WiseOwlKnits Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 So I was at a HS conference a couple of weeks ago and purchased a few items they had on-hand. I also ordered Song School Latin for DD for this fall specifically because they offer free shipping on any size order placed at the conference. Today I received it, but they sent me the Teacher's Guide instead of the student guide. I called them literally within 5 minutes of getting it today. Apparently (according to the woman I spoke with) on the order form they wrote "Song School Latin" and the man who took my order wrote the wrong item number. They are going to send me the correct edition, but want me to pay to ship the Teacher's Guide back to them. This is where I have a problem. It was their mistake. They sent me the wrong book. I only ordered it there in order to save the money on shipping. I appreciate that they are going to correct it instead of telling me I'm out of luck. But I'm irritated that they want me to pay to ship it back?! It's not like I changed my mind about it...I just want the book I ordered. Granted, it will probably be <$5 to ship it back, but it's still $5!! So, am I really being unreasonable to ask them to 1) issue me a partial refund to cover the return shipping cost or 2) send me a pre-paid shipping label? Thanks for the input! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iammommy Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 Even if it's only a few dollars. It was their error. JMO. Nan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 Wow! They absolutely should pay for shipping--their error. Merry :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crystal in VA Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 Even if it's only a few dollars. It was their error. JMO. Nan :iagree: they should pay for return shipping. Maybe you should call back and talk to someone else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamato4girls Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 They should pay for shipping, it was their error, they even admitted it was their error. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kls126s Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 So, am I really being unreasonable to ask them to 1) issue me a partial refund to cover the return shipping cost or 2) send me a pre-paid shipping label? Nope. Just the cost of doing business. Honest whoops just happen - and I'm sure those conventions are a zoo for the Rainbow booths. That said, they need to fix their mistake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bairnmama Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 :iagree: They should definately pay. I had a completely wrong order sent to me from Rainbow just a couple of months ago. I guess someone else's order got put under my address, anyway, they just sent a UPS guy back around with a prepaid lablel and that was that. Not a problem. I would definately call back and speak to someone else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WiseOwlKnits Posted July 7, 2009 Author Share Posted July 7, 2009 Nope. Just the cost of doing business. Honest whoops just happen - and I'm sure those conventions are a zoo for the Rainbow booths. That said, they need to fix their mistake. Oh, it was. Honestly I'm not even surprised they messed up my order (which I told the woman) after seeing the craziness of the place. Trying to get through their booth was like trying to walk through an aquarium filled with piranhas. LOL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WiseOwlKnits Posted July 7, 2009 Author Share Posted July 7, 2009 OK, so it's not just me. The woman had me wondering if I was PMS'ing or something. LOL! She was very nice about it, but just totally seemed of the opinion that they were doing me a favor by sending out the correct one without waiting for me to send back the wrong one. I'll give them a call again tomorrow and see what they say. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plucky Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 They need to foot the bill for shipping. I'm really surprised at what homeschool curriculum sellers are trying lately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whereneverever Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 Wow, you aren't being unreasonable at all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagira Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 I've been accused of being non-assertive, but I agree with the above posters. It was their error, they should fix it. You shouldn't have to pay for shipping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debbielong Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 is making a phone call to obtain $5 how you want to spend your time? How high a priority is it? You are absolutely entitled and absolutely should not be responsible for their mistake. They really should send you a pre-paid label. Actually, they should bear the entire responsibility of getting it to the post office (which for me is the much greater burden than the $5:))! On the other hand, how much time will you be spending on this phone call? What other things could you be doing instead? Could you play a game with your child? Is that worth $5? I have been thinking about these trade-offs a lot lately...I'm getting pickier and pickier about how I spend my time and energy... Debbie (who ten years ago would have been asking to speak to a manager and who would have probably written a letter to alert the company to their error) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rafiki Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katiebug_1976 Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 If they made the mistake, then they should pay for the return shipping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evergreen