Here is the number for Store 700: (215) 333-0412.
Or, if you'd like, call Circuit City's Corporate Office and tell them what you think:
804-486-4000
Press 1, wait for prompt.
Press 1 again.
Dial extension 724666.
Choose "Phil Schoonover" - CEO
Leave message or ask to be transferred to your department of choice.
Digg this story on CAG.
http://digg.com/tech_deals/How_Circuit_City_Ruined_My_Weekend_A_long_short_story_by_billg
Hi all. What follows is my admittedly lengthy account of a terrible experience, actually several terrible experiences, with Circuit City store 700. It is presented to you all as both a warning and a call for change. It is my hope that by posting this here, publicly, as well as in other formats, that the wrong I have experienced can be righted, and that others will not have to endure the madness that I did.
Chapter 1: Coupon Catalyst.
I decided to take advantage of a 40 off 200 coupon I received in the mail. I have recently moved, and the coupon was included as part of a welcome package from the Post Office. Circuit City sent this item to me, I assume in the hopes that I would spend 200 dollars in one of their stores. And that's exactly what I tried to do. That seems pretty simple. Why would a business try to stop me from giving them money?
However, the unprofessional attitude I have received from Circuit City while trying to give them my money leads me to believe that they are in business not to make money, but to torment me and me alone. I picture team meetings where the managers decide what methods would be most effective in denying me a sale, followed by the raucous recitation of bawdy and grammatically questionable Circuit City pep songs. I imagine the pep songs heavily feature the word "no". Perhaps you will reach a different conclusion. I would like to hear it.
I was hoping to use my 40 off 200 online, via circuitcity.com, but soon discovered that I could only use it in-store. This would set in motion a series of events so unfathomable that even Wal-Mart would be appalled.
On Saturday, November 24, 2007, I went to circuitcity.com to check the availability for a few items I was looking to purchase in-store. At 5PM on November 24, these were the prices listed for the items I wanted to purchase as gifts for Christmas:
1 Nintendogs or Zelda DS Bundle $139.99
1 Wii Nunchuk controller $19.99
1 2GB Cruzer thumb drive $14.99
1 Wii Mario Party 8 $49.99
I understand that Mario Party 8 at retail is not the most thrifty purchase. I simply wanted to fill out the last bit of my $200 requirement while checking off a gift for a relative at the same time. Mario Party 8 is a decent game with significant replayability, so I am willing to pay a little extra for it. It's kind of like paying extra money to an employee who has worked for you for years and who knows the business in and out. That type of employee would be more valuable than a neophyte who knows nothing, but is cheaper. Of course, as evidenced by their hiring (and firing) practices, we know that that kind of logic escapes Circuit City.
I used the website's store availability checker to see which store had the items I wanted. As luck would have it, Store 700 had all of them, and was not terribly far away from me.
Experience has taught me that it is often best to double-check on availability, so I called Store 700 to confirm that the items I wanted would be in-stock. Imagine my surprise when, on the Saturday after Black Friday, one of the busiest shopping days of the year, I reached a recording saying that Store 700 was closed. It was only 5PM, this made no sense. I called again and received the same recording. But there was no way this could be right. There must be some kind of error. I would imagine that Store 700 is losing thousands, if not tens of thousands of dollars due to this error.
I went out into the cold November night and drove to Circuit City Store 700. The store was alive with much activity. Clearly, the phone system was incorrect.
Chapter 2: Cruzer Chaos.
I entered Store 700 and began to gather the items on my list. Unfortunately, I was unable to locate the Sandisk 2GB Cruzer thumb drive that the site had said was in-stock. I looked around for an associate to assist me. Most of the associates, those neophytes I mentioned earlier, were very busy. They were flirting with customers, talking on their cell phones, or chatting with each other about current events. After a few minutes, I found an associate who did not appear to be busy and asked him to help me find one of the Cruzer drives. He checked the store's inventory and showed me that the computer said that they had six in stock. He went off to find one in the back.
A short while later, the associate returned from the back empty-handed. "We don't have any", he replied. "Somebody must have stolen them, or we didn't receive a shipment or something." Clearly, Store 700's inventory system, and their loss-prevention techniques, are woefully inept.
I looked around for a suitable replacement drive and happily came across some other Sandisk 2GB Cruzer thumb drives, except these were purple instead of black. I asked the associate to scan it for me, and the price came up as $40, not $15. This did not make any sense to me. I asked if the associate could adjust the price to match that of the black one. He said he could not, as the purple thumb drive, though it is identical to the black drive except for color, was part of some type of Alzheimer's charity drive, and had to be purchased at full price.
At this point, I decided somebody higher up could better assist me, so I asked for a supervisor. A supervisor soon emerged and asked how he could help me. His name was Nick. Nick looked eager to say "no".
I explained my dilemma to Nick, that I had traveled out to Store 700 in the cold to purchase these items, and an item that was listed as in-stock was apparently not actually in-stock. I further explained that this could have been avoided with a phone call, but that the phone system stated the store was closed, so I had no one to confirm inventory with. I therefore requested, I think not unreasonably, that I needed to have this problem amended.
I asked Nick if he could adjust the price of the purple 2GB drive or shave a few dollars off of a 4GB drive. Nick said "no". Negotiation and customer satisfaction did not seem to be Nick's strong suits. He did offer to go into the back and search again for the thumb drives. I said that would be fine and followed him back.
I ended up waiting 20 minutes for Nick to emerge from the back. Finally growing impatient, I asked another employee to search the back for Nick, as I was worried he had either forgotten about me, or perhaps had become trapped beneath a pile of falling overpriced accessories. Five minutes later, the employee emerged from the back with Nick by his side. Nick appeared unharmed.
Nick explained that he had been waiting up front for me, where we had first talked, but when he did not find me, he went back to performing his supervisory duties. He then punctuated his statement by declaring that there were no thumb drives to be found, nor would any price adjustment be performed on any of the other available drives. What Nick may have lacked in negotiation, or customer satisfaction, or common sense, or the ability to locate a customer he was supposed to be assisting, he more than made up for in his enthusiasm to blame the victim. Rather than apologizing for my twenty minute wait or offering to make any kind of amends, he chastised me for not being in the area where we had stood before he checked in the back.
