So the first thing I did was call in to Tiger Direct and ask what was up with my order - since I had not received it and it showed both SHIPPED and CANCELLED.

I was told that they ran out of stock and the best thing they could do was give me free shipping on a comparable model (40-50$ more expensive). I explained my entire scenario and asked why it stated shipped and then later cancelled and he admitted it made no sense. I also asked him why I was never notified if my order was cancelled and after stuttering he said, "It shows up here that you were notified - by mail." I explained that I checked my email regularly and never received anything and he said it was by REGULAR MAIL. Are you kidding me? They send out order cancellations by REGULAR MAIL when someone orders online? I'm calling lies on that one. By the way, I never received an order cancellation in the mail either to this day. He said I'd have to speak to a manager to escalate the issue - told me to call back at 9:30am.

I called back at 9:30am and waited on hold for 3 minutes and no PERSON even picked up (never mind a manager) so I resorted to email to follow up.

I asked for a comparable model at the same price in email and explained the inconvenience that was caused because I spent time returning a different model at Best Buy once the order was shown as shipped.

The response I received 6 days later:

"We apologize for any inconvenience. The reason this order was canceled was because we longer had this item in stock. Unfortunately we can not go below our cost for the replacement camera that you want.

TigerDirect.com and TigerDirect.ca are part of the same parent corporation but they operate individually and as separate companies. TigerDirect.com is U.S. based with U.S. offices, employees and warehouse facilities. TigerDirect.ca is a Canadian company with Canadian offices, Canadian employees and a warehouse which accepts returns from customers in Canada. As separate companies each has its own unique and specific costs of doing business. In many cases similar or even identical products are procured from different distributors, suppliers or vendors under different terms and costs. Delivery costs, duties, taxes, returns costs and provisions for warranty coverage all play a part in determining sales price as do operational costs ranging from employees salaries to facilities leases and overhead. Each of these costs varies by market and these variances may result in different sales prices for similar or even identical products. Sales prices may differ but Tigerdirect.com and TigerDirect.ca both exist to bring value to all our customers in each of the markets in which we operate."

Nowhere did they acknowledge the fact that they messed up with the shipped/cancelled and explain why that happened. Nor did the tell me why I was never notified that my order had been cancelled - had they done this, I would have kept the camera from best buy.

Matt wrote back and explained again how he felt they should honor the original price, since they told him it was in stock when he placed the order, then told him it had shipped, and without those two pieces of information he would have never returned the other camera (which was no longer on sale) to Best Buy.

The is the brief reply I received from them where they quote me:

"I spent my time and money returning another camera to bestbuy which is no longer available on sale."

thisd was a choice issued by you as we have no involvement in the transaction between you and Best Buy

CompUSA - The Final Days [So Wonderfully Idyllic]

Today, we made history!

A journey that started early last year culminated at 9:31 PST today, in the signing of a definitive agreement to purchase the CompUSA™ brand, website, up to 16 of their best stores, and many other valuable assets. In the next few days, www.compusa.com will be ours.

The value of the CompUSA brand is enormous and its potential is limitless. At one point, CompUSA achieved revenues of nearly $5 billion a year, with a "household brand name" status. Included with this acquisition will be millions of loyal customers who know and love the CompUSA brand. We anticipate many experienced CompUSA employees will fold into our company, joining our ranks, and our new improved company will be stronger and better.

The future is what we make it.

The new and improved CompUSA will operate within our family of websites. All web traffic, sales calls, service calls and orders will be taken, processed and shipped within our current systems. In a few weeks, we will begin to integrate 16 of the best CompUSA retail stores into our operations.

Integrating CompUSA into our operations will be a great challenge, no doubt. But everything we've done previously has prepared us for this event, and I know we will be successful.

Update: our tipster wrote back in to tell us that "the stores are going to be in Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico."

And yes, TigerDirect is notorious for receipt-checking.

(Thanks to S!)

Earlier, we spoke with Tiger Direct Executive Vice President Richard Wallet, who confirmed the receipt dispute incident did occur, and cast doubts on Shaneal's version of the events.

When asked whether the verbal altercation happened as Shaneal described, Wallet said he couldn't be sure as he wasn't there. He said that he found it unlikely that the security guard would taunt and threaten Shaneal as he had met the guard and he "didn't seem that type of guy."

Wallet accused Shaneal of trying to bait the store after being detained a week prior for also refusing to show a receipt. Shaneal said that on that occasion, he declined to show a receipt because he had already waited over an hour for a part to be pulled from the back, some more time at the register, and didn't feel like waiting in a line for a security guard to check his receipt when he was under no legal obligation to show the receipt. On that date, cops were called to intervene, which is store policy whenever there's a possibility of a confrontation with a customer, Wallet told us. He also said the cop told Shaneal to not return if he wasn't going to follow store policy. Shaneal says that that didn't happen.