Academy Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 I would call again, both for the $5 and the principle of the matter. They sent me the wrong TG for Wordly Wise one time, and sent out a new one and told me to just keep the old one. So it may be the person you spoke to - I'd ask to speak to a manager. Blessings, Aimee mom to 6 great kids ages 6-18, schooling grades 1, 3, 3 and 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyBee Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 I'm surprised they asked you to send it back. The couple of times they sent me the wrong item, they told me to keep it, as it wasn't worth the postage to send it back. Having said that, no way would I pay to send it back anyway. At least, if I paid the postage up front, I would expect to be credited for the postage. Holly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calandalsmom Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 I'm surprised they asked you to send it back. The couple of times they sent me the wrong item, they told me to keep it, as it wasn't worth the postage to send it back. Having said that, no way would I pay to send it back anyway. At least, if I paid the postage up front, I would expect to be credited for the postage. Holly same here. I think businesses are feeling the squeeze of the economy and maybe they are passing it on to us. That being said, I have never had a single issue with Rainbow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plucky Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 OK, so it's not just me. The woman had me wondering if I was PMS'ing or something. LOL! She was very nice about it, but just totally seemed of the opinion that they were doing me a favor by sending out the correct one without waiting for me to send back the wrong one. I'll give them a call again tomorrow and see what they say. Thanks! Did you call them yet? What was their response? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zebra Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 Wow, I'm really surprised! I had a problem with an order last year and they were really good about it. Maybe you need to talk to a different person? Please let us know what happened! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennefer@SSA Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 (edited) Even if it's only a few dollars. It was their error. JMO. Nan :iagree: Sidenote and warning: :rant: I am jealous RR was invited to your conference. They have not been extended an invitation to our conference for the last few years b/c the local vendors couldn't compete with their low prices. Many of those vendors are on the board and therefore RR no longer comes to our convention. I love, love, love to support local vendors. My family typically only eats locally and in family owned establishments. We love to support entrepreneurs every chance we get. Yet we also have to be good stewards of our resources. RR's prices just can't be beat and if it's me choosing to buy a book from them at $4.50 or pay $6.50 at my local homeschool store, well I can't do that. Off rant! Thanks for letting me vent. I feel better now. :D Edited July 7, 2009 by Jennefer@SSA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WiseOwlKnits Posted July 7, 2009 Author Share Posted July 7, 2009 Sorry for the delay. DD had gymnastics this morning and then a playdate, which took up all morning and then some. :) So I just got off the phone with them. I spoke to one woman who said she wasn't able to override the original rep's decision. She insisted (without looking up the order) that I must be at fault because they always pay return shipping when it's their fault. So if the original rep. told me I needed to pay shipping, then that's what I needed to do. So I asked to talk to the original rep again and stressed that this was their fault and that she had admitted it yesterday...and, that being the case, I didn't want to pay the return shipping. Now they're sending UPS to come and pick it up. They won't send the request until Thursday and she can't tell me what day they're coming to pick it up after that. I asked if she could specify a pick-up date since we're going to be out of town on Friday and she said that wasn't an option. But she doesn't know if they'll come Friday, Monday, Tuesday, or when next week and it might take up to a week for them to come pick it up. She said they'll try 3 times to pick it up...but has no idea what happens if we're not here when they attempt to pick it up. Considering we're not at home that much right now, I'm a little worried that we're going to miss them. And I certainly don't want to have to sit around the house all day until USPS decides to show up (esp. when I don't even know what DAY they're going to show up). Honestly she acted irritated that I was asking them to pay return shipping and like she wasn't really all that interested in resolving my concern. It also dawned on me while talking to her today that she never once apologized for sending me the wrong item, either today or yesterday. This is my very first experience with Rainbow Resource and I can't say that it's been a positive one. It's a shame since I was actually really excited about ordering from them at the conference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WiseOwlKnits Posted July 7, 2009 Author Share Posted July 7, 2009 :iagree: Sidenote and warning: :rant: I am jealous RR was invited to your conference. They have not been extended an invitation to our conference for the last few years b/c the local vendors couldn't compete with their low prices. Many of those vendors are on the board and therefore RR no longer comes to our convention. I love, love, love to support local vendors. My family typically only eats locally and in family owned establishments. We love to support entrepreneurs every chance we get. Yet we