Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  08/08/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Really feel Cheated from Bill and Kathy, owners of North American Flags & Flagpoles LLC. Their website, https://northamericanflags.com/ shows the 3' x 5' Endura-Nylon American Flag's price as $40.00 each. This price is reflected in attached "Cart" and still listed as $40.00 on their website on 8-5-2022 after I made my in-person purchase and was charged $48.00 each. At first, I was going to order on-line until I noticed the extravagant Shipping Charge of $49.98 for two small flags from Greenville County to Spartanburg County. I decided to make the drive to save this shipping charge. On 8-5-2022, I purchased in person the same two flags listed in attached cart. When I arrived back home, something did not feel right. On the attached Receipt, you will see that I was charged $48.00 a piece, same product. I called back to speak with Kathy and informed her that the on-line price was $8.00 less for each at $40.00, but I was charged $48 each. I reminded her I could have ordered on line and received the $40 each price. The Cart reflects $40 each. She said they meant to have had the price changed, but have not done so yet. I said the right thing to do is is HONOR THE ADVERTISED PRICE, and refund my Debit Card the $16.00 difference. She said she would have to speak with Bill, co-owner and husband. She spoke with Bill and answer was no to the refund and I could return the flags. The shipping cost alone for me to return the flags would have been more than the refund. And my time to return to this heavy traffic was not worth it either. A reputable business would have made this right by simply refunding the difference, $16 on my card. I consider it fraud to advertise one price and charge significantly more in person. $16 is not going to make or break me, but I want to warn others of their Horrible and Dishonest Customer Service. This is not the way to do business and I was trying to be patriotic by buying locally and Made in America.

  Business response

  08/08/2022

  We are aware of the difference in pricing. As we explained very carefully to Mr ***** our online prices had not yet caught up to the instore pricing and we apologized. We told Mr ***** we stand behind our products 100% and if he was unhappy with his purchase he could return the flags and we will give him a full refund for his purchase.
  I challenge the point he made about the cost to return the flags. We told him that if he was unhappy then put them in a USPS mailer and send them back and we would have refunded ALL his money in total. The fact that he decided not to get the full refund is not our problem. We offered a full refund and he rejected the full refund. Instead he decided that to file a complaint for $16 is worth more than the full refund. His logic does not hold water.

  I also challenge the fact that the online freight charges were so high that is why he drove over from his home. All he had to do was pick up the phone and call to verify the freight charges and we would have offered a potentially lower freight charge. The fact that he drove here and then complained the whole time about the traffic leads one to question a variety of things.

  And lastly and more importantly: AFTER MY WIFE TRIED TO EXPAIN TO MR ***** ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE IN PRICING - HE CALLED MY WIFE AN ******* AND THEN HUNG UP ON HER. This is the type of person you are getting a complaint from.

  BTW: please check our wwebsite as everything was updated over the weekend......our webguy finally got it done.  The online price for the flags he bough is $55 each. Our online pricing is always higher due to our freight charges in and out.

  He has passed on the full refund we offered and that is/was his choice. The fact he insulted my wife who was just trying to do her best she could, leaves me asking this question: He must be really unhappy. 

  Customer response

  08/09/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. 
  
  
  Regards,
  
  ******* *****

  Exactly what I expected from them, TOTAL LIES.  They did not, Kathy did not mentioned anything about paying for return postage, otherwise, I would returned them.  And I took their advertised shipping cost in shopping cart at face value as I did their $40 price for each flag.  Why does a customer have to call to verify shipping cost?  It was listed in Shipping Cart on attachment I first sent in.  Just in case, attached again showing this cost.  And last, I did not call Kathy an *******.  Total Lie again.  

  All of this is exactly why I filed a complaint with the BBB in the first place was to warn others these people will cheat you.  And yes, traffic was terrible and extremely difficult to get in and out of there.  I do now want to return or see these people again.  We all know about Pelham Road area, I - 85 and I - 385.  I went in on Hwy 14 and it was backed up from miles the closer you got to Woodfuff Road.  Yes, I complained about the traffic as everyone in Greenville County does.  I was not blaming them personally for the traffic, just stating how congested it was.  

  Any other reputable Business would have simply credit my debit card in the amount of $16 plus tax in this situation.  This is the only resolution and the only option that makes any sense.  It's an awful feeling to be Taken, or Cheated.  They admitted they had not updated their Prices on line and it is that on-line prices that should be Honored.  It's not the Customer's fault they had not updated their prices on line.  This is real cut and dry, no confusion here.  They advertised one price and charge another when you get there.  A real Veteran or Reputable Business knows about HONOR AND TRUTH. Anyone else would have honored their on line price.   

   

   

   

  Business response

  08/10/2022

  We do not have the time or patience to respond to someone like this. We offered a FULL REFUND and he rejected it.  End of conversation.

  Customer response

  08/10/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. 
  
  Regards,
  
  

  Dishonest People and will cheat you, beware.

  Total Lies again and I would rather not deal with people like these.  I never want to see them again.  There actions and way of doing business give the small, family owned businesses a bad name.  To buy locally and supposedly "Made in America", I drove out of town to give them my business.  I regret this decision.  They did not offer a total refund when it was understood I was to return at my expense.  They made no offer to pay return postage as they claimed.  Thus, this is not a total refund.  They still owe  me a refund for the difference in price they cheated me out of.   They misrepresented price on website (proof provided), and charged more in person (Proof provided).  This is fraud.  These are the kind of people that will not make this right.  They are dishonest.  We all know they will not refund the difference in in their advertised price vs their price when I visited their store.  There will be no resolution except for others to see on BBB how this Dishonest Business will treat Customers when they make a mistake.  I provided proof of their advertised price vs. my actual price charged my Credit Card price.  What other evidence is needed and what can the BBB really do?  End of story.

   

   

   

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