Wallet also told us that on the date of the most recent incident, Shaneal purchased three items in two separate transactions and stuffed one of the receipts in his pocket and began to walk out of the store with his items. Wallet said the head cashier only saw one of the transactions and that gave her cause to tell the security guard to stop Shaneal. Shaneal told The Consumerist that he was buying items for a friend who wanted his own receipt for record-keeping purposes.

By law, shopkeepers are only allowed to detain customers under suspicion of shoplifting if they actually see the customer hide the item on their person.

Wallet encouraged any customer with a TigerDirect complaint to call him directly at 305-415-2441.

Shaneal told us that he is satisfied with how the situation got resolved and thanked us for posting his story as he felt it otherwise wouldn't have been paid as much attention by TigerDirect. Wallet said he had been fielding phone calls and emails about the issue all morning.

I was visiting a Tigerdirect (Large Electronic Retail Store) in Naperville, IL today (8/23/07)(8/22/07). All was going well until after I had paid for my merchandise and tried to leave.

A security guard demanded that I show him my receipt, which I respectfully declined with a "No Thanks" and continued walking out the door. At that point the Guard physically placed himself between me and the door and said "I can't let you leave until you show me your receipt." I attempted to walk around him, explaining I didn't have to show him anything, and he continued to block my path and called several other employees to block my retreat.

I understand the "Shopkeeper's Privilege", but under no possible interpretation of the law would refusing a voluntary receipt check constitute grounds for reasonable suspicion of shoplifting. At this point, I warned them that I was being unlawfully restrained, and unless they immediately allowed me to leave, I would call the police and press criminal charges for unlawful restraint, and also file a civil suit for false imprisonment (fortunately, I knew my rights).

None of them budged, and the store manager began verbally abusing and slandering me...

He called me a thief, and said he would have me arrested for "attempted shoplifting". Both the manager and security guard said it was corporate policy to detain customers unless they submitted to a receipt check.

At this point, I pull out my cell phone, call 911, and inform the operator I'm being illegally detained and not allowed to leave the store. The operator said an officer was on the way and would be there in a few minutes. In the meantime, the manager continued screaming at me, telling me I was banned from the store (fine by me, I've spent easily over $10,000 in the last few years at Tigerdirect and planned to take my business elsewhere if this was the kind of treatment I could expect) and so on.

Fortunately, an officer arrived within 5 minutes. The manager and security guard began to tell the officer I was trying to steal something. After they were done I calmly explained the situation to the officer. The officer agreed that they couldn't hold me unless they had seen me shoplifting, which they obviously had not. I then asked the officer to arrest the security guard for unlawful restraint, which she refused to do; she instead suggested I talk the the state's attorney if I wanted to press charges (which I plan to do). I got the security guard's name, and the officer's name and badge number. I then left, and was again verbally informed me I was banned from returning. As I was leaving, the security guard continued to taunt me, and dared me to press charges.

As soon as I got home (approximately 4 hours later, I had errands to run), I called the company the security guard was from (Securitas), explained the situation, and asked if their corporate policy was to forcibly detain customers who refuse to show their receipt. I was escalated three times, until a "supervisor" there said he didn't feel comfortable answering the question, but he would have his boss call me back shortly. I waited 2 hours, with no more response. I called back again, and after reaching the same supervisor asked why my call hadn't been returned. He informed me that they had my contact information, and if they had anything to say to me they would call. I demanded to speak to his boss, and was told that the boss was busy now, but would call me within an hour. Again, after 4 hours, no call.

Nowhere in any of this did anyone apologize to me or tell me they were mistaken. I probably would have been satisfied with an apology and a guarantee that the security staff would be properly retrained at any point after I left. But, after the shoddy treatment I received, even after they realized they had made a mistake, I want to fight this thing to the end.

How do you recommend I go about contacting the State's Attorney? I understand that the prosecutor has some discretion on filing charges, and that they have many other cases on the table. There is no dispute of the facts, there were security cameras everywhere, and the guard agreed with my version of the events when speaking with the officer. Also, I would like to file a civil suit against them, but must admit that money is an issue for me. How do you suggest I find a lawyer/firm that would take this case on a contingent fee?

Thanks for the time,
Shaneal

Thanks for the support,

The store is located at
175 Ambassador Drive
Naperville, IL 60540
(630) 548-2000

The security guard's name is "Malcom Melton," and the corporate office he works out of has a number (630)963-9456.

I called the States Attorney's office for my county and spoke to a prosecutor who "said charges would not be forthcoming." Basically, his explanation was that I wasn't detained long enough for him to bother. The police report is filed with the Naperville Police Department, report number [redacted].

