ComplaintsforSmitten & Steel

• Initial Complaint

  10/25/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  **************** I purchased items for a total of over $*** over the phone on Friday, October 21, from the ******* store because a relative was driving through and picked them up for me. Some of the items for the order were at the ******* store. Tried items on that were picked up from ******* store and drove 30 minutes to ******* store on Monday to get rest of the order and return items from other location that didn't fit. Tried on the items in the ******* store and they also didn't fit. I returned all of the items, some of which never even left their store, and they refused to give me my money back, stating only store credit. I tried and tried to work it out with them since I was never told of their policy over the phone when ordering and was not in the store when I paid for everything, and several of the items never even left the store when I returned them, but the owner absolutely refused to work with me. I was told by her staff (all of whom were very kind) that she would call me to discuss this matter, but she only texted me instead and then refused to continue the conversation. I tried several times to work something out with her and gave her several opportunities to respond, but she would not. I just want my money back for the items that didn't work for me. If I had been advised of their return policy when making a purchase of that size over the phone in a store I couldn't visit due to location, I never would have made the purchase. Basically she is charging me over $*** to try on items.

  Business response

  12/16/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 8, 2022/11/07) */ Thank you for reaching out. As you have indicated, there are always two sides to every dispute. Thank you for the opportunity to share our side. Ms. * became a customer in our system in December of 2021 and has made several purchases from December of '21 until the current time, which I thanked her for in my text communication with her. Our return policy has remained constant since November of 2018 - we offer in-store credit for items returned within 30 days of purchase (which is a quite common policy in the boutique industry.) Our return policy is posted at our registers, printed on every receipt and also appears on our website. Ms. * was unnecessarily unkind to staff members, requiring one staff to have to leave the sales floor to compose herself for 15 minutes after Ms. * left our store. This was quite upsetting to me, as the staff doesn't make our policies. I visited with our manager (who filled Ms. *** order) and two additional sales staff who had interactions with Ms. * and they all received different versions of the events from her. I felt at this time it was most appropriate to have our conversation in writing, so I reached out by text. I did make an exception from our standard return policy (in-store credit) by forwarding her an electronic gift card for $****** on October 25, 2022, to be used on our website, along with free shipping so that she doesn't have to travel 24 miles to shop at our nearest store (which is the location she has shopped at in the past.) Ms. * responded that she didn't want the gift card after receipt. Please let me know if you would like additional details or written statements from other staff. Thank you for your time. Consumer Response /* (3000, 10, 2022/11/07) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) Thank you for the opportunity to respond to and rebut the objectively false and otherwise skewed response from the owner of Smitten. I will respond to each allegation separately. 1. I have shopped in Smitten in person myself 1 time in their previous ******* location. At said time, I bought one t-shirt and one cardigan, which I tried on in the store, and spent less than $*** on. At no time did I look at their return policy at that time wherever they had it posted as I knew the items fit and I would not be returning them. All other purchases made at Smitten that in any way benefitted me were paid for by a family member. At no time was I paying for these items myself at the register, so I was not privy to their return policy at the register or on the receipt. The loyalty account that the owner is obviously referencing to imply that I made several purchases in this store myself is a shared account between myself and other family members so as to earn rewards because we often all shop together and can be accessed by any of us. I have never made a purchase on their website as the shipping fee is exorbitant so again, not a place where I would have seen her return policy. 2. Saying that I was unkind to her staff is a bold-faced lie. I was specifically kind to the two girls who were working the register at the new ******* location when I went in to try on the items that I had paid for over the phone that were unable in ******* and therefore were being held for me to pick up in *******. I specifically stated that I did not at all blame them for what was happening and asked to speak to the manager for that reason. One employee vehemently agreed with me that it was ridiculous that I couldn't get a full refund for items that didn't even leave the store. The other employee that contacted the owner (writer of this response) actually verbalized that she was afraid to call her. At said time, I said I would be happy to speak with her myself so that she didn't have to talk to the owner. I in no way want to get these girls in any trouble as none of this is their fault and I expressly told them both that and never said an unkind word. I don't pay their salaries so I doubt that either of them would admit what they said. I have had no contact with the manager who filled my order in the ******* store beyond my initial phone call to order so I'm not sure what she could say other than I was kind and respectful and placed a large order. 3. There is absolutely no way that her 3 employees received "three different versions of the story" from me, as there is only one version to be told, and that is the truth. To reiterate, I purchased items for over $*** from the ******* location over the phone. Several of the items they didn't have in store and told me they would hold for me to pick up at the ******* store. A family member drove through ******* and paid for said items and brought them to me. Again, never did I see this posted return policy at the register or look at a receipt at the bottom of the bag of items as it never occurred to me that I wouldn't be able to return something that didn't fit if it was brand new. Three days later I drove to the new, much bigger and fancier, location in *******. I was given the 3 items that were held at that location for me that I prepaid for, I tried them on in the store, and none of them fit. I asked for another size in one item but they didn't have it, at which point I started to process the return for all items that didn't fit. Some of these items I had paid for but had never even left her store. At no time during the return process did anyone say anything about the return being in store credit until it was handed to me, much to my shock and surprise. 4. I was told the owner would call me to discuss this matter when I left the store. She chose to text and refused to work with me in any way. She just sent me the same amount of gift card through email which I stated I didn't want as it was obvious I wasn't going to make another purchase from her stores without trying on items because of this debacle. I reached out several times after the initial texts asking her to work out something with me and she just failed to respond. This store owner's desire for money over customer service is very clear. She has no problem stating false things about me and putting her employees through this situation. She doesn't care about the person who is supporting local business, and the customer service she herself provides, she only cares about her finances. This was made clear in her dealings with me.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