Sam's Club

[Rustic23]

Our DD and SIL wanted a dinning room set from Sams. They and us both have cards. However, we live over 100 miles from them. The closest club to them is about ten blocks away.

So, I went online to order it as an early Christmas gift. Now you have two options. 1. Have it sent to them. 2. Have it sent to the store. If you select sent to them, there is a $100 shipping charge, ship to store, Free. So obviosuly I chose ship to the store. BLITCH. I can not pay for it. DD has to pay when they pick it up. Money is tight, and they don't have it, and we can not get it to them in time.

So, I'll just call the Sam's Club near them. DUMBEST conversation I have ever had with someone posing as the Manager of Sams. She explained that it had to be charged at the store, because the item would be put into inventory when it arrives, and then purchased. OK, says I, I understand, how about I give you my credit card information and then my daughter can pick it up.

"OH NO, using a credit card over the phone is not save" I assured her that I call Sams and would take the risk that she is who she says she is. She said, yes, but how do I know it is your card? It is not safe for us to take it. I don't know that you didn't steal the card or found it. I pointed out that a vendor never knows for sure. In fact I could have found the card and the membership card in the parking lot, come in, swipe both, and walked out with anything I wanted. At this point she hung up on me.

Now, I never raised my voice, didn't get mad, I just tried to explain it was safe for her to take my card and the risk was on my side.

If she had just said 'I understand your frustration, but it is Sam's policy and I am bound by it. However, I encourage you to contact Customer Service at xxx.sams.com or 555 XXX-XXXX', instead of trying on lame excuses, I would have excepted this, and I would, and did email Sam and tell them what I thought of the policy, and the rudeness of this manager.


Rant Over.

 

[W2R]

A solution? Print out the photo of the dining room set, and mount it on cardboard in such a way that it looks nice. Write a check to her for the amount it costs, with tax, get a Christmas card and write on it "Merry Christmas! For your new dining room set." Put the check in the card, and put that in its envelope. Now, wrap the mounted photo and card together.

There you go! No problems, happy DD and what a thrill for her to be getting exactly what she wants!

 

[Bestwifeever]

That is really annoying. It is really weird that it would be shipped to the store without having been paid for first (what if you were a prankster and ordered twenty dining room sets? Would they really ship them all to the store without you paying for them? Why not try it hee hee). Call the Sams Online customer service number (not the local store) and tell them what you want to do.

Or join Costco where it would be delivered to their home for free and set up too. Or order it from Overstock where shipping is pretty cheap.

 

[Rustic23]

I got an answer from Sams Customer Service. Basicly, 'We will pass your complaint on. As to your purchase, if shipped to the store it is paid for in the store. Otherwise spend the $100 to have it shipped to an address'

My reply was 'Costco here I come!'

 

[Accidental Retiree]

A solution? Print out the photo of the dining room set, and mount it on cardboard in such a way that it looks nice. Write a check to her for the amount it costs, with tax, get a Christmas card and write on it "Merry Christmas! For your new dining room set." Put the check in the card, and put that in its envelope. Now, wrap the mounted photo and card together.

There you go! No problems, happy DD and what a thrill for her to be getting exactly what she wants!

Smart solution!

 

[daylatedollarshort]

Or join Costco where it would be delivered to their home for free and set up too. Or order it from Overstock where shipping is pretty cheap.

+1 on Overstock. We've bought some really nice solid wood furniture pieces from Overstock.

 

[meierlde]

I got an answer from Sams Customer Service. Basicly, 'We will pass your complaint on. As to your purchase, if shipped to the store it is paid for in the store. Otherwise spend the $100 to have it shipped to an address'

My reply was 'Costco here I come!'

Solution buy 1 share of Wal-Mart stock (less than $100) write the CEO and say that this sort of treatment runs customers off. Or if really mad then crash the shareholders meeting/love feast and be the bearer of bad news. All it takes is 1 share to get admitted. Embarassing the CEO at the meeting gets underlyings attention. Even a letter to the CEO is handled by folks who have more power than typical customer service droids.

 

[Sunset]

I like the idea of order 100 ship to store, then call 10 days later and ask if they are having a manager sale or changed their policy about payment and ship to store.

 

[ChainsBeGone]

This is why we shop at Costco, not Sam's Club, and why today we drove past the WalMart in our neighborhood to the closest Super Target, about 8 miles further down the road.

 

[Hermit]

You folks are making me feel pretty good about my shipping problems with Amazon!

 

[Midpack]

Seems odd, but doesn't DD have a credit card? She can just charge it when she picks up the set, and presumably you can get the money to her before she has to actually pay the CC balance, no actual out of pocket cost for DD. Problem solved?

I am not a Sam's fan and no comment on the store manager, but Sam's policies are ultimately the issue, you can thank senior management for that. The manager may agree it's stupid, but he/she is trapped in the middle (seen it many times). Antiquated POS/inventory/accounting systems and/or procedures are often the root cause for things like this, we all see it from various retailers from time to time. There's usually a way around them.

 

[HF63]

I have a Sam's account but will not make any major purchases with them because of their crappy customer service. For any major purchase, I always used Costco. I bought a window air conditioner and it stop working after 2 summers, it was a freeze to return it and got another one for just the price difference: No questions asked!!

 

[Sunset]

I have a Sam's membership I just renewed for $25, but I find the mentality at Sam's is very much like Walmart, its how they run the stores.
However it is really close to us, and I like to fill up the car cheap, and buy the roasted chickens, those alone more than make up for the membership.
I prefer Costco and shop there with my FIL every month or so. It just seems more classy than Sam's.

 

[Rustic23]

MidPac, Nope, DD has only a debit card, and the money was not in the bank.

 

[Badger]

Is there a way to transfer money from your bank to DD bank? Or if there is a branch of DD bank near you then you could deposit the money in her account.

Cheers!

 

[Rickt]

Smart solution!

+1

BTW, I am a Sams Club business member for 12+ years and purchase certain food & janitorial supplies for our business from the Sams Club. Usually visit Sams Club twice a week & I'm in & out of the store in 15 minutes. Never look at other stuff and dislike dealing with their Customer service reps.

Once, during a holiday weekend, we needed some change and the bank was closed. I went to Sams Club and requested that they beak two $100 bills for 5's --they refused even though I'm a loyal business member for 12 years and spend atleast $5,000+ each month in their store. I went to Walmart next door( only other choice) and the Customer service rep gave me 5's for a one $100 bill--I thanked her but learned my lesson. Just buy basic commodity-like items from Walmart/Sams Club. I will gladly change to COSTCO but we don't have one where we live.