Half Price Books Records Magazines ripoff lied intimidation insults confidential phone driver's liscense Phoenix Arizona
Purchased used software and asked the cashier if there was a mnoney back refund policy. She said yes, if you return it in 7 days.
I returned it in 2. Manager, Scott Christensen, states no cash refunds. Offers store refund and non-verbally indicates I should spend the refund at that time.
I requested a refund card. He demanded my driver's license and my phone number. I gave him the liscence and asked why he needed my phone number. He began saying it was necessary to activate the refund card. I said what if I don't have a phone. He stated, "You are being difficult" several times. He became insulting in his manner when I stated I did not want any telemarketing phone calls.
My general impression of the store, where I have shopped successfuly before, is that the staff thinks nothing of lying to customers. I will spend the card and never return.
Generally, the store is OK. Just don't believe the people who work there. Make sure to get the name of anyone who helps you.
Manager
Saw My Driver's License, Arizona
U.S.A.
4 Updates & Rebuttals
Joe
Austin,Texas,
U.S.A.
HALF PRICE BOOKS APPARENTLY RIPS YOU OFF NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE!
#5Consumer Suggestion
Thu, March 04, 2010
THE PRICES ARE GETTING LOWER AND THE PERSONS WHO WORK THERE TREAT YOU LIKE GARBAGE -- LIKE YOU STOLE THE BOOKS.
THEY WERE MY BOOKS BUT I DID NOT LIKE THEIR ATTITUDE AND I WILL NEVER GO TO ANY HALF-PRICE BOOK STORE AGAIN.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEND A TEAM OF GYPSIES IN THERE BUT THEY DO NOT KNOW HOW TO READ.
THEY ARE STEALING FROM YOU IF THEY HAVE THE IMPLIED PROMISE TO BUY YOUR BOOKS, CASSETTE TAPES, DVDs, ETC. AND AFTER YOU HAVE UNLOADED THEM, THEY TELL YOU TO WAIT WHILE THEY FIGURE OUT HOW MUCH YOUR BOOKS ARE WORTH --THEN THEY PUT THEM IN WITH THE B OOKS THEY ARE GOING TO SELL ---AND PAY YOU NOTHING AT ALL. NOT EVEN A PENNY.
YOU HAVE SUDDENLY DONATED ALL THE BOOKS YOU HAVE BROUGHT IN TO SELL.
SO THERE IS FALSE ADVERTING INVOLVED TOO.
THEY DON'T GUARANTEE YOU A FAIR PRICE BUT TO TAKE YOUR MERCHANDISE AND THEN TELL YOU THAT YOU HAVE DONATED IT AND WILL NOT RETURN IT TO YOU IS TANTAMONT TO THEFT --ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY TELL YOU THAT YOU WILL HAVE TO PROVE IT WAS YOURS AND NOT THEIRS.
THAT IS THEFT AND IT IS FRAUD.
THEY PEDDLE YOUR PHONE NUMBER TO TELEMARKETERS SO I GIVE THEM A FAKE ONE THAT HAS BEEN DISCONNECTED.... HAPPY TELEMARKETING TO A GHOST NUMBERS.
I REALLY HATE THEIR RADIO COMMERCIALS WHEN THE NICE OLD MAN COMES ON THE AIR AND TELLS YOU HOW WONDERFUL HALF-PRICE BOOKS IS.
I HAVE WRITTEN A RAP FOR THEM THAT IS MUCH MORE TRUTHFUL BUT SINCE THIS IS A G-RATED SITE, I CAN NOT PUT IT HERE.
DO NOT SHOP AT HALF-PRICE BOOKS!
THEY ALSO GIVER YOUNGER BOOK SELLERS MORE MONEY FOR THEIR BOOKS THAN THEY DO FOR OLDER PEOPLE EVEN IF THE OLDER PEOPLE BRING IN RARER OR BETTER BOOKS.
Chris
Cleveland,Ohio,
United States of America
PUT UP OR SHUT UP!
#5REBUTTAL Owner of company
Thu, December 03, 2009
THIS WEBSITE WAS CREATED FOR CONSUMERS TO EXPOSE CROOKED BUISNESSES. THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT THIS PATRON DID. THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT!!! IT'S TIME TO PUT UP OR SHUT UP!!!!!
Joe
Austin,Texas,
U.S.A.
They Ripped Me Off...
#5Consumer Comment
Mon, June 30, 2008
In my case, they will not LIE to me ANYMORE because I REFUSE to SHOP THERE ANYMORE.
I DO NOT DONATE MY MERCHANDISE TO A FOR-PROFIT CORPORATION.
The last time I looked, Half-Price Books did NOT have an IRS tax-exempt status that I know anything about...
B
Milwaukee,Wisconsin,
U.S.A.
we got this all the time...
#5UPDATE EX-employee responds
Sat, January 27, 2007
I worked for this company (not this store) for several years. The reason behind having to get a phone number for a return card was so that we could prevent people who were consistently buying things for a few days then returning them for store credit to buy more things--basically using HPB as a rental store. You literally could not get the computer to give a return card the money without a phone number; believe me, I tried.
HPB has a strict privacy policy, they neither "share" nor sell your private phone number, address, name, email address drivers license info, etc. EVER. Period.
My store, at least, had a sign deliniating that privacy policy, and I beleive they sent the same sign to all 80+ stores. I don't know if that store has that posted as we did, but they should. The employees don't care about your personal information, and they hardly even look at the numbers associated with return cards, except to check for repeat offenders.
I agree with you that Scott was being slightly rude, but you were being difficult. You have a phone number, but were unwilling to give it to him. He has to have it. Yes, the other employee gave you the wrong info. Software was the only thing that you couldn't get a cash refund on, no matter what. Yes, Scott should have apologized for whomever that was, and handled the situation better. I agree.
However, I don't agree that this is a rip-off. If he reached into your wallet and stole money from it, that would have been a rip off. There was no lying, intimidation or insults, either. I think you are over exaggerating. I don't think this was on purpose, I think it was simply a mistake. Please use more consideration in the future when you start bad-mouthing a company. Take a while to cool off before you fly off the handle.