HH HALLOWEEN SALE DEBACLE: Ben's Response to Me.

[Suzzeee]

This is beyond ridiculous! My "issue" is with the Chilly sale and not the Spooky sale - I have not bought anything in the Spooky sale at all!

The "HHFALLTHANKS" code was valid and their system took it. Their system then automatically calculated the "Chilly" discount -- there was no code for that. I then used my two Groupons as the balance was still over $475 --how the hell is that "manipulating the system"???

I ordered the TS and it was in no way free -- I paid almost $300 for that bag AFTER the discounts (the balance plus the cost of two Groupons).

[ami kio]

Originally Posted by gingeybear

http://www.groupon.com/deals/hayden-harnett-dallas This was the latest Groupon offering. Where in heck does it specify only 2 per order or any of the other restrictions specified in Ben's tweet?

Out of curiosity, has anyone contacted Groupon about the "only 2 groupons per customer"? I will if no one has yet.

[fafnir]

I totally agree about the "spirit of the enterprise" comment. Good grief. I didn't do it, but there's nothing wrong with people trying to get the best code available to them if it isn't forbidden. You can't make up rules in retrospect in business.

[missangelina]

Well, as the email states - we have the option of cancelling our orders. I think many people have done that already.

What really bothers me is the hostility on HH's part. None of us are trying to take advantage of a company that we love. We all appreciate HH's sense of fun and fashion, their beautiful products, the personality behind the designs; these are the things that brought me to tPF in the first place. That said, we also appreciate a deal, and HH's deals have kept us coming back -- right? I'd like to thank HH for those here, as I have also done with my repeat purchases.

I think the whole situation would be more tolerable if HH (Ben) took a slightly different attitude: a more appreciative one that acknowledges his customers are not crooks. This was his mistake... HHFALLTHANKS was a valid code; we didn't make it up.

Customers and retailers have a relationship that is ultimately more important to the retailer than to the customer.

[enga4]

What about the spirit of the enterprise from their side?

Calling after orders are processed, hell, SHIPPED and demanding more dough is certainly in the wrong spirit, imo... tricky, tricky.

[enga4]

Yes, Ms. A, ita that his tone was sooo hostile towards the customers... I've never seen that from a retailer before!

[fafnir]

He's getting all high-handed about the "spirit of the enterprise". Excuse me, how about this 30 day wait period for refunds? Every other website has refunded my money within a week after they receive my return. Only HH waits the full 30 days (and then some, I have a refund that was due back to me on Oct 23rd, no response to my emails and no sign of a refund). How about labeling things as "shipped", when they aren't even in stock at the warehouse? How does that fit in with the "spirit of the enterprise"? Oh, please. Sorry for the rant, but really. That is so condescending on Ben's part.

[monkeytail]

They don't have a problem bombarding me with marketing emails on all email addresses I've used on their site (not just the on I asked that marketing emails go to), but if I get codes on the various emails it isn't in the spirit of their business?

[EYE HEART BAGS]

Found this in the Discussion thread on the Groupon Site:

Maria Maxine commented 32 minutes ago- Actually there is still a sale going on – each day, you get a new code for the sale. There are many different codes in use, and each customer gets a randomly assigned one. Go here: www.twitter.com/Hayden_harnett and there you will see a link to click to get to their ‘crystal ball.’
You get one click of the ball every 24 hours. Unfortunately, if you share your pc with other people, the first person who does the click will be the only one to get access for the day. There is a glitch in the way the site is working today. HH is apparently upset that some customers have more than one email address, so they have added some logic to their website to recognize if a pc has requested a code for the day already. Even if you clear your cache and cookies, you can’t have another person sign in with their email address and get a code.
I think the % of ranges from 20% to 60% and some come with free or reduced shipping.
HH is a small company that makes amazing products; I think they’re just going through growing pains in the area of IT and CS. Hope that it improves because they really do make wonderful things that are so well made and are really different.

[mdlovesbags]

Anyone know ben's e-mail? I tried ben at hh.com and it didn't work.

