ComplaintsforExpress Signs

• Initial Complaint

  04/25/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 2/27/22, by email I requested a repeat order for a vehicle graphic.. I asked for a quote to recreate the graphic, install it and to remove the original graphic. On March 8 I received an emailed quote totaling $120 plus tax. The same day I emailed and said I'd like to move forward. April 6, I was given 3 options to schedule the install. Same day, I emailed and selected, April 19th. April 7th, I received an invoice to pay for the graphic and install fee. The invoice was itemized: 1 pair of decal $55 1 installation fee $65 Tax $8.40 Credit Card Fee $5.14 Total: $133.54 The terms stated "4% discount for cash or check." I responded by email the same day and stated I would bring cash/check and I asked for their hours of operation. I received an email response of Mon - Fri 9a - 5p I responded by email again and approved the art work for vehicle and told them I would be there the next day to make cash/check payment. The next day April 8, I went to the location and was told by the employee that my balance was $128.40. I wrote my check for $128.40. My check was $5.14 less than the original balance due of $133.54. I left the location and called them from my cell. I asked why i didn't receive the 4% discount for paying by check. The woman who answered told me that the 4% discount was the removal of the credit card fee of $5.14. I said to her that's not a discount. She repeated that the removal of the $5.14 was the discount. We ended the call. April 19, my partner arrived for installation and he was charged a $25 removal fee. A fee never listed on the original inv., but it was requested in my Feb 27 email. A new version of inv****** was created with a new total $155.15. My partner paid the $25. This new invoice had a new term "4% Fee added if Credit Card Used". I want the 4% discount for writing a check & the $25 removal fee that was added AFTER payment. Express Signs changed the terms after the fact knowing that the original term language was misleading.

  Business response

  07/07/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/05/25) */ To whom it may concern, yes, she did ask for removal in her original email and we missed it. However, we sent her an itemized quote stating the price of the graphic and the price of installation; there was never any mention of removal. When her partner came in for the install, we noticed there were existing graphics on the truck. We immediately said that we had not charged the for removal and he said, "no problem" and paid it. To be fair, we even split the cost of it since we missed that in her email. We usually charge $50. We also gave them the option of removing it themselves. As far as the 4% discount fee. Our credit card company had just switched our processor to add the credit card fee to our client's invoice. This was band new to us. We are upfront with our clients about it. Originally, we put the 4% fee with a note saying a 4% discount would be subtracted if paid by cash or check. Basically, it zero's out the credit card fee since it is not used. She said she would pay by check. We removed the 4% credit card fee (in essence giving her the 4% discount). She called later that day and we explained that to her as well. After her phone call, we reconsidered our verbiage and rewrote it so it was worded more clearly. It now states, "4% added if credit card used". These was no attempt to mislead or deceive anyone. We are trying to save our clients money. I do not feel we owe her any money. She received the 4% discount for not using a credit card and we were fair with the situation. I have attached both invoices so you can see how we charge the 4% fee and how we reworded our verbiage. Thank you for the opportunity to tell you our side of the story. Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any additional questions. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. Express Signs and Shirts Consumer Response /* (3000, 8, 2022/06/03) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) My issue is less about the removal fee, than it is about the language on the invoice. Your staff missed the request for the removal in my original email, but we still paid for it even with your error. Making your customers pay for the mistakes/lack of attention of your staff is not good customer service. I do not accept the businesses response for 3 reasons. 1. The fact that your credit card processor was new has nothing to do with your customers. At no time was that mentioned to me and even if it was that has nothing to do with the language on the invoices. 2. I did not purchase a credit card fee. You did not give me a discount by deducting a fee. I purchased a graphic for our business truck and the services of installing the new graphic on our business truck. that's what I purchased. You could not have charged me a credit card fee, if I did not use a credit card. Why? Because I did not purchase a credit card fee. A credit card fee is an additional charge based upon the payment method used. If you do not use a credit card, you are not charged a credit card fee. So, you did not give me a discount by removing the credit card fee from my invoice. That was the only reason that I drove to your establishment to pay by check is because I read the words, "4% discount for cash or check". 3. That language you even admit was not clear. "AFTER her phone call, we reconsidered our verbiage and rewrote it so it was worded more clearly." So it s not so strange that I read that language the way I did. Your action confirm that there was legitimacy to my interpretation. I never stated that you as the business was misleading me, I stated that the language was misleading and you obviously agreed because you changed the language. Being fair with this situation would be to say to your customer, "you are right, that language is unclear and could easily be interpreted the way you interpreted it, we will honor that language and refund you 4%. We apologize for the confusion." That's what a business does when it's being fair to its customers. The least your business should do is refund me $4.80 based upon the language that you admit was unclear. That would be 4% of the $120 original invoice. Business Response /* (4000, 10, 2022/06/16) */ This is absurd that this person is trying to ruin a 27+ year business with not one negative review over $4.78 over a petty misunderstanding. Quite frankly, I'm shocked that the BBB is even entertaining this. I understand you have to listen to all complaints but at some point common sense has to take a stand. A simple misunderstanding that we have explained to her copious times. It is not our fault that she misunderstood the verbiage. She is the only person that misunderstood it. This will be my last response over this subject. If the BBB wants to post this, people will see her what I am dealing with and that we are correct.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