ComplaintsforSoutheastern Fishing Tackle Liquidators

• Initial Complaint

  12/09/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On April 15th 2021 I purchased a Fenwick fishing rod from this business for 64 dollars and 45 cents. I took it home, tried it out, and ended up not liking it and decided to return it within the 30 day return period that the company offered. I brought the rod back and returned it and was informed that I would be given a full $64.45 store credit to use whenever I decided to make a purchase at the store in the future. There were numerous associates within the establishment that confirmed this policy when I made the return. I left and returned to the establishment on December 9th 2021 to use my store credit on a different fishing rod. When I brought the rod I wanted to buy to the counter I was informed by the manager who was processing my transaction that he could not find any store credit available. He searched for a while and found nothing in their system to justify my claim. I eventually spoke with the owner who denied my request. I was about to leave when 2 of the associates who were there at the time of me returning my old rod on April 15th showed up and confirmed with the manager and the owner that I had in fact returned the rod and was due the $64.45 in store credit. The owner refused to listen to their associates who were supporting my claim and denied my store credit I had been initially promised when I made my return. The owner then tried to blackmail me by saying they would give me a courtesy credit of 30 dollars but only if I wrote a 5 star google review before leaving the store and showing it to them. They also were incredibly intimidating standing between me and the exit while making this demand. I left the establishment without any resolution other than feeling threatened and scammed. American express card number: ***************

  Business response

  01/20/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2021/12/10) */ This customer came to our store yesterday wanting to take advantage of a store sale. He then proceeded to ask for an additional $60 credit for a rod that he supposedly purchased and returned in April 2021. When we asked him for a receipt, he couldn't provide one. We then proceeded to check his store account and there was no record of any credit applied to that account. At Southeastern Fishing Tackle we pride in the fact that we have the most robust rewards program, where points never expire, and all points collected are linked to our client's phone number. We looked up this person's phone number multiple times and it didn't show any credits owed to him. This gentleman got so disruptive that our cashier had to come and get the owners of the store who clearly explained the store return policy. We are a small business and cannot afford to create a culture where someone can walk-in 8 months after the fact and demand a refund without the slightest proof of the transaction. To keep him happy, the best we could offer him was to meet in the middle and give him $30 in return for a positive review. This was a good faith gesture, and we expected the same in return from him. We didn't have to give him anything, considering he was in clear violation of our store policy. We take a lot of pride in our service and are just as unhappy about this incident as this individual. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2021/12/10) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) The business fails to acknowledge that 2 of their associates confirmed that I had in fact made the return and was rightfully due my store credit. The rod was left with the business and 64 dollars was promised at the time of leaving the item in question. It's not my fault that the business did not properly record the interaction and promise that they had made. I paid 64 dollars to the business for the product, I returned the product to the business, I was promised 64 dollars in store credit and this is confirmed by the stores own associates. The business makes it to sound like I am trying to take advantage of them when I am only following the procedures that the business themselves set.

*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. ↩