By Nice Sass
This saga commenced on Boxing Day when I ordered a watch from Peoples online, at a nice discount. This was a gift for a family member we’d be seeing post-Christmas. Overnight delivery was free and the return policy excellent, so we ordered.
Several days later, the package hadn’t arrived and was overdue; when we checked the online status it was revealed that it was “in warehouse” and hadn’t left. The website further revealed that we could call a toll-free number and cancel the order.
We purchased a new watch elsewhere to have it for that night’s gift exchange, and called Peoples to cancel. Wife called with order in husband’s name. Customer Service: “I can’t talk to you; it’s not in your name.” Wife: “the credit card is in both of our names but your online order system only lets us name one person. Husband is at work. I am CANCELLING not purchasing, therefore far less risk.” Customer Service: “Can’t do anything. Have husband call”. Wife: “Please just put a note on the file for the warehouse not to pick/pack this until husband can call tonight when home.” Customer Service: “No can do”.
Husband returns home at end of day, calls Peoples. Customer Service: “You’re now too late. We picked the order today and shipped it.” -groan-. Customer service: “No problem though…just refuse the order from the delivery courier and we’ll process the refund when we receive it back; or your other option is to return it to any store.”
Next day, we’re both working. Return home to find box containing expensive watch sitting on our front door step - not protected; not signed for. Delivery refusal now imposssible; proceed to step 2.
Attend Peoples to return the watch. Store Associate: “Sorry…can’t accept online order returns in-store.” Husband: “Why…we were told to do this by telephone CSR”. Associate: “I know. We have no idea why they say that and we continually send messages to Head Office to tell them to stop doing this, but Head Office won’t do anything. I encountered this issue just yesterday and had a customer in here for over an hour trying to return something but there’s nothing I can do.”
We return home, check Peoples online return policy. Right there, in black and white: “RETURN TO ANY STORE”.
Email People and request explanation; what are we to do now. Sent that email on Sunday. It is now Thursday - no response. Zero; zilch.
Our only recourse will be to file a dispute with the credit card company, and not sure how that will progress as we’re in receipt of the goods, but the problem is that the retailer doesn’t honour its own return policy, which apparently is an incorrect policy as the stores claim that they can’t adhere to it if they wanted.
Serious BUYER BEWARE.
Just Saying says...
I don’t think a dispute or chargeback to the credit card will work in this situation. What a frustrating experience for you, though!!
Call them and be persistent.
Thanks for warning us, though. I’ll think twice before ordering anything from them.
Nice Sass says...
To update this story, I called the retail store location that refused to allow us to return the watch, and asked to speak with the Manager; I was advised that she was on vacation, and that no one could help me. I was directed to call a different store where a Manager was working.
I called that store, and the Manager immediately apologized and offered to refund the purchase at her store that day. Today, six days after the email to Peoples that expressed frustration, we received a reply to “return it to any store”. Clearly the retail location that we first visited and also followed up with (Devonshire Mall, Windsor), does not know how to process the return like they should, or falls apart when their manager takes time off. The Tecumseh Mall location provided absolutely excellent service.
When Head Office realized that we had figured this out on our own and returned it, they offered us a $50 gift card, which is very nice gesture.
All parties we’ve spoken to, Head Office Customer Service included, advise that because their online order system is so new they haven’t worked out the glitches yet. Indeed. Here’s hoping they do.
sally says...
Its quite common practice for stores not to talk to anyone else but the person whos credit card the name is under, wether the number is the same or not. What I do is just say im that person, what are they going to do about it, nothing.
I would of been furious about them not taking it back right away as soon as I went on the site the site clearly states you can bring it back to any peoples!!
Thank you for the warning.
Joe says...
Good to hear this worked out for you OP.
Great name!!
urouj862 says...
i’m glad they offered a solution, people has a good reputation i hope they dont ruin it with incidents like these.
Marilyn Unhappy says...
My Boyfriend bought me a beautiful “I LOVE YOU” ring for Valentines day,becouse he had to go out of town, soon after he bought the ring which was a size 7, [I take a 6] he told me just to take it to Peoples and they would size it for me. I went to Peoples and took the ring in, they said they would size it for me for $40.00. I called my boyfriend that night, and he was understanding sizing was free with purchase {over $1500.00} for the ring. So Icalled them and told them that, and they said NO, sizing is not included, I said, what would stop me from exchanging the ring for a size six, for free? They said they only carry size 7 rings…WTF? Scam? I’m thinkin so… will never go there again… but Love my ring!!!! Buyer Beware!!!
steph says...