Nick must not have noticed me following him all the way to the back earlier, as I apparently possess a previously underutilized ninja tracking skill. Nick must also possess a similar skill, for I never saw him emerge from the back. Either this, or the Circuit City complex is designed not unlike the mansion in Clue.
Dissatisfied with Nick's complete lack of assistance, I requested to speak to a manager. This brought about a manager named Brian. Brian was inexplicably wearing the unfortunate lime green shirt typically reserved for employees who work in the Firedog department, Circuit City's tech unit whose name means absolutely nothing, and was clearly chosen just because the domain name was available.
What Brian manages is anybody's guess. He looked (and acted) more like a bouncer. One thing he definitely had under control was his joyless countenance, which was present from start to finish in our conversation.
Nick had already given his side of the story to Brian before I was able to speak to him. When I attempted to give my account of what happened, Brian made sure to interrupt and state that I wouldn't have had to wait 20 minutes if I had been where I was "supposed to be." I guess they have designated waiting areas in Store 700. If they do, they aren't marked properly, much like their price tags, some of which I saw hadn't been updated in two weeks.
Nick stood next to Brian during our conversation, like a child sicking his dad on another schoolboy who had upset him. Brian acted the role beautifully, again denying me any kind of price adjustment, compensation for my inconvenience, or any kind of sincere apology. Brian did state that he knew about the problem with the phone system and that it was "being looked into". He also said I could've gotten a hold of a live person by dialing 0 after the message said the store was closed. How I was supposed to know this beforehand, he did not say. He also stated that he was going to have the inventory corrected so that the website did not show any of the missing drives in-stock at the store. Considering that I was already in the store to buy the thumb drive did not appear to strike Brian as shutting the barn door after the horse was gone.
Having wasted 40 minutes of my life on this matter and received no resolution, I began to fill with a blind rage. Rather than take my chances fighting Brian, whose grim visage told of a man who has taken countless lives, I took the high road and left the store without incident, choosing instead to deal with this matter at the corporate level.
Chapter 3: Corporate Calamity.
It is telling that I have Circuit City's corporate number memorized. It is 1-800-THE-CITY. After various misleading prompts, wrong turns, and lengthy wait times, my call found its way to the Customer Service department. A woman answered who clearly is not from the United States, possessing an accent similar to the inhabitants of the Mauritius Islands, or some other wonderful place which I will never be able to visit in my lifetime.
I explained my case to corporate, who told me that if I wanted the matter resolved, I would have to take it to the store level, by speaking to the Director of Store 700 Operations named Lawrence.
I called Store 700, and upon receiving the "we are closed" message, I dialed 0 to reach the front desk. After about 10 rings, someone picked up, and I asked to speak to Lawrence. I was placed on hold. Two minutes later, the phone began ringing again. After a few rings, someone picked up, and then placed the phone back down. Was the silence I was hearing me being on hold again, or had they hung up? I had no way of knowing.
I called back a second time, and the exact same thing occurred. Placed on hold, waited two minutes, phone rang again, someone picked up and put the phone down.
This happened a third time.
And a fourth time.
And a fifth time.
By my sixth phone call to Store 700, I was not a happy man. I explained to the person who picked up that I had called six times, that I was not about to be placed on infinite hold, again, and that I needed to speak to Lawrence right away. This time, someone managed to find Lawrence expeditiously. We now had a chance to speak.
I explained everything that had happened to Lawrence, who actually apologized for the inconvenience I experienced. He stated, however, that he was of the same level of authority as Brian, and that there probably wasn't much he could do. He did state that if I had spoken to him instead of Brian, Lawrence would have cut me a discount on a comparable thumb drive. Lawrence told me that if I wanted to speak to somebody higher up, the man I needed to talk to was Tim. A short while later, I was on the phone with Tim.
I told my story for a fourth time to Tim, who apologized for the many errors which led us both here. I asked Tim why it was that Brian was not able to assist me in a price reduction, whereas Lawrence was able, even though they were at the same level. Tim did not have an explanation. Clearly, when Nick and Brian told me that they "couldn't" change the price, what they really meant was that they didn't want to.
I asked if Brian was a grinch of some sort. Tim confirmed that he was not. Tim stated that if I came into the store tomorrow, he would "take care" of me. Given the sorry shape Tim's store was in, I wasn't sure if I wanted him taking care of me, but I held out hope.
Chapter 4: Calendarial Conundrums.
On Sunday the 25th, I made my way back to the star-crossed Store 700. Tim, as luck would have it, was out to lunch when I arrived. This seemed to be in line with the organizational structure of the store itself. I headed out and grabbed a bite to eat, then returned.
Tim was now available. We chatted for a bit, then Tim walked me over to the thumb drive section. He grabbed one of the purple Alzheimer's charity thumb drives and manually overrode the price to match that of the black thumb drive, $15, perhaps figuring that they won't remember being shorted in a few days.
Tim handed me a slip with the thumb drive, explaining that whoever rings me up would charge me the adjusted price if I presented the slip. This was great news. My long nightmare was finally at an end. I just had to gather up the other items I wanted and make my way to a register. I thanked Tim for his help and set about to hunt for the rest of my list.
The Wii nunchuk and Mario Party 8 were easy enough to get, but the DS bundle had disappeared completely. I found an associate who explained that the bundles were in the back. He said he would get one for me, then rung up several customers. When there were no more customers, he directed me to the front of the store. Now at the front of the store, the associate rung up another customer. He then asked another associate to retrieve a list of some kind for him, and she went off to do so. The associate who was supposed to be helping me then walked off as well, leaving the list-bearing associate and I very confused. When the associate returned, he rung up another customer. As he went to ring up another customer, I asked him, "Why am I standing here?" He looked up at me with surprise, said, "Oh!", and then walked off and retrieved a Zelda DS bundle for me. He asked the former list-retrieving associate to ring up his customers, then led me to another register to complete our transaction.
I handed him my items, and he at first seemed confused by the slip for the 2GB Cruzer drive, but figured it out soon enough. He then rung up the Zelda DS bundle... which showed a price of $164.99.
I explained to the associate that the price was supposed to be $139.99. He said that was a special holiday price, and that the price had now changed. I asked him to get Tim. Tim soon reappeared on the scene and explained the same thing that the associate did. I told Tim that I wanted to purchase this item yesterday, but that the misunderstanding over the thumb drive prevented me from completing my transaction. Tim said the $139.99 was a special "five hour" price on Black Friday, that it was never $139.99 on Saturday, and that he would not honor the price today. Of course, this is blatantly contradictory to what circuitcity.com was showing on Saturday, with Saturday's price even well-documented on this and other deal sites.