also have to be good stewards of our resources. RR's prices just can't be beat and if it's me choosing to buy a book from them at $4.50 or pay $6.50 at my local homeschool store, well I can't do that. Off rant! Thanks for letting me vent. I feel better now. :D That's crazy! I'm sorry that you have to deal with that. A little competition wouldn't hurt them - drop prices a little and offer better customer service than Rainbow Resource (which wouldn't be hard, I'm beginning to think!) and people would probably gravitate toward them anyway. P.S. I've been following your blog for a few weeks. <waves> Hi! :) It sounds like you had an awesome homeschool conference yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plucky Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 This is weird to me because 90% of the time I find an item cheaper elsewhere. I don't know of any truly local vendors though. Maybe where you are there are a lot more homeschoolers? Really? I haven't price checked much lately. I found them to be cheaper last year than other hs vendors. I was really surprised at the difference in price for HWT someone posted & I ordered HWT recently. I like RR. I've only had one bad experience and that was with a surly customer rep. I want customers to keep companies accountable for good service because it benefits us all. I'm still amazed that Sonlight customers are so devoted that they aren't questioning Sonlight's policies. Okay, a couple people questioned them but then the others made excuses for SL and now no one cares. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 I had UPS come pick up something once. They do make multiple attempts. But you could call your local UPS office (you should be able to get through to them via the main 1800 number) and they can give you a ballpark figure of what time the driver will come, or maybe you can go into their office to mail it yourself, I don't know. I once called when the website said that the driver came at 8:30 pm and attempted but no one was home. Well, I was sitting in the living room and, guess what, it was SNOWING and there were no prints in the snow (hmm). So I was not impressed and complained. Anyhow they were able to give me a time estimate for the delivery. I completely understand that hassles like this make a person uninterested in buying from a company again. To think that a small courtesy gesture such as paying for return shipping, giving a 30% discount, or whatever can make you feel valued and very loyal, and yet companies don't want to do so, is just sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plansrme Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 If more people complained publicly about bad service, service would be better for everyone. Terri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 On the other hand, how much time will you be spending on this phone call? What other things could you be doing instead? Could you play a game with your child? Is that worth $5? $5 tax free for a maximum of 15 minutes of a phone call would be absoutely worth it to me. Dh earns the living, so saving money means more precious time he gets to spend with the kiddos. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheBrink Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 I had the same problem. I ordered things from them at the conference and out of 7 items, 5 were wrong. I initially emailed them, using firm and strong language, insisting that they refund my shipping and send me the correct items. It took about a week, but it did get straightened out and they did refund the shipping. I believe I spoke with Deb. I will say this: When you speak to them again, ask for the same person each time. The biggest problem with my situation was that about 5 people got involved and no one knew what the others had said. If you work with one person, it'll get fixed faster. Good luck! Overall, I think they're a good company, but make mistakes at times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zebra Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 I had a bad experience with a company (that wasn't RR) and I never used them again. That is a very strange policy, and a very strange way you were treated. You would think in this economy, they would be very concerned about customer service. Sorry you had a bad experience, I have had nothing but good experiences with them. Also with CBD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WiseOwlKnits Posted July 7, 2009 Author Share Posted July 7, 2009 $5 tax free for a maximum of 15 minutes of a phone call would be absoutely worth it to me. Dh earns the living, so saving money means more precious time he gets to spend with the kiddos. :001_smile: This is exactly my sentiment. To honor how hard he works, I try to be very cautious of how I spend the money he makes so that it goes as far as possible. And, by doing that, he's able to spend more time with us. :) That's what makes it worth the $5 to me to do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WiseOwlKnits Posted July 7, 2009 Author Share Posted July 7, 2009 I had the same problem. I ordered things from them at the conference and out of 7 items, 5 were wrong. I initially emailed them, using firm and strong language, insisting that they refund my shipping and send me the correct items. It took about a week, but it did get straightened out and they did refund the shipping. I believe I spoke with Deb. I will say this: When you speak to them again, ask for the same person each time. The biggest problem with my situation was that about 5 people got involved and no one knew what the others had said. If you work with one person, it'll get fixed faster. Good luck! Overall, I think they're a good company, but make mistakes at times. Deb is who I spoke to yesterday and today - I was smart enough to get her name today when I talked to