ComplaintsforRecreation Unlimited (Basketballgoalstore)

• Initial Complaint

  12/06/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I waited for Black Friday specifically to shop for a Basketball goal at a good price, I made a purchase at this business on 11/25 due to their appealing price and product. On 12/2 they sent me an email requesting an additional $100 for shipping or they cancel my order. I already paid $200 for shipping, their purchase agreement did not state in any place that they may call and increase the price of shipping if it costs them more nor cancel my order. If they cancel the order now that means that I am losing over $1000 because I was not able to take advantage of the special pricing that was going on with other companies on Black Friday and would now have to pay full price. This is blatant illegal Bait and Switch, selling me a product for one price and then hijacking the product unless I pay them an additional $100. I spoke to the manager now and she said there is nothing she can do and she is cancelling the order. I'm requesting that BBB please intervene and require them to complete the contract of the purchase as I agreed and paid for on 11/25. If they do not ship my product they are causing me over $1000 in damages as all the hoops are now again priced well over $2000. The manager also said it happens once in a while but they are unable to advise people of that possibility on their website. This practice must be stopped as this is completely illegal. They need to either ship my product or cover the price difference of a different product that I will now have to overpay for.

  

  Business response

  12/15/2021

  We completely understand the frustration on the customer's behalf. It is never our intention to misguide or misinform a customer. Due to a rise in freight charges and increase in freight volume during this time it is rare but necessary that we reach out for additional charges if the customer lives in a remote area or in an area where a freight terminal does not have the necessary materials, staffing and/or vehicles to deliver the product. If we were able to calculate the areas of the country that this would affect we would certainly inform the customer ahead of time of this possibility. This affects less than one percent of our customers and we have no way of knowing when this will become an issue. We apologize and have processed a full refund for this order. 

  Customer response

  12/15/2021

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined the response would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below. 
  
  [Provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.]
  

  The full refund does not resolve my issue because I will now have to pay $1000 more for a basket goal elsewhere, causing me great financial burden. The only resolution will be to ship my item as I purchased it on 11/25.

  If there is even a slight chance of price increase after you evaluate your shipping costs, which is understandable, it needs to be outlined in the terms of your sales agreement. Your terms should read "shipping costs may be updated per actual final cost of shipping" or something of the sort. 

  Will you refund me if shipping costs you less? NO. 

  I received a very long detailed email with the shipping process, however not a single line of it said that shipping costs may be increased once you evaluate your own costs and the locations of your shippers. I do not live in a remove area, I live in the middle of a big city. You don't need to calculate this for every customer, but you need to clearly put it in writing as a possible outcome after a purchase is made, which you have not done and I did not agree to this when purchasing the item. 

  But you don't put it in your terms because you're afraid of losing customers! If I would have known I would have maybe gone with another company where my price was guaranteed once I paid. But that is the risk of being transparent in your business.

  IF YOU CHOOSE NOT TO BE TRANSPARENT IN YOUR BUSINESS PRACTICES, WHICH YOU ARE NOT, THEN YOU NEED TO ABSORB THE COST AND NOT YOUR CUSTOMERS!!!

  If as you say this only happens to less than 1% of your customers, then you need to either absorb the increased cost. 

  I own a business as well and when I promise my patients something, I stand behind it. If there is a change in the plan that I did not inform them of in advance or something doesn't go as planned, guess who pays for it? I DO! There's not a single patient who wants to be surprised by an increased cost that wasn't discussed in advance and we do not change our fees as a surprise. We have consents where we list all the possibilities and worst case scenarios, even if they only happen to less than 1% of patients or even never. That is how business needs to be handled. 

  Your business practices are shameful and illegal! 

   

   

   

  I own a business as well and when I don't inform my patients of a possible outcome 

  
  Regards,
  
  *************************

  
  

  

  Business response

  01/10/2022

  We understand your frustration and that the promotion has passed. We would be more than happy to honor the promotion if the additional shipping amount is paid and ship out the goal. We have already processed a refund in full at this time. 

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