Tim would not budge on the DS bundle price. This put us at quite the impasse. I wanted to spend my money at Circuit City, using this godforsaken coupon they sent me, and Tim was not about to let that happen. He was going to abort this transaction come Hell or high water. My money, it would seem, is no good at Circuit City.
I asked Tim who he reported to. He refused to provide me with a name, simply stating that I was to call 1-800-THE-CITY, as he reports to corporate.
I left the store empty-handed once again, certain that I was in the right, but having absolutely nothing to show for it. When I returned home, I called the corporate line and filed a more detailed and amended complaint. The person I spoke with told me that she will escalate the claim, and that I can speak with a supervisor about the matter on Monday the 26th.
It shouldn't be so hard, doing what I try to do. I just want to buy some gifts for the holiday season without breaking the piggy bank. But Circuit City Store 700 sees absolutely no reason to let my generosity go unpunished. They cannot let a simple transaction go through, using the coupon that they sent to me.
Any other person would have given up long ago. They would have spent the extra $80 or so to get these items elsewhere and be done with it. But I still believe in something. I believe in myself, and I believe in fairness to the consumer. This stopped being about money long ago, and instead became about principle. I will see this transaction through to the very end. I will receive recompense for my inconvenience. I will demand a letter of apology from Nick, Brian, Lawrence, Tim, and anyone else at Store 700 or elsewhere who chooses to prevent me from taking part in American commerce.
I have no doubt that many CAGs will call me crazy, certainly long-winded, and probably a few other choice turns of phrase. But let it never be said that I gave up. Let it never be said that the customer isn't always right. And let it never be said that billg is not a Cheap Ass Gamer.
Update: 11/26
Chapter Five: Constant Cacophony.
I am making progress. I actually found a line where people speak English. It's the "Cool Line": 1-800-251-2665. I'm not sure why it's called the Cool Line. It sounds like I should be requesting Top 40 hits or something.
I was transferred to this number after a lengthy exchange with one of the outsourced workers from 1-800-THE-CITY. One of the workers had also said I should take up my complaint with the District Manager of Store 700, Frank. A new name at a new level! I was excited. I had just leveled up in real life.
I spoke to Britney on the Cool Line at extension 21917. I told my lengthy story to her, at the end of which she asked for clarification on a few points. Following this, Britney offered to send me a $10 gift card to make up for my troubles. Yes, ten whole dollars. Circuit City gave me more than that when All-Pro Basketball 2K8 was late on release day. But that's Circuit City for you, wildly incongruous corporate policies.
I informed Britney that this was woefully inadequate, indeed less than I had even spent in gas during my two trips to Store 700. The problem at hand wasn't about $10, it was about how my experiences with City Store 700 had been inexcusably frustrating, that my very basic needs as a customer were not being met at any level of the hierarchy, and that nobody in the entire chain of command had seen fit to sincerely apologize and make amends so that my initial purchase could go through.
Britney stated that there wasn't much else she could do. I told her that all I wanted to do was purchase the items as was intended, at the prices they were offered, utilizing the coupon Circuit City had willingly sent to me. Britney told me that she could not guarantee I would be able to have that simple request met. She offered to call the store and see what could be done.
I waited on hold for a few minutes, after which Britney came back on the line and said that the store was refusing to offer me any assistance in completing this purchase.
Britney and I discussed what options were available for me to see the transaction through. Britney told me that she had suggested that Store 700 mark the items as they were supposed to have been priced when I first attempted to purchase them, however, the store denied her request.
Realizing that I needed to speak to someone in a higher position of authority, I asked to speak to Britney's supervisor. Britney refused to transfer me, stating that she had offered a resolution with the $10 gift card, and that nothing more could be done. I again requested to speak to Britney's supervisor. Britney again steadfastly refused me this courtesy. I asked for contact information for the store's District Manager, Frank. Britney also refused to provide me with this information, saying I needed to ask the store directly. After another request to speak to her supervisor, Britney stated that we had nothing further to discuss and hung up on me.
I called Store 700 and asked for Frank. I was told that Frank was not in today. I requested Frank's contact information. The associate on the other end of the phone placed me on hold. After ten minutes, the conversation disconnected.
I called Store 700 several more times, this time being placed immediately on hold without anyone speaking to me.
After twenty more minutes of these calls, I finally spoke to someone and again requested Frank's contact information. The person said they would need to speak to Lawrence about that, whom you may recall I had spoken to a few days before.
Unfortunately, Lawrence never made it to the phone, instead relaying a royal edict that the store was refusing to give out Frank's contact information, and that I should call the Cool Line if I wanted to have it. You see how that works? The Cool Line tells me to call Store 700, Store 700 tells me to call the Cool Line. Circuit City: We can pass the buck like no one else!
I called the store again and asked to speak directly to Lawrence. After being on hold for five minutes, the associate said that Lawrence would call me back within half an hour. Half an hour later, my phone rang, but it was someone named Jose. Either Lawrence had suddenly gotten in touch with some long-forgotten Hispanic roots, or the buck was being passed yet again.
Jose said that Lawrence was very busy, but that he would be happy to help me. I again requested Frank's contact information. Jose said that he was not going to give that information out. I asked how exactly I was expected to speak to the District Manager if no one could give me his number. Jose did not offer any insight.
As it was soon time for me to make dinner, I finished my call. I then set out to continue to post this information in as many highly-visible places as I could. Indeed, this writing has gone up on several sites, been sent to the Better Business Bureau, and will find its way to the Attorney General's Office tomorrow. My girlfriend also advised gathering up as many corporate Circuit City e-mail addresses as I could find, and sending copies of my dilemma to them, so that a paper trail is established and hopefully someone with a conscience will get back to me. This will also be done tomorrow.
I want to thank everyone who has been supportive of me efforts. This whole experience has been very trying, and while I am certain that right will prevail in the end, it doesn't make getting there any easier. Oh well. It's still better than filling out rebates.
Update 11/27
Chapter 6: Corporate Calls.
I will post both in the thread, as well as update the Original Post when new information is made available to me, so please keep checking back.
