Originally published Saturday, August 30, 2008 at 12:00 AM
Comments
E-mail article
Print view
How to complain to get what you paid for
Four consumer tips on how to complain effectively from the Frugal Duchess Sharon Harvey Rosenberg.
The Miami Herald
The journey from the checkout lane to the family garage can be bundled with regrets, especially if purchases fail to live up to advertised promises or expectations. That's what happened to a friend of mine, Deborah Gilbert, a photographer. She purchased an outdoor canopy that was difficult to assemble and was missing a few parts. It was a do-it-yourself nightmare, she said.
But by filing a complaint directly with the manufacturer, Gilbert received new parts, company assistance and an apology. Here's how she did it:
Go to the manufacturer. Although retail stores and distributors are often willing or able to help with defective merchandise, I've had superb responses from manufacturers. Locate contact information on the package or visit the company's Web site. From small food items to large machinery, most reputable companies provide a toll-free customer service number.
Stay calm. "I was polite. They were polite," Gilbert said about the canopy company. In plain but polite language, she told them that the canopy was difficult to assemble because key parts seemed to be either missing or incompatible.
Use humor. She tried to provide a funny, but accurate description of her attempts to wrestle with the horizontal and vertical parts of the canopy. "I had to fight with it," Gilbert told the customer rep, adding that she would have to start a weight-lifting program in order to successfully assemble the canopy.
Mention competitors. Gilbert was lighthearted, but she didn't want the manufacturer to make light of her complaints. Therefore, she mentioned her interest in a competing canopy. What's more, Gilbert made it clear that she would buy products from the other brand if her complaints weren't seriously handled. Gilbert successfully used this tactic because she had done her homework and offered specific details about a different brand. From cellphone contracts to office supplies, many companies will make adjustments in service, price or delivery if you have information about competing products.
As a result of her complaints, the manufacturer tested the assembly products in their back office. They called her back and admitted that the assembly kits had been mistakenly sold with ill-fitting and missing parts. "They offered to send a replacement," Gilbert said, adding that she was pleased with their response.
E-mails can be sent to Sharon Harvey Rosenberg at sharonhr@bellsouth.net. Sorry, no personal replies. Rosenberg is the author of "The Frugal Duchess of South Beach" (DPL Press).
Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company
Clearing the air on duct cleaning and dust
Metropolitan Home magazine to close
Mattress makers try to lure us into bed with fragrance, soy and more
WHO: AIDS leading cause of death, disease in women
For 80-year-old Maple Valley man, hoops aren't just a dream

Ken Auletta talks about "Googled"
Ken Auletta talks about Google with Brier Dudley at the Seattle Central Library.
nwjobs

Post a comment

Michelle Goodman blogs about work/life balance.
How to tell your office you're gravely ill
Post a comment
nwautos

Choosing a new sedan? Weigh the impact of your choice on your wallet and on the planet.
Post a comment
- 'Missing' SeaTac man found with new name, in new state
- Police: DNA from officer's slaying matches suspect
- Lt. governor's son shot by co-worker in Kent; gunman then shot self
- DNA, ballistics tie man to cop killing, police say
- McGinn next Seattle mayor; Mallahan concedes as vote gap widens
- Prosecutors consider charges against suspect in police shooting
- Three more fires ignite in Greenwood
- Steve Kelley | Hasselbeck gives Seahawks' sagging season a stay of execution
- Trucker dies as big-rig plummets off SF bridge
- Plans call for Triangle to become West Seattle gateway
- House health bill unacceptable to many in Senate
263 - Prosecutors prepare charges against suspect in police shooting
262 - Pelosi tours Seattle's Swedish after health-care vote
207 - McGinn more than doubles his lead over Mallahan
189 - King County OKs 'don't ask' law on immigration
182 - Resolute Fort Hood soldiers ready for return
130 - Time to bring Ken Griffey Jr. back in 2010
95 - 'Missing' SeaTac man found with new name, in new state
90 - Josh Smith picks UCLA
85 - DNA, ballistics tie man to cop killing, police say
75
- For 80-year-old Maple Valley man, hoops aren't just a dream
- Plans call for Triangle to become West Seattle gateway
- Three more fires ignite in Greenwood
- 'Missing' SeaTac man found with new name, in new state
- Silver Lake restaurant destroyed by fire
- Pakistani-American cafe, bar owner on verge of being Granite Falls mayor
- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tours Seattle's Swedish after health-care vote
- All You Can Eat | Fruit flies: thrill to the kill
- McGinn next Seattle mayor; Mallahan concedes as vote gap widens
- Rainier Pacific Financial calls rescue 'unlikely'





