Tag customer service

Stay Away From Aroma360

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In this post, I will share my personal experience with Aroma360 and discuss why I believe that the company is not to be trusted.

It all started in late August when I placed an order for a wireless Diffuser Pro Mini and signed up for a diffuser oil subscription. I knew that I would receive the diffuser unit for free as long as I agreed to subscribe to a monthly diffuser oil subscription for a minimum of 3 months, and that the first bottle of oil which would be sent with the diffuser unit did not count towards the subscription obligation. Despite the fact that I had read some horrible reviews about Aroma360, I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt.

The first problem arose when I noticed that, despite charging the diffuser unit for 8 hours every time I put it on the charger, the charge would only last about 5 hours total, which fell far short of the company’s claim that the unit would run for 12 hours off a single charge. Because of this glitch, the unit spent more time connected to the charging cable than it did running. Another irritating issue was that the remote control would only work on rare occasions, so I would have to make most of my adjustments and power the unit on and off from the unit.

One day a friend of mine, who had a diffuser unit which looked identical to my Aroma360 diffuser (she got hers from a different company), came over for a visit. She noticed the diffuser unit and asked if I liked it, so I told her about the issues I had with charging the unit and with the remote control. She opened the chamber and exclaimed, “Oh wow, this thing is leaking, there’s a bunch of oil inside the unit!” I looked, and sure enough, a pool of diffuser oil was sitting at the bottom of the diffuser chamber. Annoyed, I set the device aside and made a note to contact Aroma360 customer service the next day.

As it turned out, it was next to impossible to find a customer service phone number to call, so I sent an email via their website, which was ignored. I sent another email three days later, and that was also ignored, yet in the meantime, I received text messages from two other employees at Aroma360 who wanted me to sign up for a VIP membership! When I responded that I was having problems with my diffuser unit and needed assistance, they both ghosted me. Also during that time, I received my first month’s subscription oil which was $53 before tax, but for some reason had an $18 shipping charge, which is not an appropriate amount to charge for a small bottle of oil which was thrown into a small (6″ x 9″) bubble mailer. I was charged almost $80 for a bottle of oil which I couldn’t even use due to my situation with the defective diffuser.

I sent a third email, this time with a great deal of aggravation in my tone, and got a response from a representative who left a phone number for me to call. I called the number and proceeded to engage in a very frustrating conversation with the rep in which I had to explain my situation numerous times, only to have him respond by reminding me of my subscription obligation. I told the rep that I needed a replacement for the defective diffuser unit, a replacement bottle of oil since the first one leaked, and that I didn’t need to be reminded repeatedly of my subscription. He finally understood my situation, assured me that a replacement diffuser would be mailed out along with a replacement bottle of oil and an additional bottle of oil, as a freebie, in another fragrance called Blue Moon. Lastly, he told me he would send a gift card for $50. He sent me return labels for the merchandise which I was to return to Aroma360.

During the time when I was waiting for a replacement diffuser, I was sent another bottle of diffuser oil as a result of my subscription obligation. Since I couldn’t do anything about it, I just waited for the replacement diffuser. Once the replacement diffuser was sent, I set it up with the additional bottle of Blue Moon which the rep had sent, and I ended up liking it so much that I switched my subscription for that scent as opposed to Dream On. However, due to their horrible website, I unwittingly set up a separate account, which ended up compounding the problems with this company.

I soon discovered that the new diffuser unit also leaked, to the point where it damaged the corner of my desk on which it sat. By this time, I had used the gift card to purchase a bottle of body lotion, but it was badly damaged in transit because Aroma360 put the bottle in a soft mailer! By this time, it was late October, and I was fed up with Aroma360. It certainly didn’t help that I received an email informing me that my next shipment of oil would be sent soon.