Thanks again to everyone who has been sending their support through the posts and PMs. To those of you who are not on my side, that's fine, but please have the courtesy to throughly read the post you are railing against before making inaccurate claims. I am happy to defend my actions, or disagree with you about them, but please do not berate me for things I did not do. To clarify...
Regarding the discount on the Alzheimer's benefit thumb drive...
I asked management for either a discount on the 4GB (non-charity) thumb drive, or the 2GB charity thumb drive. Obviously I would've preferred a break on the 4GB drive. Management was the one who chose to discount the charity drive, not me. I'm not out to cheat Alzheimer's patients. I lived with my great-grandfather for a while in his last days when he was suffering with the disease. It ain't pretty.
Also, the 2GB non-charity drive was listed as in-stock at Store 700 on the site, on Saturday, for $15. That's why I went there. However, I could not add it to my cart, it was simply listed as "available in store only". I guess due to it being a special sale item. Who knows with CC.
Regarding the DS...
The DS was listed as 139.99 on the site *on Saturday*, when I first went into the store. Not Black Friday!
Check FW if you don't believe me, that's where I first heard about the deal. If it hadn't been 139.99 on Saturday, *I wouldn't have tried to buy it for 139.99 on Saturday*. Nor would I have unreasonably asked them to match a Black Friday price if it wasn't the same price when I was physically in the store on Saturday. I'm not insane.
Regarding the coupon...
Tim, the head honcho of Store 700, understood which coupon I was trying to use (I showed it to him) and offered no reservations about me applying it to my bundle of items, including the DS.
Finally, here is what happened today.
I placed another call to Store 700 to speak to Tim. Was told Tim was not in. I wonder if he's been stressed lately.
Some posters on here listed a few corporate e-mail addresses which would be great contacts to help get the message out. Unfortunately, the very brief letter I sent as a test message bounced right back from all of them. Would appreciate it if anyone could provide me with more up-to-date information.
I placed a call to Circuit City's HQ in Virginia (acquired from a corporate filing, and now listed at the top of the OP). Asked to speak to the CEO, Phil Schoonover. Was denied. I guess he was too busy driving the stock price down over 75% compared to last year. And shareholders don't even get to price match.
Was then transferred to Justin, a Customer Support Coordinator. Justin listened to my story, then said he would contact the store to see if they would grant price adjustments on the items in question. Finally, some small measure of progress!
I left my number with Justin and he confirmed it. However, I have not yet heard back from him. Furthermore, he did not appear to see much wrong with how I was treated as a customer, which has become the crux of this matter.
This story has popped up on a few other sites, as well as some people's blogs. This is much appreciated. Keep it coming! If you wish to reprint my tale, I ask only that you link directly back to CAG somewhere in the reprint, respect any republishing rights that CAG has over its content, and include the corporate contact information in the updated OP.
It has been brought to my attention that someone submitted this story to Digg. I don't know if I'm allowed to post the link here, but will do so now, with the reasonable understanding that those in charge will remove it if it is not appropriate to provide this link.
http://digg.com/tech_deals/How_Circuit_City_Ruined_My_Weekend_A_long_short_story_by_billg
Clearly, Circuit City does not yet understand that customers will not stand for unjust treatment any longer. Failed rebates, botched sales, the COD3/4 fiasco, and the witch hunt for Speedy are just a few of the many problems CC has presented us in only the last few months.
I fear I will need to find someone in corporate with a little more pull and understanding, and generate some more noise, to take care of this problem. I hope I will get to speak to someone above Justin and have some pro-customer action taken by tomorrow to put an end to this nightmare.
This ends Wednesday, no matter what. I'm not going to let this drag on any longer. I'm tired of it, and I can only imagine how tired you all must be of it. I never expected this to take off like it has, but I guess that's the internet for you.
After Wednesday night, I go back to being boring old me. Either I get a resolution to my satisfaction, or I go home empty-handed once again. Wish me luck, and if you would be so kind, say a few words to those who can make a difference, because if it could happen to me, and it can happen to everyone else here who has posted a war story, it can happen to you.
Final update: 11/28/2007
Chapter Seven: Conclusive Compromise.
This afternoon, I received a call from Circuit City's corporate offices. Justin, the man in charge of customer care at HQ whom I spoke to yesterday, called me and was interested in settling this matter once and for all, as was I.
Justin informed me that he had spoken to Tim directly at Store 700 about my complaint, and that plans were now in place to have this matter corrected. Justin offered me the Nintendo DS bundle at the Saturday price of 139.99 and the thumb drive at the Saturday price of 14.99. After five days of feeling like I was tilting at windmills, it was nice to receive reassurance that I was not insane. Victory and validation had been sent to me from a white guy at a desk in Virginia.
THAT is going to be a fun trip to the store.
Justin remained firm that due to the finer points of the 40 off 200 coupon, that it should not be applied to my total purchase. I conceded that to him, then of course purchased the nunchuk and Mario Party 8 at Best Buy.
What upset me about our conversation was that while Justin understood my frustration about the pricing errors, he did not seem terribly concerned with the negative attitudes and interaction that came from his employees.
Thankfully, due to many others in this thread posting their stories of negative CC interactions, and in the process taking my small frustration onto a large arena, a lot more people now see how low the customer is truly viewed by Circuit City.
Seeing as how we're in the swing of the holiday shopping rush, and people are trying to decide where and where not to shop, I'd say that's a victory we have all achieved. Hundreds of people expressing their individual and collective displeasure against a company can in no way be good for its bottom line. Several people in this thread have already stated they are never shopping at CC again.
Finally, before I get too long winded (TOO LATE), I end with a telling quote from Justin. I mentioned that while I appreciated him handling my complaint, I told him that many other people online had expressed their problems, and that they should be taken care of as well. Just because I chose to escalate my concern did not lessen other people's problems. I said he would be doing himself and his company a great service by thoroughly checking out the concerns posted on this site.
"It's a site called Cheap - and, Justin, I'm not making this name up - it's called Cheap A-"
Justin interrupted me, stating, "Yes, I am QUITE familiar with the site you are referring to."
Good job, guys. Thanks to you, CheapyD is now known and feared even in the hallowed halls of Circuit City. That's a victory not just for me, but for all of us.
