What would you do? (PAH)

Tom_35

Dave,

Several years ago we had sent some equipment back that we had floorplanned through Whirlpool Acceptance Corp. I had asked them what our balance was and they gave me the amount that was due and I sent them a check.

A couple of weeks later I received a bill for a dollar and some change. Seems the extra charge was for some additional interest from the time they told me what was owed to the time they received the check.

I called them to discuss it and they apologized, but said they really needed to zero the account out to make their books work out correct. So---I sent them a check for two dollars and the extra change (the change was a different amount that what had been billed to me), which then screwed up their books.

A month or so later, I received a letter from them asking about the difference that had been posted. I stalled, finally wrote back, and kept up the dialogue for several months before finally asking for the difference back. I even asked for interest on the difference.

No telling how much this cost them, (and me), but it was satisfying on my part.

Tom Atchley

Dave Yates (PAH)

Warranty situation

A customer called & as it turned out, the compressor in their A/C was toast. Not our brand and we didn't install it, but we recognized it would be under warranty by the date code. Now, the only supply house stocking this particular compressor is one we do very little business with due to their less than stellar service. But, our tech drives the 30-miles to their warehouse, obtains the warranty replacement & returns to the customer's home where he completes the repair. Happy homeowner & delighted we discovered there was a warranty.

That started the monthly dunning we received from the supply house for the compressor $$$. So, Lois would call them and we'd next receive a credit off-setting the invoice. Next month - instant repeat. After four months of this sillyness, Lois wrote them a polite letter asking them to correct the problem. End of problem?

Month five rolls around and they send us a $10.00 shipping and handling charge for the warranty compressor!!! Here we go again & another letter is sent, They've replied that the S&H charge stands. Funny how the S&H charge never appeared until after five months had lapsed!

My choices are: pay it & move on, but that galls me no end; let it ride, which will only serve to adversely affect our credit; continue arguing every month (not really an option if I get involved!); send them a bill for five months worth of office and clerical time spent dealing with this nonsense (including a note that we've credited their debt by the $10 bucks); file with the BBB or write about them for Supply House Times! "How Not to Retain Customers" has a nice ring to it.

I should add that we told them that had they indicated a S&H charge would apply when we first obtained the new compressor, that would have been more than acceptable and would have given us the opportunity to pass those costs along to the customer. Fell on deaf ears.

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Carl PE

I'd do

the first one and the last one.

Maybe they'll pay you $10 for the article.

J.C.A._3

Payback's a B*^&#

I would send them the 10 bucks, followed by a bill for the time used while countering their efforts .Then it would be followed by a summons to small claims court.(Don't forget to add the amount for the time spent in court!) When the judge rules in your favor (which I'm sure he will),Send them a nice note stating why you seldom used their services, and how they will "no longer be required".

THEN, write the article in the news about "How NOT to Keep Customers". The time involved for 10 bucks isn't really worth it , but the statisfaction of them having to look inward may make them think about the next contractor they try to stiff. Life is like a box of chocolates. Sometimes the hard way of learning is the funnest and tastiest too! JMHO. Chris (can you tell breaking horns is FUN for me?)

hr

Headed for an ulcer

If it's not the inspectors, city officials, employees, wholesalers, ... These **** are all out to get you!

Sounds like you knew where this might end up

Karma will get all these folks. Although it may not be instant

hot rod

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Bob Sweet

Yup I do believe Karma

will do it's job, just sometimes I wish it would happen on my time table.

bob young

tale of ten bucks

i would just bite the bullet and send him the ten bucks,Dave. you might need the moron again sometime and i firmly believe in never closing the door. when you retire we can go there and baseball bat him nyc style. only kidding. lol

Dave Yates (PAH)

Crack me up!

I hear that HR! Today, our wonderful City of York decided to ticket out trucks for blocking our own garage doors(G). Not someone else's garage door, mind you - our very own. The meter maid said it doesn't matter if its our own garage - no parking is permitted in front of a garage door or a driveway.

Is this a nutty world, or what?!?

Thank God I'll be in God's country next week - fighting off horned birds from ME's bird feeder. I'm ready for the change. ME & I, along with our wives, are going to sit on the shores of a very large man-made resevoir and contemplate the stars as well as our stature in the scope of all things natural. Should be a well-deserved mental-adjustment(G).

