What can a customer do?
December 20, 2013 10:27 AM   Subscribe

I placed an order on The Body Shop's website on Dec. 1 for cyber monday. There was some issue with shipping (where the courier company was given insufficient information, and never delivered and instead returned the package), and I never got the package that I had paid for. I have called, emailed, and tried numerous time to get in touch with a customer service person. I was on hold for more than half an hour each time, and no representative ever responded to my email. I am infuriated now-- they charged my credit card. What options do I have at this point? What can I do? I want either a refund or my order. I don't care which.

I am in Toronto, ON if that helps.

Also, on the tracking site my order is shown as "delivered" but I called the courier company and they said that meant it's returned successfully. They assured me that it was returned-- they said they weren't able to deliver the package at all.
posted by atetrachordofthree to Shopping (17 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
Call your credit card company and have them initiate a chargeback on it.
posted by nacho fries at 10:30 AM on December 20, 2013 [16 favorites]


The Body Shop has three physical locations in Toronto. You could go to the store and raise hell, refuse to leave, and demand to be heard.
posted by Flood at 10:41 AM on December 20, 2013


Contact The Body Shop via their twitter or facebook pages and tell them what happened. Ask if anyone in executive customer service can fix this error and make sure your order arrives ASAP. If you don't get a response, file a chargeback with your credit card company.
posted by LuckySeven~ at 10:42 AM on December 20, 2013 [4 favorites]


Nacho fries is right.

I'd also escalate this up the chain -- if you haven't already tried it -- can't tell the numbers you've called/email you've used, I'd contact them via the information here. If that fails, I'd write them a letter of complaint at their parent company, L'Oreal.

And I'd then consider dinging them soundly on Twitter, Facebook (if you're on it) and similar public sites like these.

Companies monitor these complaints. I had a similar problem with Lush and they were very, very nice, including sending me replacement orders for free, when I finally got through to them.
posted by bearwife at 10:44 AM on December 20, 2013


The Body Shop takes returns from their online store in their physical stores. I'm sure that if you went in and explained the issue, they would take care of you. Try to get a statement from the courier company in writing.

Body Shop's customer care will likely not be able to help. Other than store personnel, a chargeback might be the easiest.
posted by blnkfrnk at 10:44 AM on December 20, 2013


It seems unlikely that the minimum-wage employees at a retail location of a huge international company can do much about an issue with the mail order division. Don't go to their store and make things miserable for them during what's already a stressful time for retail workers.
posted by needs more cowbell at 10:45 AM on December 20, 2013 [25 favorites]


FYI - you may have to fight pretty hard to do a chargeback, and there is a window of opportunity for the chargeback (6 weeks?), so start it early. When you call your credit card, you will get the call centre customer service, so tell them you wish to be transferred to the 'disputes' department and don't take no for an answer. (They are paid to make it difficult for you to get through.)
posted by St. Peepsburg at 10:47 AM on December 20, 2013


I wouldn't bother with the retail store. A lot of big companies have completely separate in-store and ecommerce divisions. You could try an Executive Email Carpet Bomb as well as complaining on Twitter. However I'd personally just call up the credit card company and request a chargeback.
posted by radioamy at 10:47 AM on December 20, 2013 [1 favorite]


Go through your credit card company.
posted by amaire at 10:55 AM on December 20, 2013 [1 favorite]


Canadian Facebook page, which doesn't let you make a post to the wall, and Canadian Twitter account. The Twitter account has stuff like Oh no! Please send us a DM with your order # and issue you're having, and we'll try to help! in the feed, for what that's worth. It does sound very infuriating; a shipping blunder is one thing but unreachable customer service? Ick. Make clear when you finally reach somebody how much time you've had to throw away on this.
posted by kmennie at 10:56 AM on December 20, 2013


Call their corporate headquarters at Phone: (919) 554-4900.

Ask to speak to someone about a presidential complaint. You will be transferred to a human who will bend over backwards to help you.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 11:09 AM on December 20, 2013 [1 favorite]


What I would do is issue a chargeback. You'll get your money back, but the company will be out delivery and merchants fees, making this a loss for them. Also, go hit up their twitter/facebook/other social media and make a noise about how you're doing this because you've tried X, Y and Z and nobody cares. Do this as publicly as possible - they can ignore an email that only you and they see, but ignoring a shitstorm on twitbook is far more difficult.

People come into my store with depressing frequency, complaining about something wrong with their online orders. I do not work for the online department. I do not have access to the online department's order process. I don't have access to your order details. I know that it's expensive to call them. I don't have any control over that, as although the name is similar, the store and the website are two different companies. You buying something online does not keep me in a job. I'm not going to spend time doing things that don't keep me in a job.
posted by Solomon at 11:09 AM on December 20, 2013 [3 favorites]


When you call your credit card, you will get the call centre customer service, so tell them you wish to be transferred to the 'disputes' department and don't take no for an answer. (They are paid to make it difficult for you to get through.)

I have had the exact opposite experience dealing with chargebacks under a scenario similar to the one described by the OP. The card company was professional, concerned, and expeditious in their handling of the situation.
posted by nacho fries at 11:32 AM on December 20, 2013 [1 favorite]


If you want to, go into a store and asking politely if they can help you. If they can, explain what happened and that you'd like a refund or, if possible, for them to fulfill your order in the store. Since they take returns, they should be able to view your order. While there, remember that the people helping you are not the ones who screwed up your order.

If they can't help you or you don't want to go in, do the chargeback. I was able to initiate a chargeback on my bank's website and never had to talk to anyone on the phone. I got a refund put on my card due to lack of response from the merchant.
posted by soelo at 11:40 AM on December 20, 2013 [1 favorite]


As others have suggested, just challenge the charge on your credit card.
posted by merejane at 2:03 PM on December 20, 2013


Just to comment on the chargeback, I have done this once or twice and had no problem whatsoever.
posted by radioamy at 3:12 PM on December 20, 2013


I hear many have had success getting consumer problems resolved through Planet Feedback.
posted by SoftSummerBreeze at 5:29 PM on December 20, 2013


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