laura.ca

A Virtual Comedy of Errors

I spotted a suitable winter coat on sale at the Oakville Place on the weekend, and tried one on. It was a little tight in the arms, so the Sales Associate checked online to see if there was a slightly larger size, and found one which she offered to have shipped to my home. That seems to be the default arrangement - to ship to the customer's address rather than the store, after which they could try it on and return it on site if it doesn't fit. I normally never buy clothing online because it is such a gamble in terms of style, fabric and size. Furthermore, my experiences with courier services have been stressfully aggravating and unsuccessful. However, I knew what the smaller sized coat looked like on me, and felt reasonably sure that the next size would fit fine. I was reassured that I could get a refund if it doesn't; and was offered the option to bring the coat into the store and compare its fit to the smaller size. As I had just moved, I couldn't remember the postal code or my new phone number. The sales associate looked the postal code up online, so that was entered into the computer, but I explained that I would have to call back with my new number. In the meantime, I gave her my cell number, which I emphasized is rarely used, so the store/courier may have a problem reaching me at that number. Having a variety of errands to run, I didn't have the opportunity to follow up until the next day; hence my call was answered by different sales associate. She said she would add this number going forward, but the courier request had already gone through and it was too late to update the information on their end. Fair enough. I received tracking notifications from Purolator yesterday and today, and everything seemed to be running on schedule until I received an email alert saying Purolator was unable to deliver the package because of missing or incomplete unit number, which the sales clerk at the store where I purchased the coat included when she verbally confirmed the address. The only thing I could think of was an entry code; however, there is a directory with the names and corresponding entry codes, so it that were the case, they would be easily able to find it.I called Laura/Melanie Lyne first to report the situation, and she sounded confused and unsure of what to do, then put me on hold. After a while I hung up and called Purolator customer service and was put on hold for some time. The call center agent took my tracking number and informed me that the unit number was missing. I gave her the information along with the entry code, and she said they would have it shipped out again. Then I asked what the process was for cancelling the order, and arranged to have the coat returned to the shipper. I immediately returned to the store to request a refund, but of course, that could not be arranged until the other store received the coat. Understandable. Another sales associate said she was trying to call me on my cell phone, despite my calling yesterday and updating my landline number at which I could be reached. I looked for the piece of paper on which I had written it down, but was unable to locate it, so I said to the other clerk that she had it on the computer because I called it in yesterday. When she checked, it was not there, only my cell number. So yesterday's customer service representative neglected to update this information despite confirming verbally that she did so. The senior associate in charge informed me that the clerk at the store from where the coat was to be shipped did not enter the unit/apartment number and that's why Purolator could not deliver the package. When I mentioned the entry code, she said Purolator doesn't look up anything. If the company is fully aware of this, why are they using these inefficient courier services at the expense of the customer? Since I really liked the coat, I agreed to arrange for it to be shipped to the Oakville Place location, where I could try it on, and if it didn't fit or I didn't like it, I could get my refund. However, whether or not the sales associates will honor this promise remains to be seen. I will NEVER have anything ordered from their website or another store again. It is unacceptable that you have to pay for an item in advance before seeing it and trying it on. I'm finding that since COVID, this has become a racket, and stores have less in-store variety and stock while pushing for online orders. I'm dismayed at the consistent lack of customer service and overpricing that is evident from so many reviews. Thank you all for speaking up.

Date of experience: Feb 27, 2024