MisterGrey
Practically Family
- Messages
- 526
- Location
- Texas, USA
Although I've already posted this over in Suits, I felt that as the primary gist of my experience was in regards to a hat, I needed to put something here as well. Since many loungers are, like myself, younger fellas who would like a decent fur felt but don't necessarily have the money for a higher-end brand/model, I think it's important to let them-- as well as bargain-minded Loungers-- know about a company advertising a name-brand hat that is, in fact, a total sham.
I stumbled across mensusa.com looking for a fur felt bowler; they claim to have one here, with sketchy details. The link to the page describes the hat as wool felt but the page itself says fur. Note this part of the ad:
This, combined with the assertion that $49 was a "half off sale," piqued my interest; I could very well have stumbled across a retailer having a half off sale on a Christys' derby. Wanting to be sure, I telephoned the 1-888 number yesterday. After about fifteen rings, it was answered by a guy who sounded like he was on a cordless phone from the 90s; it had that grainy, "wind tunnel" sound that you do not associate with the phone lines installed by a professional business. He had a mumbly, inarticulate voice and an accent that didn't sound like any kind of genuine accent but rather like someone badly imitating an accent. He said, "Mensusa dot com." I'm used to some kind of "How can I help you?" or "Please hold" or some kind of management-enforced tagline ("Where customer service is our priority!") so I was waiting for that and there was a dead silence while I realized he was waiting for me to say something. Finally I said that I was calling asking for information about one of their products.
Salesman: You want it, you buy it online.
Me: Well, I just wanted some information on it before I buy it.
Salesman: You want it, you buy it.
Me: I don't want to buy something without knowing anything about it.
Salesman: Everything you need to know's on the webpage.
Me: Um, well can I just tell you what item it is I'm asking about?
Salesman: Yeah, go on.
Me: SKU#FG3.
Salesman: (Pause) Yeah, the hat.
Me: Can you tell me who makes it?
Salesman: We do, all of our products are made by us, mensusa.
Me: But on the page it says Christys' lining, so I was wond--
Salesman: We make all our products, you want it you buy it online.
And he hangs up on me. So I call back, and get the same fellow, with the same wind tunnel effect.
Salesman: I told you, you want it you buy it online.
Me: I just want to know about the hat, it says Christys on the page, you're telling me you make it.
Salesman: Hey, we don't want your business.
Me: ...what?
Salesman: We don't want your business, have a good day.
And he hangs up on me. At this point I know that they're not on the level, so now it's become about me being ticked as opposed to me trying to get factual information. I call a third time.
Salesman: I told you we don't want your business.
Me: Why not?
Salesman: We don't need it.
Me: I could spend lots of money at your store.
Salesman: We don't want your money.
Me: Why not?
Salesman: We have enough.
Me: Then why are you still running a business? If you have enough money you don't need to have a store to sell things in to make more money.
Me: We don't want your business.
And another hangup. I waited a little bit, called again, and this time actually got a clear-sounding phone line with a guy speaking in unaccented, mid-western American English. He put me on hold, and I got disconnected. I called two more times; the next time, the same unaccented guy, on hold again. The third time, unaccented guy, who mistook me for someone else he'd had on hold; but while I had him on the line I cajoled him into answering my question.
Me: SKU#FG3, it says "Christys lining" but the other guy said you make all of your stuff yourselves.
(Dead silence on the other end. I decide to try something)
Me: Do you just use Christys' lining and the other materials are you own?
Unaccented Guy (Real fast): Yeah, yeah, we just use Christy's lining, and all of the other materials are our own.
Verbatim what I'd just said, in a very "Yes, that's right!" pseudo-reassuring manner.
So, they've branched out into false advertising now. I just thought that, if anyone still had any illusions or considerations about taking a shot... DON'T. They clearly not only lack customer service skills, they're outright crooks.
I stumbled across mensusa.com looking for a fur felt bowler; they claim to have one here, with sketchy details. The link to the page describes the hat as wool felt but the page itself says fur. Note this part of the ad:
This, combined with the assertion that $49 was a "half off sale," piqued my interest; I could very well have stumbled across a retailer having a half off sale on a Christys' derby. Wanting to be sure, I telephoned the 1-888 number yesterday. After about fifteen rings, it was answered by a guy who sounded like he was on a cordless phone from the 90s; it had that grainy, "wind tunnel" sound that you do not associate with the phone lines installed by a professional business. He had a mumbly, inarticulate voice and an accent that didn't sound like any kind of genuine accent but rather like someone badly imitating an accent. He said, "Mensusa dot com." I'm used to some kind of "How can I help you?" or "Please hold" or some kind of management-enforced tagline ("Where customer service is our priority!") so I was waiting for that and there was a dead silence while I realized he was waiting for me to say something. Finally I said that I was calling asking for information about one of their products.
Salesman: You want it, you buy it online.
Me: Well, I just wanted some information on it before I buy it.
Salesman: You want it, you buy it.
Me: I don't want to buy something without knowing anything about it.
Salesman: Everything you need to know's on the webpage.
Me: Um, well can I just tell you what item it is I'm asking about?
Salesman: Yeah, go on.
Me: SKU#FG3.
Salesman: (Pause) Yeah, the hat.
Me: Can you tell me who makes it?
Salesman: We do, all of our products are made by us, mensusa.
Me: But on the page it says Christys' lining, so I was wond--
Salesman: We make all our products, you want it you buy it online.
And he hangs up on me. So I call back, and get the same fellow, with the same wind tunnel effect.
Salesman: I told you, you want it you buy it online.
Me: I just want to know about the hat, it says Christys on the page, you're telling me you make it.
Salesman: Hey, we don't want your business.
Me: ...what?
Salesman: We don't want your business, have a good day.
And he hangs up on me. At this point I know that they're not on the level, so now it's become about me being ticked as opposed to me trying to get factual information. I call a third time.
Salesman: I told you we don't want your business.
Me: Why not?
Salesman: We don't need it.
Me: I could spend lots of money at your store.
Salesman: We don't want your money.
Me: Why not?
Salesman: We have enough.
Me: Then why are you still running a business? If you have enough money you don't need to have a store to sell things in to make more money.
Me: We don't want your business.
And another hangup. I waited a little bit, called again, and this time actually got a clear-sounding phone line with a guy speaking in unaccented, mid-western American English. He put me on hold, and I got disconnected. I called two more times; the next time, the same unaccented guy, on hold again. The third time, unaccented guy, who mistook me for someone else he'd had on hold; but while I had him on the line I cajoled him into answering my question.
Me: SKU#FG3, it says "Christys lining" but the other guy said you make all of your stuff yourselves.
(Dead silence on the other end. I decide to try something)
Me: Do you just use Christys' lining and the other materials are you own?
Unaccented Guy (Real fast): Yeah, yeah, we just use Christy's lining, and all of the other materials are our own.
Verbatim what I'd just said, in a very "Yes, that's right!" pseudo-reassuring manner.
So, they've branched out into false advertising now. I just thought that, if anyone still had any illusions or considerations about taking a shot... DON'T. They clearly not only lack customer service skills, they're outright crooks.
They say that they have "hassle-free return," at least for unused and unworn items, but:
