How many desks will it take?

Mark has started a new branch office of his company...in our rec room. They hope to lease office space and hire some more folks as events warrant, but for now, the office will be located in our rec room, formerly the library.

So...Mark had to order some office furniture. He ordered a desk and a chair from a well known company a week and a half ago. They ran the charge through, promised delivery on Monday Feb 20 and all was good...or so we thought.

Monday came and the chair arrived. No desk. The desk had been mistakenly left off the truck and would be delivered the next day. Okay...no problem.

Tuesday came...no desk...why? Mark called the customer service center and was told oops, it would *definitely* be there Weds. AND they'd have a supervisor call Mark. Famous last words.

Wednesday dawns...surely a desk will grace our doorstep....PLEASE LORD...Mark's irritation was beginning to rub off on me.

Weds. brought a BUNCH of calls to and from this company's 'customer service' and lo and behold, the story CHANGED. Now the desk was never intended to be delivered before Weds. but it would be there for sure by 5 Pm. If not, two (count 'em TWO) supervisors offered to reverse the charges AND still deliver the desk, as promised if it didn't arrive before 5 on Weds Feb 22. So...again, plans were changed and Mark waited...and waited.

5 Pm came and the desk? Was just a dream.

Thrsday, we got even more proactive and started speaking with local stores. One was very helpful and Mark started bugging corporate. By Thursday, they couldn't explain why the desk hadn't arrived but it WAS 'on the truck' and would DEFINITELY be here before 5. Yeah, we'd heard THAT story before! Oh, and the free desk? Not happening. They'd give us a 10.00 gift card for the 'inconvenience'.

20 hours he spent chasing info over a 4 day period. That is considerably MORE than inconvenience.

At about 8 Pm on Thursday, someone from corporate called Mark, claiming that the desk was no longer for sale at the company, saying the charges had been reversed and there would be no desk.

Imagine Mark's shock when he discovered that A) The desk is still for sale on this company's website and B) The desk is more than twice the price advertised in the weekly circular, even though the sale period had not yet expired and C) no refund has been processed.

So, when he found this out Friday, he called both customer service and corporate. They assured him that they weren't price fixing and that they would honor the sale price as a special 'courtesy'. Courtesy? Okkkay.

Mark fell for it and ponied up another credit card transaction. Later he discovered that the original order and case number had been 'accidentally' deleted from this company's computer system.

The desk would arrive on Monday yadda yadda.

Yesterday came...and the desk? Didn't. Gee, that was unexpected, huh?? Now, they claim AGAIN that the desk doesn't exist any more, EVEN though they're offering it as in stock and for sale at this moment in time.

So, we're out two transacations, both of which the company CLAIMS will/have been reversed, though they show as full charges on our online banking statement. Mark still doesn't have a desk...and he's got very little patience.

He's contacted the BBB and the consumer affairs commission for both our state and county, as well as the county in which the company headquarters is located.

So after two desks, hours and hours on the phone and hundreds of dollars expended, Mark STILL doesn't have a desk.

Blech!