Update: CompUSA sends Heaton a gift certificate
Steve Safran June 5th, 2007
CompUSA says it is sending Terry Heaton a $300 gift certificate after his misadventures buying an empty box there. I would have hoped for an actual camera, but Terry seems cool with going to a CompUSA store buying one again. (You can bet he’ll look in the box.) The story caught fire on the web, and CompUSA noticed. Terry writes:
This is a lesson in the power of community — the very people CompUSA needs to court as customers spread the word and reacted angrily to what most viewed as a rip-off. I did nothing to manipulate “coverage” — I only wanted to share a slice of my life. The community took over from there.
Right. There were some people who suggested Terry was trying to game the system somehow by blogging about what happened. Nonsense. Bloggers blog. If the community had decided the story wasn’t a big deal, the community wouldn’t have reacted to the story. As for the volume of people who blamed the victim?
I’ve been taken aback by the number of people, especially on Digg, who were adamant that I was some sort of con artist trying to steal a camera from CompUSA and get away with it. People, really. Another group of people sided with the belief that I should’ve opened the friggin’ box at the store. These well-intentioned onlookers weren’t there as I bought 12 items for $3,339.99. Was I supposed to open each?
There were some good folks who pointed out to the people who said “Buyer beware!” and “All sales are final!” that no transaction took place - selling someone an empty box means Terry was not a “buyer” at all, but rather a victim of fraud. As for Terry’s master criminal plan? He’s a terrible thief, if you ask me. Who buys $3,500 woth of goods with the intention of then screwing a company out of 7%? I mean - you can do that online by avoiding sales tax.
So good for CompUSA for ultimately doing mostly the right thing. One last note: I have been accused in many posts of being biased in this report. I want to make this absolutely clear, so there is no confusion: I am biased.
34 Comments Add your own
1. ! | June 5th, 2007 at 12:55 pm
cool.
very, VERY cool.
terry’s step daughter had damn well better appreciate the camera he picks out for her!
and what a story that camera could tell.
again, cool outcome.
2. ROFL | June 5th, 2007 at 1:23 pm
I Guess Terry needs to learn how to be a buyer.
If I buy 7 bananas, I don’t care if they are for $0.10 each and not $3000. I inspect all 7 of the bananas BRIEF ENOUGH to know they aren’t skins with no fruit inside.
If the banana inside was rotten (like a camera lens being broken), thats a different story….
Moral of the story: Learn to slow down and pay attention to both sides of the road before crossing the street, or you might get run over.
3. Khris | June 5th, 2007 at 1:23 pm
I’d sell the $300 gift cert and go buy a camera at a different store.
4. Jim Dyer | June 5th, 2007 at 1:29 pm
Hard to believe an Internet visionary like Terry Heaton shops at CompUSA.
Hard to believe that anyone shops at CompUSA.
5. Rob | June 5th, 2007 at 1:31 pm
Good for Terry, and good for the online community who picked the story up and ran with it.
The belated receipt of a $300 gift certificate is a respectable olive branch, but it won’t really clean up the mess that’s been made over this incident.
As Terry mentioned, he’ll use the certificate to buy the camera, but he won’t be shopping there again. Imagine how many other people got fired up over this situation who won’t be shopping at CompUSA’s dwindling number of retail outlets either.
6. Chump | June 5th, 2007 at 1:34 pm
“I’ve been taken aback by the number of people, especially on Digg, who were adamant that I was some sort of con artist trying to steal a camera from CompUSA and get away with it.”
This doesn’t surprise me at all. Digg of late seems to be really just a collection of users who try to outdo each other on the cleverest comment.
7. Khris | June 5th, 2007 at 1:50 pm
Moral of the story: The weight of a Canon camera box doesn’t weigh that much less without the camera due to the manuals included.
8. gunner | June 5th, 2007 at 1:51 pm
I agree with Jim. Its hard to believe anyone shops at CrapUSA. The markup is beyond excessive, the knowledge base of the staff is hardly adequate and their selection of product isn’t that good. They ceased to be a computer store many years ago and really should take it out of their name.
9. Trusted Munchkin | June 5th, 2007 at 2:01 pm
Hey #2 do you really squeeze every banana to be certain nature hasn’t scammed you?
If so…
10. Emmy Lou | June 5th, 2007 at 2:08 pm
Hey Lost Remote,
It feels like someone’s posting images of a Cartoon Network mascot all over Boston again.
This blow-out team coverage of a random story not in your niche is peculiar.