I spent several days trying to get in contact with someone from Aroma360, and was finally able to get someone on the phone, but the rep was rather slow-witted, requiring me to repeat my situation multiple times. I insisted on returning everything back to Aroma360, wanted my subscription cancelled, and my money refunded. The rep informed me that there was a duplicate account, linked to a different credit card, so I told him to close that as well. He emailed me return labels, and I packed up and sent all items back in early November. Weeks went by with no credits showing on my credit card statements, so I contacted the same rep, only to be told to wait a few more days, then again, a few more days. What also happened during that time is that I got an email notification that another bottle of oil would be sent on December 3rd, and my credit card would be charged again. I was LIVID.

My next step was to contact the rep I had last communicated with, and demanded that he do his job and cancel everything like he was supposed to in the first place. I also told him that I would file a complaint with my credit card companies, as well as Better Business Bureau, which I did immediately. That evidently prompted Aroma360 to suddenly and miraculously issue all applicable credits back to my credit cards.

As far as I am concerned, Aroma360 shouldn’t be in business. They have shoddy products, poor customer service, a horrible website, and they constantly pester customers to sign up for their VIP program.

Never Again, Overstock!

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<a href=”Copyright: <a href=’https://www.123rf.com/profile_piscine26′>piscine26Image ID : 162532375
Source: 123rf.com
Copyright : piscine26 

I will never order a single item from Overstock after the experience I had in May of this year. I happened to see a rug on Overstock which was exactly what I was looking for to serve as the centerpiece for my living room makeover, so I ordered it on Sunday, May 16th, shortly after midnight. About seven hours later, I noticed that I had ordered one size larger than what I needed, so I hopped onto Overstock’s online chat to cancel that order. The representative told me the order had shipped and could not be canceled, which I didn’t believe for a second. I asked what the situation was with return shipping, and was told I would be responsible for it. When I expressed my displeasure over that information, the representative suggested that I join Club O which would entitle me to free returns. I figured I had no other choice, so I paid $19.95 for Club O, and then placed an order for the proper size rug which I needed.

I then received emails from Overstock on May 20th stating that both orders were ready to ship, with an estimated arrival date of May 24th. How could that be if the first order I had placed had supposedly shipped on May 16th? Though I didn’t believe that the orders would ship on May 20th, I anticipated their arrival on May 24th. May 24th came and went, with no rugs in sight. I then got two text messages on May 25th (NINE DAYS after I placed both orders) informing me that the rugs had shipped on that date from northern California (I am in southern California). Honestly, why send emails and texts with estimated shipping and arrival dates which are completely inaccurate?

Both rugs arrived on May 27th, propped up against my garage door. I immediately called Overstock to initiate a return on the larger rug, and was told that I would have to pay $208 in return shipping. I mentioned that I had Club O, and the response from the representative was that with Club O, members only get store credit, no credits back to their original form of payment. The only way I could receive a refund back to my original payment method was by paying return shipping. By this time I was livid, and asked to speak to a supervisor, only to have the call cut off, so I had to call again. The best the second representative could do was to cover $101 in return shipping, so I begrudgingly agreed to the offer, knowing that $107 would be deducted from my refund. I also insisted on having my Club O membership canceled and the membership fee credited back to my account, with which the representative happily obliged.

The rug I was returning was picked up by UPS on May 28th, and Overstock received it on June 4th. On June 10th, I started wondering when I would receive my refund, and was prepared to call them, when I noticed that I had a new voicemail on my phone. What was strange was that the voicemail message was left by the first representative with whom I had spoken on May 27th, and she stated that her supervisor was willing to make a one time exception and cover the full cost of return shipping. I have no idea why my phone didn’t alert me for 15 days, but that’s a whole other issue. I called Overstock on May 11th and was able to arrange for Overstock to make an adjustment on the return request to cover the full return shipping cost.

I was told to wait 3-5 business days to receive a refund from receipt of the returned rug, which means that I should have received a refund by June 11th. I FINALLY received a refund on June 22nd, but it was only for the rug, and not for the 5 year protection plan. I had to contact Overstock yet again to inquire about the missing portion of the refund. By June 23, I received a refund for the protection plan. Sorry Overstock, but no customer should ever have to endure what I did just to get my money back.