Marilyn,
your boyfriend can buy a lifetime guarantee which is about $100+ (the price is based on a leverage sale of how much you spent). the guarantee includes free sizing for a lifetime and redipping white gold which is needed about every two years. it also includes replacement of diamonds is any fall out
Jeannie says...
I wish I had read this before I purchased items online…I was at the store for over two hours and was put on hold waiting for a supervisor on the phone for over an hour! The Sunridge Mall Peoples Jewellers (Calgary) sales associate Rosalyn and the store manager Connie were rude and unhelpful. Even though the supervisor of online services told the sales associate to go ahead and take the return…they sales associate “did not feel comfortable” taking the return. What a frustrating and maddening experience! Never again will I be shopping at Peoples!!!
wary buyer says...
Steph - Lifetime guarantees are nothing but money making rip offs. As jewellery stores only carry one size ring, standard practise should be to offer free sizing with initial purchase.
dan says...
i was trying to buy a ring at people’s, the saleslady kept pushing the 79$ warranty, telling me i’d need it for fixing loose stones,etc…..what a shit company! what king of jewelery store sell merchandise they know will break? she tried making me pay 39$ to resize the ring from their size 7 to a 6, I asked why they charge when their website lets you pick a size for free….she had no clue. I went to a store with an actual jeweler and bought a great ring…no stupid warranty. PEOPLES DOESNT MAKE THEIR OWN JEWELERY!!!!!!
fatiha says...
PEOPLES ARE A RIP OFF THE SAY 100 DAYS MONEY BACK IF YOU,R NOT HAPPY WITH THE MERCHANDISE THEY JUST GET YOU IN TO BUYING’ THEY DON,T KEEP THERE WORD.
Sariah says...
I just recently got engaged in January, and took my ring in to be sized. There was no issues there, they took it, and told me it would be done in 2 weeks. So I called about a week and a half later, inquiring MAYBE if it had come in early by an off chance, the lady on the phone basically laughed at me, said i was funny, that it would be 14 business days and that they would call me when it was ready. I picked up my ring, 3 weeks to the day after I took it in, got it home, and realized that the initials that were engraved on the inside of the ring were GONE. I took it to the store again, and the lady I spoke with advised me that I should have been told that any sizing will remove the engraving. What I don’t understand is the engraving came standard with the ring. It’s part of their Past Present Future sets, it’s the solitaire. When I went back to the store to advise her that it was gone, she blatantly argued with me, that it’s not part of the past present future collection, that those are 3 stone rings, and it would say Past Present Future on the inside of the band, not just the initials, that must be the brand of ring, it’s not a past present future ring at all. SO I was frustrated and left the store. I’ve also sent 2 emails and 1 phone call to their head office, and not a single person has responded to me. Buyer Beware for sure…
Ring Less says...
Does anyone have an email/number for People’s head office in Canada? I got engaged over Christmas and was given the standard size 7 ring, I needed to get it fitted for my finger but didn’t want to give it up, finally after two months I brought it in to People’s to get it fitted. They told me it would be 14 business days before my ring would be returned. Last Friday they called my fiancé and told him it was ready to pick up. We went to the store to pick it up and the ring that was returned to us was NOT my engagement ring. My ring was a solitaire Canadian diamond on a plan 14K white gold band and the ring they tried to give me back was not a Canadian diamond, it was a complete different setting and band. It has been 5 days since they tried to give me back a wrong ring, they have no idea where my engagement ring is, they are rude when we call for an update and we aren’t getting any answers on what they are going to do to fix this issue. I’m completely frustrated that they don’t seem to understand the gravity of this mistake. The engagement ring has an incredible sentimental value and this is a very sensitive issue. I want to put a complaint into People’s head office but they don’t make contact information for the head office easy to find.
Jen says...
Ring Less - I’m so sorry to hear of your issue with Peoples. People’s is operating under Zale Corporation so I would start there. I found the number and address to the Canada division. Hopefully this helps.
http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=1011319
Zale Canada Co.
1440 1440 Don Mills Road
North York, ON M3B 3M1
Canada
Phone: 416-391-7739
Fax: 416-391-7870
Let us know how it came works out.
Erin says...
I recently got an engagement ring from peoples.. went out to get sized came back with a split still in the band, so it got sent out again… the ring came back with a crack in it and totally off centered.. we argued to get our money back for a half hour before we were told we had to wait 20 days and WE had to go to the store to pick up the cheque… I HATE PEOPLES!!!
