The Energon Pub

but look at the runaround it creates. If it happened to someone in the states what would they do? They'd call USPS and go, "WTF? Where's my package?" They'd say, "It's at our holding center." You'd say, "why is it there when it was supposed to be delivered to XXXXXXX Hotel?"

That's where things get tricky. They can say they don't deliver to hotels and they've fulfilled their obligation to Target to deliver since it's at their distribution center, the closest thing they can safely deliver to that's near this Hotel. Then Target could argue, "no you have to deliver it." But Targets not going to argue because really they don't care. Plus they know they probably shouldn't have accepted an order that's going to a hotel. Could be a stolen card, a number that the bellhop got off one of the Hotels customers, whatever, it could easily 'Not Be Legit.'

Best course of action is for Target to cut their losses, issue the customer a refund, and HOPE that USPS brings back the TF's in question.

Yes it's extremely frustrating that you can't get ahold of a real person to communicate with to try and clear up your problems with them.

However it's no different then any other company, be it retail or utility. Nowadays if you have a problem with your cable or phone bill and want to call to clarify something, chances are you'll have to "Push #3 for English, then spend 20 minutes listening to prerecorded crap telling you push this for this and that for that, and maybe, just maybe, you'll get to a real live person. Of course that real live person is usually located overseas and doesn't speak very good English and usually can't help you or understand you anyway. OORRR, you'll somehow get redirected back to your original option to, "Push #3 for English" and you can start all over again, OORRR, the call will mysteriously "disconnect."


So yes, American customer service is usually pretty awful, pretty automated, and has an accent. Go Figure.

Sorry this happened to you man, there's got to be an easier way for you to get TF's then to have to go through all this bullspit.

Malikon wrote:
you'll get to a real live person. Of course that real live person is usually located overseas and doesn't speak very good English and usually can't help you or understand you anyway.

Thanks mate. Anyway I've asked for the refund, got that autorespond message, and will check for my money in 7-10 days. Hopefully it's not just an autoresponse they give to customers who then have no way of telling they didn't receive any money!

It's interesting that you should talk about the person being located overseas. Every single one of my Target autoresponder messages has a different Indian/ Arab sounding name.

And yes, there are probably easier ways to get TF toys. But so far every time this has worked beautifully. My wife takes my toys home from a business trip, no shipping paid. Ah well...

The End of the Story...

My realistion of just how fake the automated Target customer service is, has been made all too clear by the bizarre resolution of this little soap opera.

For those who bothered following this thread, the hotel decided that they could make a phone call to help me trace the two Leader Brawls that Target couldn't be bothered to find out about, let alone deliver to me as service recovery for their courier screw up.

It turns out that the two Leader Brawls were still at the collection centre, sitting around. The hotel service manager decided to send someone out there to get it, and then send it to me in Singapore... free of charge!

So I'm vindicated in my original assessment of Target's e-mail system for customer service. Despite all their stock answers, including "researched thorougly your order" and "unable to locate your items despite our best efforts" etc. all a live service operator had to do was to make ONE phone call to find out where the items were, and then decide if my request was reasonable or not. At the very least, they could have recovered the two products for sale again.

Instead, they are happy with using an automated reply service that gets rid of customer concerns without needing to use any live operators at all.
They'd rather take the lazy way out and refund me my money and lose that money.

So that leaves me strangely happy, but also wondering what the actual production cost of a Leader figure really is.

this post should be change the title from target to ups.
after it's left target's warehouse, it's ups's responsibility.
and you got the **** end of the stick.
bark up the right tree or just get a refund, there's a ton on the shelves, that your wife could buy here.

decepticonjon wrote:this post should be change the title from target to ups.
after it's left target's warehouse, it's ups's responsibility.
and you got the **** end of the stick.
bark up the right tree or just get a refund, there's a ton on the shelves, that your wife could buy here.

No bro. That's not my point. Still if you haven't followed this tale from the start, then believe me it's not worth it. I put the conclusion down because of a few people who've PM'd me in support and thought I'd let those interested know how it turned out. I've got the two Leader Brawls, effectively free of charge. That's the gist of it.

So you got the refund and the two brawls???

Bonecrusher27 wrote:The hotel service manager decided to send someone out there to get it, and then send it to me in Singapore... free of charge!

Good to see it worked out for you. I hope you sent a glowing thank you note to that service manager and cc: his/her supervisor.

Bonecrusher27 wrote:

Lapse Of Reason wrote:Sounds like you need to go through UPS. I'm not sure why you expect Target to ship more.

