ComplaintsforInternational Greenhouse Contractors, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  08/17/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Purchase date 08/12/2023 order #***** for $80.18 product is 30% shadecloth panel with reinforced edges & grommets. The company states there is a 3 week lead time for S&H that I never saw & apparently from what I have seen on google many others say the same. The company refused to cancel the order then immediately sentbme an email that its on its way. I provided that email. When no shipping info was shown next day I called about that & got a rude customer service agent that states I should have read the fine print above the product.

  

  Business response

  08/24/2023

  Over the past week our customer service team and leadership have actively been in dialogue with the customer attempting to work through the issue. The initial customer call after the order was placed was on 8/14, at which the customer expressed frustration at the lead time for this custom fabricated piece of shade cloth.   As indicated on the attached screen shot for the product in question, our lead time is clearly indicated on all product pages at the time of purchase to ensure the customer knows what to expect before they make a purchase.  As such the customer's assertation that the lead time information is “fine print”, is misleading and does not qualify as deceptive practices.

  In order to assist the customer, at the conclusion of that initial contact, our customer service worked with the manufacturer to expedite the order to try to reach a timeline within expectations. On 8/16, the customer again contacted our customer service department to request the order be canceled. Our customer service did not refuse to cancel, but confirmed that, unfortunately, the order had been expedited and shipped, so it could not be canceled as it was already en route to the customer. This occurred *prior* to the request to cancel.
  
  Despite this, and the reduction of the lead time, the customer stated this was unacceptable and requested a refund. As we have been working unsuccessfully to either return the product or confirm if the product meant the customer’s needs, we will be issuing a full refund for the order to conclude the matter.

  Customer response

  08/24/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

• Initial Complaint

  12/20/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I placed an order for four (4) raised bed gardens on 12/4/22 (my card was charged immediately). Two were shipped on 12/6/22 and I received those via FedEx. Two weeks later I received an email stating that my order was out of stock (although FOUR were listed as "in stock" when I placed the order). I contacted the company via phone (spoke to ****) on Friday, 12/16/22 - he stated that more were due in that day and that I should call back Monday 12/19/22 to get a status, I requested a status via their online customer support request on 12/19/22, but did not get a response. I called back today (12/20/22) and spoke to a female employee ******?), who informed me that they would not be in stock now until 12/26/22. I asked if she was aware that the FTC has a "30-day rule" in this case, since the merchandise was listed as in stock when I purchased the items (she stated that she was unaware of this rule). The employee then started to get flippant when I pointed out that my card was charged instantly, and that all I wanted was my merchandise (that was listed as in stock at the time of purchase) in a reasonable time frame. This purchase was for a Christmas Gift, which now is not going to happen on time. The company listed the items as in stock at the time of purchase, and seems to be dodging questions about when delivery will occur for items for which they have been paid. There were no issues with payment that was made in good faith, on time. All I want is the items that I paid for, and for this company to be honest about delivery and when customers can expect their merchandise. I understand that they may be at the mercy of a supplier, but there were no indications of issue or anything out of stock at the time of purchase.

  

  Business response

  12/21/2022

  At the time of *** ********* order, the item’s ************** were indeed in-stock. Unfortunately, by the time the order was processed (1-2 business days at stated on our website) through our warehouse, two of the four items were remaining to ship. As *** ******* stated, the two items remaining in inventory were sent to him in the expected delivery timeline. Our system software is set up that if an out-of-stock item is due in within seven days, the item(s) will automatically be shipped as soon as we receive them in our warehouse. Unfortunately, in *** ******* case, the vendor changed our anticipated receive date several times in the last few weeks which caused a delay in initially communicating the backorder status. Once discovered that the item would not ship within seven days, an email communicating the backorder was sent to *** *******.
  
  When *** ******* called for clarification, both **** and ***** were only passing on information they had available to them at the time from our vendor. ***** offered *** ******* two options with his out-of-stock items; he could wait for the items to come back to stock, then delivered, or receive a refund. Unfortunately, neither of those options were acceptable to *** ******* and he demanded we ship the out-of-stock items immediately, which, as stated previously, would be impossible. He then hung up on ******
  Because *** ******* is concerned with Greenhouse Megastore adhering to the required 30-day FTC rule timeline he mentioned in his complaint (FTC 16 CFR Part 435), and because we are not confident the vendor will deliver the backordered item (RB-GA-404010) within the required timeline, and because he has not given consent to delay shipping as required by FTC 16 CFR Part 435, our only option to stay within the guidelines of FTC 16 CFR Part 435 is to refund *** ********* for his backordered items. Therefore, *** ******* has been refunded for the backordered items closing out the sale in question.  At Greenhouse Megastore, it is our goal to do everything within our power to ensure our customer is satisfied.  We regret that circumstances beyond our control prevented us from fulfilling all of this order and are sorry for any inconvenience this has caused.  We hope *** ******* will give us another opportunity to earn his business.
  

  Customer response

  12/21/2022

   I am rejecting this response because:
  The response by the business contains a untrue statements: "he demanded we ship the out-of-stock items immediately" is incorrect, as I stated that I had no choice but to wait. I never demanded immediate shipment.  The delay was not 7 days as stated, it was TWO WEEKS.  Yes, I did hang up on *****, because her repeated statement of "yeah, yeah yeah" was unprofessional, and not solving any issues.  At least **** offered help... I requested that my items be delivered, but if this business wants to just issue a refund and bail out, then ok.  I promise to never return, and can certainly relate my experiences to others.  If this company cannot follow the law, I refuse to patronize their business.  At no time was I asked if it was ok to wait forever to get my items.

  

  Business response

  12/22/2022

  Since there is no way for us to ship the backordered product, refunding your money for the unshipped portion of your order was the only option.  We are regretful at this outcome and will strive to make sure our systems are better integrated to make sure this doesn't happen again.  

  Customer response

  12/25/2022

   I am rejecting this response because:
  Although this case can be closed, the response is not acceptable - this company does not apologize for making up stories and leading customers to pay for things that are not even in stock.  I purchased items from their site, they took my money, and then gave me excuses.  Taking my money just to send it back is ridiculous.  Maybe they will fix this issue, but I won't be trying to find out if they have. 

  This case CANNOT be closed as "customer satisfied with outcome", and a comment should be made in this company's BBB reviews.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