Bill for shoes takes a puzzling leap

By NANCY PARADIS

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 12, 2000

On May 22, I placed an order for two pairs of shoes from Haband in Pennsylvania. I received notice that I owed for one more pair, making it three pairs. I only ordered two, one red and one blue. I wrote to the company on June 9 to cancel the order and request a refund. All I received was another request for payment of another pair of shoes. Please see if you can have Haband return my check and keep the shoes. Mary Roy

Response: Thanks for letting us know that your problem with Haband has been solved.

Replacements coming

I am having trouble with a sideboard/metal deck (hutch) that I purchased from Rooms to Go on Feb. 12. When it was delivered on April 14, one of the doors would not close properly due to faulty hinges and door alignment. The delivery man said he would have a technician come repair it.

The repairman came on April 27 but said he could not repair it until he ordered the new hinges, which should take between two to six weeks for delivery. It has been going on seven weeks, and I can get no response on the delivery of the hinges, after which there will be another two weeks' wait for the technician to schedule the repair.

I made calls to Rooms to Go in Seffner on May 8 and 22, and I also called the service department on May 30 and June 14 to inquire about the status. After getting no results from those calls, twice I phoned the store in Port Richey, where the purchase was made. Neither time was the manager in.

I have had this unit since April and have not been able to use it. I would be very grateful if you would contact Rooms to Go and get it to expedite this service. Jerry Greenlee

Response: Lourdes Aguilar, administrative assistant with Rooms to Go in Seffner, apologized for the inconvenience and said that both defective pieces will be exchanged. Once the new pieces are delivered and you are satisfied with them, Rooms to Go will give you a $100 merchandise certificate as a gesture of appreciation.

Letters go astray

I bought a Royal Consumer Business Products shredder with a one-year warranty on June 19, 1999. I sent it back to the manufacturer on March 14, with a letter describing the problem I was having. I tried many times, after waiting for over a month, to contact the company by phone. I never got to speak to a person. The message told you where to send it and that all the representatives were busy. I wrote a follow-up letter on April 20 but never received a reply.

If Royal Consumer Products does not intend to repair or replace the shredder, I would appreciate it letting me know. Herbert Cassan

Response: Louise Bryant, product support manager for Royal Consumer Business Products in Bridgewater, N.J., said a new unit is being shipped to you, and your warranty is being extended by three months until Sept. 30. She apologized for any inconvenience you experienced and said the company never received your correspondence because it was sent to an incorrect address in Buffalo Grove, Ill.

Action solves problems and gets answers for you. If you have a question, or your own attempts to resolve a consumer complaint have failed, write Times Action, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731, or call your Action number, 893-8171, or, outside of Pinellas, (800) 333-7505, ext. 8171, to leave a recorded request.

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