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How trite these types of
letters are, I am sure you are thinking?
Here I am however writing this letter because of my unsatisfaction
regarding my last visit. I have been
a member since November 2006, and this is the first time I have ever written
a letter like this to Costco. While all
my visits have not been perfect, never have I had an experience where I was thinking
to myself, what just happened. I went into your store location to return a chair that was missing parts, I was never able to complete construction of the chair because of this. I had reached out to the manufacture to try and remedy it with them, as it was not Costco’s fault that it was missing pieces. The merchant explained they lacked the parts needed and that I should return it where I purchased it. I from this onset was wholly unsatisfied with my purchase. So that is what I did, I brought it back where I bought it, with my dissatisfaction of my purchase. Now I will not lay the blame solely on Costco, I did wait a rather long time before I returned it, mainly because I did not think it would be a matter of contention. After all Costco is renowned for their customer service and having a liberal return policy. In poking around on your website to include it here Costco’s return policy states “We guarantee your satisfaction on every product we sell and will refund your purchase price.” while your website offers a convenient Asterix none exists in your warehouse and when I enquired for the full return policy. I was unaware of this Asterix until writing this letter, I simply got pointed to the wall. I even asked a follow up for a written copy of it, only to be pointed to the wall again. If you would have just said we are not accepting your return and here is what the unseen Asterix is hiding, perhaps this letter would not exist. I understand that rules exist, and everything has a limit. Really it comes down to the treatment I received from Amber at the front desk. From the onset she seemed to have a chip on her shoulder, like she was going out to prove what a fool I am. In a snide tone, her opening remarks to me were and I quote, “We normally wouldn’t accept a return on this, but I am going to make an exception.” Now you might be telling yourself, you got what you want, why are you upset, why am I reading this letter? The ember of my dissatisfaction is because of how amber handled herself and her treatment of myself. I am sure you are thinking that I am being some millennial Karen and was all ridiculous, but I assure you I was not, I was dumbfounded, confused, and awestruck from the moment of our conversation and nothing more. Even right now I am not angry, I am still confused about my interaction. Allow me to continue to expound on my feelings. It was at this point I made my first inquiry as to what the actual return policy is, as obviously I was mistaken as to the return policy, and this was the first point to the wall. Amber explained and again I will quote, “you were satisfied with this purchase for 2 years.” I took this moment to look at the unused chair, still in its original box, with the original receipt. I tell you this, I was and still not satisfied with my chair that cannot be completed. I am not satisfied in the slightest. I think this is where my biggest rub is with the whole process. How presumptive is this statement, the implications it makes, about how I feel? How does Amber know what level of satisfaction the unused, uncompleted, chair makes me feel? Now I am sure that the return policy is subjective, and I assume wholly on Amber’s judge of my “satisfaction” is buried in the finer points of the elusive Asterix, which is not present in the warehouse. That is likely the reason Amber felt it necessary to start our conversation. Not with am “I’m Sorry,” “Tell me what’s wrong,” or other method of bridging the unusual nature of my return. This is how you make it a conversation, and not an accusation that I am some common criminal who decided in some grandiose scheme to return an unused, uncompleted, chair in its original box with the original receipt. So this is where I bridge to my request, this time in writing, what is the actual return policy? So I can be an informed consumer, and not have to face this firing squad of doubt and condemnation from Amber. Because when I asked Amber after another lecture on my assumed “satisfaction” for a copy of the return policy, again I got pointed to the wall. Now this brings me to my first and only real request from this letter. What is considered a period of time, regardless of my satisfaction, for the arbitrary mandatory assumptive return period? I know now that the Costco return policy is far more elusive than I original thought. It is not a safety blanket to protect me, but a curmudgeon that Costco will arbitrarily decide my worth in the moment. Now working in an industry myself that is ever cautious of UDAAP, I am absolutely positive that it cannot be up to Amber’s sole discretion, or perhaps it is… Now if you have read up to this point, what I am sure has turned into a rather woe as me letter, you are wondering is all William Clark wants to know is where that arbitrary line in the sand is, yes. I am not so embittered at this point where I would ask for a return of my membership, that is not what I want, wholistically I still value my Costco Membership and my relationship with your organization. I am however sorely disappointed and dissatisfied with my communication with Amber. And yes, all I want is to know where that line in the sand is, so I can be an informed consumer. |
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