Thank goodness I love the rug I kept, because I would be especially irate if the smaller rug hadn’t worked out. In addition, with the exception of the rude online chat agent I spoke with on May 16th, the representatives I spoke with on the phone were all so professional and friendly that they made the whole miserable experience more tolerable. Nevertheless, I will do everything in my power to avoid Overstock, which is a shame since I have purchased some wonderful items from the site over the past 20 years. If you happen to see something on Overstock you happen to love, do some price comparisons and research, because you might be able to find a similar deal on Amazon or some other site which won’t try to gouge you with outrageous return shipping charges. And forget about Club O, it’s a complete ripoff.

The Michael Kors Jacket Nightmare

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Source: 123rf
Image ID : 102290706
Copyright : Jonathan Weisswarm

On March 5th, when I was waiting to board the plane which would take me from LAX to Haneda, Tokyo, I walked by a Michael Kors store and saw a nice ivory puffer jacket on display.  I took it off the hanger and tried it on, and instantly loved it.  My reasoning was that since it was a puffer jacket, it would be incredibly warm and would keep me snuggly and comfortable while I was in Sapporo.  I promptly decided to purchase it, and decided to wear it out of the store.  The sales associate asked me to take it off so that she could scan the tag, whereupon another associate cut the tags off before I could stop her.  Though I was upset, I hoped that I wouldn’t have to return the item.

About 30 minutes after I purchased the jacket, I placed it in my carry on bag, deciding that I should wait until I arrived in Japan to wear my new jacket.  Then I put the jacket to the test, not in chilly and snowy Sapporo, but in Sendai, which was far more moderate in temperature, with highs in the mid-40’s.  Well, I ended up freezing in that darling jacket, and because I purchased the jacket for warmth and not to make a fashion statement, I tucked the jacket away in my luggage and vowed to return it once I was back home in the states.

I returned to Los Angeles on March 19th, and learned that the area was on full lockdown, with retail stores closed.  So began the ongoing contact with MichaelKors.com, engaging the chat function, calling local stores, and emailing them regularly, each time inquiring when they thought stores might reopen.  This was a major headache for me to deal with, but since I was in possession of a $213 jacket which conferred almost no protection against the cold, I persisted.  I was told that return windows were being extended as a result of the lockdown, and I didn’t need to worry about the return window closing on me.

Then on June 29th, I called a local MK store, and not only did someone answer the phone, but she also stated that the store was indeed open to the public. I rushed over to the store the next day, but as I was walking towards the store, I got a funny feeling in my gut that something was about to go very wrong.   I walked into the store, explained my situation, and as soon as I mentioned that I had purchased the jacket at the Michael Kors store at LAX, the salesperson grimaced and said, “Oh, I don’t think we can process the return here.  You see, the store you went to isn’t owned by Michael Kors, it’s owned by Hudson Group”.

The salesperson tried to enter the SKU, but the number was not accepted by the register, and he told me that I had to contact the phone number on the purchase receipt.  By this time, I was fuming, frantically dialing the numbers as I exited the store, cursing under my breath the entire time.  I called the number, only to be told that wasn’t the proper number, and that I had to call yet another number.

Little did I know that the second phone call would connect me to the bossiest, bitchiest, rudest woman I have encountered in years.  She was VERY nasty to me and kept interrupting me as I told her the situation.  It took everything in me to remain calm as I spoke with this witch.  She explained that Michael Kors was franchised, yadda yadda yadda…but all I cared about was, would they allow me to return the item?  Finally, she stated that the Hudson Group would issue a return, provided I sent numerous specific images of the jacket, a pic of the receipt, and proof that I had been in Japan from March 5th through March 19th.