There is no way I can contact UPS. I wanted Target to facilitate finding out why the screwup, and secondly the arrangement. And I'm not asking them to ship more, but to get their agent (in this case UPS) to find out where the hell the items are, and then do the right things to rectify their screwup, i.e. forward them to me. That's what pisses me off. I'm not holding Target responsible for the screwup, but their agent.

When I ship goods to my customers and something goes wrong, I don't expect to throw them the tracking number and say good luck, particularly if they are overseas. Far easier for me to contact the shippers I use here, as well as cheaper for me, than for my overseas customers.

Finally the snapping straws are none of my concerns addressed directly, but glossed over with stock responses.

gosh. this makes me love tfsource a little more.

Maximum Burn wrote:So you got the refund and the two brawls???

Yes I did And the best part is, I don't feel one damn bit guilty!

Decepticharge wrote:Good to see it worked out for you. I hope you sent a glowing thank you note to that service manager and cc: his/her supervisor.

I sure did! That's what service is about!

Bonecrusher27 wrote:

Maximum Burn wrote:So you got the refund and the two brawls???

Yes I did And the best part is, I don't feel one damn bit guilty!

It just to show you that being an raging customer will get you anything...

Maximum Burn wrote:
It just to show you that being an raging customer will get you anything...

I don't know what you mean. I was most effectively and efficiently ignored by their automated system. Go read the earlier posts and get the full story before you make a snide comment like that.

Bonecrusher27 wrote:The End of the Story...

My realistion of just how fake the automated Target customer service is, has been made all too clear by the bizarre resolution of this little soap opera.

For those who bothered following this thread, the hotel decided that they could make a phone call to help me trace the two Leader Brawls that Target couldn't be bothered to find out about, let alone deliver to me as service recovery for their courier screw up.

It turns out that the two Leader Brawls were still at the collection centre, sitting around. The hotel service manager decided to send someone out there to get it, and then send it to me in Singapore... free of charge!

So I'm vindicated in my original assessment of Target's e-mail system for customer service. Despite all their stock answers, including "researched thorougly your order" and "unable to locate your items despite our best efforts" etc. all a live service operator had to do was to make ONE phone call to find out where the items were, and then decide if my request was reasonable or not. At the very least, they could have recovered the two products for sale again.

Instead, they are happy with using an automated reply service that gets rid of customer concerns without needing to use any live operators at all.
They'd rather take the lazy way out and refund me my money and lose that money.

So that leaves me strangely happy, but also wondering what the actual production cost of a Leader figure really is.

(Dont mind me. I'm responding before reading the rest of the thread.) Wait, wait, wait. Let me get this straight. Target refunded your money because they claim your package could not be located. But the hotel made one call, found your package and is sending it you in Singapore? So you got two Leader Class Brawls for free in the end? You scored the ultimate revenge on Target! Be Happy!!!!

Dude, automated systems are not that great for customer service...hell, any customer service is really not service. You wanted Target to make an exception for you (since you're not there) and do the legwork of actually contacting UPS for the screwup (which you should done or tell your wife to do), when all they know is actually what you know: nothing about what happened to the items once it left their hands. They give the items to SHIP. Here, on this forums you complain about how they were being douches because they won't help you find the items and how you claim they gave you a "bs" response of a machine and a letter apologizing for the mishap and gave you options of replacements or a refund and ask you to use the tracking number because they tried reaching the carrier (UPS) and couldn't reach them (they probably put Lindsey Ruffin since that would be the owner of the hotel aka the address of were they are told to get UPS to ship, which would make more sense seeing that putting your name would confuse the people since the people getting the items wouldn't know who you are). You then decided to take the refund grudgingly (since a lot people were opting towards that and that fighting it out would be pointless). Then you decide contact the hotel (which you should have done in the first place since they were the ones getting items). They found out it was at the collection center and the hotel had to get someone over there and the hotel would then ship it to you for free. You make sound like it was target's collection center, which wouldn't make any sense since they GAVE the items away to SHIP to the HOTEL. Maybe it was the hotel's collection center (or UPS since they had a package for a Lindsey Ruffin, in which the hotel wouldn't know about it or why the package was ship to them and try a wide announcement in the hotel for a Lindsey Ruffin and not get a response, leading them to not sign the package), which would tend to fall on your instruction of your wife (who was over there for other business other than for YOUR stuff; how the tell is she suppose to know what's going on when you are getting the information anyways? Is she suppose to know magically if there are brawls in a brown packages when the package name is mostly likely in Lindsey Ruffin's name?) to pick them up from the service counter and fly back with them, thus making no extra cash for shipping. Instead, the hotel had to shell out for your mistake. Everyone lost except you.