[kate83675]

Originally Posted by EYE HEART BAGS

Found this in the Discussion thread on the Groupon Site: Maria Maxine commented 32 minutes ago- Actually there is still a sale going on – each day, you get a new code for the sale. There are many different codes in use, and each customer gets a randomly assigned one. Go here: www.twitter.com/Hayden_harnett and there you will see a link to click to get to their ‘crystal ball.’ You get one click of the ball every 24 hours. Unfortunately, if you share your pc with other people, the first person who does the click will be the only one to get access for the day. There is a glitch in the way the site is working today. HH is apparently upset that some customers have more than one email address, so they have added some logic to their website to recognize if a pc has requested a code for the day already. Even if you clear your cache and cookies, you can’t have another person sign in with their email address and get a code. I think the % of ranges from 20% to 60% and some come with free or reduced shipping. HH is a small company that makes amazing products; I think they’re just going through growing pains in the area of IT and CS. Hope that it improves because they really do make wonderful things that are so well made and are really different.

Interesting Eye Heart, thanks for posting that. Still sounds like the customer is being punished.

[fafnir]

Originally Posted by mdlovesbags

Anyone know ben's e-mail? I tried ben at hh.com and it didn't work.

I just sent a reply to Ben's original email. It hasn't bounced back yet or anything. I'm not expecting a response except for them to cancel my order.

[enga4]

I love the new avatar, Faf.... Looks like she's been hh-tricked!

[siouxie]

Originally Posted by fafnir

He's getting all high-handed about the "spirit of the enterprise". Excuse me, how about this 30 day wait period for refunds? Every other website has refunded my money within a week after they receive my return. Only HH waits the full 30 days (and then some, I have a refund that was due back to me on Oct 23rd, no response to my emails and no sign of a refund). How about labeling things as "shipped", when they aren't even in stock at the warehouse? How does that fit in with the "spirit of the enterprise"? Oh, please. Sorry for the rant, but really. That is so condescending on Ben's part.

Exactly!! They engage in what could be easily categorized as shady biz practices (months and months in delay of shipping items with minimal or no communication, marking things as shipped, etc.) I am just *stunned* at his response - and he goes on to say that groupons are not and have never meant to be treated as cash but instead like store credit! Um, store credit IS like cash...and that is a fundamental problem! They think that they can restrict how we use a store credit!! That's insane. The restriction they get to place on that is simply how much we get - I am fine if I return an item and I get a lower price than I paid if there is a valid reason - this is frustrating but it happens a lot at retailers (ie, you have no receipt and the item has been lower priced, etc.) It doesn't really translate well because in the online world there is always a receipt - oh yeah, t hat's right, there is ONLY a receipt if I save all my emails from HH because if I try to check my order history online @ HH...i can't because they dont provide that info!

I am furious at Ben - his condescending attitude is sickening. They have a half-baked implementation of an ecommerce site....and they simply don't think thru their sales. I think that Ben's "price glitches" were really a case of, OOPS, we didn't think to shut that off, OOPS we didnt say only one email address, OOPS we didn't want them to combine codes, OOPS we should take groupons off price FIRST so that 60% won't really be 60%.....there were no glitches or problems with the way the orders were being processed, only with the fact that they didn't think things thru.

[gingeybear]

Groupon is being overwhelmed by phone calls. I was on hold forever and then had to leave a voicemail. I wonder if all the calls are from disgruntled HH customers?

I merely want clarification of what the terms were that HH and Groupon agreed upon..if any. I had initially contact Groupon when the first go round was offered because I was unclear how HH would honor them or let us apply them. Hence, Lena came on TPF to try to clear things up. Yet, nothing was really cleared up and I am not sure where the breakdown in communication happened between HH and Groupon...never mind any other communication between HH and customers.

This week, I had to call Groupon to ask whether the terms, one Groupon may be applied per purchase only were a result of a change in HH's agreement with them..and then the site changed it to the current terms of 2 Groupons may be applied to an order totaling $475 or higher.

No where does it state that Groupons are to be treated as discount codes or anything else. Again, I contend that a Groupon should be treated as either cash, or a gift certificate when applying it to an order. The only difference IMHO, is that expiration date on the Groupon (two years from purchase) is clear as is the expiration date for a Gift certifcate (never) while a MERCHANDISE CREDIT is only good for one year (after it is given, or after the purchase was made??? that is not clear)..

Now, about the website. Nowhere is there a policy stated about how a Groupon MAY be used or what limitations are being placed on its use..other than the restriction posted on the Groupon site about using two Groupons. Nowhere is it stated that Groupons are taken off from the total BEFORE discounts are calculated.

About the codes, emails discounts, and everything else..what concerns me is that what should have been thought out, and set into stone and made abundantly clear is exactly what will be honored, how it will be honored and everything else.

Retroactively making decisions is not good in any profession or business.

I have to run..more later.