California Backyard Stores

Review: I purchase a 10 ft tree from California Backyard about 8 years ago. Prior to Thanksgiving last year I took the tree to Rocklin, the repair wharehous for California Backyard. About Thanksgiving I recieved a phone call that it is repaired. I drove from West Sacramento to Rocklin to pick up the tree and paid them $165.00 for the repair. When I put the tree up about 2 days later there were still several lights out. Since is is such a large tree, we decided to wait until Christmas was over to contact the store to ask them to repair it again. When I called today I was told that we have an old tree and I can buy a light gun and fix it myself. I don't feel that for what I paid they should have repaired the tree again and make it right.

Product_Or_Service: Artifical Christmas Tree

Order_Number: [redacted]Desired Settlement: Other (requires explanation)

I think either a refund or a proper repair is in order

Business

Response:

On complaint # [redacted] This customer did pay for their Christmas tree to be serviced it was completed and the customer viewed the tree lit up and then signed that the repair was complete. Or tech notes states we changed approx. 200 bulbs. This tree has approx. 2000 bulbs and the remaining unchanged bulbs will need to be replace as they go out.. We will be willing to sell the customer a new tree this season at 50% off of regular retail.

Review: I purchased a tree in 2006 from California Backyard. We LOVE the tree. We purchased a 2nd tree for our home in 2012. Upon bringing the tree home we have struggled with losing 4 in pieces from the branches. When we took it out of the box, set it up, put ornaments on the tree, took oranments off the tree and put the tree away we lost about 6 pieces. This was not what we were expecting but thought this tree is new so maybe that is why. Then comes 2013, same issues. Lost another 6-8. Over the holidays we were chatting with friends and family about our trees. My parents and my aunt purchased a tree also from California Backyard after our purchase in 2006. They pointed out that there is a 10 year guarantee. We called customer service. My husband called. Then I called. Both of us received the same information. The trees that are being sold currently are made to have their branches fall off. I asked why my first tree doesn't have those issues? It was explained that the new trees are made that was so they appear to be real. WOW - what I am hearing is that they tree I bought in 2006 was build VERY well. Thus not making customers have to buy trees as ofter. So, to help with sales, they started making lower quality trees that would fall apart bringing customers back to the store to buy another tree sooner. How awful - California Backyard built a wonderful product that was not cheap. Now they are building trees of less quality. Shame on them. And now to not guarantee the tree stays together for 10 years. What is the purpose of a guarantee???Desired Settlement: I would like California Backyard to replace my Christmas tree. I understand that the holidays have passed and that they may not have trees available in January. I am happy to wait until November/December of 2014 to replace/exchange the tree. I also would like to know why when we asked for the same exact tree that we bought in 2006, was this not made aware to us. California Backyard has record of our purchases. They know exactly what we bought and when and how much we paid.

Business

Response:

On this complaint [redacted] the customer is voicing her concern with the tips of the tree coming off. It looks like she is reporting less that 20 tips coming off. The tree she purchased has approximately 4500 tips so at the factories description 20 tips sloughing off is a normal amount. If the customer is not OK with this our company is willing to give her an instore credit toward a new tree for next season. Have her let me know what she decides.