"Since the website is so unbelievable slow," she writes. "The menu options to pay by phone are a twisted labyrinth that automatically send to you a customer service representative if you screw up (and you will with this god-awful menu). You are by this time in tears, and THEN you are informed that it will cost you $15 to speak with a customer service representative -no matter what your issue is."
Christi doesn't understand why Mervyn's is doing this. "I know they are going out of business, but really? Has the corporate world gone so greedy that they are going to take people that are trying to pay them money for everything they can? I am so angry about this that I don't care If I get put on the no-fly list because I have two stink-eyes on a puss-face right now."
Mervyn's closeout sale. Everything is being liquidated, including, and especially, customer service.
(Photo: Ben+Sam)
]]>Please dont blame Mervyns....check out why it goes bankrupted at this week's businessweek. Hint! having to do with greedy private equity firms stripping every hard assets out of their target company and let died.
]]>Just like the Great KMart Shutdown, you only see the once "busy" shells of their stores.
There are two lots where a Mervyn's used to sit, its been there for close to five years now.
Has it been sold? Nope. Both of them are still the buildings with the faded "Mervyn's" logo on it.
]]>Two stink-eyes on a puss-face, eh? ...I really don't have any sort of followup to that.
]]>and when you click on 'apply for a credit card' THIS also makes it abundantly evident that there is a closure going on:
"We are no longer opening new accounts for the Mervyns credit card program. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Thank you for understanding."
out of curiousity i clicked on the links to buy a gift card and both pages failed to open, in both firefox and IE - but that could be a connection error
]]>The fact that Mervyn's is in Chap 11 liquidation has nothing to do with this reader's unfortunate situation. Check out the private equity article that John in Brooklyn refers too - BusinessWeek.com
]]>@kbarrett: The op is complaining about SAP.
The German software company? I think we got off track somewhere.
]]>@ALaterDayTD: She's trying to make a payment. This isn't a tech support call. Which M does she have to RTF in order to make a F'ing payment?
]]>Is this why Consumerist tried to download a file to my computer? And am I going to have to fork over $15 to complain to the proper ad wizards (as I'm guessing it had something to do with one of the ads)?
]]>Pay by Phone is for desperate people who screwed up opportunities to pay on time earlier via snail mail or over the internet.
The op is complaining about SAP.
]]>@Hawkins: Most credit card companies charge $15 to pay via check via phone via phone robot. They get the cash because people are usually desparate by that time since they don't warranty that online payments get done the same day.
Funny thing about how that free online technology "doesn't" work for the customers benefit but a $15 phone call will...
]]>i.e., stupid phone robot machine.
]]>Unless it was disclosed in advance (when signing up), I don't see how it's could be justified...
]]>I got some cheap slacks but honestly it was no where near the "everything must go and is drastically reduced" state they advertise.
]]>It's free to pay through IVR (FD: I have no idea what that means), but it's $15 to talk to pay by phone. Once you've already stated your intention to pay by phone, the system assumes that's what you're going to do when you make a mistake.
The phone tree is byzantine, and impossible to navigate, and screw-ups are all but inevitable, but that's what the charge is. As long as no one is lying to me, it's not just a unilateral $15 leveled at all customers that talk to human beings.
]]>The funny thing would be if they called you back and you requested $15 from them to speak to you.
]]>So you get a hold of a rep, and before you even start talking they have to process a $15 payment? If they are unhelpful, can you do a chargeback?
]]>Because it sounds like they don't want the payment. ;)
]]>If you would like to read my comment please submit $15 to ................
]]>Quite a few companies let you RTFM for free, but charge a support fee to talk to someone or get any real answers.
]]>@Git Em SteveDave loves this guy->★: Yeah but that is a specific case. It would be similar to if they charged for technical support. If they indiscriminantly charge for everything, they are discouraging people from trying to follow-up on things to which they are entitled (return policy, etc.).
]]>Unless there are clear cases where they will refund the $15 "deposit," I am pretty sure this is illegal.
]]>Wonder if I can use this method on my relatives during the holiday season....
Poor girl.
]]>