ComplaintsforWebstaurantStore

• Initial Complaint

  04/30/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On October 17 I ordered a remote rheostat control line heater for my kitchen. My card was charged in full for $1,136.24 at that time. I recieved the control equipment in February. Then the line heater came in March. Our licensed electrician, hired to install this, said that the two sets of equipment were incompatible, there was no way for it to work, no install possible at any price. So we returned it. We recieved only a partial refund, it should have been a full refund, The seller still owes us $250.39 in restock fees. Should be no restock fees if nonfunctioning product is sent.

  Business response

  05/08/2023

  We were sorry to hear the customer may have received the incorrect item. When the customer contacted us via live chat originally asking to return the product, we outlined the standard return process, which includes the restocking fee and return shipping being deducted from the refund. This is outlined on our website under the Terms of Sale page here: *******************************************************************

  The customer then let us know that they believed they were sent the wrong item by the manufacturer (it is not a product we stock in our warehouses) so we asked the customer to provide a picture of the packaging and/or of the item's serial plate that shows they received something different than what was ordered. The customer said they would take the pictures, and that they would respond to an email from us with the photos. We sent the email requesting the pictures, and told the customer if the item is confirmed to have been incorrect, the fees for the return would be waived. 

  Instead of sending the photos, the customer stated in their email reply, "Just give me the shipping address. Do I need to place anything inside the box?" We responded explaining we would get the return information for the customer and the products would be returned and inspected, but that if the product is deemed to have been the correct one, the restocking and return shipping costs would be deducted from the refund. The refund we received from the manufacturer indicated the correct item had been sent to the customer, so we moved forward with the standard return and deducted the restocking and return shipping costs from the return as outlined for the customer on our website, in their initial chat with us, and in the email correspondence with the customer. 

  We do acknowledge the customer's concerns. Because they did not provide the requested information, and it was deemed the correct item was sent to them, the standard return was applied. We will not be providing further compensation at this time.

  Customer response

  05/14/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  What we ordered is what we recieved. HOWEVER, what these charlatons are selling cannot ever work. Per licensed electrician, the two parts cannot interact or talk to each other. So the numbers match their website, but they are offering a promise of perfromance that can necer be. That is why there should be no restock fee, and refund due us. Noting in their response that they are selling something that they do not stock and do not know. But they still have to stand behind what they are selling, as it is they who took our money and failed to send what was promised. 
  Regards,
  
  ***************************
  

  Business response

  05/22/2023

  We would like to thank the customer for that clarification. The information of the remote not being compatible with the warmer is what we were missing. While we do not have a way to determine this with the manufacturer since the product was already returned and the return was completed, we will go with the customer on this and issue a refund for the restocking and return shipping charges, the $250.39 mentioned. The customer will receive an email confirmation once this is entered, and it should show up on their account within about 3 business days. 

  Customer response

  05/22/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ***************************
  

• Initial Complaint

  04/29/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Ordered a **** Coffee maker from www.webstaurantstore.com. The item arrived broken / not functioning. I contacted the business and provided video / photo evidence that the item had arrived not working. Business refused to replace or repair the item.

  Business response

  05/04/2023

  We were sorry to hear that this product may be defective and is leaking. WebstaurantStore does not hold title to any warranties. All warranty situations are handled through, and by, the manufacturer. We have this outlined on our Terms of Sale page here: *********************************************************************. Under "Warranty Policy" we state: "If a warranty is available for an item, the details of the warranty can be found as a downloadable PDF labeled 'Warranty' on the item's page. All warranty claims are handled based on the manufacturer's warranty policy." The manufacturer for the customer's product prefers to work with the customer directly. We have informed the customer of this, and have provided them with the contact information for the manufacturer. The customer just needs to contact the manufacturer at either tech.service@****** or by calling ************, and they will get this handled under the warranty. We do acknowledge the customer's concerns, and have provided them with the information needed in order for them to get this resolved under warranty with the manufacturer. There is nothing further we will be able to provide at this time, as the customer must follow the warranty process. 