Plus, give a good, valid reason of why they (target) should done this all for just you? You aren't the only one having problems. Other people are going through what you did too. All this work and effort and they aren't getting anything for it either. You complain to them and bash on them rather than doing something about yourself. They even gave you fair resolutions too. You told them to ship packages to a hotel, in which you tell your wife to pick up and bring on the plane home. They shipped through UPS, since Target is a RETAIL store. Also, things get shipped to hotels all the time, people visiting put the hotel's address as the item destination so that they can then get the item and check it over during their stay, instead of coming home to the wrong item. The automated machine didn't ignore you; it was just asking questions in the first place. How the hell you expect a programed machine to help you? How you expect live service to help, seeing as they don't know the situation? Just because they work at Target, it doesn't mean they automatically know every order (but they can look it up for you ).

I know the story. I am not sorry for you. I fail to see how you are so stressed, seeing as how you got your brawls and money back when the complications wouldn't have start if you had done better legwork.

PS: If the brawls don't reach you, DON'T complain to Target. Start with the hotel.

Ultra Prime wrote:
(Dont mind me. I'm responding before reading the rest of the thread.) Wait, wait, wait. Let me get this straight. Target refunded your money because they claim your package could not be located. But the hotel made one call, found your package and is sending it you in Singapore? So you got two Leader Class Brawls for free in the end? You scored the ultimate revenge on Target! Be Happy!!!!

Yeah thanks I will have to be. I'm not into revenge much, but I think in the end, the resolution was the best it could have been given what the customer service was!

Maximum Burn wrote:Dude, automated systems are not that great for customer service...

You write as if everyone knows that the customer service line at Target's is fake and automated. Well I didn't. If I'd known what illuminati like you knew all the time, it would've saved me a ton of grief.

Maximum Burn wrote:they probably put Lindsey Ruffin since that would be the owner of the hotel aka the address of were they are told to get UPS to ship, which would make more sense seeing that putting your name would confuse the people since the people getting the items wouldn't know who you are

Pretty good... classic! What I wouldn't have minded hearing from Target: a somewhat convoluted and creative explanation which would have assured me that a live representative was actually reading my complaints, saying no, and forced me to desist!

As I said before, I wouldn't mind if it was an @$$6o£e dissing me as long as I knew it was a live @$$6o£e dissing me.

Maximum Burn wrote:give a good, valid reason of why they (target) should done this all for just you? You aren't the only one having problems.

The "all this" refers to: 1) not BSing customers with a fake operator, and having a live person actually read their specific concerns 2) as a business person, not passing the buck to your service providers because you do have a responsibility to customers.

I also find your suggestion that just because other customers may have the same problem absolves the need to help resolve problems. If anything, if more of my customers have the same problem or complaints, I am more likely to look harder at it.

If you aren't already in the service line, or doing business where service is important, let me give you a tip to repay you for your long effortful reply: DON'T.

Bonecrusher27 wrote:

Maximum Burn wrote:Dude, automated systems are not that great for customer service...

You write as if everyone knows that the customer service line at Target's is fake and automated. Well I didn't. If I'd known what illuminati like you knew all the time, it would've saved me a ton of grief.

1) I didn't say Target or was talking about Target's automated system. In general, all automated system aren't big help is what I am trying to say in that sentence. This led me to believe why you wanted live help.
2) I didn't say Target ONLY has automated help. I do know that if you get a live person, and they can't help you/stand you: they'll put you with the machine anyways.
3) Mostly everyone dealt with customer service is going through difficult times.
4) How is it fake when you're talking to it? Help is help. It's just not good help.

Bonecrusher27 wrote:

Maximum Burn wrote:they probably put Lindsey Ruffin since that would be the owner of the hotel aka the address of were they are told to get UPS to ship, which would make more sense seeing that putting your name would confuse the people since the people getting the items wouldn't know who you are

Pretty good... classic! What I wouldn't have minded hearing from Target: a somewhat convoluted and creative explanation which would have assured me that a live representative was actually reading my complaints, saying no, and forced me to desist!

As I said before, I wouldn't mind if it was an @$$6o£e dissing me as long as I knew it was a live @$$6o£e dissing me.

1) Dissing you? Dude, a live customer service will probably get confused and tell the same training phrase or try to calm you down. They'll try understand what you're going through and ask questions, but you can't expect them to go through with whatever since you want it. They might not even have the clearance to do what you asked (this is one **** up case). In which, they'll say to you to contact this number and go through more and "diss" you some more. Essentially, you would still get the same @$$6o£e. So, all in all, how would a live person make it better?
2) I came to that conclusion because of the tidbits posted on here. I am not sure if that really happened, but it's just a good speculation based on what's given.
3) I gave you my explanation and you're already pooping over it. If target gave it, at least it showed that they were listening? How exactly does this get what you want?

