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mommypants13
09-04-2010, 01:01 PM
After my recent experience at the Toyworks I will never shop there again and I encourage others not to shop there either. I am a young mother apparently because of this , deserve no respect

I bought my daughter a few toys at the Sebastopol store a week ago, the lady gave me an attitude, following me around the store. I a few toys, expecting that they would be good quality toys for my daughter to play with, my daughter is a year old and I bought her toys that were labeled (12m+)

The toy that we had the trouble with was one of the toys where you hit a ball through a hole and it goes through opened the toy, my boyfriend and I both had trouble using it. It was much to hard for a toddler. I decided that I was going to return the toy for another and put the toy back in the package.

Today I went to Sebastopol to return the toy, the woman behind the counter was the same woman that was in the store when I purchased the toy. She told me she didn't remember me buying it there and because of a tear in the cardboard package, it was about an inch long next to the tab where the box opens, She couldn't return the box because the toy was now unsellable.
I told her I thought the toy was defective and she told me that I should give it to somebody else as a gift. I told her I was going to the Santa Rosa store because I thought she was being rude and she then told me she was going to call the store so I couldn't.

I looked up the Toyworks in the phone book and called them about a half an hour later, apparently they had already been called because the woman I spoke to was rude on the phone and told me there was nothing she could do. I asked if I could speak to the owner and she told me that the owner was at the store on College Ave.

I then drove to the store on College, the owner obviously knew who I was because he snickered when I tried to explain that the toy was defective to the owner he told me that I was changing my story and that he wouldn't return it. I asked him what to do about the defective toy and he told me to 'call the people who made it' all the time he was snickering and speaking in a condescending tone when I asked him if he stood behind his products, he told me 'I was making a bigger deal out of this then it had to be) He then told me he wouldn't return or exchange the item and to leave his store.

I try very hard to shop local but I feel that the way I was treated was unfair. Any other store would have returned the item with no problem. I hope this saves some of you from being treated unfairly.

Barry
09-04-2010, 05:14 PM
After my recent experience at the Toyworks I will never shop there again and I encourage others not to shop there either.

I can't say I am happy about the recent spate of negative testimonials here, and yet it is a valid use of this system.

I want to remind everybody of our guidelines (https://www.waccobb.net/forums/content.php?7-rules-amp-regulations) regarding negative testimonials:


10) NEGATIVE TESTIMONIALS: While most transactions between members are quite satisfactory, there are going to be some that are not. Members are welcome to post public testimonials, both positive and negative, about business transactions. Before posting about a problem, please first try to resolve the issue directly with the business. Negative comments should be respectful, include specific details including the full real name of the person posting the testimonial.

Negative comments about private transactions (including listings in our For Sale category (https://www.waccobb.net/forums/sale-free-wanted/)) should be directed to the Moderator ([email protected]). If a member has a pattern of problematic transactions, they will no longer be welcome here.This testimonial about Toyworks meets this standard except for not including the user's full real name. However mommypants13's real name is listed on her public profile as Mallory O'Connor. [Mallory, if this is not OK to include your real name here, please let me know and I will remove it and your testimonial as well.]

I notice one important bit missing in this story is whether Mallory had her receipt when she tried to return the toy. I think it is fair for the merchant to insist on that, and it's yet a higher level of customer service to be able to use the customer's credit card to look up the receipt if it was made using that credit card.

Anybody else with comments (positive or negative) about Toyworks?

I also note that the Executive Director of the Sebastopol Chamber of Commerce, Teresa Ramondo, used her column in the chamber's newsletter this month to talk about customer service. I'll see if I can get a copy of it and publish it here.

Especially in this age of social media, I think it is wise for businesses to error on the side of generosity rather than strictness. In addition to being kind, it makes good business sense! And... it can be abused.

I have definitely returned my share of products of the years, and I very much appreciate when a store is willing to accept a package that has been clearly opened. And I also go out of my way to select packages that have been opened for purchase (accept when buying as a gift) as my contribution toward keeping the system whole.

Sara S
09-05-2010, 07:43 AM
One great thing about Walmart is that there is never a question about a return; if you have the receipt you get your money back, and if you don't, you get a credit slip.

And, to all the "Walmart= BAD" folks out there: The Press Democrat had an article last week which said that Walmart was the number one corporate donor to charitable causes last year.





I can't say I am happy about the recent spate of negative testimonials here, and yet it is a valid use of this system.

I want to remind everybody of our guidelines (https://www.waccobb.net/forums/content.php?7-rules-amp-regulations) regarding negative testimonials:

This testimonial about Toyworks meets this standard except for not including the user's full real name. However mommypants13's real name is listed on her public profile as Mallory O'Connor. [Mallory, if this is not OK to include your real name here, please let me know and I will remove it and your testimonial as well.]

I notice one important bit missing in this story is whether Mallory had her receipt when she tried to return the toy. I think it is fair for the merchant to insist on that, and it's yet a higher level of customer service to be able to use the customer's credit card to look up the receipt if it was made using that credit card.

Anybody else with comments (positive or negative) about Toyworks?

I also note that the Executive Director of the Sebastopol Chamber of Commerce, Teresa Ramondo, used her column in the chamber's newsletter this month to talk about customer service. I'll see if I can get a copy of it and publish it here.

Especially in this age of social media, I think it is wise for businesses to error on the side of generosity rather than strictness. In addition to being kind, it makes good business sense! And... it can be abused.

I have definitely returned my share of products of the years, and I very much appreciate when a store is willing to accept a package that has been clearly opened. And I also go out of my way to select packages that have been opened for purchase (accept when buying as a gift) as my contribution toward keeping the system whole.

Raphah
09-05-2010, 08:52 AM
Mallory's story could be valid, although you can never really be sure when you only hear one side of the story. Even then the truth is muddled. A suggestion to Mallory; be extra careful NOT to damage any part of a product when you intend to return it to a local business, they have to guard themselves and protect their "capital". Toyworks is a very diverse toy store, don't shut out a certain business because someone didn't treat you "right". We are allll different fortunately enough.