Complaint Review: CEX Philadelphia Complete Entertainment Exchange

I came in, as I have a few times before, to browse around.  This time, I decided to buy something - five laptop RAM chips totaling $9 before tax.  I told the employee behind the counter that I'd like all of the RAM chips behind the counter - which I had counted through the glass as 4 chips at $2 each, and 1 chip at $1, totaling $9.  The employee took the chips out, brought them to the register, but found he did not know how to ring them up.  He called to a manager, who showed him.  Several minutes later, the employee said "$11.88"

I initially thought I had miscounted the chips, and swiped my card thinking there was 5 of the $2 chips instead of only 4.  After swiping the card, I asked the employee if there was indeed a total of 6 chips, and not 5 as I had initially thought.  The employee counted the chips, and immediately realized he had mistakenly scanned the barcode one too many times, and charged me for one too many items.

He asked me to wait while he called the manager over, because I had already swiped my credit card, and there was no way to cancel it at this point.  Initially, the manager suggested that I take an extra chip, as I had initially said I wanted "All" of them.  I responded that I would, if he had it, but he did not have any more in the store.

At this point, the manager and the employee spent several minutes trying to figure out how to refund the $2.00 overcharge back to my card.  After a few minutes, I suggested that I'd be fine with simply taking the $2.00 back in cash.  They agreed, and proceeded to try to determine how to do this.  Eventually, they said something about "opening an account" for me, and asked for my driver's license. 

By now, nearly 10 minutes had passed, and I was eager to leave to store.  I handed them my card without question.  The manager and the employee spent several more minutes with my card, my merchandise, and eventually several printed receipts - all the while arguing and furiously typing on the computer. They eventually handed me my merchandise in small, card-sized plastic holders, with my receipt wrapped around it.  I placed all of this in my pack, and left for the 10 minute walk to the South Street parking lot, and half-hour drive home.

Upon looking through my items when I arrived home, I noticed with some horror that I did not have my drivers license.  I realized that the cashier had not handed it back to me during the protracted refund process.  Dreading the long drive back to the city, and the daunting prospect of finding parking at this now late hour on a Saturday night amongst all the bars and restaurants, I decided to look up the phone number of the store, and call to make sure they could hold my license until the next day.

20 minutes of scouring the internet and phone book, I realize that YOU DO NOT HAVE ANY PHONE NUMBERS.  Not on your websites contact information, not in Google, not in the phone book.  I even checked the registration information for your website, which gives UK phone number.  Things are not looking good.

So, I get back in the car, and re-drive the 30 minutes into the city.  I spend 15 minutes or so finding a parking spot in the now EXTEMELY crowded Saturday-night South Street area.  I (quite ironically) pay $2.00 at the meter for parking.  I walk about 10 minutes to the store.  I get in, describe my situation the new employee behind the counter.  She finds the card, and makes a bit of a joke about it, as Ill recreate below:

Employee: Oh, right, I think I do have your card here, as long as your name is well, what is your name?  Ok, Sean and what is your last name?  Ok, thats right.  So um, where do you live then, Sean Malseed?

Its at this point where I mention that Im a bit frustrated with the ordeal, and Id just like my card back.  I know I share some small part of blame for not checking everything when he handed the receipt and merchandise to me, but the whole night had turned into a huge ordeal and hassle due to the mistakes made by your employees.   I also mention that I would up paying the $2.00 that I was overcharged by the first employee in parking to retrieve the license that he forgot to give back to me, in addition to the time and gas spent driving back down to the city which has all been quite frustrating. 

What did she do?  She laughed a little.  Yes, thats right straight in my face.

I am glad that I have experience working in retail, because its taught me to hold my tongue and temper, even in the most aggravating of situations.  I asked what the phone number of the store was, and what her name was.  She gleefully responded that stores do not have phones, due to something she described happening in Boston.  I retorted that Cmon, ALL retail stores must have SOME phone.  No. she responded, smiling.  We just dont have one.  She handed me some small photocopied paper with a coupon on it, and said that Everything I would need to contact them on the internet is here.

I left the paper on the counter, and simply walked out without saying another word.