Or, if you'd like, call Circuit City's Corporate Office and tell them what you think:
804-486-4000
Press 1, wait for prompt.
Press 1 again.
Dial extension 724666.
Choose "Phil Schoonover" - CEO
Leave message or ask to be transferred to your department of choice.
Digg this story on CAG.
http://digg.com/tech_deals/How_Circuit_City_Ruined_My_Weekend_A_long_short_story_by_billg
Hi all. What follows is my admittedly lengthy account of a terrible experience, actually several terrible experiences, with Circuit City store 700. It is presented to you all as both a warning and a call for change. It is my hope that by posting this here, publicly, as well as in other formats, that the wrong I have experienced can be righted, and that others will not have to endure the madness that I did.
Chapter 1: Coupon Catalyst.
I decided to take advantage of a 40 off 200 coupon I received in the mail. I have recently moved, and the coupon was included as part of a welcome package from the Post Office. Circuit City sent this item to me, I assume in the hopes that I would spend 200 dollars in one of their stores. And that's exactly what I tried to do. That seems pretty simple. Why would a business try to stop me from giving them money?
However, the unprofessional attitude I have received from Circuit City while trying to give them my money leads me to believe that they are in business not to make money, but to torment me and me alone. I picture team meetings where the managers decide what methods would be most effective in denying me a sale, followed by the raucous recitation of bawdy and grammatically questionable Circuit City pep songs. I imagine the pep songs heavily feature the word "no". Perhaps you will reach a different conclusion. I would like to hear it.
I was hoping to use my 40 off 200 online, via circuitcity.com, but soon discovered that I could only use it in-store. This would set in motion a series of events so unfathomable that even Wal-Mart would be appalled.
On Saturday, November 24, 2007, I went to circuitcity.com to check the availability for a few items I was looking to purchase in-store. At 5PM on November 24, these were the prices listed for the items I wanted to purchase as gifts for Christmas:
1 Nintendogs or Zelda DS Bundle $139.99
1 Wii Nunchuk controller $19.99
1 2GB Cruzer thumb drive $14.99
1 Wii Mario Party 8 $49.99
I understand that Mario Party 8 at retail is not the most thrifty purchase. I simply wanted to fill out the last bit of my $200 requirement while checking off a gift for a relative at the same time. Mario Party 8 is a decent game with significant replayability, so I am willing to pay a little extra for it. It's kind of like paying extra money to an employee who has worked for you for years and who knows the business in and out. That type of employee would be more valuable than a neophyte who knows nothing, but is cheaper. Of course, as evidenced by their hiring (and firing) practices, we know that that kind of logic escapes Circuit City.
I used the website's store availability checker to see which store had the items I wanted. As luck would have it, Store 700 had all of them, and was not terribly far away from me.
Experience has taught me that it is often best to double-check on availability, so I called Store 700 to confirm that the items I wanted would be in-stock. Imagine my surprise when, on the Saturday after Black Friday, one of the busiest shopping days of the year, I reached a recording saying that Store 700 was closed. It was only 5PM, this made no sense. I called again and received the same recording. But there was no way this could be right. There must be some kind of error. I would imagine that Store 700 is losing thousands, if not tens of thousands of dollars due to this error.
I went out into the cold November night and drove to Circuit City Store 700. The store was alive with much activity. Clearly, the phone system was incorrect.
Chapter 2: Cruzer Chaos.
I entered Store 700 and began to gather the items on my list. Unfortunately, I was unable to locate the Sandisk 2GB Cruzer thumb drive that the site had said was in-stock. I looked around for an associate to assist me. Most of the associates, those neophytes I mentioned earlier, were very busy. They were flirting with customers, talking on their cell phones, or chatting with each other about current events. After a few minutes, I found an associate who did not appear to be busy and asked him to help me find one of the Cruzer drives. He checked the store's inventory and showed me that the computer said that they had six in stock. He went off to find one in the back.
A short while later, the associate returned from the back empty-handed. "We don't have any", he replied. "Somebody must have stolen them, or we didn't receive a shipment or something." Clearly, Store 700's inventory system, and their loss-prevention techniques, are woefully inept.
I looked around for a suitable replacement drive and happily came across some other Sandisk 2GB Cruzer thumb drives, except these were purple instead of black. I asked the associate to scan it for me, and the price came up as $40, not $15. This did not make any sense to me. I asked if the associate could adjust the price to match that of the black one. He said he could not, as the purple thumb drive, though it is identical to the black drive except for color, was part of some type of Alzheimer's charity drive, and had to be purchased at full price.
At this point, I decided somebody higher up could better assist me, so I asked for a supervisor. A supervisor soon emerged and asked how he could help me. His name was Nick. Nick looked eager to say "no".
I explained my dilemma to Nick, that I had traveled out to Store 700 in the cold to purchase these items, and an item that was listed as in-stock was apparently not actually in-stock. I further explained that this could have been avoided with a phone call, but that the phone system stated the store was closed, so I had no one to confirm inventory with. I therefore requested, I think not unreasonably, that I needed to have this problem amended.
I asked Nick if he could adjust the price of the purple 2GB drive or shave a few dollars off of a 4GB drive. Nick said "no". Negotiation and customer satisfaction did not seem to be Nick's strong suits. He did offer to go into the back and search again for the thumb drives. I said that would be fine and followed him back.
I ended up waiting 20 minutes for Nick to emerge from the back. Finally growing impatient, I asked another employee to search the back for Nick, as I was worried he had either forgotten about me, or perhaps had become trapped beneath a pile of falling overpriced accessories. Five minutes later, the employee emerged from the back with Nick by his side. Nick appeared unharmed.
Nick explained that he had been waiting up front for me, where we had first talked, but when he did not find me, he went back to performing his supervisory duties. He then punctuated his statement by declaring that there were no thumb drives to be found, nor would any price adjustment be performed on any of the other available drives. What Nick may have lacked in negotiation, or customer satisfaction, or common sense, or the ability to locate a customer he was supposed to be assisting, he more than made up for in his enthusiasm to blame the victim. Rather than apologizing for my twenty minute wait or offering to make any kind of amends, he chastised me for not being in the area where we had stood before he checked in the back.
Nick must not have noticed me following him all the way to the back earlier, as I apparently possess a previously underutilized ninja tracking skill. Nick must also possess a similar skill, for I never saw him emerge from the back. Either this, or the Circuit City complex is designed not unlike the mansion in Clue.