I also contacted the bar, and was told that no lawyer would take this case on a contingency because there weren't enough damages, but I was welcome to hire a lawyer on an hourly basis. However, they informed me that in all likelihood the attorney's fees would be ten to twenty thousand, which I can't afford.

Thanks for your quick response. No one else seemed bothered by this. All I really want is for them to change their policy and/or retrain the guards. Hopefully, with your support they will at least be shamed into doing that much.

I did not get the manager's name unfortunately; by the time I was leaving and got around to taking names the manager had already disappeared. I emailed corporate with the story too, but have yet to receive a response.

Thanks for the suggestion, but I doubt the local media would be very receptive to my claims. When the whole warrantless wiretapping scandal was taking place the little coverage it got was all in favor of government (e.g., "If you're not doing anything wrong, you have nothing to worry about"). I'm fairly certain they'd just tell me I should have showed the guard the receipt and been done with it.

As you said, the reason you've had a hard time getting people interested in your case is because you didn't actually incur any monetary loss. Companies care about balance sheets, not feelings, so your options for recompense are relatively limited. The most satisfaction you can probably hope to get is that I've just posted your story, informing more consumers of their rights, and casting a big stinky shame cloud on TigerDirect of Naperville, IL.

PREVIOUSLY:
Ask The Consumerist: Do I Have To Let Stores Check My Receipt?
The Straight Scoop On If Stores Can Legally Stop You And Check Your Receipt
(Photo: Critical Miami)

At $2 (after rebates) for 2 GB, I thought it was a deal I couldn't refuse. I would just format the flash drive to get rid of the pre-loaded software and I'd be in good shape.

Well, the drive came today and check out what was on the packing slip. A message telling me that the pre-loaded software was a 30-day trial and that my credit card would automatically be billed for $69.99 30 days after the shipping date.

Sure, some hardware comes bundled with software, but this is the first time we have seen it coupled as such an underhanded charge. — CAREY GREENBERG-BERGER

TigerDirect
Previously: Why Rebates Suck: TigerDirect and OnRebate

Companies love trying to get you to make a purchase based upon a rebate discount, comfortable that most people will tear long strips of flesh off their own face with their fingernails long before they summon the patience and sanity together to get together the paperwork. Even if a customer does manage to fill it all out and send in their rebate form, companies can deny your rebate easily, either by some dreamed-up technicality or by their own incompetence. And even if you do get your rebate check, finally, think of the interest that the company has made off of your money by drawing out the process and frustrating you as long as possible. It's in the best interest of a company to either never pay you or draw the process out as long as possible. If you see a good price on something you want to buy and it has a rebate on top of that, heck, buy it, but don't count on that rebate. If you manage to successfully complete a rebate application, bonus.

If you still don't believe us, here's a reader account of his recent attempt to get a rebate from TigerDirect and OnRebate.com. Tex Texerson (possibly a nom de plume) purchased a hard drive from Tiger Direct and submitted all the proper documentation, but was still denied his rebate check. Why? Because OnRebate simply denied ever getting the paper-work.

Tex's account after the jump:

I recently bought three items from TigerDirect.ca, all of which had mail-in rebates through OnRebate.com. One of the requirements listed was proof of purchase. I said to myself "Great, I can send them all in one envelope with one copy of the receipt and I'll save myself the trouble". WRONG. I got two statements from OnRebate saying the receipt was missing, but they let one go through.

Of course I disputed this. The "helpful" help desk replied:

> /If you have a copy of the Invoice,please fax to 888-426-9467,so that
> we can process ASAP/

My reply:

> But you HAVE the invoice! I sent three rebates in the same envelope,
> all of which had the same invoice! You accepted one with that
> invoice already!

Their reply was this very informative and obviously spell-checked beauty:

> We have looked into our records in an attempt to help you with your
> rebate status. After review, it seems your rebate submissions were
> denied for lack of invoice, no upc bar code, or outside the Postmark
> date.
>
> Here is your rebate tracking information we have on file:
>
> REBATE DENIED
>
> Reason: PLEASE FAX A COPY OF INVOICE TO 305-514-4400
>
> You may check the status of these rebates as well online at
> http://www.onrebate.com .
>
> If you do not have the required documentation as stated on the rebate
> form you will unfortunatelly be subject for denail.
>
> We hope that we have provided you with excellent service. Shouold you
> have any further questions or concerns please contact us at
> 1-888-222-9300 or simply reply to this email. Thank you for using
> OnRebate.com

Of course, since this particular purchase was for a hard drive to replace one that had failed and was subsequently removed from my system, and it contained the scans of my invoices, well, that didn't happen.

Sure, I might have been able to get my money had I faxed two more copies of the *same* invoice which they already had on file, but I just got fed up and really annoyed that I had to jump through hoops over something so stupid.

Rest assured, I won't be buying any OnRebate'd items from Tigerdirect again.