Better Business Bureau

Many consumers don’t know what laws are in place to protect them. State laws all vary somewhat, so you should probably find your state’s attorney general’s office or the office in the state of the merchant you are having problems with. These agencies will tell you if the store you are complaining about has broken any laws and if they have, the attorney general will set them straight. Sometimes there are fines, other times the retailer must correct his practices. If your efforts with the BBB have produced no results, try the office of the attorney general. More teeth. Because it is a state agency, it might take more time for them to get things done, but they are effective. Findlaw.com has a list of all state agencies from A-Z. They also can give you info on a lot of legal issues that apply to consumers today.

Following is an example of Wyoming law that defines unlawful practices;

40-12-105. Unlawful practices.

(a) A person engages in a deceptive trade practice unlawful under this act when, in the course of his business and in connection with a consumer transaction, he knowingly:

( i ) Represents that merchandise has a source, origin, sponsorship, approval, accessories or uses it does not have;

( ii ) Represents that he has a sponsorship, approval or affiliation he does not have;

( iii ) Represents that merchandise is of a particular standard, grade, style or model, if it is not;

( iv ) Represents that merchandise is available to the consumer for a reason that does not exist;

(v) Represents that merchandise has been supplied in accordance with a previous representation, if it has not; except that this subsection does not apply to merchandise supplied to the recipient by mistake or merchandise of equal or greater value supplied as a reasonably equivalent substitute for unavailable merchandise previously ordered by the recipient;

( vi ) Represents that replacement or repair is needed, if it is not;

(vii) Makes false or misleading statements of fact concerning the price of merchandise or the reason for, existence of, or amounts of a price reduction;

(viii) Represents that a consumer transaction involves a warranty, a disclaimer of warranties, particular warranty terms, or other rights, remedies or obligations if the representation is false.

This is just a short example of the laws and remedies available to a dissatisfied consumer in the state of Wyoming, I do not know them all, or to whom they may be applied, but they are there so you can find relief from your problems. So, call your state attorney general’s office and get started. Happy Trails

Don't be like this!

Consumer agencies. If you have called a retailer with a product complaint and received no gratification for your efforts, it is now time to play hardball. I would recommend, from this point, that you limit all correspondence with the merchant to emails. That way you have records of everything stated by the merchant. Now is the time for a subtle threat. Let him know that you have avenues for retribution that could make him uncomfortable. Many, less than sterling, retailers do not realize consumer rights exist and certain agencies out there enforce them. Let the store owner be aware that you know your rights and the organizations that will help administer them. Many times this one email should be enough to make a proprietor come around, if not it is time to call in the dogs.

A brief interlude before you call. Realize your complaint must be reasonable and you want a realistic solution. You are not going to get the product for free just because it was flawed. No consumer group will stand behind you on that. I am a retailer and have been for 38 years, so believe me when I say that some of you consumers are just plain deranged. I have a website and work on it frequently. One time I listed the price of a purse at $o.oo. A simple mistake made with no evil intent. A woman called and was furious that I would not sell her the bag for free. I told her no, it was an honest mistake. I corrected the error immediately after she was through shouting at me, but two days later the Better Business Bureau called to investigate her complaint. They understood that no one can expect to receive a free handbag when the merchant had made an honest error and corrected it right away. So, when making a complaint , be fair, or no one will take you seriously.

Now to the consumer agencies that can help you. The first is the Better Business Bureau (http://www.bbb.org/). Call or file through their website, which is very easy. They will call the retailer and mediate on your behalf. If the retailer chooses not to respond or capitulate, the BBB has no legal recourse to make him do so. However, they will give him a poor rating on their report and a smart merchant will not want that to happen because it is totally public on their site.

I like Complaints Board (complaintsboard.com), because it publishes your written complaint in full and allows you to be very explicit in your wording (no four letter words, but ripoff etc. is allowed). Again, the merchant does not like to see this type of negative  publicity in print.

Next edition I will mention some more consumer sites, and some government sites that are slower, but put more teeth in their bite.       Happy Trails

What do you do when you have a product complaint? First, calm down. Most retailers, especially the ones you have researched with consumer agencies, will respond quickly and take care of your problem. One hint, don’t sound mad or hysterical. State your complaint calmly and briefly. Wait to hear how the retailer responds.
In our store, I will offer a refund immediately, knowing that this is the customer’s biggest fear, getting ripped off for repairs, shipping etc. Oftentimes the buyer will cool down right away and we can discuss the problem practically. Most of my clients do not want a refund, they bought the product because they like it and just want it fixed or replaced with a minimum of effort and expense.
A good retailer will ask questions. Understand, he is not doubting your claim, he is simply trying to find a solution that is going to make you happy. For instance, a loose button on a coat is a quick fix. A torn seam is more difficult. If the item needs to be sent back to the store, the retailer should pay shipping charges regardless of whether it is a repair, exchange or replacement.
This first conversation with the retailer will either allay your fears or heighten them. Satisfactory replies to complaints should be along these lines;
| I’m really sorry for your inconvenience.
| You can have a full refund immediately.
| Yes, we can repair that problem, it should take _____ time.
| Yes, we can exchange that item for a new one, let me cover the shipping costs for you.
| No, I cannot get you a new item right away, but let me call the manufacturer immediately and I can tell you how long that would take. I will pay shipping costs.
| There are no restocking fees for refunds on faulty merchandise.

