Sports Authority - Sent me the wrong item not once but twice, and will not credit me for return shipping even though they say they will when I call. Internet

On the 1st of November I ordered a nice black backpack as a Christmas present for my stepdaughter in Brazil. It arrived quickly, but was some ugly drab green and gray thing. After several phone calls and emails, they finally sent me a return label via email. (after telling me there was one in the package already, but there wasn't.)

I was on the phone several times after that, waiting for them to complete a "bin check" to determine how I got the wrong color. There was a lot of hold time, transfers, and the occasional disconnection. I was told I would be contacted when the bin check was complete, but never was. I had to keep calling to keep the process moving.

At the end of November, I called again, and they told me a note was entered saying I had ordered the wrong sku. There is only one backpack on the website, and it is black. There is no way to order a different sku. The rep on the phone confirmed they have two skus in the warehouse, but the pictures he could see showed both of them are black, and that the one on the website is one of those black ones.

I ordered the black backpack again, realizing that it probably wouldn't get to me in time, for me to get it re-shipped to Brazil in time for Christmas, but my stepdaughter really wanted it and was willing to wait. And it would have been some good points for me with her....

But I got the green and gray one again. So I gave up.

This time there was a return shipping label in the box. I used it to send the backpack back, again... A couple of weeks later, I got an email saying the cost had been credited back to my card. A few days later I saw where it posted, but it was short by $6.50.

After reading the fine print on the website, they say if you use their return label that comes in the box, you get billed for the return shipping, even if it is their mistake. I called again (this is probably phone call #12 in this adventure) and explained that I've been on the phone for hours with them over the past 2 months over a backpack, they still sent me the wrong one after all this effort, and to top it all off, they charged me for the return shipping.

I was assured it would be taken care of. That was six weeks ago. At this point I'm tired of the phone calls, the run-around, and their apparently normal routine of being told a credit will be issued that never shows up. So I'm giving up on the $6.50 but at least warning others about what to expect with the whole process.

John
Lebanon, Tennessee
U.S.A.