From the Heartland

This is my soap box, on these pages I publish my opinions on firearms and any other subject I feel like writing about.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

CJ's Lincoln Extreme Sports - A rip off? You decide!

I have an ATM?Debit card account that I keep a minimal amount of money in (usually $100.00 or so) for online and local purchases at places I do not usually shop.

During the first week of September I allowed my son to make a $20.00 purchase at CJ's Lincoln Extreme Sports located at 1075 N 33
Lincoln, NE 68503, 402-464-2769.

The person on duty had trouble with the card machine and the transaction appeared not to complete so it was tried 4 mores times without a transaction approved showing on the screen. During the time the clerk was attempting to process the card he kept fumbling with the phone cable connection saying that because of the cable being loose it (the machine) did not work sometimes.

My son left without the merchandise.

A number of days later I checked the status of that account while at my bank doing other account business. I was informed that my account (the one referenced above) was over drawn by nearly 100.00 dollars. The teller provided me with a copy of all the transactions on the account for the previous two weeks.

In reviewing the transactions it shows that CJ"s debited my account for 5 separate transactions of $20.00 each totalling $100.00 all at nearly the same time on the same day. It also showed the action by CJ"s produced 2 overdraft charges.



No matter how you add it the account would not have been over drawn had it not been for CJ's faulty equipment.

CJ's was contacted and blamed the "error" on the card company stating that their (CJ's) machine was bad and a new one was on order. I was also told face to face in the store by a female clerk that my card was not the only one to have problems with their broken machine. I was given the impression that it was happening quite frequently.

I produced a copy of my bank statement that showed all of the transactions made on that account leading up to and after CJ's tried to use their broken machine to ring up $20.00 worth of merchandise.

CJ's kept that copy of my statement saying they had to fax it to the card company and on receipt the card company had supposedly told this female clerk that they would refund the $100.00 and reimburse me for the overdraft charges.

It took nearly a week before the $100.00 was refunded to my account. The reimbursement for the overdraft charges was not posted.

Again CJ's was contacted and I was told that they (CJ's) would contact the card company and get it taken care of.

As of today I contacted CJ's and was told by the Owner/Manager that it was they (CJ's) that refunded the $100.00, not the card company, and that he was not responsible for paying the overdraft charges, that he was not going to pay them and I could just go pound sand.

I think two months to make it right is plenty long enough.

I provided documented proof that they are responsible for those charges and they have admitted to using faulty equipment to conduct legitimate business.

It is my opinion that CJ's Lincoln Extreme Sports is a disreputable business, in that they refuse to stand up and admit when they are wrong and refuse to make it right when it is proved beyond any doubt that they are responsible.

In response to the service received by this customer I have taken the following actions;

1. Crafted this narrative for this website so others will know of my experience should they choose to use this business

2. Filed a consumer complaint with the Nebraska attorney generals office.

3. Given (based on my experience) appropriate ratings on online websites that track and monitor things like this.

Shop there if you want to, but be warned by my experience. It is my opinion that CJ's does not care for their customers, nor will they admit their mistakes let alone correct them when they are exposed.

My son tried to spend $20.00 there, CJ's charged $100.00 for merchandise that was never received. When this was proven to them they did refund the $100.00 but refused to be accountable for the overdraft charges they caused with their faulty equipment.

It is my belief that CJ's intentionally ripped me off.

They know they did by using equipment they knew to be faulty. They admitted they knew the equipment was faulty at the time of the transaction and refuse to correct the problem caused by the faulty equipment even when it was proved by a bank statement that they were responsible.

Shop there if you want to but beware my experience when you do.