- Report: #31891
Complaint Review: Char-Broil - Columbus Georgia
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Char-Broil
www.charbroil.com Columbus, Georgia, U.S.A.
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Char-Broil gas grill ripoff Columbus Georgia
A History of My Experience with Char-Broil
WEEK #1
August 18 2002:I purchased a Char-Broil gas grill (Mod.# 4638294). I am missing 5 pieces including the cooking grate, the 2 warming racks and the front panel that keeps the legs from folding up under the grill.
I contacted the grill service center like it says in directions: "Should you encounter any problem, Call us first. Do not return this product to the store." I'm told parts will ship in 3 weeks.
WEEK #3
September 5: I contacted the service center to check the status of my order. Tomika said the warehouse is backlogged, and hopefully my order will ship in 7 to 10 buisness days. Tomika blamed the holdup on the Labor Day holiday. But Labor Day occured a full 2 weeks after I placed my order. I told Tomika that was unacceptable, and that I wanted to talk to a supervisor. She tansfered me to her supervisor Vicki. Vicki said the order will be filled today and I will have parts "no later than Septerber 17th."
WEEK #4
September 15: I contact the service center for an update. I am told the front panel is out of stock,and there is no date for when it will come in. They are holding my entire order until the front panel arrives at the warehouse.
September 18: I received a package from Char-Broil. It contains only 4 of the 5 missing pieces. The front panel is not included. The front panel is required in the first step of grill assembly. The legs will buckle if the front panel is not in place. The grill is unable to stand up without the front panel.
WEEK #5
September 27: I received a postcard from Char-Broil: "Per Federal Trade Commission law, your order must be cancelled unless you further permit us to hold it open." But I NEED the front panel. I can not get the gas tank under the grill because the grill won't stand up without the front panel. Once again, I contact the service center. The representative says she thinks they will get parts in on October 10, but she is not sure. I ask to speak to supervisor Vicki again. I am on hold for 45 minutes. No one ever checks on me durring this time. Frustrated, I hang up.
WEEK #6
October 4: I searched the internet for 'Char-Broil' and 'W.C. Bradley'. (W.C. Bradley ownes Char-Broil, Thermos and Coleman brands). After sending this story to 25 different @charbroil.com and @wcbradley.come e-mails addresses I get a messages left on my answering machine. It says "I am having a substitute panel shipped to you overnight and this is something you can use until the correct panel will arrive and we still expect that that will arrive sometime next week. But since we can never be sure, we have found a substitute panel that will work and we'll go ahead and sent that out, and we'll keep your order open and have the regular panel sent as well."
October 5: I do not leave the house in anticipation of using my 6 week old grill for the very first time . The package does not arrive.
grilltrouble
Waterford, Michigan
WEEK #1
August 18 2002:I purchased a Char-Broil gas grill (Mod.# 4638294). I am missing 5 pieces including the cooking grate, the 2 warming racks and the front panel that keeps the legs from folding up under the grill.
I contacted the grill service center like it says in directions: "Should you encounter any problem, Call us first. Do not return this product to the store." I'm told parts will ship in 3 weeks.
WEEK #3
September 5: I contacted the service center to check the status of my order. Tomika said the warehouse is backlogged, and hopefully my order will ship in 7 to 10 buisness days. Tomika blamed the holdup on the Labor Day holiday. But Labor Day occured a full 2 weeks after I placed my order. I told Tomika that was unacceptable, and that I wanted to talk to a supervisor. She tansfered me to her supervisor Vicki. Vicki said the order will be filled today and I will have parts "no later than Septerber 17th."
WEEK #4
September 15: I contact the service center for an update. I am told the front panel is out of stock,and there is no date for when it will come in. They are holding my entire order until the front panel arrives at the warehouse.
September 18: I received a package from Char-Broil. It contains only 4 of the 5 missing pieces. The front panel is not included. The front panel is required in the first step of grill assembly. The legs will buckle if the front panel is not in place. The grill is unable to stand up without the front panel.
WEEK #5
September 27: I received a postcard from Char-Broil: "Per Federal Trade Commission law, your order must be cancelled unless you further permit us to hold it open." But I NEED the front panel. I can not get the gas tank under the grill because the grill won't stand up without the front panel. Once again, I contact the service center. The representative says she thinks they will get parts in on October 10, but she is not sure. I ask to speak to supervisor Vicki again. I am on hold for 45 minutes. No one ever checks on me durring this time. Frustrated, I hang up.