Bonecrusher27 wrote:

Maximum Burn wrote:give a good, valid reason of why they (target) should done this all for just you? You aren't the only one having problems.

The "all this" refers to: 1) not BSing customers with a fake operator, and having a live person actually read their specific concerns 2) as a business person, not passing the buck to your service providers because you do have a responsibility to customers.

I also find your suggestion that just because other customers may have the same problem absolves the need to help resolve problems. If anything, if more of my customers have the same problem or complaints, I am more likely to look harder at it.

If you aren't already in the service line, or doing business where service is important, let me give you a tip to repay you for your long effortful reply: DON'T.

1) Do you know how much money and time it would take for every complainer they had live help to deal with? Especially for out of nation calls??? Some of the complaints are just plain stupid too (like complaining of a toy cause it smells bad). Getting toll-free calls to customer help is the only good thing we get.
2) They did what they could do. If you're item was stuck mid-way to whatever, is it their responsibility to go get and bring it to you? No, but they can't take your money. So they gave you replacements or refunds. The delivering part is on UPS. They are the ones getting it shipped to you and the ones responsibility You say Target facilitated for the delivery by UPS. You didn't say which service shipper you wanted to use so they used the one they choose.
3) What I am saying is: just because you live outside (where they have restrictions) you shouldn't get special treatment of asking them to do something they aren't in the business for (asking to get UPS to ship to Singapore which will cost money and is against their regulations of shipping overseas in the first place so that's pretty unreasonable to ask in the first place). All customers are same: money. Plus, target is a US corp, you should know they wouldn't do much to help since their only audience of cash is in the US. They had restrictions for a reason. You just tried to loophole it and it worked out for you. You got lucky. Still, you complain about the service they provided and what you had to go through.
4) They did pass the buck to the service provider, and that was to ship to the hotel, not Singapore. You want someone to change the restriction policy or go beyond what they had to do for no pay and risk losing their position in a big corperation? Yeah, that's pretty reasonable.
5) For an idea such as this and you want them to resolve it? You should have asked your wife to go to a Target, mapquest it, get a cab and get the items. Better yet, you should have gone with her if you wanted them so bad.
6) You said you had customers and expected them to treat customers as you treat them. Well, they aren't you. If everyone had the same policies, then what's the point of having different stores?

Bonecrusher27 wrote:You can trivialise this as "moaning", "whining" or "bitching" if you want. You have that right.

Bonecrusher27 wrote:If you aren't already in the service line, or doing business where service is important, let me give you a tip to repay you for your long effortful reply: DON'T.

1) You said it, not me. Here you are posting for support. Some people aren't supporting you and you say that's fine. I post what I think, and you're telling me don't. You know, you didn't have to read it hypocrite.

I am not saying Target is perfect. There are some things that can be improved on. However you claim they should have done the "right thing" in business. I think that is not a good way to get money, maybe get business but not money. Just what is the right thing in business is there? I can't understand why you are so unreasonable about what Target did to help the situation (and yeah they did help you; they could have just kept the money).

Maximum Burn wrote:

Bonecrusher27 wrote:If you aren't already in the service line, or doing business where service is important, let me give you a tip to repay you for your long effortful reply: DON'T.

1) You said it, not me. Here you are posting for support. Some people aren't supporting you and you say that's fine. I post what I think, and you're telling me don't. You know, you didn't have to read it hypocrite.

I'm advising you DON'T get into the service line or do business where service is important, not don't REPLY. And by the way, unreasonable service demands when I'm overseas? Exactly where did we get most of our best practice advice? From the States.

Bonecrusher27 wrote:

Maximum Burn wrote:

Bonecrusher27 wrote:If you aren't already in the service line, or doing business where service is important, let me give you a tip to repay you for your long effortful reply: DON'T.

1) You said it, not me. Here you are posting for support. Some people aren't supporting you and you say that's fine. I post what I think, and you're telling me don't. You know, you didn't have to read it hypocrite.

I'm advising you DON'T get into the service line or do business where service is important, not don't REPLY. And by the way, unreasonable service demands when I'm overseas? Exactly where did we get most of our best practice advice? From the States.

Okay, I admit it. I didn't get that. But anyways I won't be taking any logical advice from you after reading this thread.

Don't you get what I am trying to say? It's because they don't ship overseas.

