Sears’ mattress prices not so firm: Roseman

Sears Canada is the latest retailer to sell onlinegood-to-be-true prices.
Many customers snap up brands
Name mattress set in the range of $200 to $300.
The wrong price lasted 24 hours and briefly appeared a few days later.
Sears canceled the order, but only canceled it after charging people for their credit cards.
\"There is a system error that causes a very large number of mattresses (
Set or separate)
\"It matches the incorrect description and therefore the price is incorrect,\" said spokesman Vincent Bauer . \".
\"Once we realized, we immediately disabled the items so that they don\'t appear on the site again when bugs are fixed.
\"We have notified the affected customer of the error.
In most cases, we will send a gift card worth $25 as a gesture of goodwill and sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.
\"If the retailer makes a mistake, they don\'t have to comply with the price of the ad and take immediate steps to correct it.
But Sears also made a mistake in handling the mattress mess.
Here are some stories I have heard from customers.
Chad Simpson: after ordering a Sealy Posturpedic Sandy Lane pillow top king, he was suspicious
Size mattresses and spring suits are available for only $249. 99 (
Shipping and HST are $361. 53).
When he called sear\'s customer service center in the Philippines, he was told three times that the price would be cashed out.
He requested a transfer to Canadian customer service.
The representative said, \"because there is no problem with the price, nothing will happen.
\"You can hear what Simpson said and what he was told because he recorded the conversation and did 10-
YouTube videos called Sears don\'t respect their words. (
It has more than 1,100 views. )
When he contacted the supervisor, he found that his order number matched a pair of twinsSize of mattress (
No box spring)
It takes two weeks to see a refund on his credit card, \"I want the mattress I ordered or the equivalent mattress in exchange for the money they took-I\'m currently paying interest, he said.
\"Sears could have offered 50 cents for mattress purchases to customers affected by the fiasco, but still break even.
\"When a retailer outsource ahead of time, it has to deal with the consequences --
He believes that in the absence of tools for employees to properly investigate consumer complaints, line support is provided for foreign call centres.
\"These agents are appointed by the company to represent their interests.
If they told me I got what I ordered, I hope the word is binding. No take-backs.
He ordered a queen-
Only mattress size.
He called three times to confirm his order and was sure it was a mattress.
But the confirmation email says he received a box of springs.
Then he changed the order to the Queen.
Size of mattress and spring.
He said in his email that he wanted two copies. size set.
It happened twice.
When he tried to call Searle\'s headquarters in Toronto, he found out that the phone system sent him back to the Philippines and gave him a busy signal or message, \"your menu selection was incorrect.
\"After I forwarded his email, Paulin finally reached out to a senior executive at Sears.
They had a long discussion and he was happy with the results.
\"At the end of the day, each of my orders was canceled for reasons including \'product not available \'.
\"I would prefer to get an honest answer-there is confusion on the site,\" he said . \".
Kristie Fesuk: after ordering a double bed on January.
She received an email saying it would be sent out on January. 19.
She also spoke to two call center reps about the delivery date.
\"It has been confirmed many times and I think I can sell my daughter\'s bed.
I have to make room for the next bed, \"she said.
\"I rented a truck.
I only heard that the order was canceled when I called to see if it was possible to change the shipping address.
\"A manager who couldn\'t help me made five calls and spent three hours.
I received a $50 gift card because they wouldn\'t do more.
My credit card was charged and I haven\'t seen a refund yet.
Now, I didn\'t give my daughter a bed or pay for the truck.
Service is poor in many ways.
My point is: online error is a serious thing.
Sears assured the customer that the price will be respected and the bed will be delivered according to the order.
A small sign of appreciation does not make up for the pressure it brings.
Alan Rothman wrote about personal finance and consumer issues.
You can find her at eroseman @ the star. ca or www. ellenroseman.