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View Full Version : Dealing with questionable retailers...



ovie8
03-18-2011, 12:06 AM
My mother went to one of those furniture stores last weekend,on Kennedy/Ellesmere and purchased a mattress.

The mattress was sold to her using a floor model and I have a good feeling that what she will be receiving will not actually be what she thinks she's paying for. Several things lead me to believe so:

1. the mattress was marked down to 750+ tax after negotiating they agreed to 600 cash deal. I'm no furniture expert but I'm pretty sure they don't have that kind of margin to be giving a 20% discounts. So probably the advertised 1000 coil mattress will probably only be 600 when we get it.

2. I went to the store myself to check out the details on the mattress and $600 seems to good to be true for what it was supposedly offering. The name of the mattress on the receipt is different then what was tagged on the floor model. (OK I know my mother screwed up big time here not checking the receipt before signing, but the point I will be getting to is, what can she do?)

3. They asked for 50% deposit, which is kind of crazy. Eventually it was worked down to $100. It was supposed to be a cash deal but for some reason they allowed her to use Visa for her deposit (which doesn't seem right).

4. Today they called and said the mattress is ready for delivery. But my mother has to go to the store and pay the full amount before they will deliver (unheard of from a small private retailer. I understand if its a large corporate retailer). My mom argued with the sales guy and he disconnected the call.

Finally, to the point I want to get at. I know my mother is pretty much SOL but is there anything she can do with Visa to reverse the deposit?

Olestra
03-18-2011, 12:19 AM
Nice work on deducing the deposit to $100.
I would say you're going in the right direction with reversing the charge with VISA. If you have not received the product and the product they are trying to sell you is not what you intended to buy (the signed receipt might work against you here), then VISA will likely help you.

bman13
03-18-2011, 12:27 AM
Did you mention to the place that the receipt has different name?

FoXy
03-18-2011, 08:58 AM
Actually they totallly have the power to mark it down that much. My bfs friend is the manager of a furniture store and they do that stuff all the time. They can manipulate prices and products etc.

And just cus they say it is a "cash" deal, doesn't mean anything. They will take any sort of payment.

I think it would have been fine but if you feel like it is shady then pull out now. Unless you can't, then just get the mattress.

biggiesmalls
03-18-2011, 09:00 AM
Actually they totallly have the power to mark it down that much. My bfs friend is the manager of a furniture store and they do that stuff all the time. They can manipulate prices and products etc.

And just cus they say it is a "cash" deal, doesn't mean anything. They will take any sort of payment.

I think it would have been fine but if you feel like it is shady then pull out now. Unless you can't, then just get the mattress.
+1 on that i think it sounds fine

ovie8
03-18-2011, 09:23 AM
Did you mention to the place that the receipt has different name?

My mother confronted him over the phone on that and he became almost annoyed as if my mother was wasting his time and that there is nothing to worry about. Eventually he just disconnected the call.


Actually they totallly have the power to mark it down that much. My bfs friend is the manager of a furniture store and they do that stuff all the time. They can manipulate prices and products etc.

And just cus they say it is a "cash" deal, doesn't mean anything. They will take any sort of payment.

I think it would have been fine but if you feel like it is shady then pull out now. Unless you can't, then just get the mattress.

We are more worried about not receiving the product we intended to purchase. As noted above, the mattress name doesnt even correspond to the floor model.

Jeff-TheBiz
03-18-2011, 10:29 AM
If you don't feel right... why buy there.

on a side note... mattresses have ridiculous markup... check the bay, Brick etc... always 50% or some tv for free..

Just got my Daughter her first big girl bed from Sleep Country.. Double Bed, Pillow Top Sealy IIRC.. mismatch sale... retails for $1195, got it for $650 with delivery and a $100 mattress protector..

blackm3
03-18-2011, 11:02 AM
yep can't really beat sleep countries' mix and match, first place i think about when i think about buying a bed

Shawn
03-18-2011, 09:33 PM
I once was the Sleep country cost list vs the MSRP. It is about 200%.

peterm15
03-18-2011, 09:42 PM
retail markup in general is foolish, on most items at least. ive worked retail for years, general rule of thumb, you can sell one thing at cost if you can sell another along with it and make at least 100% profit on both... ive seen some items maked up over 2000%

Fuyuzora
03-18-2011, 11:42 PM
retail markup in general is foolish, on most items at least. ive worked retail for years, general rule of thumb, you can sell one thing at cost if you can sell another along with it and make at least 100% profit on both... ive seen some items maked up over 2000%

+1. Case in point:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/AudioQuest+-+Coffee+39.4%27+HDMI+Cable+-+White/1267764.p?id=1218245464814&skuId=1267764#BVRRWidgetID

:chuckle

MajesticBlueNTO
03-19-2011, 12:27 PM
+1. Case in point:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/AudioQuest+-+Coffee+39.4%27+HDMI+Cable+-+White/1267764.p?id=1218245464814&skuId=1267764#BVRRWidgetID

:chuckle

the "reviews" are hilarious on that item

WLS ZMZM
03-19-2011, 03:01 PM
Honestly if you think your being scammed you can call visa, and report it.... they will have to do an investigation into this, but it can work out however the receipt was signed. But your mom can claim that it was not what was agreed to. As for the pricing.... alot of those places on kennedy have the ability to mark stuff down because its old stock or lesser quality but it's true furniture has a huge markup!!! I'd go back to the store and and give them a rough time about it until the situation is resolved to your liking!