FootSmart Refund for Returned Item

Summary: A purchase of a pair of shoes from Footsmart that was made on Feb 25, 2012 was returned.  The crediting of the purchase was completed on Nov. 21, 2012, almost 9 full months later.
Below are the notes and correspondence to rectify the situation.  This transaction puts Footsmart customer service at an unacceptable level.


February 25, 2012

Item purchased from Footsmart. Cost, including shipping $114.74 and charged to Mastercard.
provided shipping address and a billing address (different). Billing address was provided so that credit card transaction would go through.

March 1, 2012
Item returned to Footsmart.

March 16, 2012
Check issued by Footsmart  for $114.74 to our BILLING address. Our Billing Address is not set up to receive checks.  Check forwarded to our address, but we were away at the time.  By the time we got the check it was stale and could not be cashed. In the meantime we did call Footsmart and were assured that they sent us a check.

May-June time period.
Called Footsmart with information about stale check.  They indicated that they would issue a new check to the correct address, but that we would have to wait approximately 4 to 6 weeks to make sure the previous check was not cashed.

July
Called Footsmart and informed them that we had not received the check. Asked that they credit the same Mastercard account that the original charge was associated with.

August - October
More of the same

November 7, 2012
Footsmart claims on the phone that they issued the credit back to our account today.  It should appear on our account within 5 days.

November 15, 2012
The bank that issued the credit card indicates that they have not received a credit from Footsmart.

November 15, 2012

Footsmart
Box 922908
Norcross, GA  30010

Gentlemen:

I am writing to get closure on a transaction that started in February, 2012. My wife ordered a number of items from you. One of those items was a pair of shoes that she returned.  

Here is the information that I have on that transaction:
It appears as credit card charge on our account on 2/25/12 for $114.74.
The order number is PPPPPPPPPPP with customer number YYYYYYYY.

By way of background information, we have packages delivered here to our home, but we use a different billing address because our credit card bills are sent there.  If we do not use that address as the billing address many credit card transactions get denied.

It appears that Footsmart, instead of charging back the returned charges to the credit card, sent a check on March 16, 2012 to our billing address which is really our bill paying service. Our bill paying service is not set up to receive checks for us.  Eventually that check arrived at our home, but by the time we got it, it was stale and could not be cashed.

In numerous telephone calls to Footsmart we requested that the funds be credited back to our credit card. I have called in probably half a dozen times now to follow up on the progress.  To date we have had many promises, but no refund.

We are approaching nine months since the shoes were returned and still do not have the refund.  At this point, I want an acknowledgement in some tangible form that the credit back to our account has been accomplished by Footsmart, or alternatively, that you find some other way to get us reimbursed.

Sincerely,

XXXXXXXXX

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November 15, 2012

Dear Mr. XXXXXXXXX

Thank you for your recent email inquiry. At this time, your MC account ending in the last four numbers #ZZZZ was credited on 11/07/12. Again, thank you for contacting Customer Care at FootSmart/Comfortology, and if you require further assistance please feel free to contact us.

Sincerely,
FootSmart/Comfortology Customer Care

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November 16, 2012

FootSmart/Comfortology Customer Care:

Thank you for the prompt response to my inquiry. However, I have now checked with the credit card company and they have assured me that any transaction that would have been entered for a credit back to our account by November 7, or even November 8, would have already been credited, and, needless to say, it has not.

Also, not to nit pick, but when I requested a tangible form of acknowledgement of the transaction having already been credited back to our account, I was thinking of something a little more definitive, like, for example, some reference number, but certainly, an amount.

I look forward to your response.

XXXXXXXXXX

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November 16, 2012

Dear XXXXXXXX,

Thank you for your recent email inquiry. After contacting our accounting department, it appears that the original Master Card on file my be closed. Can you please confirm that the credit is still an active accout. Also, the credited amount owed is $114.74. Again, thank you for contacting Customer Care at FootSmart/Comfortology, and if you require further assistance please feel free to contact us.



Sincerely,

FootSmart/Comfortology Customer Care

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November 16, 2012

Thank you for your prompt response. You are correct that the Master Card number that FootSmart is attempting to charge back to is closed. However, I had fully disclosed this fact before FootSmart attempted the transaction and your representative insisted on doing it this way. I also spoke to the Master Card Bank involved and they assured me that if the credit is issued for the old account number that they would transfer the credit to our current account number. My suspicion is that the credit was not really issued.

Sincerely,

XXXXXXXXXX

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November 16. 2012

Dear XXXXXXXXXXXX

Thank you for your recent email inquiry. The credit has been processed please allow 6-10 business days from 11/07/12 for the credit to post.  Again, thank you for contacting Customer Care at FootSmart/Comfortology, and if you require further assistance please feel free to contact us.


Sincerely,

FootSmart/Comfortology Customer Care

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November 21, 2012
Credit was recorded on my credit card today for the full amount due. 
Case closed.