Balsam Hill, LLC

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2014/12/05) */
Hello,
We are sorry for the frustration the customer has expressed with their tree. On November 16th, 2014 the customer contacted us with a lighting issue in a section of her tree. We offered for her to go through the warranty option,...

in which the customer accepted in the terms and conditions when the order was placed online. We received the requested documentation from the customer and went through the warranty steps. As the customer states in this compliant they altered the tree before contacting us with an issue. After reviewing the documentation provided by the customer the resolution was originally determined that the warranty had been voided due to the customer altering the sections, as stated in the policies the customer accepted when they placed the order. However, after speaking to the customer on November 28th, 2014 and determining the previous issues they had experienced, it was determined for the customer to donate her tree and we could replace it. We apologize for the delay in resolving the issue for the customer. On December 2nd, 2014 we received the donation receipt and advised the customer they could choose a different tree using the credit they paid for the original order or receive the original tree. The customer chose to use the credit towards two new trees and a tree topper. We placed the new order for the merchandise on December 2nd, 2014. The new order shipped on December 3rd, December 4th, and December 5th, 2014 and the customer received two of the packages on December 5th, 2014. The remaining two packages are due to arrive on December 6th, and December 9th, 2014. At this time the replacement order has been sent to the customer for her tree and we believe the matter will be resolved.
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/12/29) */
Hello,
We are sorry for the frustration the customer has expressed with their order. On December 1st, 2015, the customer contacted us and stated that they were having issues using a coupon code that they had been sent for $40 off of...

their purchase. Since the customer had been trying to use the coupon code online we offered to take customer's order over the phone and apply the code on our end. The customer accepted the offer and the order was placed over the phone by a representative. That same day the customer contacted us back to let us know that they had been charged the full amount of $59 for their wreath instead of the $19 that they had been advised it would be after the coupon code. We apologized to the customer and informed them that the coupon code had not been applied to the order. We verified that the code the customer was trying to use was valid and advised the customer that we would submit a request to have the $40 refunded to the card used for the purchase.
On December 15th, 2015, a refund was issued in the amount of $40 back to the customer's card used for the purchase. At this time, as the customer has been refunded the amount of the coupon, we feel this matter to be resolved.
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/12/24) */
Hello,
We are sorry for the frustration that the customer has expressed with their order. As stated in the customer's complaint, they placed an order online for an artificial Christmas tree on July 29th, 2015. We did not hear from...

the customer until December 7th, 2015, when the customer contacted us with a lighting issue within a section of their tree. When there is an issue with a tree, we go through a troubleshooting process to verify the stated issue. The reason we do this is because often times a stated issue is nothing more than a fluffing issue or something else minor which is easily adjusted to resolve an issue, and is not an actual defect. At that time, the customer requested to return their order. We advised the customer that they were outside of the 30 day return period, and offered to send out a replacement section under warranty. Our policies, which are a part of our terms and conditions agreed to at the time of sale, outline this.

The customer agreed to proceed with the warranty process and a warranty claim was submitted for a replacement section that day. On December 8th, 2015, the customer followed up with us to check on the status of their replacement section. We informed the customer that we did not have tracking yet for the replacement section. Due to not having any tracking information for the replacement section, the customer requested to return their tree again and asked to speak with a supervisor.

On December 9th, 2015, a supervisor reached out to the customer and advised that we had approved a return at no cost to the customer outside of the standard return time frame. On December 11th, 2015, the customer followed up with us to inform us that FedEx had picked up their item and requested that their refund be issued. We attempted to issue the refund on December 12th, 2015, but were unable to do so. We followed up with the customer again and collected the correct credit card information so that a full refund could be applied. As of December 15th, 2015 the customer's card has been refunded in full for the tree and the item has been returned.
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/12/23) */
Hello,
We are sorry for the frustration the customer has expressed with the warranty process. On December 5th, 2014, the customer contacted us with an issue concerning one of the garlands from their order, which was covered under...

warranty. After troubleshooting, it was determined the customer needed a replacement garland. We placed the replacement order and it shipped to the customer on December 9th, 2014 and was received on December 12th, 2014. As the customer has received a replacement of the original item purchased and we have not heard back from them at this time, we consider the matter to be resolved.

Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2014/12/29) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
We emailed and told you there are 6 garlands not working and we sent you photos.
these garlands are defective in the method of wiring as I stated previously.
If you replace the 6 that are not working, the issue will be closed.
Here is the email we sent to you and you did not respond:
> From:
> Date: December 15, 2014 at 1:32:07 PM MST
> To: [redacted]@balsamhill.com
> Subject: Garlands not working
>
> Hi, I spoke to a customer service representative today regarding the broken garlands. Please see pictures of 6 garlands broken. Please let me know how soon you are going to replace them.
> Thanks, >
Final Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2015/01/20) */
Hello,
We are sorry for the frustration the customer has expressed with the warranty process. On December 5th, 2014, the customer contacted us with an issue concerning one of the garlands from their order, which was covered under warranty. After troubleshooting, it was determined the customer needed a replacement garland. We placed the replacement order and it shipped to the customer on December 9th, 2014 and was received on December 12th, 2014. As the customer has received a replacement of the original item purchased and we have not heard back from them at this time, we consider the matter to be resolved.
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service
Final Consumer Response /* (2000, 11, 2015/01/22) */
(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)
Balsam Hill did as they said and sent the replacement garlands. Great company!
thank you!

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/12/17) */
Hello,
As we can appreciate that the customer's literal interpretation is different than the spirit within which the policy was written we will honor their request. We issued a refund to the order on December 16th, 2014. As a refund...

has been issued to the customer's order for the price difference of $40.00, we feel this matter has been resolved.
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 8, 2014/12/26) */
Hello,
We are sorry for the frustration the customer has expressed with their tree. When there is an issue with a tree, we go through a troubleshooting process to verify the stated issue. The reason we do this is because often times...

a stated issue is nothing more than a fluffing issue or something else minor which is easily adjusted to resolve an issue, and is not an actual defect. Our policies, which are a part of our terms and conditions agreed to at the time of sale, outline this. The customer states in this complaint that they have contacted us multiple times with no resolution to the issue. This information is not accurate, as we have requested documentation to confirm the issue and determine the sections affected for a resolution. The customer has responded and advised us, as it is close to Christmas the tree is now decorated and will send the documentation after the holidays. Once we have the information needed we will move forward in the warranty process to resolve the issue.

We have taken note of this complaint and will have a supervisor contact the customer to discuss the matter and see if some kind of resolution can be reached.
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 17, 2015/02/27) */
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 15, 2015/02/27) */
2-20-15
Sent via email:
2-20-15
Sent via email:
Situation has not been resolved. The manufacturer will not respond to my inquiries.
[redacted]

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/12/23) */
Hello,
We are sorry for the frustration the customer has expressed with their tree. When there is an issue with a tree, we go through a troubleshooting process to verify the stated issue. The reason we do this is because often times...

a stated issue is nothing more than a fluffing issue or something else minor which is easily adjusted to resolve an issue, and is not an actual defect. Our policies, which are a part of our terms and conditions agreed to at the time of sale, outline this. In this complaint the customer stated the tree arrived damaged with lights not working when they set it up. We requested documentation from the customer showing the stated issue so we could provide a resolution. The customer refused to provide documentation and stated they wanted to return the tree instead. In this complaint the customer is requesting for the return shipping to be waived. We advised the customer the return shipping would be at their expense as stated in the return policy. Based on the information provided by the customer we were not able to verify an issue with the tree. If customer wants to return a tree without verifying an issue with the product, then they are subject to our standard return policy. We will not make exceptions to the policy without verifying a product is defective as being claimed. The customer is now outside of the return timeframe as the return policy states: If you are not completely satisfied with your purchase, you may return it within 30 days of receipt or prior to December 25th (whichever comes first). Please note that you are responsible for all return shipping charges.
We are willing to continue to work with the customer through the warranty process to resolve the issue if the customer can provide the documentation needed.
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2014/12/29) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
The item arrived "thrown" in my driveway, not signed for and upon plugging it in 1 day after delivery, the lights on one part of the tree were faulty. For a $650 tree, I do not think I should deal with "trouble shooting:" the problem, yet I still followed the trouble shooting instructions to no success- lights still not working.
I sent several emails to the company the morning of the issue, as well as placing several telephone calls- With each call(3 times on each of 2 days), I was on hold for 20 minutes and no one answered- with each email, I only received 1 reply that was several days after the fact.
I alerted the company of the damaged tree and did not receive a reply within a reasonable amount of time, so I informed my credit card company of the issue and the charge is not being paid. I then finally received a reply from the company with a prepaid return label that will be deducted from my refund, meaning I pay for the return. This is not acceptable for a damaged item.
In regards to my sending the company a picture of the issue, this was requested only for warranty reasons, something I am not interested in.
If the company would like the return, I am happy to do this, yet it cannot be at my expense for a damaged item. I am covered by my credit card company and since I am not paying for the charge, it seems only right for the company to have its product, which it seems like they don't care about as much as I do.
I was sent a faulty tree and alerted the company within 24 hours of receipt- I was looking to replace it with the same, yet the company refused to honor the damage with a replacement or refund at it's expense. So, I a doing what is my right as a consumer and it is unfortunate that Balsam Hill doesn't seem to care about its products and/or customer's satisfaction, as this would have kept me as a customer if handled properly.
Thank you,
[redacted]
Final Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2015/01/19) */
Hello,
As stated in our previous response, we are sorry for the frustration the customer has expressed with their tree. When there is an issue with a tree, we go through a troubleshooting process to verify the stated issue. In this complaint the customer stated the tree arrived damaged with lights not working when they set it up. We requested documentation from the customer showing the stated issue so we could provide a resolution. The customer refused to provide documentation and stated they wanted to return the tree instead. We provided them the Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number and return instructions. The customer requested that we waive the cost of return shipping and send him a return label. We advised the customer they are responsible for the return shipping, as stated in the standard return policy, which they accepted at the time the order was placed online.
Based on the information provided by the customer we were not able to verify an issue with the tree. If customer wants to return a tree without verifying an issue with the product, then they are subject to our standard return policy. We will not make exceptions to the policy without verifying a product is defective as being claimed. We have taken note of this complaint, but ultimately the customer did file a charge back and we are awaiting response on the outcome of the case from the credit card company.
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service
Final Consumer Response /* (4200, 11, 2015/01/26) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
When I tried to contact Balsam Hill, there was no answer after multiple attempts by telephone and my emails went unanswered for many days. I tried to utilize its online chat and finally a customer service representative opened up the chat window. After I explained my issue that the lights were faulty in part of the tree and that I followed all of the trouble shooting instructions to no success, I was told that I could not return it and I had to file an issue through the tree's warranty. I then informed the person that I had the tree for only 2 days and the answer remained the same.
The company refused to authorize the return of my tree at its cost, even though the item was delivered faulty. I then contacted my credit card company to explain the issue and I am not sure of the result.
Based on the fact that Balsam Hill literally refused to acknowledge the issue with the tree that cost about $700, I maintain my complaint and would like it known that through Revdex.com standards (I am also an online retailer), Balsam Hill did not act in the interest of the consumer, as it did not stand behind its product. For over one month, the company has left its product at my residence while it clearly understands that I have always intended to return it. My return request was refused and I believe that this is not an ethical behavior from Balsam Hill.
The item is in its original box and has never been used, so I request Balsam Hill to stand by its product and authorize a return with a pre-paid return label at the expense of the company.
Thank you

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/12/18) */
Hello,
We are sorry for the frustration the customer has expressed in regards to the policies. On November 30th, 2014 the customer contacted us by email with an issue concerning their tree. When there is an issue with a tree, we go...

through a troubleshooting process to verify the stated issue. The reason we do this is because often times a stated issue is nothing more than a loose bulb or something else minor which is easily adjusted to resolve an issue, and is not an actual defect. We requested documentation from the customer to assist in determining the resolution. In this instance, the customer did not allow us to complete the warranty process and instead saying they wanted to return the tree. The customer was advised they could follow the exchange option or return policy, which they declined. If a customer wants to return a tree without verifying an issue with the product, then they are subject to follow our standard return policy. Our policies, which are a part of our terms and conditions agreed to at the time of sale, outline this. The customer states in this complaint that they were offered to return the tree for a full refund. This information is inaccurate. The customer was advised they were responsible for the return shipping and once we receive the return of the merchandise they would receive a full refund. This is if the customer uses their own traceable shipping provider. Ultimately, the customer chose to utilize our Easy Return Labels which were $50.00 per box, which is stated in the return policy. The customer was issued a partial refund on December 16th, 2014 minus the three $50.00 labels they utilized. At this time we consider the matter resolved.
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service

Balsam hill trees are nice if they worked but they don't.The lights on the first tree did not work. After being walked through trouble shooting they still did not work. They sent another tree and it had the same problems. I will not ever buy from them again.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/12/23) */
Hello,
First, we would like to apologize for the slow response. We were not previously aware of this complaint and it was not our intention to ignore the customer. We have just now become aware of this complaint and as such are...

responding.
We do value all of our customers and take all feedback seriously and improve from it and are truly sorry for the frustration they endured. The customer contacted us on November 30th, 2014 regarding a lighting issue in one section of the tree. As they purchased the tree on October 21st, 2011, with a 3 year warranty for the lights, the tree is no longer under warranty. In this complaint the customer states that after talking to a representative they were advised to remove the master bulbs which were not supposed to be removed from their tree, in turn this damaged that section. After reviewing the call and documentation on the order, we have determined to honor the customer's request for the replacement of the bottom section. As we do not have stock for the needed section, we have sent them strands of lights to use through the holiday and then the needed section will be manufactured.

We have taken note of this complaint and will have a supervisor contact the customer to discuss the matter and the resolution determined.
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/01/21) */
Hello,
We are sorry for the frustration the customer has expressed with their tree. On December 5th, 2013 the customer contacted us with a lighting issue in a section of their tree. The tree is covered under warranty and after...

troubleshooting, it was determined a replacement section was needed. As we did not have stock for the needed section we advised the customer that we would have to have it manufactured for them in the off season, which the customer agreed to.
The customer received the replacement section on August 19th, 2014. On December 6th, 2014 the customer contacted us to let us know that the replacement section that we had sent to them was not working. We went through the troubleshooting to make sure it wasn't an issue that we could resolve and determined another replacement section was needed. We apologized for the mishap and requested another replacement section for the customer. On December 26th, 2014 the customer was notified that the replacement section was out of stock. The customer agreed to be sent another replacement section in summer 2015. As the customer has been notified that the section will be replaced and has agreed to proceed with the warranty process we feel this matter to be resolved at this time.
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (4200, 15, 2015/02/27) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I do not accept this resution. I was contacted by a representative for further troubleshooting, essentially going over everything again that we had previously discussed. I told them I was promised a delivery the week of December 12. The representative said they saw that in the file and would find out why it took so long and that they would get back to me. I was told specifically that there were 60 trees of my model number currently in stock. I told them this is the exact scenario that happened the year before. There were trees in stock and then all of a sudden they were out and I wouldn't get the replacement until the summer. Based on other complaints and my own previous experience, I stated that I had every inclination to believe that this same scenario would happen again and in that case I would just like a refund since this has become ridiculous. They said that with all the trees in stock, there should be no reason why I wouldn't get it. Check their records of the conversations. They've agreed with everything I have said so far and yet they come back with this rebuttal it of context? That's unprofessional. If this company took my statement as an acceptance of this resolution, then it is further evidence of their poor customer service. When I made the initial complaint in November of 2013, they should have gone in the warehouse, opened another box and given me the replacement. Instead, they got my money, continued to sell these trees to other customers, and left me waiting. It's just poor business management. The live customer representatives have tried to be accommodating and each one has agreed that situation had not been fair to the customer. Again, go back to the logs and it will show I have been more than fair about this. The company's practices are disappointing and I am not the first to have stated this. Any other serious business would not take a customer's $900 and give them the runaround for two years. It's not as though the tree was functional and suddenly was inoperable. I have NEVER had a functional tree. It has been two years, $900, and I have yet to receive what I paid for. Any other business that did that would be called a scam.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 17, 2015/03/13) */
Hello,
Due to the customer's situation we have further reviewed their warranty claim and determined that they may donate their tree and provide us a copy of the donation receipt. Once we have received a copy of the donation receipt an order will be placed for a replacement tree. The customer may elect to have their tree replaced with the same item, or they may select a different tree and have a credit in the amount of $954.00 to use towards that purchase. If the new item is more expensive, the customer will be responsible for any difference in price. At this time, a refund is no longer an option as the customer is outside of the 30 day return timeframe as outlined in our policies, which are a part of the terms and conditions accepted at the time of purchase. We will have a supervisor contact the customer to discuss the options available.
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/01/21) */
Hello,
We are sorry for the frustration the customer has expressed with their tree. While we would be more than happy to assist the customer with their warranty, we do need to be able to locate the order to verify the date of...

