Mar 06, 2013 01:44 AM
9312 Views
(Updated Mar 06, 2013 01:48 AM)
We purchased a beautiful table from Hometown(ghodbunder). It was expensive and way beyond our budget(about 80 thousand), but then we saw the placard shouting out "sale. Only 29000". And so we brought it. Worst furniture mistake ever.
Within the first 4 months the table started sagging in the middle, and by the 6th month, it was clear that the table was breaking down the middle, falling under its own weight. We started calling the customer care team at Hometown, who promptly sent someone to take photos of the table. It seemed we were going to be helped by the sweet guys at Hometown's super efficient customer are/after sales department. Wrong:(
We didn't hear from them for the next 3 months. Despite numerous mails, phone calls we got no response whatsoever. We would have just given up on it had it not been for the substantial sum we paid for the table. Finally, we got a number for someone from the company management team. Using his reference, we entered the store, asking for a refund.
The store manager of Hometown Ghodbunder, Mr Sanjay said this wasn't possible. That we would have to pick up something of equal value. H also mentioned that "hometown is doing you a favour by making this offer". This seemed not only rude and unprofessional, it reeked of unaccountability. Shocking, and quite difficult to believe, in today's market. Maybe Hometown had a special management crash course in how to handle product returns . their mantra seemed to be "the customer is always right. Unless they are trying to return a product".
I had to make a HUGE scene in the store. I believe everyone in the 30000 square feet store heard me as I tried to make my point that having had one bad experience, we did not want to do business with HomeTown ever again. Fearing a backlash from sympathetic customers, he agreed to refund our money in full. We didn't really believe him by now and left with a signed letter stating that a refund would be made in 7 days. It was.
But we'd spent several precious hours wasting time on phone calls, mails and fretting at being taken for a ride. Any other country and we would have had a brand new table sent over, and maybe even a freebie as an apology. But here, in India, I guess the customers still have to, unfortunately, fight for their right.