Lissy says...
I took in a ring to get resized at the millwoods mall in edmonton location that belonged to my grandma who worked as a manager in a jewlerry store for 30 years. She told me it was a diamond when she gave it to me. I wrongly assumed peoples is a reputable company, and took it in to get resized. The girl put on my reicept it is a diamond and worth $800. Never asked me or anything. I get a call a week later telling me it is not actually a diamond, it’s a cubic zarconia. When I go to pick up my ring a week after that I ask the store manager how they made this mistake. He started getting very angry and defensive and telling me to get out of his store, etc. He also told me that I told her it was a diamond and worth $800. I told him I wasn’t asked anything and that he can’t blame me for something I never said. I went back later that day a second time to talk to the girl who put in my order, and recieved no further answers. I put in a call to customer service complaining about my treatment and also ro report that my diamond was stolen. The stone doesn’t fit, isn;t even the right size and is tipped in the setting. I recieved a call from the district manager named Dathan. DO NOT DEAL WITH HIM!! He told me People’s would replace my diamond for free. He would not make an appointment to meet with a goldmith (he said this is standard policy) and never followed up with me or returned phone calls when he promised. I finally get a hold of Dathan and he tells me he fired his goldsmith here in Edmonton a few days ago so that’s why he never called me back. And that is good customer service how? He said my only option is to trust him with my grandmas ring and have it shipped out to vancouver. I said I already trusted peoples with the ring once and look what happened: they stole the diamond out of it and replaced it with a cubic zarconia. Dathan told me if i won’t let him ship it out to vancouver then there is nothing he can do for me. I called customer service and am told that the decision is final; nothing they can do because the district manager’s decision is final. I asked to speak to someone above him, they won’t give me any info. I finally ask who the CEO of peoples is, well guess what? He is located in Texas and the ONLY way I can contact him is by mail. No email or nothing. I say I am in Canada so I don’t want to send a letter by post because I want it resolved asap and waiting to do everything by letter between two countries is ridiculous. The lady at customer service finally allows me to speak to her supervisor and then I waited for almost half an hour. Her supervisor finally comes on and I tell him the whole story and he finally says he will send an email to the regional manager to contact me. Not holding my breath. I will NEVER deal with this company again! I am sick and saddened that a ring belonging to my grandma had the diamond stolen out of it. And just as a side note, I took the ring to an independent jeweller who is a certified gemologist and goldsmith who verified for me it is NOT the original stone. Please, do not deal with peoples! They are unethical and thieves.
Wendie says...
FYI, I just tried the number you published and it is no longer a working number! I haven’t even STARTED with my complaint yet and already I’ve been headed off at the pass! My issue is that the charm from a necklace broke the first week. I paid to replace it and bought the 40 dollar warranty as my daughter loved this particular hockey necklace. A month later, SURPRISE! the chain broke. We had that fixed. Now the chain has broken again and the charm is lost as a result!! I say they’re liable because both pieces had broken separately and within two months!
Good luck to myself, after reading the other posts! My battle is about to begin……
diamond bond blunder says...
Well I have been reading about everyones issues with People’s - I must say my experiences in Saskatchewan have not been quite as bad BUT for all you diamond gals out there you should read your “diamond bond” if you purchased it with your diamond. If you actually read it it doesnt actually really cover ANYTHING!! sure your plating and sizing - big deal how many times in a womens life do we need to have our rings sized?? IF you have work done to your ring by ANYONE other than peoples it voids the warranty?? I dont know about other women but I certainly do NOT want to send my ring away for 3-5 weeks to have it sized or plated when in my city I can have someone do it in a couple days… I even know a goldsmith that you can watch him work on your ring…. A peoples store manager told my husband that plating costs $40 bucks TOPS(this was before he bought my ring)!! so when I returned my bond for a refund as i realized it was a waste of money … that same store manager told my husband that plating was now $100 ?? WTH which is it…. its actually $40… and my home insurance covers my ring for lost or damages so really the incredibly expensive bond was POINTLESS!! and then the manager was mad at my husband for asking for a refund? man o man…. OH and when it says “they replace the diamond” thats CRAP too… read it… it says only “replaces stones up to $200″ well my diamond is certainly worth more than that… SO DO NOT BUY THE DIAMOND BONDS!! RIP OFFFFFF