I sent all the information over, then heard absolutely nothing.  So I re-sent the emails from a different email address, thinking maybe there was an issue with the email server.  Still nothing.  I called her once again, and she got nasty with me, stating that she hadn’t received my emails, and why was I wasting her time?  Then she provided a different email address when I implored her to do so, and I re-sent all emails from two different email servers once more.

Once again, I heard nothing.  So I sent the Hudson representative another email yesterday, marked urgent, which asked her to please get in contact with me if she received that particular email.  She called me today, stating that she had only received the one email, then started yelling at me, stating that I hadn’t followed directions, that I was wasting her time, and that she didn’t have to help me at all.  When I tried asking her to check her spam folder, she interrupted me, started yelling again, and HUNG UP ON ME.

I re-sent all the emails yet again, from both email servers, this time with hands shaking in rage.  Imagine my surprise when she responded and said that she received all my emails, FINALLY!

This battle isn’t over yet, though.  Tomorrow I will mail the jacket to her office, at my expense, and wait to see if a refund is actually granted.  This woman should NOT be in customer service.

UPDATE 8/10/2020:  I finally received a refund several days ago!

 

Breaking Up With My Gym

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Last December I severed ties with the gym that I had been a member of since 2004, and it honestly felt like a bad breakup.  I had been feeling very dissatisfied with the gym ever since ownership and management changed hands in November of 2017. Members had to deal with constant construction and renovation, which meant that some areas would be closed off for extended periods of time. When equipment broke down, the management would leave the machines sitting in a state of disrepair. The management removed great equipment and replaced it with new, yet cheaply made items. I was also quite frustrated when the management decided to remove the prone leg curl machine, citing two different possible reasons:

1. Female members were getting upset about male members staring at their asses, or
2. The wrong machine (a second seated leg curl) was delivered, and the management decided to keep it.

Both explanations are completely lame. If the management was so concerned about men staring at the gluteal regions of the female members, then why would they keep the butt blaster machine? Another reason why the first explanation especially irked me is that the promotional video which constantly plays throughout the gym features a rather mannish Spin instructor who has several closeups featuring her sweat-laden, exposed, muscular decollete. I have always found this footage offensive, and I will always refer to the instructor as Miss Sweaty Boobs. It’s disgusting. And if the wrong machine was in fact delivered, then I would think the company from which they purchased the machine would take responsibility for the mistake and switch out the wrong machine with the correct one. It was bizarre trying to talk to staff members, not unlike speaking to a spineless, lying, cheating lover who can’t get his stories straight.

Another very frustrating thing which occurred was that though I had been paid up through the old owner for membership through 2022, the new owners decided not to honor that, instead telling me that they would be “generous” and honor membership through the end of 2018, provided I paid two “enhancement fees” of $25 each at different intervals during the year to keep the membership active. It didn’t matter that I had paid so much money up front to ensure that my membership would be paid for well in advance.

I honestly feel that NONE of the changes the new owner and management made were beneficial to members. The renovations to the facility are STILL NOT FINISHED! When I inquired about membership renewal, I was told what the monthly rate would be, which made me snicker because it was rather high. In addition, I was told that I would have to pay a $54 activation fee, yet another employee told me this would not be a new membership, but just a renewal. More lies in a toxic relationship were being fed to me. The last straw was when they ran my card for duplicate charges, yet wouldn’t issue a credit for the duplicate charge back to my card.

At that point it was time for me to break up.

I severed ties with the old gym, and signed up with two other gym groups. What’s funny is that the total charges for the two gyms I signed up with are less than the amount I would have paid at the old gym.  How’s that for a toxic relationship where I got stuck paying for a high maintenance partner?

I love the new gyms I work out at, and what’s even better is that both gyms are part of chains, meaning I can go to other locations when I am traveling. I can visit a network of over 400 clubs with one group, and over 80 clubs with the other. That sure beats going to ONE busted up, half-finished gym which only cares about money.

There was one final incident which really upset me, which occurred the day after Christmas. Keep in mind that my membership at the old gym was valid through December 31st, 2018. I went to the gym and worked out, and when I was on my final exercise for the day, the manager approached me and asked me what I was doing there. She stated that she was quite sure that my membership had expired on December 24th. She told me she was going to have to check my account. Fine. When she didn’t return, I knew that she realized her error, and was probably too embarrassed to admit that she was mistaken in her assumption.

Has anyone else dealt with a similar situation?

Traveling By Air Has Gotten Ugly

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You might want to think twice about booking a dream vacation ANYWHERE these days after all the recent mishaps with air travel.

Below are several links to news stories pertaining to airline passengers who in some fashion were mistreated or misinformed.

One woman was bumped from an overbooked Air Canada flight and missed a $10,000 Galapagos cruise which she had booked well in advance. Another passenger, traveling on United Airlines, flew to San Francisco International Airport when she believed she was flying to Paris. A third incident involved a family who deplaned after the parents were bullied into giving up the seat which they purchased for their two-year old.

Then there’s the woman who was denied restroom access while mid-flight, and the United employee who cancelled a traveler’s ticket after an argument ensued regarding fees on his checked bag. I have also included a link to the now famous story of the Vietnamese physician who was dragged off an overbooked United flight.

Even our furry friends aren’t safe while traveling these days, as evidenced by the story of the giant rabbit who sadly met his demise while on a United flight. He was then cremated by the airline without permission from the rabbit’s owner.

What in the world is happening with air travel?

http://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/appalling-woman-bumped-from-air-canada-flight-misses-dollar10000-galapagos-cruise/ar-BBA8pwh?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=spartanntp

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/united-airlines-passenger-who-thought-she-was-traveling-to-paris-lands-in-sfo/ar-BBAL8fc?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=spartandhp

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/brian-schear-delta-child-seat_us_590b1e49e4b05c397686c339?utr

http://www.businessinsider.com/united-passenger-dragged-off-police-2017-4

https://www.yahoo.com/beauty/mom-humiliated-united-airlines-denied-bathroom-access-215237924.html

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/United-Agent-Cancels-Mans-Ticket-For-Taping-Her-421705223.html

United Reaches Resolution with Simon the Rabbit’s Breeder as Owners Seek Answers, Compensation in Animal’s Mysterious Death

Bringing Out The Bitch

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Unknown

We all have limits on what we are willing to put up with before feelings of irritation and anger begin to bubble under the surface and threaten to spill over. Recently I have dealt with more individuals and customer service reps who apparently never learned manners from their parents, and who don’t seem to care when they get on my last nerve. Though I have manners and can be a study in calmness and patience, I can go from zero to bitch in a flash when someone rubs me the wrong way.

I honestly think that there are many people who will assume that women are pushovers, so they are shocked when a confident and assertive woman stands her ground. The problem with a woman asserting herself is that she suddenly comes across as a bitch, even if she is in a position of authority which should afford her the right to speak with conviction. Though I have always been a pretty strong personality, I developed a thicker outer shell over the years because I was railroaded by so many people who took advantage of my generosity. It is a challenge to be a physician, because I automatically am placed in a position in which I have to deal with people’s maladies and complaints. Basically, this means that people come to me only because they have problems which need to be fixed, and because they are usually in pain or experiencing some type of discomfort, they may not be in the best of moods. Though I am empathetic and receptive to the needs of others, this doesn’t mean that I am some sort of pushover in other areas of my life.

Let’s face it: assertive equals bitchy for a lot of people, especially for women. God forbid if you disagree with someone and you are a woman, because all of a sudden you are a bitch. This seems to be the case in all scenarios, including personal relationships. You may be filled with resentment over something, but you also run the risk of appearing confrontational and bitchy if you decide to unload your thoughts and feelings about the situation to the person who is upsetting you. So much for the emancipation of women, because the social climate still reels in horror over an assertive woman.

I will always stand up for myself. If that makes me a bitch, then so be it.

