23 replies to this topic

[Lose Remerswaal]

Disputing credit card charges because a store won't give him a refund on luxury goods?

Yankee slugger Alex Rodriguez is crying foul over a $17,600 charge on his AmEx Black Card after he took his 20-year-old niece, Michelle Silva, on a shopping spree with his girlfriend, Torrie Wilson.

[johnmd20]

Disputing credit card charges because a store won't give him a refund on luxury goods?

Why not just take the store credit and use it in the future? Why bring out the nuclear weapon for a charge that is indisputable? Oh ARod. . . .

[glennhoffmania]

Because that would be too logical and reasonable for someone who has such limited intelligence and a complete lack of self-awareness.

[jon abbey]

You guys keep judging him and his actions as if he were human. Once you remember that he's a product of the Oompa-Loompa Athletic Academy, then it all starts to make more sense.

[Sampo Gida]

Can't see why he would not take the store credit, he makes more in a single AB, so can probably make his AMEX payment.

[Lose Remerswaal]

BTW, I must give him credit for "his girlfriend Torrie Wilson"

[SaveBooFerriss]

I know this is Arod, so we are supposed to jump on him, but if I was the store, I would have let him make the return and keep a big spending customer happy.

[Average Reds]

I know this is Arod, so we are supposed to jump on him, but if I was the store, I would have let him make the return and keep a big spending customer happy.

There is no question that the store screwed up by ever letting a dispute like this get to this point. At the same time, this is A-Rod we are talking about, so we have to factor in the probability that he did something stupid to provoke this himself.

A-Rod is nothing if not quality entertainment. God bless him.

[Lose Remerswaal]

The store screwed up and . . . what's the problem here? Are they going to lose business because of this . . . this . . . debacle?

Or are they getting tons of publicity and folks who never heard of them before might be interested in shopping there? Maybe especially because they pissed off A-Rod?

Edited by Lose Remerswaal, 21 March 2012 - 11:01 AM.

[mabrowndog]

I know this is Arod, so we are supposed to jump on him, but if I was the store, I would have let him make the return and keep a big spending customer happy.

The store's clientele consists entirely of big-spending customers. Such policies are quite common among high-end retailers. If you alter the policy for one shopper and word gets out, you risk becoming the go-to place for rich douchebags to merely borrow stuff while you're left carrying (and paying for) the inventory.

[glennhoffmania]

Yeah I'm with Dog. How did the store screw up? They have a policy. ARod wants to be exempt from that policy since apparently he can't get by without a full refund. ARod made a stink when they refused to give him special treatment. This is all on ARod.

[crow216]

If I spend thousands of dollars in any store often enough for them to consider me a "regular" and they won't do me a favor by refunding $17k, I'd probably flip the fuck out. The amount of money he has in his bank account should be irrelevant.

He's still a mutant, but I don't think it's because of this.

[glennhoffmania]

Crow, I'm assuming that your view is tainted by your allegiance. There's no reason why the store should treat ARod any differently than the other regulars. They have a pretty simple policy. He wanted special treatment. When he didn't get it he bitched. This isn't the worst thing he's done, but he has no basis for flipping the fuck out here.

[EddieYost]

they won't do me a favor by refunding $17k

That's a pretty big favor. How high up the management tree do you think you would have to go to get someone who has the authority to break policy to the tune of 17k? Plus, at this point he is angry and he made a fool out of himself. Odds are he doesn't go back. So if they give him $, they may not see it again.

I side with the store.

[crow216]

Crow, I'm assuming that your view is tainted by your allegiance. There's no reason why the store should treat ARod any differently than the other regulars. They have a pretty simple policy. He wanted special treatment. When he didn't get it he bitched. This isn't the worst thing he's done, but he has no basis for flipping the fuck out here.

I think Arod was wrong in filing a complaint with his credit card. That's ridiculous. However, you wouldn't be absolutely pissed if you went to a store that didn't give you a refund? Especially one that you frequently spend thousands at?

[glennhoffmania]

When I go to a store and buy something that I think I may want to return, I ask what the return policy is if it's not posted at the cash register. If they say store credit only, then I would not expect a refund.

[johnmd20]

I think Arod was wrong in filing a complaint with his credit card. That's ridiculous. However, you wouldn't be absolutely pissed if you went to a store that didn't give you a refund? Especially one that you frequently spend thousands at?

They don't accept returns. That is their policy. If you return something, you get store credit. That is their policy. ARod said, "I know these are your rules, but I'm above the rules, change them for me." And the store said, "no."

If ARod doesn't want to get stuck with purchases he can't return, he should shop at stores that allow returns. I'm not sure where you are coming from here.

[crow216]

I'm in the minority here, so I digress. I just think the store is using this as a publicity stunt when they could have easily said "sure, here's your money back."

Of course, Arod being the moron that he is, makes it 100x worse. God bless the Post.

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

I'm in the minority here, so I digress. I just think the store is using this as a publicity stunt when they could have easily said "sure, here's your money back."

Of course, Arod being the moron that he is, makes it 100x worse. God bless the Post.

Why should the store change their policies just for him?

[EddieYost]

I think for some employee or even manager of this store to say "sure, here is your money back A-Rod" they would have been risking their job. That's a lot of money, even for a fancy place like that.

[crow216]

Fair enough. You guys are all right about store policy. I think we're all pretending that stores are required to adhere to their own policy no matter what though. Just a difference of opinion I suppose. If I owned a store where someone frequently spends thousands, I think I'd give someone a cash/credit refund if they requested. I think it's good business to keep my big spenders coming back rather than make sure they never do by sticking to a store policy then running to the media to fight the client.

That was my last post on the issue. Arods a jackass regardless. Pay the stupid bill and give the clothes to charity.

[MentalDisabldLst]

What Amex does in normal chargeback disputes:

1. Provisionally credit your statement
2. Attempt to contact the merchant and communicate your version of the facts
3. In dialogue with the merchant, try to determine the facts and see who's more wrong
4. If the merchant is being shady or otherwise fails to overcome the burden of proof, they charge it back to the merchant and the customer's statement credit is made permanent

What Amex will likely do with A-Rod, a Centurion ("black card") customer and basically the most valuable fucking consumer relationship on the planet:

1. Call the store and determine that A-Rod is a total fuckhead
2. Credit A-Rod's statement for the $17k and pay the fucking thing themselves, just to keep his business and loyalty. They make WAY more than $17k/year off of A-Rod, even as a mere payment processor.

[Was (Not Wasdin)]

What Amex will likely do with A-Rod, a Centurion ("black card") customer ...

I thought that said Centaur card for a minute.

The neice in question is the one on his right.

[Sampo Gida]

A lot of companies bend their rules for their elite/best customers. Decisions to bend the rules are usually made by managers or the owner of small outfits.

A-Rod has probably got used to being treated differently than the average working stiff, and is probably unhappy with the store for not doing the same.
Disputing the charges is a way of getting back at them, and perhaps make the owner aware of the situation if he was not aware before . Payment may be delayed, explanations have to be given to Amex, and the publicity can't be very good (mixed bag anyways).

This is chump change for A-Rod, he is just having fun no matter how it turns out. The store can cave and keep a pretty good customer, or they can enforce their rules, collect 17 K sooner or later, and lose A-Rod as a customer. If the owner of the store was not aware of this incident before, he probably is now, and maybe A-Rod gets his refund since that's what most smart owners would do.

edit-refund not credit

Edited by Sampo Gida, 22 March 2012 - 06:03 PM.