As for ulcers - been there, done that! Tried the Mr. Natural doctor-proscribed method for combatting the bacteria, but the relief was temporary. Codes, Inspectors, Parking Tickets, & Service Fees - Oh My(G). No worries mon, I learned a long time ago to vocalize & let the internal relief valve pop-off so as to not aggrevate the little bleeders.

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Dave Yates (PAH)

No Hank Aaron here

Truth be told, it's not the owner - it's the knuckle-heads that work for him. He "seems" like a great guy & we have mutual friends who sing his praises. But his employees have long established a pattern for treating contractors like trash. Tis a shame, because they've got a great training facility. But, you've got to have the service to go with the other goodies if you're going to capture more than your share of business. The supply houses that understand that issue garner our full support - in seven figures. Their loss - others' gain.

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Mark Hunt

Ever seen the movie

"Good Will Hunting"???

There was a scene where the main character said
"Because *%#$ him, that's why".

I wouldn't pay that $10 no matter what they said. Not ever.

Why???

"Because %$#@ them, that's why."

Mark H

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Wayco Wayne_2

Mark you crack me up

Don't ask me why, I'll just say because @#$@# him that's why. I love that movie. Actually I see this stuff all the time. I'll pay the 10 bucks. Try to get a letter of complaint to the owner and eventually I recite my latest mantra, "livng well is the best revenge." @##$ them anyways though. WW

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ScottMP

Dave

Send the ten bucks and then "call" the owner of the supply house, not the manager, the owner. Then let him know WHY you don't use his service. Explain to him just what you would write in an article. Most times it falls on deaf ears, it certainly will if you speak to anyone else in the chain of comand. Write the article, it will be cathartic and will help with the ulcers, "In with the good air ... out with the bad " or better yet " In with the good beer ... out with the gas ".

They just don't get it.

As Blutto said " It just Dosn't matter .... It just dosn't matter . "

Scott

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jackchips_2

Put me

in the pay the ten spot column, Pah.

Bigger fish to fry out in the Wild, Wild West. Enjoy it with the Mrs & ME.

Jack

Dave Yates (PAH)

humnnnn, a few more details perhaps

The original warranty return ticket has a S&H CHGS column that shows as $0.00. Their attached warranty policy has not one word regarding S&H fees to be charged at a later date.

The four months of invoicing show only a charge for the compressor.

Only after finally getting them to drop the compressor charge does this $10 S&H fee appear! Five months have elapsed.

A letter asking it be dropped got us a curt letter in return saying no dice and that they'd sent a letter in 03 explaining warranty returns will be charged S&H fees, so we should have known a fee would be charged!

Now, the office manager (my wife), date stamps any and all correspondence we receive - including invoices. Nothing goes without filing. No letter from 03 is in their file, but one from 04 is and its title states it is their "Warranty Policy" in bold letters. No mention of S&H fees there!

Still think I should pay the fee?

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jackchips_2

humnnnnn,

You asked for advice and got it.

Sounds like your mind is made up and your now trying to change ours or justify your position. I'll send you the ten if you want the issue done. Other than that, fight and good luck.

Jack

Cliff Brady

Get your day in court

I am sure the adjudicant judge would throw those tickets out for you.

[Deleted User]

Invite the owner

to lunch. Bet the $10.00 goes away & he will probably pay for the meal. Might be helpful for you & all his other customers. Killing with kindness is less stressful than w/ a hammer.

joel_19

10 bucks?

Not worh the ulcer and headache I'd probably pay them 100$ to go away and leave me alone. I've done it several times with customers that don't want to pay or want a reduced bill.

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Dave Yates (PAH)

well

Good point, but would you do this to one of your customers - ever? I sure as hell wouldn't. Seems like a great way to make ex-customers!

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Kal Row

shoot him, and send his family bill for bullet

heatboy

I would pay them ....................

with a thousand pennies and ask for a receipt. But that's just me.

Unknown

They had an opportunity to show you they were worth your business. They failed. You definitely have better things to worry about than ten bucks if you're doing seven figure business. At that business level, worrying about it for one minute is probably more than ten bucks of effort lost.

I would shift your point of concern up a couple of decimal places and get back to work. You vote with your dollar, and they won't get any more of yours!

Wethead7

pennies

We would pay them in loose pennies. I would do this in front of the owner. We would also deal with the manufacture directly in the future.

The col for the supply house times is a no brainer. We expect the best service out of our staff. We should not put up with this from our suppilers.

Mike

Dave Yates (PAH)

very true

Actually, I wasn't in this loop very much until the office manager had exhausted all avenues. That's five months - four trying to get the false $429.00 charge for a warranty item removed from our invoices, which were showing it as an overdue past due charge - something we never do is let our bills go past their discount or due date.

I'll give them this much - they were tenacious about trying to collect the money they weren't entitled to. After finally conceding the charges were bogus, they faxed us a new invioce (followed with mailed statement) showing a credit for the warranty item of less than $400.00 with a new charge - the $10.00 S&H and a credit of $22.something for taxes - all of which was not even close to the original $429.00!

After Lois called and found the S&H charge remained (remember now - it hadn't been present once in spite of their original paperwork having a "S&H CHGS" that showed "$0.00"). Not once in the four months of attempted collection did a S&H charge appear. So, Lois wrote them another nice letter politely asking they review their books and eliminate the charge. No dice & back comes a dunning letter for the S&H, which they say won't be dropped. Not having another avenue, she asked me what to do. Now I'm involved. My letter went out yesterday to the owner of their company. The ball's in his court & now he'll have an opportunity to be a stand-up character or a bum who will be billed for our lost time dealing with this absurd issue.

As you noted, I have far better things to do than quibble over ten bucks. But, fair is fair and I will not be swindled (knowingly!) out of our hard-earned money. T'ain't right.

As for the City's ticket for blocking our own garage door? We paid the $15.00 fine. Our neighbor says it'll be a cold day in hell when he pays his. Found out from others (lunchtime chatter) that they too have been ticketed for parking in front of their own garage doors too & several had their vehicles entirely on their own property & off the street by more than a car length! Go figure that one out. So now the local newspaper has the info & that "fell" into the lap of a reporter who relishes going after abuses our City heaps on its citizens. More than one way to skin a cat(G).

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joel_19

pennies!!!!

I love it !! very funny How about with euro's or pesos or something like that !

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Caselli

Malloy told Reed it doesn't matter

I remember an episode of the 60's police series Adam-12. A driveway was blocked, and the senior officer Malloy explained to Reed that the driveway owner couldn't block even his own driveway.

Sounded stupid then, just like now.

The neighbors' tickets sound even more stupid.

Not as inspiring as the time Malloy apprehended a warehouse full of burglars with an empty gun.
"Do you feel lucky, Punk."

Cosmo_3

forget the euros

one euro is unfortunately worth more than a dollar these days. I used to go to Greece and live the good life for a while enjoying the power of the American dollar....things have changed.

The penny idea was hilarious heatboy, reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where Kramer lumps his pennies down on the pizza shop counter to pay for his calzone........


Cosmo Valavanis

Dependable P.H.C. Inc.

Scott Denny

If you can stand not having closure, file the problem. If, upon your return from Paradise, you still feel like going after these fools, by all means do. Dwelling on such a petty issue causes undue stress. Stress causes ulsers, or worse.
Acuna matata!
Bastari non carburundum!

Bruce M.

Compressor Manufacturer

I would write the manufacturer of the compressor and find out if he has reimbursed the supply house for shipping and handling and in what amount. If they have reimbursed the supply house I would send a copy of that letter to your friends at the supply house.

Dave Yates (PAH)

Jackchips

No way. I was, and always am, interested in the opinions gathered here - very valuable and wise council in my opinion. Althought I was pretty sure I wasn't going to go into that good night peacefully, I wanted to hear what others would do under similar circumstances. In some respects, I believe things like this present themselves as an opportunity to release pressure - kind of like a relief valve. To that end, I've blown off my steam and transferred the pressure to the other end. I'm more than ready to move on, but not willing to take a shot up the yingetts either.

Personally, I like the pennies thing and, if I were inclined to pay the rip-off, that would have been the advice I'd have taken to the bank (so to speak). Heatboy always has had a square head on his shoulders and is much more of a diplomat than I am. I'm slow to provoke, but my Irish can (and does) get the upper hand at times.

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Kal Row

pity italians use euro, \"ceti-milli-lira\" would have been great

Kal Row

dave: why dont you simply publish this thread???