Return-Path: Received: from ius5.ius.cs.cmu.edu by K.GP.CS.CMU.EDU id aa07987; 21 Dec 91 10:44:07 EST Date: Sat, 21 Dec 1991 10:42-EST From: Jennifer.Kay@IUS5.IUS.CS.CMU.EDU To: bovik@CS.CMU.EDU Subject: Sun Appliances -- one more Message-Id: <693330140/jennie@IUS5.IUS.CS.CMU.EDU> In-Reply-To: kvs's mail message of Fri, 20 Dec 91 18:13:14 EST Sorry, did have time to reply right away to your first inquiry, and then forgot: Appliance Store: Haven't bought anything from them in several years, so they *might* have changed (fat chance!!) Since about 1980, I have dealt with them on several occasions and have had nothing but misery. They regularly practice bait-n-switch, have arrogant, stupid sales clerks, and I've seen them pull all kinds of really questionable tactics on others. Sun: Dealt with them exactly once, and am disgusted! I will never go back unless I'm buying something specific that they are losing money on!!! (they do advertise "loss leaders" regularly). I will not deal with them in any way otherwise. ---------------------------- My specific bad luck (all the appliance store except the last one, noted as Sun): A clock radio that did not match the advertisement, *or* the box it was packed in (they simply exchanged it for me without opening the box to check - they had hundreds...) A turn-table I put on layaway that wasn't available when I came to pick "mine" up. I put it on layaway because the manufacturer was discontinuing the line, and I didn't want the newer model with the p-mount cartridge, I wanted the older model with the conventional cartridge mount. Then they tried to convince me to pay the current market price for the one I didn't want, which was $25 more than I had already given them for the one on layaway. They in essence said "tough - here buy one of these." A remanufactured receiver that had to be repaired under warranty. A tape deck with an intermittant problem with the record circuit. I responded twice (before I gave up) to newspaper ads for s specific item, that they obviously never had in stock, and they'd direct me to "a better" selection for more $$ of course! A friend who responded to an add for a washing machine, the didn't have it in stock, so they promised to order it for him, and then he fell for the 90 days-same-as-cash trick, where they charged him interest on the 90 days anyway, and then added a laste fee before his first payment was due!! , and then the "free delivery" ended up costing $50, because he wasn't available Tuesday at 2 PM (no other options allowed) when they would deliver it free. When it arrived it was broken or dented (I don't remember which, this was 1981) and then it took weeks to settle the problems and get a working machine. Same friend went into a store to buy a tape deck, selected one, and then proceeded to attempt to pay for it (only one of the kind in stock). He was leaving on a big, important business trip the next day and wanted to take the deck with him. The clerk took his credit card, did the "phone credit check" and came back and said "please call your bank, I can't accept this card." My very worried and flabbergasted friend then trooped to a cash machine to take out the $$ for the deck, and paid in cash. The next morning he was able to contact the bank about the credit card (this was before the era of 24 hour automated balence inquirys and customer service!!) and found out that not only was there *not* wrong with the card, but that they weren't open to have been queried about it at the time it happened. The clerk probably got bonuses for cash sales, or else pocketed the money - who knows, but he certainly caused a lot of panic and anguish. And from Sun: My "other-half's" family all went out together to find a "palm-corder" (small video camcorder) for Dad. We checked out a bunch of models at Silo (see comment on Silo below), and spent some time there. The sales clerk didn't know very much technical detail, but was an excellent salescritter, as they asked the right questions to determine the needs of the person we were shopping for. We then decided to check out some more at Sun. We decided on a model that we saw at Silo, but Sun was asking $100 less. The salescritter at Sun recommended that since it had such a short warrantee period (90 days) that we actually purchase it closer to Xmas, to perserver the warrantee for the person buying it. We out a deposit on the unit (the "last one" the monday after Thanksgiving. December 9th, we were to pick it up. Even though it was allegedly in the back "with out name on it" it was sold out from under us. Jon ended up buying the one that Sun was pushing on us when we walked in for a discount of $50 off the regular Sun price. We're not happy. When he called the 800 number for complaints and when he spoke to the store manager, it seemed like they didn't care that this happened at all. It almost seemed like "darn, we got caught." __________________________________________________ Silo; Every Silo salescritter I have ever encountered has been a professional in the best sense of the word. They have been helpful, not pushy, and admitted when they didn't know something. No BS, etc. I'd recommend Silo based on my experiences. I was happiest at the Ross Park Silo, but haven't been back there since about a year ago. Good luck, and may you avoid all the traffic jams this weekend!