Dissatisfied with Nick's complete lack of assistance, I requested to speak to a manager. This brought about a manager named Brian. Brian was inexplicably wearing the unfortunate lime green shirt typically reserved for employees who work in the Firedog department, Circuit City's tech unit whose name means absolutely nothing, and was clearly chosen just because the domain name was available.
What Brian manages is anybody's guess. He looked (and acted) more like a bouncer. One thing he definitely had under control was his joyless countenance, which was present from start to finish in our conversation.
Nick had already given his side of the story to Brian before I was able to speak to him. When I attempted to give my account of what happened, Brian made sure to interrupt and state that I wouldn't have had to wait 20 minutes if I had been where I was "supposed to be." I guess they have designated waiting areas in Store 700. If they do, they aren't marked properly, much like their price tags, some of which I saw hadn't been updated in two weeks.
Nick stood next to Brian during our conversation, like a child sicking his dad on another schoolboy who had upset him. Brian acted the role beautifully, again denying me any kind of price adjustment, compensation for my inconvenience, or any kind of sincere apology. Brian did state that he knew about the problem with the phone system and that it was "being looked into". He also said I could've gotten a hold of a live person by dialing 0 after the message said the store was closed. How I was supposed to know this beforehand, he did not say. He also stated that he was going to have the inventory corrected so that the website did not show any of the missing drives in-stock at the store. Considering that I was already in the store to buy the thumb drive did not appear to strike Brian as shutting the barn door after the horse was gone.
Having wasted 40 minutes of my life on this matter and received no resolution, I began to fill with a blind rage. Rather than take my chances fighting Brian, whose grim visage told of a man who has taken countless lives, I took the high road and left the store without incident, choosing instead to deal with this matter at the corporate level.
Chapter 3: Corporate Calamity.
It is telling that I have Circuit City's corporate number memorized. It is 1-800-THE-CITY. After various misleading prompts, wrong turns, and lengthy wait times, my call found its way to the Customer Service department. A woman answered who clearly is not from the United States, possessing an accent similar to the inhabitants of the Mauritius Islands, or some other wonderful place which I will never be able to visit in my lifetime.
I explained my case to corporate, who told me that if I wanted the matter resolved, I would have to take it to the store level, by speaking to the Director of Store 700 Operations named Lawrence.
I called Store 700, and upon receiving the "we are closed" message, I dialed 0 to reach the front desk. After about 10 rings, someone picked up, and I asked to speak to Lawrence. I was placed on hold. Two minutes later, the phone began ringing again. After a few rings, someone picked up, and then placed the phone back down. Was the silence I was hearing me being on hold again, or had they hung up? I had no way of knowing.
I called back a second time, and the exact same thing occurred. Placed on hold, waited two minutes, phone rang again, someone picked up and put the phone down.
This happened a third time.
And a fourth time.
And a fifth time.
By my sixth phone call to Store 700, I was not a happy man. I explained to the person who picked up that I had called six times, that I was not about to be placed on infinite hold, again, and that I needed to speak to Lawrence right away. This time, someone managed to find Lawrence expeditiously. We now had a chance to speak.
I explained everything that had happened to Lawrence, who actually apologized for the inconvenience I experienced. He stated, however, that he was of the same level of authority as Brian, and that there probably wasn't much he could do. He did state that if I had spoken to him instead of Brian, Lawrence would have cut me a discount on a comparable thumb drive. Lawrence told me that if I wanted to speak to somebody higher up, the man I needed to talk to was Tim. A short while later, I was on the phone with Tim.
I told my story for a fourth time to Tim, who apologized for the many errors which led us both here. I asked Tim why it was that Brian was not able to assist me in a price reduction, whereas Lawrence was able, even though they were at the same level. Tim did not have an explanation. Clearly, when Nick and Brian told me that they "couldn't" change the price, what they really meant was that they didn't want to.
I asked if Brian was a grinch of some sort. Tim confirmed that he was not. Tim stated that if I came into the store tomorrow, he would "take care" of me. Given the sorry shape Tim's store was in, I wasn't sure if I wanted him taking care of me, but I held out hope.
Chapter 4: Calendarial Conundrums.
On Sunday the 25th, I made my way back to the star-crossed Store 700. Tim, as luck would have it, was out to lunch when I arrived. This seemed to be in line with the organizational structure of the store itself. I headed out and grabbed a bite to eat, then returned.
Tim was now available. We chatted for a bit, then Tim walked me over to the thumb drive section. He grabbed one of the purple Alzheimer's charity thumb drives and manually overrode the price to match that of the black thumb drive, $15, perhaps figuring that they won't remember being shorted in a few days.
Tim handed me a slip with the thumb drive, explaining that whoever rings me up would charge me the adjusted price if I presented the slip. This was great news. My long nightmare was finally at an end. I just had to gather up the other items I wanted and make my way to a register. I thanked Tim for his help and set about to hunt for the rest of my list.
The Wii nunchuk and Mario Party 8 were easy enough to get, but the DS bundle had disappeared completely. I found an associate who explained that the bundles were in the back. He said he would get one for me, then rung up several customers. When there were no more customers, he directed me to the front of the store. Now at the front of the store, the associate rung up another customer. He then asked another associate to retrieve a list of some kind for him, and she went off to do so. The associate who was supposed to be helping me then walked off as well, leaving the list-bearing associate and I very confused. When the associate returned, he rung up another customer. As he went to ring up another customer, I asked him, "Why am I standing here?" He looked up at me with surprise, said, "Oh!", and then walked off and retrieved a Zelda DS bundle for me. He asked the former list-retrieving associate to ring up his customers, then led me to another register to complete our transaction.
I handed him my items, and he at first seemed confused by the slip for the 2GB Cruzer drive, but figured it out soon enough. He then rung up the Zelda DS bundle... which showed a price of $164.99.
I explained to the associate that the price was supposed to be $139.99. He said that was a special holiday price, and that the price had now changed. I asked him to get Tim. Tim soon reappeared on the scene and explained the same thing that the associate did. I told Tim that I wanted to purchase this item yesterday, but that the misunderstanding over the thumb drive prevented me from completing my transaction. Tim said the $139.99 was a special "five hour" price on Black Friday, that it was never $139.99 on Saturday, and that he would not honor the price today. Of course, this is blatantly contradictory to what circuitcity.com was showing on Saturday, with Saturday's price even well-documented on this and other deal sites.