No Such Thing As Impossible

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Theres-ALWAYS-a-Solution-to-Your-Problem

I have always believed strongly in the expression, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way”. I proudly demonstrate this belief in everything I do, and don’t respond well to people who tell me that something can’t be done.

Several weeks ago, an air conditioning repair man was sent to our house to investigate the reason why our central A/C unit was not functioning properly. After an hour of inspecting the entire system, the repair man launched into an explanation of what was happening. Here’s how it all went down:

REPAIR MAN: “As you suspected, there IS a leak, but it is in a spot where it can’t be repaired.”

ME: “Well, that is completely unacceptable. Of COURSE there is a way to repair it. Now tell me HOW it can be repaired.”

– REPAIR MAN looks at ME with surprise and apprehension.

REPAIR MAN: “Okay, here’s what’s really happening. The leak is in a spot that is impossible to get to, so basically the entire coil must be replaced. I certainly don’t think the owner would be happy about having to replace the entire coil, since it is a big job and pretty costly.”

It is absolutely unacceptable to me to have someone tell me that a solution to a problem doesn’t exist. That is when I call bullshit. There MUST be a solution, especially when dealing with maintenance people or customer service. In the situation I described above, the A/C repair man’s assessment was influenced by the fact that he was intimidated by the owner. He knew there was a solution, but was reluctant to share it with me because his interests were with the management company and the owner of the property.

What blows my mind is that I have been in the middle of a number of situations this year in which I was told that no solution existed, and every time, I challenged the person making such a statement. And you know what? Every time a solution suddenly appeared out of nowhere to quell my rising ire. I will admit that when pushed, I can turn from zero to bitch in no time flat, but this isn’t about being bitchy. There is ALWAYS a solution.
keep-calm-there-is-always-a-solution-1

Customer Service?

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bad-serviceI went into a store today to make an exchange for products which I had purchased, and explained that I could not locate the receipt. The proprietor was rude and abrupt with me, responding to me with such derision that I came VERY close to telling him where to stick it and storming out of the store. However, I maintained a calm demeanor and continued to listen to his rant. He agreed to give me store credit for the items which was approximately 30% of what I had originally paid for the items, which I reluctantly agreed to. What bothered me was that I am sure he is quite accustomed to bartering in his homeland, but this is not something that is commonly practiced here in the United States. If I had the time to go to another store branch and deal with a nicer person, I would have, but I had to get this errand checked off my list.

I began asking him what he had in the store, and of course his store selection was a complete joke. He kept trying to sell me things I did not need, even when I showed him a LIST of items I was low on! I finally found one essential item which they had in stock (big surprise, it was the store brand), and when I asked what the price was, I almost fell over in shock. I flat out told him I could get that item (which was a BASIC item) online for a mere fraction of what he was charging. When I said that, I could see that he became immediately suspicious about my purchases, doubting whether I had truly purchased items from the store (YES, I had). I am not a liar and I don’t appreciate being accused of lying. His expression told me enough. Once again I wanted to walk out of that store.

Apparently the proprietor I dealt with does not believe that this is true...

Apparently the proprietor I dealt with does not believe that this is true…


I then asked him if he had a specific brand name product and he immediately tried to turn me to a product from a different brand which was not comparable to what I was asking about. He ARGUED with me, telling me that what he had in the store was the very same thing. I mentioned ingredients from both products to reveal the stark difference, but he persisted with his hard-sell attitude. It was very clear that he was accustomed to dealing with customers who didn’t know the first thing about the products he carried, and that he relied on feeding them convincing yet erroneous sales pitches to get them to spend a bundle of money on items they did not need.

One thing is for sure: the only way I would EVER step into that particular store is if I had an event there. In that scenario, I would be pleasant and would probably enjoy the look of confusion and embarrassment which would wash over the proprietor’s face. That would almost be worth the loss of money from the jacked up store credit I got from returning products I purchased there!