A customer service nightmare

This is the second time I’ve written about bad customer service. If I do it again, we’ll have a trend.

Anyway, here is the e-mail I just sent to Costco.com.

I recently ordered a Garmin Nuvi 205W from Costco.com. Instead, I was sent a Nuvi 250 -- and it was pink. I do not want a pink GPS. So I called customer service and, while waiting on hold to speak to a representative, I sent an e-mail to this address. I gave up on waiting on hold after about half an hour.

The next day, I got an e-mail from Costco. It read,

"Thank you for your e-mail to Costco Wholesale.

"Your e-mail has been forwarded to our resolution team for research.  Please allow 1-2 business days to be contacted regarding your order inquiry.  We apologize for the delay and appreciate your patience while we work on your situation."

This was on the morning of October 30. By November 3, I had not received any more correspondence, so I went to a Costco warehouse to exchange my GPS for the model I ordered.

When I got the the warehouse, I walked over to the counter for returns and exchanges. The gentleman there sent me to another line, where the woman quickly sent me back to the first line. So I had to wait in line three times to discuss my problem. This Costco, in Overland Park, KS, did not have a replacement and instead offered to refund me. My card was run and I was given roughly $220 back, the cost of the GPS with tax and shipping.

After more urging on my part, the customer service agent began looking through Costco's system for a replacement, but could not find what I ordered. She then called Costco.com's customer service number and waited on hold while I waited at the counter. She eventually got through to a representative and handed the phone to me.

The customer service representative on the other end of the phone said there was nothing she could do anymore because I had already received my refund, even though all I ever wanted was simply to make an exchange and get the product I ordered. Apparently, someone had been working on my order, but failed to contact me to let me know of this progress. My only course of action is now to reorder the product from Costco.com. It was also apparent from her tone of voice and short answers that her first priority was to get me off the phone.

I wasted more than an hour today only to NOT get my GPS, not to mention more time ordering it in the first place. After all this I was told that I need to go through the process of ordering the GPS all over again. I'm going to order a new GPS, but does anyone expect me to use Costco.com to do it? How would I even be sure if I would get the product I ordered?

Also, while I was writing this message, the website timed out on me and, had I not saved the text on my own, I would have had to rewrite the entire thing. I am frustrated.

Sincerely,
Adam Ross, longtime Costco member

 

Update: I got an e-mail response.

Dear Adam,
Thank you for your e-mail to Costco Wholesale.
This sounds like it has been a very frustrating day!

I am really sorry that you have had so many problems with what should have been a simple issue.  If you decide to reorder, please email me personally at (omitted) and I will keep track of your order from start to finish.  I want to make sure that you are happy with your purchase.
Thank you,
Katie M
Costco Wholesale Corporation

Umm, yeah. I’m not going to use Costco for this purchase. Not after that last nightmare.