WEEK #6
October 4: I searched the internet for 'Char-Broil' and 'W.C. Bradley'. (W.C. Bradley ownes Char-Broil, Thermos and Coleman brands). After sending this story to 25 different @charbroil.com and @wcbradley.come e-mails addresses I get a messages left on my answering machine. It says "I am having a substitute panel shipped to you overnight and this is something you can use until the correct panel will arrive and we still expect that that will arrive sometime next week. But since we can never be sure, we have found a substitute panel that will work and we'll go ahead and sent that out, and we'll keep your order open and have the regular panel sent as well."
October 5: I do not leave the house in anticipation of using my 6 week old grill for the very first time . The package does not arrive.
grilltrouble
Waterford, Michigan
2 Updates & Rebuttals
UPDATE
#20
Wed, October 09, 2002
WEEK #7 October 6: The package does not arrive. How does Char-Broil define 'overnight'? October 7:The overnight package from Char-Broil arrives 2 days late, but it does arrive. Despite the fact that it is now 56 degrees outside, I assemble the grill. The substitute panel that they found is a perfect fit, which makes me ask -Why didn't I receive this in August or September? Why did it have to wait untill the second week of October, seven weeks after purchase? Why did it require 25 e-mails from a customer before Char-Broil would see fit to supply that customer with all of the parts required to assemble the brand new grill. This story would not have been written if back in August or September some one had said "We are sorry for the inconvience." But to date no one has expressed any regret over this except me. It would sound a lot better if I could tell my family, friends, co-workers and citizens of the internet that "Char-Broil gave me a BBQ apron/set of grill tools/cover for the grill/gift certificate for their online store as a token of their thanks for my patience and understanding." Instead I have to tell them how I bought a Char-Broil grill when the outdoor temperature was in the mid 80's but I couldn't use it utill the temperature had dropped to the mid 50's. Tell them how I had to literally fight Char-Broil for seven weeks before I could even assamble the grill. I received a responce today from a Char-Broil emplyee that I e-mailed on 10/4. He says he is going on vacation untill the 14th, and will respond when he returns. That's customer service? October 9: I copied my experiences for weeks 6 and 7 from this post and e-mailed it to Char-broil. This time I CC all 25 people so that they all see each other. I received this responce today: "Mr Zurvalec, I just wanted to pass along our sincere apology for the trouble and inconvenience you have experienced. As a token of our concern, I am sending our Top of the Line Grill Cover and our Magellan Tool Collection. This is being shipped today for Thursday delivery. I would greatly appreciate your acknowledgement, either by return email or by telephone. This is from a Team Lead, Correspondence/Claims @bradleydirect.com. I have not e-mailed anyone from bradleydirect.com. This is the mailorder arm of W.C. Bradley. These are the people I dealt with on the phone from weeks 1 through 5. Apparently my e-mail has trickled through their system and someone was forced to respond.
UPDATE
#30
Wed, October 09, 2002
WEEK #7 October 6: The package does not arrive. How does Char-Broil define 'overnight'? October 7:The overnight package from Char-Broil arrives 2 days late, but it does arrive. Despite the fact that it is now 56 degrees outside, I assemble the grill. The substitute panel that they found is a perfect fit, which makes me ask -Why didn't I receive this in August or September? Why did it have to wait untill the second week of October, seven weeks after purchase? Why did it require 25 e-mails from a customer before Char-Broil would see fit to supply that customer with all of the parts required to assemble the brand new grill. This story would not have been written if back in August or September some one had said "We are sorry for the inconvience." But to date no one has expressed any regret over this except me. It would sound a lot better if I could tell my family, friends, co-workers and citizens of the internet that "Char-Broil gave me a BBQ apron/set of grill tools/cover for the grill/gift certificate for their online store as a token of their thanks for my patience and understanding." Instead I have to tell them how I bought a Char-Broil grill when the outdoor temperature was in the mid 80's but I couldn't use it utill the temperature had dropped to the mid 50's. Tell them how I had to literally fight Char-Broil for seven weeks before I could even assamble the grill. I received a responce today from a Char-Broil emplyee that I e-mailed on 10/4. He says he is going on vacation untill the 14th, and will respond when he returns. That's customer service? October 9: I copied my experiences for weeks 6 and 7 from this post and e-mailed it to Char-broil. This time I CC all 25 people so that they all see each other. I received this responce today: "Mr Zurvalec, I just wanted to pass along our sincere apology for the trouble and inconvenience you have experienced. As a token of our concern, I am sending our Top of the Line Grill Cover and our Magellan Tool Collection. This is being shipped today for Thursday delivery. I would greatly appreciate your acknowledgement, either by return email or by telephone. This is from a Team Lead, Correspondence/Claims @bradleydirect.com. I have not e-mailed anyone from bradleydirect.com. This is the mailorder arm of W.C. Bradley. These are the people I dealt with on the phone from weeks 1 through 5. Apparently my e-mail has trickled through their system and someone was forced to respond.
