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07.07.08, 19:49 PM General Topics
29 replies
Homboms on the Upper East Side has the WORST customer service of any place I've ever shopped. I have been a frequent customer since before my daughter was born (I'm a teacher and have purchased games and books there, as well as gifts for other children) and in the past 6 months have spent quite a bit of money there. Last Wednesday I purchased a teething toy that vibrates. It worked great until Thursday morning when it stopped vibrating. We were away all weekend and I went in today, expecting them to kindly offer me an other toy. Instead, one of the co-owners (who are identical twins in there 30s who still dress alike, but that is an entirely different issue!) screamed at me that it was a health issue that they couldn't take it back because it had been in my daughters mouth. I told her that I recognized that, however the product was no useless since it no longer worked. She said if I wanted another one I could, "buy another toy!" I was absolutely shocked and told her I'd never go back. In addition to being overpriced, I can't imagine that a store on the Upper East Side, which is infested with children and babies, would treat a customer so horribly. If you shop there, please mention this post and hopefully they will learn their lesson! [ Reply | Watch | Flag ]
General Topics 07.07.08, 07:49 PM Flag
 

Dear UrbanBaby community,

Thank you so much for being a valued member of the UrbanBaby community. We wanted to inform you that we are shutting down the site on July 6th. We are grateful for your participation and support that has helped make UrbanBaby such an important resource to parents for many years.

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Thanks so much,

UrbanBaby Support

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Are you kidding? This is unbelievable. I won't go back. Thanks for posting! [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.07.08, 07:57 PM Flag
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I hate that place. Have to go there sometimes when my dc get gifts from bdays that I occasionally need to exchange, but I hate it. They are so arbitrary and overpriced with ridiculous hours. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.07.08, 07:58 PM Flag
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I haven't shopped there in ages because of those twins. I'd rather go to Planet Kids or Mary Arnold. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.07.08, 08:34 PM Flag
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um don't you think you are being a little juvenile? you couldn't return a TEETHING toy it could not have been more then 5 dollars? you are insulting people and being ridiculous. you are a TEACHER?! i would not allow a person who is as petty as you near my children. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.08.08, 05:47 PM Flag
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It isn't the cost, its the principle. If the owners were smart, they'd have exchanged the item in order to keep me satisfied as a customer. Instead, they were nasty and I won't go back. Regardless of what the amount was, they should treat their customers with respect! [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.08.08, 08:19 PM Flag
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I completely agree with OP. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 01:47 PM Flag
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And by the way, how do you know I'm not your child's teacher?! :-) [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.08.08, 08:20 PM Flag
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i understand that you were frustrated but did you produce a proof of purchase? if you still want to the company might exchange it for you? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.08.08, 08:56 PM Flag
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Of course I produced a proof of purchase: the receipt and the cardboard packaging the toy came in that also had the store's price tag on it. The owner could have cared less; she wasn't taking it back despite the return/exchange policy posted. Like someone else wrote, they make up arbitrary policies and rules in that store and ultimate deter good customers from the neighborhood! [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.08.08, 09:01 PM Flag
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i have never had a problem returning stuff. i believe their policy is clearly stated. i know one of the people who works there i can inquire about the situation. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.08.08, 09:37 PM Flag
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This was one of the owners that screamed at me. She wouldn't even look at the receipt, claiming they couldn't take it back b/c it had been in my daughter's mouth. That is NOT on their return/exchange policy that is posted behind the counter; she made it up on the spot. The smart thing to do would have been to hand me another one and return the defective toy to the manufacturer. Had she done that, I'd be posting about what a nice shop they run. However, I'm now spreading the word to all who shop there...avoid it! [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.08.08, 09:42 PM Flag
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the thing that is most ridiculous about their "excuse" is that if the toy isn't working they arent going to sell it to someone else, so who cares whose mouth it has been in?! [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 01:31 PM Flag
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I smell a rat...you're one of those hateful twin owners, aren't you? Or maybe you're their mom. How sad. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.08.08, 11:24 PM Flag
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What? Why would I post negatively about my own store, myself, or my family if I was one of the owners? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.09.08, 06:25 AM Flag
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This is the 4th post about this store in less than an hour. Are you OCD? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.08.08, 05:55 PM Flag
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OCD? No. Clearly other individuals were prompted to post because of similar experiences! [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.08.08, 08:21 PM Flag
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Your experience reminds me of that rude store clerk in the movie "Terms of Endearment". You were right to be mad. Those owners will eventually alienate enough of their customers to hurt their business. If it had happened to me, I would have left the germ ridden teething ring on the counter when I stormed out. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.08.08, 11:32 PM Flag
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I thought about that, but I figured I could try and contact the company to return it. What do you know, Sassy is sending me a postage-paid mailer and will send me a brand new toy. They were also SHOCKED that one of their retailers wouldn't take the item back, as they said that they would have easily given credit to the retailer. Pathetic! [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.09.08, 06:27 AM Flag
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[ Removed by moderator ] [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.10.08, 07:29 PM Flag
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they are truly the worst. they treat their employees like they own them and the customers like they are a dime a dozen. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.12.08, 12:17 PM Flag
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There is no reason for anyone to shop there when neighborhood stores are cheaper and have much nicer customer service. Thanks OP...I won't go back! [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.16.08, 08:34 PM Flag
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those twins are cheesy. i won't go back there either. out of principle now. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.16.08, 08:49 PM Flag
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Could it be that the battery went dead? Like it was on all night or something. I really don't blame store for not taking it back. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.16.08, 08:52 PM Flag
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Obviously the battery died, but there is no on/off switch so it was not left on. They should have taken it back because their return policy clearly states that they'll do an exchange within a certain time frame and this was the NEXT DAY! [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.20.08, 08:31 PM Flag
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Thank you so much to the OP for telling us about this. I definitely won't go back and I told so many people this story and they won't go back either! Lets put those freaky twins out of business! [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.20.08, 08:37 PM Flag
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oh my gd. I have gone there for years and I had an experience last year where I had a fit in the store (never in my life have I done that) and declared that they just lost a customer. Each year I buy 20 gifts there (for my son's class) and the twins treat everyone like crap. They had a fight with the woman in front of me and then they wrapped a gift for me worse than my 4 yo son would have done and were to say the least...the opposite of customer service. I have never in my almost 40 years yelled in a store, but I just lost it. I think it will be out of business in 6 months bc those twins are unbearable. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.20.08, 08:55 PM Flag
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I did not mean last year...I meant last week. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.20.08, 08:56 PM Flag
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I am glad to hear that I am not the only one who has found that store to be a nightmare! Does anyone know when those twins became the owners? I was recommended to file a claim with the BBB. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.21.08, 01:26 PM Flag
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I had an awful experience in Homboms this morning. I went in to buy a gift and told one of the twins I wanted to spend $20. This is for a birthday gift for a child in my DS's day care class whom I do not know. I was told that there are no nice gifts in that price range and if I wanted to spend $50, I could get a much better present. I was absolutely stunned. First off, $20 was the amount I wanted to spend and if they had nothing in that range, or a limited selection, they could have simply showed me what they had and let me choose. To tell me that that was an unacceptable amount and to judge me was downright embarrassing and disgusting. I have shopped there many times over the past few years and like the OP...will NEVER go back. Those twins are going to kill a good business if they don't get off their high horse! [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.28.08, 11:59 AM Flag
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