Consumer Tale – Bose Radio
SUMMARY: WRONG ITEM DELIVERY AND CONSUMER HONESTY RESULTS IN REFUND OF DELIVERY FEES AND A FREE ITEM
SITUATION: I called Bose Corporation to order, and pay for via credit card, a pair of Bose speakers for my PC. The cost of these speakers was around $100.00 US. A few days later, a UPS delivery man knocked on my door with a large parcel. The delivery man requested approximately $100.00 CAD to cover the shipping fee, duty, taxes and brokerage, based upon the value of the parcel. When I opened the parcel, I was shocked to find a Bose radio, valued at $340.00 US, instead of the PC speakers I had ordered. ACTION TAKEN: I immediately dialed Bose Corporation's toll-free telephone number and asked to speak to the manager of customer service. I explained what had transpired and indicated that I had not only received the wrong item, I had also just paid UPS much more than I should have for duty, taxes and brokerage. In addition, I mentioned that since I lived in Canada, and the Bose radio would have to be returned via UPS or equivalent to Bose Corporation in the United States, there would be complications involving export duties, shipping and insurance charges, etc. In short, I would be facing a real mess. RESULT: The manager of customer service thanked me for being so honest. He was well aware of the fact that I could have said nothing and just kept the much more valuable radio. He also indicated that there were two very good reasons why I was actually doing Bose Corporation a real favor, by reporting what had transpired. Firstly, another customer had likely ordered and paid for a radio and received my much less valuable PC speakers. Secondly, there was a serious problem in Bose Corporation's sales order fulfillment department and my action would help their management team determine and rectify the source of the problem. The manager of customer service told me to keep the radio as a gift from Bose Corporation. He also insisted on crediting my American Express card for the shipping fee, duty, taxes and brokerage I had paid for the errant radio delivery. Lastly, he mentioned he was shipping me the Bose PC speakers I had originally ordered, and that my only additional costs would be for the appropriate shipping fee, duty, taxes and brokerage.