   

  Customer response

  05/10/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Web Restaurant Store sent me a broken product, as such I was unable to use it  

  When I contacted them to return the broken product I received, they refused to exchange it for a working unit or to refund it despite their publicly posted return policy:

  *****************************************************************************************

  consumables, as long as they are unused, in the original packaging, and returned with 30 days of receipt.

  My item was unused, in original packaging and I contacted them the day I received it. 
  

  I am contacting the FTC and my local representatives to report false and deceptive advertising, as well as deceptive business practices.  
  
  Regards,
  
  ****

  Business response

  05/11/2023

  The picture showing the leak does mean that this was attempted to be used. Our return policy also states that the products must be unused. Because the customer tried to use this and it did not work properly, it falls under the warranty policy and does not fall under the standard return policy. The customer needs to reach out to the manufacturer under the warranty so that they can take care of this for him. We have acknowledged the customer's concerns, and have provided the information to them in order for them to get this resolved under warranty. We will not be providing anything further at this time.

  Customer response

  05/12/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  

  The picture is of how the item arrived, broken. It was unusable because it was broken from time of arrival. Company's return policy is not honored by the company. 

  After failing to honor their own Return policy, they provided contact information for ****. I contacted **** and **** acknowledged the item had arrived to me in faulty / unusable condition. This may have occurred because of WebrestaurantStore mishandling it or mis-storing the item. Whatever the reason, they did not honor their stated return policy and did not provide the "outstanding" customer service their website promises (see below). 

  This business: 1) Does not honor their return policy; 2) Sells faulty products (as documented in my photos); and 3) makes false and misleading claims about its customer service (see bellow). 

  Regarding point #3, this is a quote directly from their landing page (link below): "Our fast shipping, low prices, and outstanding customer service make ********************** the best choice to meet all of your professional and food service supply needs."

  *************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
  

  The customer service is anything but "outstanding." It's some of the worst customer service I have encountered.

  Since this experience, I have done research on how poorly the company is run, and there are firsthand accounts from employees online (see link below). Here's just one excerpt: "Employees there are now being overworked and burned out" 
  

  ****************************************************************************

  As such, it's no surprise the customer service is poor and the company does not honor it's own policies.

  Regards,
  ****

  Business response

  05/18/2023

  We do acknowledge the customer's concerns. Because the product was used, it does not qualify for our return policy/process the customer outlined. The customer must resolve this through the warranty with the manufacturer. Additionally, the customer has filed a dispute with their bank/credit card company. Because a dispute is open, we are not able to provide any refund or resolution. The reason for this is if we refund the customer and they also win the dispute, they would be refunded double. If the customer drops the dispute and we can confirm it has been dropped, we can then make a one-time exception to issue a refund. In the future, if the customer does not wish to go through warranty processes if a product is defective, we will not be the best supplier for them, as they will need to go through the warranty process. If the customer drops the dispute and reaches back out to our Customer Solutions team, we will then confirm it was dropped and issue a refund.

• Initial Complaint

  04/17/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I placed an order and the order was marked as delivered but i never received the package, and customer service was beyond rude and told me they can't help me i have to file a complaint with my building. how is that possible to not assist the client

  Business response

  04/20/2023

  We are sorry to hear that the customer does not have the products. The tracking information shows that this delivered to the mailroom of the customer's complex. Because this delivered to the customer's mailroom, we will not be providing compensation at this time. The customer will need to file a report with their building to recoup funds if this is unable to be located within the mailroom. It is common for carriers to deliver shipments to mailrooms if the location is a big complex such as this. We do acknowledge the customer's concerns. Because this delivered properly to the customer's building complex mailroom, we will not be providing compensation.

• Initial Complaint

  04/12/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We ordered two paper towel dispensers from Webstaurant on 2/15/23. ***** tracking shows delivery on Friday, Mar 17, 11:28 PM, however, only one of the items arrived. Webstaurant is saying both were delivered and that if I care to return the one item we received that we have to pay shipping and a 20% restocking fee and, apparently, eat the entire cost of the one item that did not arrive.