her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathmom Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 $5 tax free for a maximum of 15 minutes of a phone call would be absoutely worth it to me. Dh earns the living, so saving money means more precious time he gets to spend with the kiddos. :001_smile: Except now it's 2 phone calls and waiting around for UPS and the mental stress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 I think it's also an exercise in learning the true nature of the company, and if they are worth ordering from again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennefer@SSA Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 This is weird to me because 90% of the time I find an item cheaper elsewhere. I don't know of any truly local vendors though. Maybe where you are there are a lot more homeschoolers? Please tell me where! Some things are less at Amazon but 95% of what I buy for school ends up being at one of these 2 places, although I try to only order from RR when I have enough to qualify for free shipping (or I can combine an order with a few friends!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennefer@SSA Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 That's crazy! I'm sorry that you have to deal with that. A little competition wouldn't hurt them - drop prices a little and offer better customer service than Rainbow Resource (which wouldn't be hard, I'm beginning to think!) and people would probably gravitate toward them anyway. P.S. I've been following your blog for a few weeks. <waves> Hi! :) It sounds like you had an awesome homeschool conference yourself. Yes, that's how I feel too. And thanks for stopping by my blog. My conference did turn out nicely. It was very needed, too! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekmom Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 I find it very interesting that so many people have read this thread (over 1,000!). If the Rainbow Resource company knew that this many people were waiting to see how they would handle this situation, I think they would be more than willing to make it right!!!! Their reputation is definitely on the line here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geo Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 (edited) "I need to speak to a supervisor" works wonders. I have only had good experiences with RR. It sounds like you got a very bad sales rep. Yeah, and let your husband do it....those deep voices carry alot of sway. For me, it's effective 90% of the time. Customer Service people are just more intimidated by males, especially inconvenienced ones.:glare: It probably helps that my husbands voice sounds similar to a bear coming out of hibernation...really. Geo Edited July 8, 2009 by Geo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 This is weird to me because 90% of the time I find an item cheaper elsewhere. I don't know of any truly local vendors though. Maybe where you are there are a lot more homeschoolers? Can you recommend some of the companies you use who are less expensive than Rainbow Resource (aside from Amazon)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Except now it's 2 phone calls and waiting around for UPS and the mental stress. However, showing the company that customer service matters to her and also many customers after her also counts for something. I find complacency in matters is usually the most expensive choice in the long-run. BTW -- I've only ever had good experiences with them, and the one time I had a problem (my math manipulative arrived damaged) they sent someone out to pick it up and sent out a new one quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandy in TN Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 I have ordered from RR several times a year for years. I usually order over the phone with multiple Visa gift cards! They have always been amazingly accommodating and pleasant. One year they sent me the wrong Usborne Encyclopedia. UPS made repeated attempts to pick up the encyclopedia. I actually received the new encyclopedia before they managed to pick up the first one. Guess what? They sent out the exact same incorrect encyclopedia. You know Usborne publishes lots of encyclopedias. I can see a teenager in a warehouse grabbing the first Usborne encyclopedia on the shelf. So, with the third attempt they got it right. Anyway, they paid for all the shipping and they were very apologetic. I'm sorry that you have had a bad experience. Mandy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommix3 Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 I've ordered from them a few times. The last time part of the order was "lost" in the mail. I had to wait, I think, 20 days and call back before they would actually issue another one. But they did and it came quickly. That's the only problem I've ever had and I wouldn't even consider that their fault... I hope they get this resolved soon. I'm anxious to know how they handled it. Angela Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyAberlin Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 We;; the y just sent me the wrong Lauri puzzle and they let me keep it and then shipped me the right one for free. I'd call and ask them to either pay for shipping or let you keep the book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyAberlin Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 This is weird to me because 90% of the time I find an item cheaper elsewhere. I don't know of any truly local vendors though. Maybe where you are there are a lot more homeschoolers? Where are you shopping at? RR even beats Amazon a lot of the time and they are always cheaper than any of my bookstores around here. Let us in on your secret!:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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