STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

I'm not sure how many of you will have heard of B&H, but it's a store here in NYC that sells electronics (TVs, cameras, etc.) and I think they also deliver nationwide. Over the weekend I ordered a flat-screen TV from their website -- it had a good price and they offered what I *thought* was delivery and installation for an extra $80. Actually, when ordering the TV online the "white glove delivery" was mandatory. You can read the description below:

White Glove Delivery Rolled Out Nationwide!
After an enthusiastic reception by our New York metropolitan customers, B&H is making its exciting White Glove Deluxe Delivery service available across the country. Avoid the hassle and inconvenience of struggling to setup your large plasma and LCD entertainment center. No more heavy lifting; let the experts handle it.

This premium service will provide trained delivery professionals to bring your purchase into your home, unpack it and place it on your shelf or stand. You have enough things on your mind without having to worry about getting your system in the door, unpacking it and lifting it up. You can just sit back and supervise. Nothing could be easier. They’ll even dispose of the packaging!

The White Glove folks will contact you to arrange a convenient appointment. Look for the White Glove option on the shipping page when you check out. You’ll congratulate yourself on your savvy delivery choice.

* * * * * * * *

Anyhow, I've had a very negative experience with them. I tried calling customer service yesterday to see when the TV would be delivered and was on hold for literally 20 minutes, waiting, on one try. I tried numerous times and no one answered. This was frustrating because I hadn't been given a tracking number or date when it would be delivered, and I needed to be home to accept it. When I called the store, the salesperson I spoke to was pretty rude and said he could do nothing to help me and that he was sure customer service could, even though I explained I'd tried calling multiple times and no one was answering. Last night I finally got a call from the delivery service saying it would be delivered today between 12 and 5.

When the delivery man arrived, he asked if I wanted him to take the TV out of the box and I said yes, and then said I thought installation was part of the deal. He kind of laughed and said no, and I checked the description on their website again (pasted above) and he explained that since installation was not explicitly spelled out it wasn't included. All they have to do is take the TV out of the box and put it where I want it, but not hook everything up. Then he offered to install it for me anyway. He said he had to go get something from his truck to do it, so I handed him a $20 bill as tip and thanked him for his help, and he said he'd be right back. Well, he never came back. I tried calling his cell phone -- the first time he answered and said he was looking for a parking spot, and then still didn't come back. When I tried calling again he just didn't answer. I left a message, politely asking what was going on, and he hasn't responded to that.

I called B&H customer service and this guy was rude as well. He told me I'd deliberately misinterpreted their white glove delivery description, it wasn't their fault, I should have clarified it with them first, and kept interrupting me when I spoke. I said this delivery guy represented them and was making a bad impression by offering to help me, and then taking my money and running, and he kept insisting I was wrong and that this delivery guy had nothing to do with them, and couldn't be held accountable for not doing something he wasn't required to do, even though he'd offered it. This went on for a long time until I decided to just give up. My boyfriend got so mad when I told him about it that he called B&H, and ended up getting them to say they'd refund me the money and they'd contact the delivery service to complain. I don't know if they'll follow through on that, but it makes me mad that it took a phone call from a man for them to actually admit to any wrongdoing or misleading.

Sorry for writing such a long post! Don't shop at B&H.