purchase. At this point in time we have tried numerous different ways to locate an order for the customer, but we are only able to locate one for a tree topper extension kit purchased on December 26th, 2012. We have also made a few attempts to reach the customer in order to obtain any other information that may help us locate the order for the tree. Until we are able to locate an order with a tree on it we are unable to service the warranty on the item as we cannot verify the date of purchase. If the customer contacts us with an order number for their tree, or any other information that might help us locate the order, we will gladly assist them.
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service

I purchase 2 separate trees. The first tree purchased had multiple lights non functional and was unable to get working. Second tree had same problem plus branches unscrewed from trunk upon receipt. I returned both trees. Lot of cost to me for what I thought we quality trees. Would never purchase again nor recommend anyone else to purchase

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/01/21) */
Hello,
We are sorry for the frustration the customer has expressed regarding their order. While we can appreciate the frustration the customer has in regards to this order, this complaint is not an accurate representation of what has...

happened. Key points have been left out by the customer, and everything that has ensued on this order is the direct outcome of actions taken by the customer.
The customer placed their order online on November 15th, 2014. On December 9th, 2014 the customer contacted us to let us know that one of the branches on her tree was not staying in place. When there is an issue with a tree, we go through a troubleshooting process to verify the stated issue. The reason we do this is because often times a stated issue is nothing more than a fluffing issue or something else minor which is easily adjusted to resolve an issue, and is not an actual defect. Our policies, which are a part of our terms and conditions agreed to at the time of sale, outline this. As the troubleshooting did not resolve the customer's concern we requested that she provide us with documentation of the issue that she was having so that we could start the warranty process. The customer did send us an email on December 9th, 2014; however the requested documentation was not attached.
On December 13th, 2014 the customer followed up with us to check on the status of her warranty claim. We confirmed again what steps the customer had taken and advised the customer that someone would follow up with her. That same day we sent an email to the customer requesting what email address she sent the photos to as we had not received them. We did not receive a response from the customer.
On December 23rd, 2014 the customer contacted us to initiate a return as she had not received a resolution to her warranty claim. We offered to send the customer return labels at no cost to the customer if she could have the tree in transit it to us by December 25th, 2014, which is outlined in our return policy. The customer refused to send the tree back prior to December 25th, 2014. We advised the customer that if she wanted to return the tree after Christmas then she would be subject to a 20% out of return period fee and would be responsible for return shipping. We did offer to meet the customer halfway on the cost of return shipping, which the customer accepted. We emailed the customer the $25 return label on December 26th, 2014. On December 30th, 2014 a refund was issued in the amount of $212.20 to the customer's account used for the purchase. Since the item has been returned and a refund has been issued we feel this matter to be resolved at this time.
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2015/01/22) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I disagree with much of their statement. I did receive the refund of 212.20 in a timely manner and I do appreciate that. However, the rest of their statement is grossly incorrect. I contacted Balsam Hill on December 9th and was told to check and see if the hinge worked. I had stated that I had tried the hinge and anything else as well as my husband to fix this branch, to no avail. I had to tie the brach to other branches to keep it in place. I was told to send in pictures - one close up and one farther away to show the branch that we were having difficulty with. I sent the pictures. When I called back again on December 15th as I had received an email (it seemed an auto generated response to trouble shoot and was not specific to my already detailed email of saying what I had done. When I called she said that I needed to send pictures - I asked her to check as I had already sent them. She said "there it is" which I assume to mean she saw the pictures. Never was I told by her or anyone else in the multitude of calls after that that I needed to send pictures again nor did I receive an email from them stating I needed to send pictures. Why would she have sent the info to warranty if she didn't have the info/pictures they needed?? It seems to me they would have held off sending my info to warranty until they had the pictures. But as I said, she stated "there it is" which I understood to mean she found them. So she tells me that she will send the info to warranty to determine if I needed a new branch or a new bottom section.. How could I just get 1 branch as the branches are all connected to each other with the lights as it is a pre-lit tree? I told her that and she said "yes, definitely you would need a whole new bottom section and warranty will contact you in 48-72 hours to follow up and let you know what