  Business response

  04/19/2023

  We were sorry to hear the customer had not received one and wished to return the other. With regards to the return, the customer let us know they wanted to return because it arrived too late. We do not guarantee delivery dates, and there was a significant weather delay. Because of this, the standard return process (restocking fee and return shipping) would be applied. 

  On 4/13, we emailed the customer saying that we could refund the customer for the product that was not received. We also offered to reach out to the manufacturer to inquire about returning the product with a waived restocking fee and return shipping. We asked the customer if they would like to proceed that way, but have not heard back from the customer. We do acknowledge their concerns, and have attempted to resolve this. If the customer wishes to proceed with the resolution, they can reach out to [email protected] and we will be happy to help!

• Initial Complaint

  04/08/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Product was delivered 3/31/23. Product arrived damaged. We contacted the business on 4/8/23 via their live chat and were told we were outside the 5 business days by one day for submitting to them that the product was damaged. We paid $427.99 for a product arriving damaged and we are being told that we cannot return. We asked for another one. Product is: ******* ***** double commercial Panini sandwich grill with grooved top and smooth bottom plates. 18 3/16 x 9 1/16 cooking surface 120V, 3500W. We ordered from an online business Webstaurant Store.com and our order number was ********. We ordered on 3/27/23. It was shipped ground ****

  Customer response

  04/10/2023

  We actually had this resolved by the company. Would you please close out this complaint?
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  04/04/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Hello,'I, through the company I work for, *************, purchased an item (a large platform cart) valued at a total of $622.48. It was $389.99 for the item itself, $174.62 for shipping, and $57.87 for tax, purchased on the date March 14, 2023. The business committed to provide me my product, delivered to my dock number, which I provided to them (1CS1) at the address of *******************************, Chicago IL. The freight company, ****** Freight, that picked up the product from the manufacturer, ******, or someone along the way transcribed my phone number wrong on their order (it is correct on my receipt to Webstaurant Store) and called the wrong number upon delivery attempt and wrote on their delivery slip "No answer not sure where to go" and I believe, did not make any reasonable attempts to deliver to the correct dock, reach out to building management at the front office, or ask any tenant of the building for way finding to our dock. I am confident that if the delivery driver asked anyone within the building, they would know where our dock location is, as we have sufficiently labeled docks, and are well known tenants.I received an email to my spam folder the day after the delivery attempt that I was being charged a restocking fee ($65 + tax) AND a redelivery fee. I have reached out to all three companies involved but they all seem to continue to blame each other. The restocking fee was waived by Websaturant Store, but no one has made an attempt to refund the shipping fee. (ie the $174.62)I believe considering they contracted the delivery company (****** Freight) they should take full responsibility for any issues delivering AND transcribing my phone number. I also do not believe they made reasonable effort to attempt the delivery. As, my entire team was AT the location ******************, available to accept delivery. Tracking # *********** ************** Order # ********

  Business response

  04/10/2023

  We were sorry to hear that the customer did not receive this shipment. Because the customer did not choose the call before delivery option, any extra measures the carrier takes to try to deliver this are considered a courtesy and are not part of the standard delivery process. We were able to work with the customer and made a one time exception to waive the restocking fee for the order. We have also made an exception and are issuing a full refund for the shipping charge on the order. The customer will see this on their statement in 2-3 business days, and will also receive an email confirmation once this is issued. 

  Customer response

  04/11/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *************************************
  

• Initial Complaint

  03/13/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  This will sound petty, but I had subscribed to Webstaurant's emails in order to get the initial discount but ended up not buying anything. Sick of receiving so many emails, I clicked "Unsubscribe" and got the notice that I was unsubscribed. I still got their emails. I have clicked "Unsubscribe" more than a dozen times over many months. I have contacted their customer service two or three times and BEGGED them to take me off their email list. Each time I was told I have been removed from the list. The most recent time I was told by their customer service that I was removed was February 9. Yet, I still get their emails. I just don't want to receive any more emails!Message from DECEMBER 5, 2022:Hello *****,Thank you for contacting us. I was able to successfully unsubscribe your email address from our promotional mailing list. This may take around 48 hours to take effect on your end. However, after that time, you won't receive any promotional emails from our site. Please let us know if there is anything else that we can assist you with.