These type of responses should make you feel better and realize the service should be fine. Always remember that your first call needs to be calm and non-accusatory, every merchant sometimes fails and a refund was offered without hesitation. Just make sure the timelines stated, are adhered to.
If you are not happy with the first call, remember there are always consumer agencies to turn to.
More on consumer agencies, next edition.
Happy Trails

Protect Yourself

Purchasing on the internet can be a confusing and frustrating enterprise. You can view any number of items, compare prices, research info and quality. You can find out more about a product than you’ll ever need to know. The scary thing, however, is nobody knows until the item arrives, whether it fits the bill. Is the quality the same as specified, does it fit, is the color correct, does a button fall off? So, you want to send it back for repair or refund. You call the company and find out that their service after the sale is not quite the same as before the sale, as a matter of fact, it is downright schizophrenic. You want service, but after talking to the merchant, you realize you have a better chance of finding ice water in hell. Here’s what to do. It all starts before the purchase. Google The Better Business Bureau ( BBB ) on the internet or just enter BBB.org in your browser. When you get to the site, enter the business and press search. The BBB will bring up any complaints that have been entered against the business in the past 36 months from dissatisfied customers. They also give a grade to the business from A-F. You need to realize that the consumer has probably already called and complained to the retailer a few times already before calling BBB. Every complaint from a consumer, likely, represents, a number of phone calls to the retailer by the customer that the retailer chose to ignore. That is totally frustrating for the customer. So before you purchase online or, at a brick and mortar store, check the BBB rating for that retailer. If BBB does not list the retailer, or has no record for them, there have been no complaints. Now, to pull out my own trumpet and toot it, we at Jolly Jumbuck Leathers have a A+ rating with the BBB. My next blog will be about what all you dissatisfied consumers out there can do if you have already purchased a product and are unhappy with it. The BBB can help you, also I will list a number of state and federal agencies that wield some clout that can be effective. Happy Trails, Chuck

The purpose of the blog is to inform the consumer. We use our website as a commercial device to sell product, our blog’s job is to let let you into the back room. Future posts will help the consumer confront poor retail practices, complain about Chinese hegemony in the marketplace, discuss how to approach sales and recognize price for value. I want to invite questions about how retail works and close  the gaps between business and consumer. I want advice from readers as to my errors and I want to yell at consumers when they screw up. This blog is not about us, it’s about you. I realize thata retailer offering advice to consumers is like the lion asking a lamb into the jungle, but let’s work at building up some trust and see where it all goes.

My wife, son and I have a combined retail experience of over one hundred years in Jackson Hole Wyoming. The practical knowledge we have gained from this is something we would like to share. We have funny customer stories and advice that may help our future customers. Ask us anything; what’s the fishing like here in town, good places to eat, where to hike. Who, in this great country of ours is a good dry cleaner?Where does the president of PETA eat lunch? If I don’t know, I will make a good effort at finding out. Thanks for your attention. Chuck

The first series of articles I would like to publish are about consumer protection and satisfaction. Like I stated before, a retailer offering consumer advice is somewhat strange, but to me it makes sense. Many customers walk into our store for the first time acting either defensive or confrontational. Perhaps they have had a bad purchasing experience in the past and now distrust most merchants. What they do not realize is, that they are walking in with a lot of laws and organizations right behind them. They have rights and I, as a shop owner, know what those rights are and respect them.

It makes the shopping experience much more enjoyable if both the merchant and customer know the rules of the playground and that everyone plays fair. Also as a storeowner that plays by the rules, I want to see other store owners follow the same strictures. It behooves all of us to know the playground and have fun. So, peruse my next few articles and let me know what you think. Happy Trails

]]> http://jollyjumbuckleathers.com/blog/2011/03/16/a-consumer-info-blog-from-an-old-shearling-retailer/feed/ 0 http://jollyjumbuckleathers.com/blog/2011/02/17/welcome/ http://jollyjumbuckleathers.com/blog/2011/02/17/welcome/#comments Thu, 17 Feb 2011 18:44:50 +0000 JollyJumbuck http://jumbuck.circumerro.com/blog/?p=1

Our Shearling Coats are made from the the top ten percent of Spanish Merino skins tanned in Europe’s finest tannery. Our Fur Coats use the best skins manufactured around the world. Leather Coats in stock are all produced domestically in the U.S. by Remy Leather Fashions and are of the finest handmade quality. We are a family business that has been active in JACKSON HOLE, WY. for over 37 years. Check us out on BBB.com, in 37 years of business we have an A+ rating. We specialize in plus size shearling coats.

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