they will do. I waited 5 days and heard nothing from warranty. I called back to Balsam Hill on December 19th. I was told that warranty hasn't looked at my information yet. I told her that I was supposed to hear form them within 48-72 hours but it had now been 132 hours... She said they should but they may be busy. I asked to talk to someone in warranty and was told that I could not. At that point, I told the customer service rep that I would give them until the following Tuesday (4 more days) to contact me or I would send the tree back. She said she would put a note of my statement and make sure they would see it right away. So Tuesday afternoon Dec. 23rd, still no call from Warranty and so I called yet again, I was told that warranty still hadn't looked at my information. I told them that I was returning the tree. I asked to speak to a supervisor, as I made my complaint that I had waited a total of 3 weeks from first complaint to get this problem fixed and I had in good faith assumed they would fix it. It was now December 23rd and was told I needed to take the the tree down and it had to be received by December 25th to get the full refund of the tree. I told her that I thought that was unfair as I was patient for 3 weeks and I didn't want to have to call this company anymore. Nor should I have to go out on Christmas eve and try to find a high quality tree since they were taking so long to fix it. I think their customer service and warranty departments are extremely lacking. If I had known that this problem would not have been taken care of within a 3 week period, I would have sent the tree back immediately on December 9th when I first called. I believe I gave them a good faith effort to trust they would take care of it. Their Revdex.com statement is infuriating as they do not seem to show any type of ownership that they failed in their customer service/warranty. I would like an explanation of why warranty did not contact me with in the 9 day time frame when each time I called back I was told they would in 48-72 hours. I did not want to keep the tree up until January or who knows how long to make sure that it was fixed properly and I certainly wouldn't want to have to go through this extremely long and frustrating process if I had another problem. No one could tell me when I could expect to get this problem fixed. If they would have fixed it in a reasonable time frame (and within their guidelines of 72hours) I wouldn't made this complaint and we wouldn't have this issue. If I had known on December 9th that it would not be fixed by Christmas, I would have sent the tree back immediately and not had the 20% fee taken away from my refund. I feel that they are responsible for this issue and I did EVERYTHING I could do on my end and I couldn't get this fixed. They wouldn't let me talk to warranty and they wouldn't give a time frame of when this would be fixed. I told her to send me the return label and I would file a complaint as I did not want to every have to call or deal with this company again. As a side note, I did NOT get the return label emailed to me as stated and had to call AGAIN 2 days later to get the label which I did receive after the second call. I understand things do happen and things don't always work as intended. However, whenever I have had a problem with an ordered product in the past with other companies, customer service people are so helpful and remedy the problem right away. I have never had anything like this happen before. I think this problem is SOLELY their responsibility and I would like them to acknowledge their lack of customer service/ warranty for the problem. One only has to look at the number of complaints filed against this company in a year ( and it is only a seasonal company). If you can't acknowledge a problem, then you can't fix it....
Again, I was never told when this would finally get fixed and I was frustrated of the multitude of phone calls of trying to get this fixed. I learned my lesson to order my next tree from Frontgate who has excellent customer service!!
I will not be satisfied or willing to resolve this complaint unless Balsam Hill acknowledges that they need to fix their customer service/ warranty departments to resolve customer product problems in a timely manner. Also, I want the final 20% refunded to my account as I did everything on my end to get this fixed and was extremely patient for 3 weeks.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 8, 2014/08/15) */
Hi,
We would like to apologize for the problems the customer has had with their tree and getting it repaired. We regret that it has taken so much time to resolve this problem.
When the problem was brought to our attention, we did...

not have the needed part in stock. We submitted a request to our manufacturer to have a new section built and believed that it would be provided to the customer earlier this summer. When our shipment of parts arrived, it did not include the part we had requested for the customer. To resolve this problem we have made the decision to have the customer donate their tree, and rather than replacing the section that was having the problem, we are replacing the entire tree.
We have made the customer aware of this new resolution and he has accepted it. As such, we do believe this matter will be resolved as soon as he receives his new tree. Again, we apologize for the inconvenience this issue has caused.
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/12/09) */
Hello,
We are sorry for the frustration the customer has expressed with their order. The customer placed an order on November 14th, 2014 online. On November 15th, 2014 the customer contacted us and requested that the tree they...

