you get a set that works, they do not work as advertised. The lights stay lit for an hour at best after dusk. Now I have to take down these worthless lights that it took me hours to put up
and replace them, another added expense of time and money that you have cost me. You should be paying me for these lights.

You've lost a customer over this.

Dear Ms XXXX

Thank you for your recent email regarding order # XXXXX. We apologize that you did not want a second set of item # XXXXX, "Solar Christmas Lights." If a refund is not specifically requested for a defective product we are required to replace that item. Please note that upon processing a replacement item, a credit for the original item is issued. Upon shipping the replacement item, your credit card is then charged for that item and no
additional shipping. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused.
Feel free to contact us again if you have any further questions.

Thank you for contacting Collections Etc.!

Sincerely,
The Customer Care Department
Collections Etc.

Pmn
Big Bear City, California
U.S.A.