11. Emmy Lou | June 5th, 2007 at 2:25 pm
Video or it’s fake.
And why has my name randomly been set to Emmy Lou?
12. Munchkin Land | June 5th, 2007 at 2:26 pm
TM: Note the name of commenter #2.
13. Brad Thompson | June 5th, 2007 at 2:42 pm
I think CompUSA’s response to this is still woefully inadequate. This deserves a check and a formal apology, not a gift certificate.
Mistakes happen, and they can’t be faulted as an organization for an error that led to a customer getting an empty box. But for completely balking and sending a rude and unrelenting letter about all sales being final? And then only to respond with a gift certificate because it became high-profile and the blogosphere got involved?
That’s shameful. And not good enough to reverse the bad impression CompUSA has left. I’m glad to read on Terry’s blog that he still won’t be shopping there again.
14. M Burke | June 5th, 2007 at 2:54 pm
#9 you can squeeze my bananna
15. Lurker | June 5th, 2007 at 3:17 pm
I jumped into the original thread a couple of times, using a couple of my “identities”, but I’d just like to add that there may be a generational difference or something.
I don’t know Terry’s age, but speaking for myself: I know that as a guy in his mid-40s, it has never occurred to me that I should open a box prior to purchase and I doubt any retailer would want you to do such a thing. I mean, when given a choice, I’m not going to buy something in an opened box, so pre-opening would just create a bunch of dead merchandise and it’d probably make it easier for people to steal.
16. MrWhite | June 5th, 2007 at 3:48 pm
In addition, some places charge a restocking fee if the box is opened. I didn’t even know CompUSA was still around until this article. Hehe.
17. Frank Catalano | June 5th, 2007 at 5:49 pm
It seems to me CompUSA did the right thing in this instance — a $300 gift certificate appears fair compensation, considering it was a liquidation sale and the problem was not discovered for a couple of months.
(Had it been me, I would have at least checked the box after getting home before setting it aside as a gift, but that’s just me. And perhaps Terry normally would have done so, but forgot with all of his purchases.)
That said, CompUSA’s initial reaction skewed so far to unreasonable — it was their store, their receipt and their staff, liquidation sale and liquidator or no — that I doubt Terry would have taken this situation public if they’d provided an initial response indicating they even slightly cared about the customer perspective on this. They’ve been spanked appropriately, and very publicly.
Still, it’s sad when a retailer, or its customer service staff, becomes so bottom-line oriented that it forgets why they even have a bottom line in the first place.
CompUSA is still in business. It would be a different matter if they had shut down completely.
18. ! | June 5th, 2007 at 6:08 pm
well said, #17.
maybe now it’s time to delete all this and move on… looks like the buzzards have begun circling.
19. GodHatesIdiots | June 5th, 2007 at 6:15 pm
To the number 18, the eight year old:]
Unfortunately, some stores have the policy that once you open an item, you must buy it no matter the problem. Then you have to go back in, but this time at the customer service desk. CompUSA sold him an empty box. Cameras are not on the shelfs on the store floor. They are behind locked glass cases and an employee must get it for you. The employee should have realized that the box was empty: because an empty box is practically weightless. If there was no notification on the box saying it was empty, then the store is at fault for a fraudulent sale.
20. Steve Safran | June 5th, 2007 at 7:14 pm
#19 is now referring to a #18 that was removed from the board due to objectionable content.
LR never takes down posts because of people’s opinions or even due to outright rudeness. (Just see the original thread!) But we do take down personal attacks and profanities.
Unless, of course, they’re about the FCC. Then I’m cool with ‘em.
You get the point. There are a lot of newcomers here because of this thread, and you’re welcome to LR House. We only ask that you keep it clean.
21. sigh | June 5th, 2007 at 8:59 pm
so let me get this straight. you all expect a under paid, under trained, and over worked staff to really give 2 sense about your 300 dollars. not to mention the fact that they are all losing thier jobs due to the store closing. bottom line is the camera was bought as a extremly discounted price with none of those stupid mail in rebates and on top of that it was open box. he should of checked the box plain and simple.
as far as keeping a good relations with thier customers, compusa is going out of business. in 8 months they wont be around plain and simple. in the last year they have laid off 70% of thier entire workforce. gone from 229 stores down to 126. with an additional 40 stores slated to close. anyone who buys anything from compusa at this point is taking a big risk with the product and execting anything different is being stupid.
22. Jon | June 5th, 2007 at 10:37 pm
I just have to say in regards to the people that say he should have opened the camera and inspected it.