Tim would not budge on the DS bundle price. This put us at quite the impasse. I wanted to spend my money at Circuit City, using this godforsaken coupon they sent me, and Tim was not about to let that happen. He was going to abort this transaction come Hell or high water. My money, it would seem, is no good at Circuit City.
I asked Tim who he reported to. He refused to provide me with a name, simply stating that I was to call 1-800-THE-CITY, as he reports to corporate.
I left the store empty-handed once again, certain that I was in the right, but having absolutely nothing to show for it. When I returned home, I called the corporate line and filed a more detailed and amended complaint. The person I spoke with told me that she will escalate the claim, and that I can speak with a supervisor about the matter on Monday the 26th.
It shouldn't be so hard, doing what I try to do. I just want to buy some gifts for the holiday season without breaking the piggy bank. But Circuit City Store 700 sees absolutely no reason to let my generosity go unpunished. They cannot let a simple transaction go through, using the coupon that they sent to me.
Any other person would have given up long ago. They would have spent the extra $80 or so to get these items elsewhere and be done with it. But I still believe in something. I believe in myself, and I believe in fairness to the consumer. This stopped being about money long ago, and instead became about principle. I will see this transaction through to the very end. I will receive recompense for my inconvenience. I will demand a letter of apology from Nick, Brian, Lawrence, Tim, and anyone else at Store 700 or elsewhere who chooses to prevent me from taking part in American commerce.
I have no doubt that many CAGs will call me crazy, certainly long-winded, and probably a few other choice turns of phrase. But let it never be said that I gave up. Let it never be said that the customer isn't always right. And let it never be said that billg is not a Cheap Ass Gamer.
Update: 11/26
Chapter Five: Constant Cacophony.
I am making progress. I actually found a line where people speak English. It's the "Cool Line": 1-800-251-2665. I'm not sure why it's called the Cool Line. It sounds like I should be requesting Top 40 hits or something.
I was transferred to this number after a lengthy exchange with one of the outsourced workers from 1-800-THE-CITY. One of the workers had also said I should take up my complaint with the District Manager of Store 700, Frank. A new name at a new level! I was excited. I had just leveled up in real life.
I spoke to Britney on the Cool Line at extension 21917. I told my lengthy story to her, at the end of which she asked for clarification on a few points. Following this, Britney offered to send me a $10 gift card to make up for my troubles. Yes, ten whole dollars. Circuit City gave me more than that when All-Pro Basketball 2K8 was late on release day. But that's Circuit City for you, wildly incongruous corporate policies.
I informed Britney that this was woefully inadequate, indeed less than I had even spent in gas during my two trips to Store 700. The problem at hand wasn't about $10, it was about how my experiences with City Store 700 had been inexcusably frustrating, that my very basic needs as a customer were not being met at any level of the hierarchy, and that nobody in the entire chain of command had seen fit to sincerely apologize and make amends so that my initial purchase could go through.
Britney stated that there wasn't much else she could do. I told her that all I wanted to do was purchase the items as was intended, at the prices they were offered, utilizing the coupon Circuit City had willingly sent to me. Britney told me that she could not guarantee I would be able to have that simple request met. She offered to call the store and see what could be done.
I waited on hold for a few minutes, after which Britney came back on the line and said that the store was refusing to offer me any assistance in completing this purchase.
Britney and I discussed what options were available for me to see the transaction through. Britney told me that she had suggested that Store 700 mark the items as they were supposed to have been priced when I first attempted to purchase them, however, the store denied her request.
Realizing that I needed to speak to someone in a higher position of authority, I asked to speak to Britney's supervisor. Britney refused to transfer me, stating that she had offered a resolution with the $10 gift card, and that nothing more could be done. I again requested to speak to Britney's supervisor. Britney again steadfastly refused me this courtesy. I asked for contact information for the store's District Manager, Frank. Britney also refused to provide me with this information, saying I needed to ask the store directly. After another request to speak to her supervisor, Britney stated that we had nothing further to discuss and hung up on me.
I called Store 700 and asked for Frank. I was told that Frank was not in today. I requested Frank's contact information. The associate on the other end of the phone placed me on hold. After ten minutes, the conversation disconnected.
I called Store 700 several more times, this time being placed immediately on hold without anyone speaking to me.
After twenty more minutes of these calls, I finally spoke to someone and again requested Frank's contact information. The person said they would need to speak to Lawrence about that, whom you may recall I had spoken to a few days before.
Unfortunately, Lawrence never made it to the phone, instead relaying a royal edict that the store was refusing to give out Frank's contact information, and that I should call the Cool Line if I wanted to have it. You see how that works? The Cool Line tells me to call Store 700, Store 700 tells me to call the Cool Line. Circuit City: We can pass the buck like no one else!
I called the store again and asked to speak directly to Lawrence. After being on hold for five minutes, the associate said that Lawrence would call me back within half an hour. Half an hour later, my phone rang, but it was someone named Jose. Either Lawrence had suddenly gotten in touch with some long-forgotten Hispanic roots, or the buck was being passed yet again.
Jose said that Lawrence was very busy, but that he would be happy to help me. I again requested Frank's contact information. Jose said that he was not going to give that information out. I asked how exactly I was expected to speak to the District Manager if no one could give me his number. Jose did not offer any insight.
As it was soon time for me to make dinner, I finished my call. I then set out to continue to post this information in as many highly-visible places as I could. Indeed, this writing has gone up on several sites, been sent to the Better Business Bureau, and will find its way to the Attorney General's Office tomorrow. My girlfriend also advised gathering up as many corporate Circuit City e-mail addresses as I could find, and sending copies of my dilemma to them, so that a paper trail is established and hopefully someone with a conscience will get back to me. This will also be done tomorrow.
I want to thank everyone who has been supportive of me efforts. This whole experience has been very trying, and while I am certain that right will prevail in the end, it doesn't make getting there any easier. Oh well. It's still better than filling out rebates.
Update 11/27
Chapter 6: Corporate Calls.
I will post both in the thread, as well as update the Original Post when new information is made available to me, so please keep checking back.