  Business response

  03/15/2023

  We are sorry that the emails were still going through. Our team had gone through the customer's account to prevent the emails from going through, but for some reason it did not work. We have gone back through some additional areas in the back end of the customer's account and believe we have gotten this taken care of. If there are any additional questions, please feel free to reach out to our Customer Solutions team and we will be happy to assist!

  Customer response

  03/25/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. Hopefully they did figure out why they and I couldn't remove my email address from their mailing list and I won't get any more emails.

  I appreciate your help in this matter.

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

• Initial Complaint

  03/09/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased a chocolate tempering machine in November. It did not heat up so unable to tempure chocolate. It was almost $600. I requested refund it has been seas of emails upon emails sending pictures wasting chocolate etc. finally sent back and still have not been given my money. Its been months. Just got another email today that I must wait longer just some of the many messages. They have revived the item 2 weeks ago still no refund after months of just getting authorization to return non working items.

  Business response

  03/16/2023

  We were sorry to hear that this product was not working properly for the customer, and for the delay they are experiencing. The product was returned for inspection, and we have relayed to the customer we are just waiting on confirmation/reimbursement from the manufacturer. Our Customer Solutions representative that is working the case is in contact with the customer. For defective products, we do wait for the manufacturer to confirm the defect and issue the reimbursement under their warranty. We let the customer know that we could provide a store credit for the full amount if they did not wish to continue waiting, but we would need to wait for the manufacturer if a refund to the original method of payment is preferred. The customer did let us know they prefer the refund to the original method of payment, so we will keep contacting the manufacturer and updating the customer regarding this. We have provided the customer with a separate $75 store credit for this inconvenience. We acknowledge the customer's concerns, and once the manufacturer confirms the product is defective and issues the refund, we will supply this to the customer.

• Initial Complaint

  03/02/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Order Number: ******** Order Date: February, 28 2023 I placed this order and it was canceled and my whole account was closed citing: "Unable to verify payment information." in one email I never received anything to verify my payment information. Another email I received said: "Hello,We are emailing to inform you that your order has been cancelled and your account has been closed.We are canceling your order due to activity relating to your account and are closing it based on our cancellation policy. This can be reviewed in the Policy section of our website.We are not permitting you to place orders on our site. "I don't understand why this is happening. I would be happy to verify anything requested of me but I wasn't even given the opportunity. I entered my payment information correctly. And the only activity in my account was an order placed for $100.41. Nothing else. And then on top of that it says that I am not permitted to order anything on the site? WHAT? And what do I know what to look for in your policy when I have been told nothing other than a simple payment verification issue???This is extremely harsh and horrible customer service. For something so incredibly extreme, I do feel I deserve a detailed explanation with complete information as to why this is happening to me or an apology and reopening my account because this was a mistake. I never ordered on webstaraurant before. this is my very first account and all the payment information and address for shipping and billing that I used are all my direct addresses for my residence and business.

  Business response

  03/09/2023

  The customer will need to contact their bank regarding the verification issues. We do recognize that we may not be the right business for certain customers. We do have a cancellation policy, found here: ************************************************************************************************************************* At this time, we have outlined this policy to this customer, and we do not have any outstanding balances with them. We informed the customer that the pending transaction was voided, as funds are only captured when an order is shipped. There is nothing further we can provide at this time. 

  Customer response

  03/10/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  There's no issue with my bank. The charge went through no problem on the side of my bank. They said everything was fine and the payment went through successfully. I use my bank all the time and there's never been any issues. I just don't understand why I can't get a straight answer. I'm sure that if this had anything to do with some type of verification, you can tell me exactly what went wrong or what error message you received. I am very bothered by this and can't let this go because I did nothing wrong and nothing is wrong with my bank. My next step is to speak with a lawyer about this because I deserve answers. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *************************
  

  Business response

  03/15/2023

  We recognize that we may not be the right business for certain customers. We do have a cancellation policy, found here: ************************************************************************************************************************* At this time, we have outlined this policy to this customer, and we do not have any outstanding balances with them. We informed the customer that the pending transaction was voided, as funds are only captured when an order is shipped. There is nothing further we can provide at this time.

