Lying textbook vendor

[lupo pazzesco]

I think this goes here, since it wasn't a customer per se, and I was acting on behalf of my store, calling in to check on the status of a textbook order with a vendor. Now, the woman mentioned she had just installed some new programs, so I'm cutting her some slack, since we all LOVE data entry systems and inventory control and all that other fun stuff we use computers to make our lives more difficu--er--expedient. No, the trouble started when I was asking her to find out what happened to about $9000 worth of books we'd ordered but hadn't received. She swore up and down it had been delivered, so I asked for confirmation of that, or else I'd have to ask my manager, whom we shall call John (Yes, I mentioned his name. Important!) for this exercise, to escalate to the claims department on lost merchandise we'd been charged for. The conversation went roughly as follows.

Me: Nothing like the first day back and dealing with supreme idiocy.
SV: Sucky Vendor

SV: Well, it looks like it's already been delivered, 8 cartons shipped via UPS.
Me: Great, can I just have a tracking number, or some form of delivery confirmation?
SV: I can look it up for you! It looks like it was delivered...August 5th!
Me: I'm sorry, that's impossible.
SV: Why? It was a Tuesday!
Me: Yes, ma'am, it WAS a Tuesday, but on that particular Tuesday our store, plus the campus, and a good chunk of town was closed, in preparation for Tropical Storm Eduoard, which was suspected to become a hurricane once it reached landfall.
SV: Oh...<Sounds of computer keys clacking, mouse clicking, and the sudden sense of panic wafting over the phone lines> Oh...oh! I'm so sorry, it looks like it was delivered August FIRST.
Me: All right, and can you tell me who signed for it?
SV: Um, yes, it was...JIM!
Me: ...
SV: Didn't you say your boss' name was Jim?
Me: ... It's John...
SV: Well, there you go, it's an error on part of your store, so the invoice is still due in the full amount.
Me: Ma'am, what was the last name for the receiver listed by UPS?
SV: ... there isn't one.
Me: Um, our UPS guy, who's name is B, by the way, fun guy, ALWAYS lists the last name, as I think its UPS policy. I'm sorry, I think I need to be transferred to your claims department please.
SV: They're closed.
Me: <It's 2:30 in the afternoon!!> All right, then, ma'am, I'll be sure to have my manager get in touch with them tomorrow. Thank you for your time!


Now is it just me, or is this whole call just fishy? I quelled the urge to remind her she was being recorded, she'd LIED to me a few times, etc. I'm interested to see where this goes, especially considering the look on John's face when I told him about it. He was not a happy bunny...

[Gurndigarn]

Now is it just me, or is this whole call just fishy? I quelled the urge to remind her she was being recorded, she'd LIED to me a few times, etc. I'm interested to see where this goes, especially considering the look on John's face when I told him about it. He was not a happy bunny...

No, it's a LOT fishy. Make sure you don't lose that recording.

[hinakiba777]

Me: All right, and can you tell me who signed for it?
SV: Um, yes, it was...JIM!
Me: ...
SV: Didn't you say your boss' name was Jim?
Me: ... It's John...
SV: Well, there you go, it's an error on part of your store, so the invoice is still due in the full amount.
Me: Ma'am, what was the last name for the receiver listed by UPS?
SV: ... there isn't one.

That is just sketchy. I mean, it's such an obvious lie. You can see the pit getting deeper as she speaks. You know, from the hole she's digging herself into.

I am not envious of your first day back LP, not in the least.

[Lachrymose]

Tracking number first, payment second. That's the way it goes. Sucks to be that lady.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Wow, two or three blatant lies in that one phone conversation. Epic fail, I say.

When the claim from you or the manager comes in, she's going to take it in hard. Without lube.

[lupo pazzesco]

That is just sketchy. I mean, it's such an obvious lie. You can see the pit getting deeper as she speaks. You know, from the hole she's digging herself into.

I am not envious of your first day back LP, not in the least.

And all because she doesn't know how to work the software. I mean, be honest! Tell me it's slow and you're having problems and I'll be patient! But try to bamboozle me with your asshattery, and I become merciless.

Wow, two or three blatant lies in that one phone conversation. Epic fail, I say.

When the claim from you or the manager comes in, she's going to take it in hard. Without lube.

And I'm just wicked enough to want to either be the one to make that call, or at least be allowed to listen in on that conversation. With popcorn. Too bad we don't have video phones or something because I'd like to see her squirm.

Oops, bad Lupo. I really should behave myself. But it's too early in the morning. Gonna go make coffee instead.

[Canarr]

Yeah, that's definitely fishy. Looking forward to an update!

[Geek King]

Yup, BS meter was screaming as soon as she refused to give you the tracking number. No legitimate shipper will refuse that if there really is a lost shipment. Go for the throat, Boo! Raaaaaaassssk!

[Becks]

Did she really think she was going to get away with it???

[Crazeyal]

Yah.. getting the fictitious tracking number should stop the lies about having it delivered. Sounds like someone messed up.. BAD. I'd switch suppliers if you can..

[Gerrinson]

Go for the throat, Boo! Raaaaaaassssk!

Squeaky wheel gets the kick!

Minsk was awesome. Boo the miniature giant space hamster more so. Gotta go dig up those CDs and play that again...

Oh, and back on topic, yeah that call was majorly fishy. I am evil enough to want to listen to the call to her supervisor, though.

[bainsidhe]

So she didn't have a tracking number? At my workplace (where $9000 orders are a rarety, mind, but I'd still do the same thing), if I noticed or suspected we'd messed up, I'd get a phone number to call back while I "investigate". I'd tell the customer something along the lines of "my system isn't pulling up the information I need" or somesuch. If I had an actual tracking number and it was delivered, you'd better believe I'm double-checking the address and more-than-willing to give the name of the signer.

Did you ask for a tracking number? That alone should tell you a great deal. Regardless, I hope the supplier insured the shipment.

[radiocerk]

from my shipping days...

Yep, they always get your last name if they've gotten a signature. Now, there's no saying that a lazy driver might not put in a dummy last name if they forgot to get one, but usually it's at least kinda legible on that screen. (The images they pull up on the computer are much more readable than the ones on the board itself.)

And if they don't even have a tracking number.... I call bullsh*t.

[Dips]

Tracking Numbers

Kind of O/T

My youngest younger brother (YYB) dealt with a fishy lawyer who KEPT the proceeds of this house sale instead of using them to pay off the mortgage.

There was a lot of back and forth but it finally boiled down to the lawyer's secretary (because the lawyer was dodging his calls and hiding behind her) telling YYB that the check had been sent via Fedex. When YYB asked for the tracking number, the secretary made one up.

YYB found this out when he called FedEx to track the package. When he called the secretary back he managed to convince her to turn in her boss. He did this by pointing out that, if the boss wasn't splitting $300,000 she stole from him with the secretary, that the secretary really had no motive for choosing to go to jail along with her boss.

[Amina516]

Hey LP...any update?