Thanks again to everyone who has been sending their support through the posts and PMs. To those of you who are not on my side, that's fine, but please have the courtesy to throughly read the post you are railing against before making inaccurate claims. I am happy to defend my actions, or disagree with you about them, but please do not berate me for things I did not do. To clarify...
Regarding the discount on the Alzheimer's benefit thumb drive...
I asked management for either a discount on the 4GB (non-charity) thumb drive, or the 2GB charity thumb drive. Obviously I would've preferred a break on the 4GB drive. Management was the one who chose to discount the charity drive, not me. I'm not out to cheat Alzheimer's patients. I lived with my great-grandfather for a while in his last days when he was suffering with the disease. It ain't pretty.
Also, the 2GB non-charity drive was listed as in-stock at Store 700 on the site, on Saturday, for $15. That's why I went there. However, I could not add it to my cart, it was simply listed as "available in store only". I guess due to it being a special sale item. Who knows with CC.
Regarding the DS...
The DS was listed as 139.99 on the site *on Saturday*, when I first went into the store. Not Black Friday!
Check FW if you don't believe me, that's where I first heard about the deal. If it hadn't been 139.99 on Saturday, *I wouldn't have tried to buy it for 139.99 on Saturday*. Nor would I have unreasonably asked them to match a Black Friday price if it wasn't the same price when I was physically in the store on Saturday. I'm not insane.
Regarding the coupon...
Tim, the head honcho of Store 700, understood which coupon I was trying to use (I showed it to him) and offered no reservations about me applying it to my bundle of items, including the DS.
Finally, here is what happened today.
I placed another call to Store 700 to speak to Tim. Was told Tim was not in. I wonder if he's been stressed lately.
Some posters on here listed a few corporate e-mail addresses which would be great contacts to help get the message out. Unfortunately, the very brief letter I sent as a test message bounced right back from all of them. Would appreciate it if anyone could provide me with more up-to-date information.
I placed a call to Circuit City's HQ in Virginia (acquired from a corporate filing, and now listed at the top of the OP). Asked to speak to the CEO, Phil Schoonover. Was denied. I guess he was too busy driving the stock price down over 75% compared to last year. And shareholders don't even get to price match.
Was then transferred to Justin, a Customer Support Coordinator. Justin listened to my story, then said he would contact the store to see if they would grant price adjustments on the items in question. Finally, some small measure of progress!
I left my number with Justin and he confirmed it. However, I have not yet heard back from him. Furthermore, he did not appear to see much wrong with how I was treated as a customer, which has become the crux of this matter.
This story has popped up on a few other sites, as well as some people's blogs. This is much appreciated. Keep it coming! If you wish to reprint my tale, I ask only that you link directly back to CAG somewhere in the reprint, respect any republishing rights that CAG has over its content, and include the corporate contact information in the updated OP.
It has been brought to my attention that someone submitted this story to Digg. I don't know if I'm allowed to post the link here, but will do so now, with the reasonable understanding that those in charge will remove it if it is not appropriate to provide this link.
http://digg.com/tech_deals/How_Circuit_City_Ruined_My_Weekend_A_long_short_story_by_billg
Clearly, Circuit City does not yet understand that customers will not stand for unjust treatment any longer. Failed rebates, botched sales, the COD3/4 fiasco, and the witch hunt for Speedy are just a few of the many problems CC has presented us in only the last few months.
I fear I will need to find someone in corporate with a little more pull and understanding, and generate some more noise, to take care of this problem. I hope I will get to speak to someone above Justin and have some pro-customer action taken by tomorrow to put an end to this nightmare.
This ends Wednesday, no matter what. I'm not going to let this drag on any longer. I'm tired of it, and I can only imagine how tired you all must be of it. I never expected this to take off like it has, but I guess that's the internet for you.
After Wednesday night, I go back to being boring old me. Either I get a resolution to my satisfaction, or I go home empty-handed once again. Wish me luck, and if you would be so kind, say a few words to those who can make a difference, because if it could happen to me, and it can happen to everyone else here who has posted a war story, it can happen to you.
Final update: 11/28/2007
Chapter Seven: Conclusive Compromise.
This afternoon, I received a call from Circuit City's corporate offices. Justin, the man in charge of customer care at HQ whom I spoke to yesterday, called me and was interested in settling this matter once and for all, as was I.
Justin informed me that he had spoken to Tim directly at Store 700 about my complaint, and that plans were now in place to have this matter corrected. Justin offered me the Nintendo DS bundle at the Saturday price of 139.99 and the thumb drive at the Saturday price of 14.99. After five days of feeling like I was tilting at windmills, it was nice to receive reassurance that I was not insane. Victory and validation had been sent to me from a white guy at a desk in Virginia.
THAT is going to be a fun trip to the store.
Justin remained firm that due to the finer points of the 40 off 200 coupon, that it should not be applied to my total purchase. I conceded that to him, then of course purchased the nunchuk and Mario Party 8 at Best Buy.
What upset me about our conversation was that while Justin understood my frustration about the pricing errors, he did not seem terribly concerned with the negative attitudes and interaction that came from his employees.
Thankfully, due to many others in this thread posting their stories of negative CC interactions, and in the process taking my small frustration onto a large arena, a lot more people now see how low the customer is truly viewed by Circuit City.
Seeing as how we're in the swing of the holiday shopping rush, and people are trying to decide where and where not to shop, I'd say that's a victory we have all achieved. Hundreds of people expressing their individual and collective displeasure against a company can in no way be good for its bottom line. Several people in this thread have already stated they are never shopping at CC again.
Finally, before I get too long winded (TOO LATE), I end with a telling quote from Justin. I mentioned that while I appreciated him handling my complaint, I told him that many other people online had expressed their problems, and that they should be taken care of as well. Just because I chose to escalate my concern did not lessen other people's problems. I said he would be doing himself and his company a great service by thoroughly checking out the concerns posted on this site.
"It's a site called Cheap - and, Justin, I'm not making this name up - it's called Cheap A-"
Justin interrupted me, stating, "Yes, I am QUITE familiar with the site you are referring to."
Good job, guys. Thanks to you, CheapyD is now known and feared even in the hallowed halls of Circuit City. That's a victory not just for me, but for all of us.
you over. You should have asked to the general store manager or gotten the number to the district office manager. Them telling you to call Corp was there way of telling you to get lost as Corp is mostly useless.
