Small Dog Electronics - don't accept checks - poor customer service experience

# 8 for April 20, 2002

Complaints.com received the following consumer message on April 19, 2002:

From: jg otto [Email User]

RE: Small Dog Electronics - don't accept checks - poor customer service experience

In dire need of a replacement power adapter for my Apple PowerBook G3, I followed the recommendation of a former co-worker to check Small Dog Electonics. Sure enough, they offered them at 3 or 4 dollars less than the competitors. But I didn't see an address at first to which to send my order. But I did see an e-mail address for asking such things: Email User So I wrote to them, asking about ordering via snail, but got no response. Later I found this address (which I should have seen earlier; it's in a couple places): 1673 Main St Waitsfield, VT 05673 Now, because of other circumstances that are not Small Dog's fault, in order to send in the order, I had to set up a new checking account, which process, with the inbred banking setup in Florida, cost me nearly $50, & several weeks by the time the checks arrived. By this time, getting desperate, I sent in my order by US snail on Monday 2002-04-15. Thursday 2002-04-19, late in the afternoon, I got a call from, IIRC, Joyce Travers

(Email User)

saying they weren't going to fill the order. "We don't accept checks." It doesn't say that prominently on their

web pages. Figuring they were concerned about bouncers, I suggested she simply not process the order further until the check had cleared. "No, it's our policy. We don't accept checks." This set off my hot-button. When I hear the word "policy" it tells me that someone is shirking personal responsibility. Instead of honestly saying, "It's my arbitrary decision & my reasons were blah blah blah.", or even "Let me connect you to Phred, who made that decision. In case there's difficulty transferring, his/her number is 123-456-7890 extension 987 & her/his e-mail address is Email User", they cut off all connection with reality or reason, thinking that the magic phrase "It's our policy." wipes away all else before it. This is poor customer service, both because they refuse to accept checks, because they didn't respond to the earlier query, & because they don't handle it in a civilized manner. Plus, since I'd passed on someone else's recommendation of them, now I have to get back with the Apple User Group & several other people I'd referred to them & tell them I'd made a mistake.