Circuit City, Complaint, False Advertising, Bait and Switch, Illegal Selling Practices

Thu, 01 Feb 2007 10:22:05 -0800

On Tuesday, January 30th, 2007 in my home delivered newspaper was a Circuit City advertising 8-page flyer from Circuit City. Looking at the front as bold as can be (there are only 2 items listed) was a laptop computer with the features I have been looking for to buy, one for my wife and another one for my son Anthony who will be starting college in September. I went to my local Circuit City store at 7001 Sunrise Highway, Holbrook, NY 11741 to purchase two of these laptops at $649.99, price quoted in advertising flyer. I walked to the Computer dept.; ask for assistants in locating two of these laptops in the flyer. The salesman looked for about 5 minutes, then was gone for another 15 minutes. When he came back he told me that was a misprint. The price is $849.99. I told him I want the laptops for $649.99 the price quoted in the flyer. He refused. I asked for the store manager (Najee). I was told he was in a meeting there in the store and couldn't come see me and that they are not responsible for advertising misprints. I again asked for the store manager and was told he was home now. I then asked for whoever was acting manager presently. After another 15 minutes Andrew came to see me. He told me the same thing about misprints. He said he would give me $50.00 off another computer. I told him I want to buy two of the ones in the flyer for the price quoted at $649.99. He refused to sell it to me. I have contacted CEO Philip J. Schoonover who doesn't return my calls but has his supposedly Executive Assistant Mr. Dagenhart called me to tell me that Circuit City is only standing behind the $50.00 off offer given to me at the store. I feel I should be given the offer stated in the advertising flyer. Also speaking to Circuit City's consumer service people I was given case number 547209. Are large corporations allowed to lure consumers into their store with false advertising and should consumers have to deal with these horrible selling practices?

State of Virginia, Office of Consumer Affairs, VDACS Customer Service, transcript of chat session.

Below is the complete transcript of your chat session:

Company: virginia.gov
Department: Office of Consumer Affairs
Operator: VDACS Customer Service
Teresa.Finch@vdacs.virginia.gov
Visitor: Dennis
Chat Info: Wed 01/31/07 10:27 am

Dennis: What action can I take against a large company who advertized in their weekly flyer a price and will not honor the price quoted in the flyer? This companies headquarters is in VA, the store is here in NY.
You are now speaking with VDACS Customer Service of Office of Consumer Affairs.
VDACS Customer Service: Did they print a retraction at any time?
Dennis: A retraction to a flyer?
Dennis: No
Dennis: The flyer came out yesterday morning I was at my store at 3 pm.
Dennis: When I went to the store the salesman went looking for this partucular laptop and couldn't find it.
VDACS Customer Service: You may download a copy of our complaint form from our website http://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/forms-pdf/cp/oca/complaint/oca1complaint.pdf
Dennis: Do I file also with the NY Attorney General?
VDACS Customer Service: Where is the store located? Where are you located?
Dennis: The company headquarters is in Richmond, VA.
Dennis: The store was in Long Island, NY
VDACS Customer Service: You would file with us then.
Dennis: Seeing how this company is handling me, there must be many filed against them. Circuit City
VDACS Customer Service: Hold on and I'll check.
Dennis: Thank You.
VDACS Customer Service: Our complaint database separates them by store location. Which location did you go to?
Dennis: The store is here in Long Island, NY
VDACS Customer Service: I have 85 a total of 85 complaints.
Dennis: 7001 Sunrise Highway, Holbrook, NY 11741
Dennis: Anything to do with false advertising?
VDACS Customer Service: I have a total of 85 complaints.
VDACS Customer Service: Most of them are asking for a refund or a rebate did not arrive as promised.
Dennis: The product I wanted to buy were 2 laptops at $ 649.99 each. They told me after I went to buy them that they are $ 849.99 each.
VDACS Customer Service: Fill out the complaint form and send a copy of the flyer and we'll see what we can do.
Dennis: I have tried to reach CEO Philip Schoonover but he refuses to talk to me.
Dennis: Thank You.
VDACS Customer Service: You're welcome.
Dennis: For your help. Have a great day.
VDACS Customer Service: You, too.
Dennis: Should I file here in NY as well?
VDACS Customer Service: No, sir.
Dennis: OK

Dennis - Ronkonkoma, New York
U.S.A.

Email I received 1/31/07 from Chairman, President, and CEO Philip J. Schoonover

Subj:
Date: 1/31/07 11:09:58 AM Eastern Standard Time
From: Chief_Executive@circuitcity.com
Sent from the Internet

January 31, 2007

Mr. Dennis

Thank you for contacting my office with concerns about an advertising error. As Chairman, President, and CEO,
I welcome information that helps us evaluate our performance and wished to offer this brief response. My assistant, Jerry Dagenhart, relayed the details of your recent phone conversation.

I can understand your frustration when our store advised that they were unable to sell you the Toshiba model A135S4407 computer
for the incorrectly-advertised price of $649.99.

Unfortunately, due to Circuit City's volume of advertising, errors are sometimes unavoidable. It is our policy not to honor prices or special offers, which appear either in print or broadcast advertisements or special promotions, when the prices or special offers are in error.

Naturally, we never intend to mislead or disappoint our patrons and apologize for any inconvenience you or other valued customers
experienced as a result of the misprint.

I understand that Mr. Dagenhart offered you a fifty dollar price adjustment toward any Laptop computer purchase , not already on sale or reduced in price, and I am extending that offer for thirty days from your receipt of this letter.