Target wrote: http://www.target.com/b/ref=br_bx_0/602 ... de=1041130
We cannot ship internationally, nor do we ship to U.S. Protectorates (except as noted above), Guam or the Virgin Islands.

How can you ask them to do something against their own policy? They shipped to the hotel, which was in the nation. The address you gave them.

Bonecrusher27 wrote:My wife visited the States so I ordered two Leader Brawls and got them to send to her, specifying her hotel and when she was arriving (4th October)

So yeah they got the order address right. Otherwise, they wouldn't ship it over.

Bonecrusher27 wrote:3. My wife returned home empty handed. I wrote to Target specifying all the points, the main underlying one being that UPS screwed up what was a very straightforward delivery.

So Target wasn't responsible for the mishap, why are you still complaining?

Bonecrusher27 wrote: Therefore UPS should make reparation by sending the parcels to Singapore.

And you're still complained to Target?

Bonecrusher27 wrote:Since Target used UPS, I asked customer service to facilitate this. I also wanted them to find out why the devil did they not do as they were told to send to the addressee.

Then you think it's fair to hold Target responsible and that Target's customer service should ship the stuff to Singapore, against their own policy, because they told UPS (the in charge of shipping the stuff) to shipped the stuff to the hotel, which is where you told Target that's where you want your stuff to be? Right...totally reasonable. Especially since they are just a chain of retail stores and already sent the packages to UPS. Since they can't really do anything for the original stuff, they gave you other options of get a new order of toys shipped to the hotel or your money back, which you still bitched about.[quote=Bonecrusher27] the hotel concierge finally tracked that UPS had sent it to one of their centres, where it was left to rot. [/quote] Maybe that's why you didn't get your stuff. The hotel most likely didn't sign for it or couldn't find the person the package belong to sign it for them (liability pass on to them if they sign for it; if they don't know who is it for or what it is, since it's illegal to open other people's packages, then it's risky to keep it and won't sign), so back into the storage it goes to (where then they can redirect the person to get the package from one of UPS's center). Your wife should gotten the package form the front desk or ask the hotel before she left, but I think it was maybe she had business to do than be concerned about your toys. I can find it reasonable for the hotel to ship it over once they got it. But Target refunding the money after you kept going after them, when you stated that UPS was responsible, and slander them? I think that's so wrong.

Maybe this is why they don't ship overseas in the first place...

Maximum Burn wrote:
Okay, I admit it. I didn't get that. But anyways I won't be taking any logical advice from you after reading this thread. ...

I think you mean illogial advice. I try to be fair and cool-headed generally if you've read my other threads. But if you feel that the bad vibes from this one nullifies the sense and value of anything else I might say, then you have that right.

Maximum Burn wrote:Don't you get what I am trying to say?
...

I know what you are actually saying, but I don't think I've successfully conveyed the intent or the crux of my frustrations. But we are standing and making judgements on the whole thing from different platforms and standpoints and I don't think we can convince the other of our respective viewpoints.

I can't say I don't appreciate your taking a lot of time writing in a very detailed manner to respond to my thread. It shows me that my original statement to you to read the whole thing before making snide comments was unfounded, but that you made them on your understanding of the facts.It takes time and you have proven from your point by point quotes that you did indeed read everything on this thread. For that you have my thanks.

Ehh. I was being kind of unruly myself. Sorry dude, but this had been a wasted day...Stupid snow impeding my quest for more figures and returns. I don't remember any other threads you made except this one, so yeah.

But I do know that if you got a someone overseas in a military base (I think US miltary base), Target will ship it via military mail. So if you got a friend at the local Singapore US miltary base, invite them over and you get your toy.

EDIT: I have no idea why I quoted myself.

Maximum Burn wrote:Ehh. I was being kind of unruly myself. Sorry dude, but this had been a wasted day...Stupid snow impeding my quest for more figures and returns. I don't remember any other threads you made except this one, so yeah.

No worries mate! What's important to me is the effort taken to reply and give me your detailed view points, appreciate that! Again it's standpoints... you're stuck in snow, we'd kill for snow, sweltering in this humid heat.

Maximum Burn wrote:But I do know that if you got a someone overseas in a military base (I think US miltary base), Target will ship it via military mail. So if you got a friend at the local Singapore US miltary base, invite them over and you get your toy.

Thanks for the tip. Actually I do have a few friends in the States, but this time I thought I was being clever and could avoid having the additional step of having a friend ship it over and have my poor wife hand carry it back. More fool me. Of best laid plans of mice and men... Toys are great shipped to US addresses. Once they get over here in transit, forget about MISB!