Originally posted by monochrome I agree that BrandStore is a sham operation and shouldn't have Pentax as a contracted storefront customer. BrandStore is apparently owned by a Private Equity firm which likely has little interest in the quality of the end-product.
I don't know enough to know whether there is a better outsourced alternative. I seriously doubt RIAC has the wherewithal to do its own work.
I am shocked! Shocked!!
Actually, I'm not. I once bought an expensive pair of dress shoes from Land's End, post-Sears buyout. I received a mis-fill - wrong color. I sent them back and I received a replacement pair from a local address (Sears warehouse). The tassels were incorrectly tied and there was a slight mark on the sole. I sent them back for a replacement. Ten days later I received . . . . the same pair of shoes!!
These are symptoms of the entitled self-centeredness of the American consumer and the 'free-returns' culture retailers are forced to permit in order to compete. I know people who intentionally buy three sizes of a garment and try them on at home rather than using a changing room - and return two (or maybe all three) copies. I know mothers who buy six dresses for their daughters to try on at home because the dear child doesn't want to go shopping with a parent.
Every item I've bought on-line this year has a pre-printed UPS Return Label in the box with an RMS Number pre-approved.
I'm disappointed, but actually not surprised that retailers routinely do that.
Nevertheless, holding good orders in the expectation they will be filled with 'Christmas returns' is craven beyond my capacity to believe.
I hear you. It's hard for me to believe but over the past 4-6 years I've been seeing a lot of things that I never thought I would see (or hear).
For example, my Robotics team won a 3D printer that was sponsored by the printer company (advertisement for them obviously and consumables sales post delivery) and Coca-Cola. They promised to ship 12/9, we rearranged schedules for the Christmas break to take advantage of having a 3D printer for our main competition of the entire season in January. Yesterday the printer had not arrived (10 days post shipment date) and we had received no further communication from the company. So I called the company.
I was told that they had decided to wait to ship until some unspecified date in January, that I had no right to be upset "because its a free printer", and that no team would have any advantage because they were doing this with all the winning teams. I was also told that "No, you may not speak to a supervisor." Seriously?!? I have no right to be ticked off because they unilaterally, without notice, just decided not to ship as promised after we made plans and changed holiday schedules? Oh, and it was not "a free printer" because Coke paid them a significant amount of money as a sponsor of the competition (not to mention we paid for shipping).
Guess who has a friend who is a VP at Coca-Cola (I live in Coke HQ-Land)? Guess who will be calling him on Monday to let him know about the bad PR that this 3D promotion is bringing to Coke?
Small US Companies need to really, really, really step up their game and this sort of stuff is happening more, not less, lately.