Thank you again for taking the time to offer candid feedback, Mr. Dennis. We hope you'll give us an opportunity to regain your confidence in one of our over 600 stores nationwide or on the Web at circuitcity.com.

Sincerely,
Philip J. Schoonover
PJS/me

Dennis - Ronkonkoma, New York
U.S.A.
Email I sent to Circuit City Chairman, President, and CEO Philip J. Schoonover

Subj: Re: Dennis , case number 547209
Date: 1/31/07 11:50:45 AM Eastern Standard Time
From:
To: Chief_Executive@circuitcity.com

Dear Philip J. Schoonover:

The laptop in question states in the advertising flyer: Toshiba Satellite Notebook features Intel Centrino Duo Mobile Technology, Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T5200. Windows Vista Premium Edition, Intel Pro/Wireless 802.11 a/b/g Lan, Burns and plays DVD's & CD's, 1024MB DDR2 memory. 160GB hard drive, 5x1 media reader for fast, easy file transfers. These features are on the Toshiba model number A135S4467. This is the model I want two units for $649.99 each. I have filed a complaints with the Richmond Better Business Bureau and Virginia Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Office of Consumer Affairs. As follows: On Tuesday, January 30th, 2007 in my home delivered newspaper was a Circuit City advertising 8-page flyer from Circuit City. Looking at the front as bold as can be (there are only 2 items listed) was a laptop computer with the features I have been looking for to buy, one for my wife and another one for my son Anthony who will be starting college in September. I went to my local Circuit City store at 7001 Sunrise Highway, Holbrook, NY 11741 to purchase two of these laptops at $649.99, price quoted in advertising flyer. I walked to the Computer dept.; ask for assistants in locating two of these laptops in the flyer. The salesman looked for about 5 minutes, then was gone for another 15 minutes. When he came back he told me that was a misprint. The price is $849.99. I told him I want the laptops for $649.99 the price quoted in the flyer. He refused. I asked for the store manager (Najee). I was told he was in a meeting there in the store and couldn't come see me and that they are not responsible for advertising misprints. I again asked for the store manager and was told he was home now. I then asked for whoever was acting manager presently. After another 15 minutes Andrew came to see me. He told me the same thing about misprints. He said he would give me $50.00 off another computer. I told him I want to buy two of the ones in the flyer for the price quoted at $649.99. He refused to sell it to me. I have contacted CEO Philip J. Schoonover who doesn't return my calls but has his supposedly Executive Assistant Mr. Dagenhart called me to tell me that Circuit City is only standing behind the $50.00 off offer given to me at the store. I feel I should be given the offer stated in the advertising flyer. Also speaking to Circuit City's consumer service people I was given case number 547209. Are large corporations allowed to lure consumers into their store with false advertising and should consumers have to deal with these horrible selling practices?

This will also go all over the Internet. Rip-off Report.com for example.

Sincerely yours,
Dennis

Dennis - Ronkonkoma, New York
U.S.A.

Another Option

I don't know if this will help you, or if it is even the best "ethical" option, but you could take the flyer to another electronics/computer store that does price-matching. You would have to find the same computer though. And I don't know if this would be considered "ripping-off" that vendor, but it is a thought.

Richard - Nottingham, Maryland
U.S.A.

Thank You, Another Option

Thank You for reading my Circuit City Stores, false advertising, selling practices, CEO Philip J. Schoonover, Better Business Bureau, bbb.org , Virginia Attorney General, oag.state.va.us Richmond Virginia. I beleive that Circuit City most act in this matter. To go to another vendor is not the right thing to do. Hopefully this will open up eyes for Government Agencies and consumers to watch over companies such as Circuit City and not allowing them to operate in this nature. If more people would step up to the plate and file complaints with the Attorney General's Office and the Better Business Bureau we can stop big business from ripping us off. We the people run this country not big business with their tax cuts and lobbying. Let's take it back. Unite and fight.

Contact Circuit City if you have any complaints. You must file with Virginia Government Agencies since this is where Circuit City’s headquarters are.

Circuit City
9950 Mayland Dr.
Richmond, VA 23233
Customer Service: 800-251-2665
Fax: 804-527-4164

Philip J. Schoonover, Chairman, President, and CEO
Email: Chief_Executive@circuitcity.com
Phone: 804-527-4000

Bill Cimino, Director Public Relations Circuit City
Phone: 804-418-8163

John Milliron, Executive Response Supervisor
Phone: 800-251-2665
Fax: 804-934-3865

Mikele Ervin, Executive Response Specialist
Office of the Chairman, President, and CEO
Circuit City Stores
804 527-4000, ext. 3221

Mary Louise Roberts
Circuit City Legal Department
Email: Mary_Louise_Roberts@circuitcity.com

Anna Marie Henderson
Circuit City Legal Counsel
Email: amhenderson@kaufcan.com
Fax: 804-418-8248

File a complaint with the Better Business Bureau
www.bbb.org

File a complaint with your credit card company against Circuit City.

File a complaint with your state's Attorney General's office
http://www.naag.org/ag/full_ag_table.php

File a complaint with Virginia's Attorney General's office. This is where Circuit City's corporate office is located.
www.oag.state.va.us

Dennis - Ronkonkoma, New York
U.S.A.

Sutori - Stories Tagged With 'Affairs'

Circuit City, Complaint, False Advertising, Bait and Switch, Illegal Selling Practices

Another Option