• Initial Complaint

  03/01/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Good afternoon, I bought a machine from them on 05/28/22. They shipped the machine and a part (for the machine) in two boxes and charged me in two invoices. After two months, they gave me credit for the machine because they said they didn't have it in stock, and therefore I requested to send back the part (that was sitting in my house with no purpose); they gave a p.o number to return it, and I had to send it back via ****** After receiving it, they claimed that I used the part, which makes no sense because I CAN'T use it without the machine. The part cost me $3479.05, and they are not willing to give me back my money, and the funny thing is that they still have the part in the warehouse. Please help me.

  Business response

  03/09/2023

  We were sorry to hear the customer needed to return this due to not being able to use it. We informed the customer on 10/6/2022 that the manufacturer (and WebstaurantStore) would not be issuing a refund due to the condition in which the product was returned. When the manufacturer received the item from the customer, it had scratches and a broken pusher. A picture of the condition in which this was returned to the manufacturer is attached to this response. Our website clearly states that items must be free of damage when going through a return. This can be found on our Terms of Sale page here: *******************************************************************.

  Additionally, the customer has filed a dispute with their credit card company. When this is the case, we are not able to provide the customer with any potential resolutions, as everything will be going through a contact with the credit card company. We do acknowledge the customer's concerns. Because the item was not returned properly and free of damage, the refund is being denied. We will not be providing a refund at this time.

  Customer response

  03/09/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: This is a clear lie! how can I use the part without the machine? I don't know what they are talking about. Please ask the company how can I used the part without the machine?
  
  Regards,
  
  ****************
  

  Business response

  03/09/2023

  When returning a product, customers are responsible for ensuring it is properly packaged in order to prevent damages. Anything that gets returned, if upon inspection it is damaged, then the return is not accepted. Our return policy states directly it must be undamaged. The picture provided in the prior response shows that the product was received back at the manufacturer with a broken pusher. We relayed to the customer that because this was not received back in good condition, there would be no refund issued. We also offered to return the product back to the customer, but they said they did not want it back. Because the product was sent back damaged, and there is an open credit card dispute, we will not be providing a refund. 

  Customer response

  03/09/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  

  This dicing machine is a 2 part machine. 1 part is the cover, and the 2nd is the actual machine.  They only sent me the cover and they were out of stock of the actual dicing machine. It was in its original box and its original form. There was no use for me to keep the cover of the machine if the dicing machine didn't arrive.  I returned the cover in its original box and package. 

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

  Business response

  03/15/2023

  We do acknowledge the customer's concerns. The product was returned damaged, and this is why there is no refund that will be provided. Our return policy states that items must be returned undamaged in order to qualify for a refund. Because this was not returned in good condition, as shown in the picture provided, there will not be a refund issued. The return policy can be seen here: *******************************************************************

  Customer response

  03/15/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: This is a joke, how can it be used without the machine that was never delivered? When we sent it back with ***** it was sentin  the original box and was packed we'll with the help of ****** This doesn't make sense that we used the part withoutthe machine! This is a cap for the machine what and how can we use it? 
  
  Regards,
  
  ****************
  

  Business response

  03/16/2023

  The refund is not being denied because the product is used. We understand the customer could not use it. The refund is being denied because the product was returned damaged. Our website specifically states that returns must be "Unused, UNDAMAGED, and in the original packaging." While the product was not used, and was returned in the original package, it was not returned undamaged, and therefore the return and refund are not valid. If the customer had ***** package this, they can try submitting a claim to ***** to recoup the losses. The product was returned damaged, and we will not be providing a refund because of this. 

  Customer response

  03/21/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: How can I damage it if I never used it? when I packed it at ***** the salesperson himself helped me packing it.
  
  Regards,
  
  ****************
  

*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. ↩