Brick & mortar vs ebay

[lal-au0]

I know we had that sort of topic before but...

we went to lincraft, we are were regular customers buying all sorts of things there.

however last ime we went there we bought a small item and had the bag rummaged through thoroughly.

it spoiled the day. being a good, paying regular customer and being treated as a thief.

when we came home i looked on ebay and surprise, surprise i could have got the same item for a fraction of the price (about 1/10).

today i discovered that i needed some stuff. before that bag search we would have gone into the city to buy it from lincraft without even thinking of looking on ebay but instead i had a look on ebay. found the item for a fraction of the price (no, not from china but from QLD).

i LIKE to shop in brick & mortar stores. i am fine with paying 10x the price for the luxury to see the item in real life before i buy it BUT i just can't accept to be treated as a thief.

we have shopped there for years....there were very few customers in there and now i know why.

i don't think it's a good idea to alienate the few customers they have left.

that is not good enough. it just isn't.

anyway, rant over now. won't go back they can get stuffed.

[vicr3000]

Condition of entry, however staff need to be subtle / polite about it.

I agree, it can leave a sour taste.

[vicr3000]

If I want something, first place I look is Google, then ebay, then I MIGHT got to a shop.

Taught my GF to do the same, instead of what she used to do, go from shop to shop.

She now just buys on line, from DVD's to Washing Machines, hardly goes near a shop

for things other than food.

[lal-au0]

#2

stuff that.

they are whingeing about the internet taking away their business....and then they go and treat you like bleep as if you were a thief when you are a paying customer, paying a premium of about 1000%  just so they can stay in business.

MY condition of business is that if i get my bag searched i go elsewhere.

i can expect to be treated with dignity and respect just as the staff there can expect me to not abuse them (verbally).

if they can't even fulfll that most basic of civil behaviour i can't see why i should give them my money.

would you give money to a shopkeeper who kicks you into dog poo when leaving the shop?

[vicr3000]

"and had the bag rummaged through thoroughly"

I used to be on the other side, busting shop lifters.

But as I said before, it's how it is done that is important and from the way you put it, it wasn't done well.

So no, I wouldn't go back.

[the_hawk*]

always check both as I have found that some things are cheaper in a B&M store at times 

[youcandoityoucandoityoucandoit]

Know your frustration lal-au0...

Just a thought, but have you considered making a customer complaint in writing?

Sometimes a staff member might not be trained very well, and their Supervisor or Manager need to be made aware of it.

[lal-au0]

i googled their web page and found that i had to give them my full address and name, telefone number etc just to write them an email.

yeah sure. so they can sell my details. fat chance.

i used fb to write to them. i wasn't very nice but didn't swear. no reply.

i don't care HOW my bag is searched.

being treated as a thief is enough.

when we were there we were the only customers.

i wondered then but i don't now.

paying 10 times the price just to be treated as if i stole something - just not good enough.

[chameleon54]

 My teenage kids ( who are both very honest ) are regularly stopped for bag inspections at shops. So much so that they either leave bags outside or ask entrance staff to look after them. Probably the most confronting occured last week when my 15 year old son and a couple of mates where walking along a suburban street at night. The police stopped them, demanded ID and searched their bags for spray cans as graffiti is an issue in the area.

This makes me a rather uneasy, but is the price we all pay for the breakdown in social values and dishonesty of a small but increasing minority.

[vicr3000]

lal

You say it was in the city.

I don't know where it is or was it in a suburb ?

Maybe they have been hit lately by shoplifters ?

chameleon

Where was that ?