I work for a CompUSA and the way that policy is done is once the camera has been paid for, it is then taken out of lockup and handed to the customer. Up until that point, the demo model is the only thing they’re allowed to touch. Do I think the policy is fair. No. It’s time consuming and insulting to most. Most likely what happened with the camera is someone who worked at that store, stole the camera and left the box on the shelf to not arouse anyone’s attention. I have seen instances in CompUSA and other retailers where someone buys a laptop and comes back stating that instead of a computer, there was a book or a stack of magazines instead. Did this customer try to rip us off. No, again, it all falls on internal theft and misdirection.
23. discreet_chaos | June 5th, 2007 at 10:53 pm
Perhaps it’s the viral nature of the web or maybe I’m missing something, but nowhere do I see Terry or Steve saying that it was an open box. Though, it does seem that because the letter from CompUSA mentions it as a possibility, a lot of people have assumed it as fact.
24. will | June 6th, 2007 at 7:47 am
This episode only proves that ‘connected’ bloggers can raise enough of a ruckus to get someone to do the right thing. For the rest of us, it’s just free entertainment. If such a thing happened to us, we’d be on our own.
25. wraith808 | June 6th, 2007 at 9:03 am
I bought at CompUSA during the liquidation and *tried* to check my item- not just to make sure it was there, but to make sure it worked. They did everything in their power to make it as difficult as possible, and to dissuade me from taking up their precious time. You can’t win either way.
26. Safran | June 6th, 2007 at 10:31 am
Will: I suppose that’s one way to look at it. Another way to look at it is that bloggers are now consumer reporters. If you had come to me with the same story, I would have reported it and I bet the same thing would have happened. Yes, some bloggers have a voice and some influence now. Isn’t that good?
27. gw | June 6th, 2007 at 10:57 am
A couple of years ago, I bought a item that was a open box item from Best Buy, figuring I got a good deal on a returned item. When I tried to install it, I noticed that it was the wrong model, a version, that was about half the cost at retail(40 vs 80), store security basically refused to refund the item, thinking that I was the one that swapped the cheaper one out, and calling me the thief.
28. Mike | June 6th, 2007 at 11:30 pm
Despite the resolution, I still won’t shop at CompUSA again … oh wait, I decided not to do that ever again almost 8 years ago.
Seeing the power consumers exercised is the one good result of this story. It’s unfortunate that a company would correct a mistake only when it becomes public like this. Eventually they might realize that there’s not an unlimited pool of people they can disappoint.
29. John Smiff | June 7th, 2007 at 5:26 am
“especially on Digg”
Uhh, it’s Digg, that user base specializes in arm chairing stories they have no clue about to death. Throw up a story about something shiny and they will forget why they judged you from the comfort of a parental basement in the first place.
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31. Sissy | August 9th, 2007 at 2:32 pm
I say, y’all are a bunch of bores, get a life!
32. davej | October 19th, 2007 at 8:27 pm
Those few of you that back ConUSA and their deceptive warranties and liquidation policies are flat wrong on this issue. The power of the people is the only way to see this. Open you eyes and look at what is happening. Alot of regular folks have gotten ripped off. They got me for about $80 on a bunk PCI wireless network adapter.
The sucker based ponzy scheme ConUSA has engaged in is now in the final stages. Their reputation and brand is toast and their business collapsing. It reminds me of Enron but in a power to people kinda way. Pissing off to many good old Americans on rebates landed them in court. ConUSA lost and and the people got Justice. So at this point are you going to believe a thief or a regular guy?
Fast forward…… More recently CompUSA stores are being liquidated left and right. Word has gotten that CompUSA is shady. Death is almost done devouring the con artists at CompUSA. It won’t be long before the average schmo is protected. All the CompUSA will be closed.
I hate it when fockers buy American brands that took years to build and then use them to rip off the American people. I’m sure another company will fill the vacuum. Let hope they have more heart than the owner and management at CompUSA did.
33. jean | October 20th, 2007 at 10:51 pm
OH MY, I had no idea. I just bought a Mac. from CompUSA, and I’m having some problems. Who should I turn to??
34. Andy Wood | December 21st, 2007 at 10:49 am
I purchased a Kensington wireless mouse yesterday for my wife’s Christmas gift…..You guessed it. It didn’t work. CompUSA comment. “so sorry all sales are final” This is how good old Carlos Slim, a Mexican national, got to be the richest man in the world…fraud. This is also why we need to deport the 35 million illegals in our country!
Andy from El Paso Tx 10 minutes from the Mexican border.
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