purchased be for the $499.00 she had originally seen in her cart. We researched the tree that the customer ordered on November 14th, 2014 and the sale price was in fact the $599.00 they paid. We advised the customer the order would not be refunded for the $100.00 price difference, as it was not on sale for that amount. In this compliant, the customer has stated she was only charged the $599.00 once she applied the coupon for 15% off the order. This information is inaccurate. The customer stated that they planned to purchase the item for $499.00 and had it in their shopping cart. Since the tree came back into stock this season, it has not been priced at that level, and was priced at $599.00 during the sale that lasted from October 29th, 2014 to November 19th, 2014. We are not sure how the customer saw the price they claim or how long the tree had been in the cart, but this could have been possible if they were looking at a different size of the same tree, or if they saved an old link directly to the product, which could display an old price if the cache or cookies were not cleared on her computer. But again, the correct price at the time the tree was actually purchased was $599.00. As the customer applied the coupon code of 15% off the tree (which resulted in the amount of $89.85) at the time the order was placed online, we feel this matter to be resolved.
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2014/12/11) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
The information regarding the price change is inaccurate. The price CHANGED when I entered the coupon code. I explained this to the customer service representative during my call while looking at the product online. The service rep said they would "pass it along to a manager" - but verified I was not looking at the wrong item #, size, etc. as the response indicates.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2014/12/26) */
Hello,
As stated in our prior response, we are not sure how the customer saw the price they claim or how long the tree had been in the cart, but this could have been possible if they were looking at a different size of the same tree, or if they saved an old link directly to the product, which could display an old price if the cache or cookies were not cleared on their computer. We pulled the call and at no time did we confirm with the customer that the tree was that price. We advised the customer we would look into their request. On November 22nd, 2014 we left a message for the customer advising the tree had not been at the price they stated and no refund would be issued as the tree was on sale for $599.00 at the time of the purchase. The tree was never at the price of $499.00 within the timeframes they are stating. We researched our system and show that since the tree came back into stock this season, it has not been priced at that level, and was priced at $599.00 during the sale that lasted from October 29th, 2014 to November 19th, 2014. Since the customer placed the order on November 14th, 2014 they are subject to the price of the tree at the time of sale not a previous sale. As the customer applied the coupon code of 15% off the tree (which resulted in the amount of $89.85) at the time the order was placed online, we feel this matter to be resolved.
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service
Final Consumer Response /* (4200, 11, 2015/01/02) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
As stated by many consumers and my own experience, this a case of bait & switch. Regardless of what the business claims their research has found, I explained clearly several times exactly what I was seeing on my computer screen at the time it happened. Clearly Balsam Hill has no interest in retaining me as a customer or in talking with me personally to resolve he issue. I am leaving my response as yet another warning (in addition to the many) to other consumers.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/12/24) */
Hello,
We are sorry for the frustration that the customer has expressed with their order. As stated in the customer's complaint, they placed an order online for an artificial Christmas tree on November 22nd, 2015. On November 27th,...

2015, the customer contacted us in regards to the status of their order. We advised the customer that the item had been sent out with our freight shipping partner due to the weight and the estimated delivery time frame would be seven to ten business days.
On December 2nd, 2015, our warehouse notified us that they were out of stock at the originating warehouse and had rerouted the order to a different one in an attempt to get the product sent out to the customer. We attempted to reach out to the customer on December 4th, 2015 to inform them of this, but were unsuccessful in doing so. The customer contacted us by email on December 8th, 2015 to express their frustration with the delay in the shipment of their order. At that time, we advised the customer that we had filled their order but our shipping partner had been unable to process the order for immediate movement from our warehouse. We included the tracking number for the order and advised that it could be 24-48 hours before the customer would see any movement on the shipment of the item.

The customer's order was picked up on December 10th, 2015 from our warehouse and was delivered to the address listed on the order on December 14th, 2015. In the customer's complaint, they ask for a refund on the shipping charges. As they selected the option for free FedEx ground shipping, there is not anything to refund. At this time, as we have not been contacted by the customer since December 8th, 2015 and the order has been delivered, we feel this matter to be resolved.
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 6, 2014/02/10) */
Hi,
We issued a full refund on 1/22/14, in accordance with the timelines specified in our Return Policy which the customer agreed to at the time the order was placed. The customer's statement that the refund hadn't been issued more...

than 30 days from the date it was received is not accurate. The transaction ID for the refund is [redacted]. The customer was provided this information via email on both 1/22/14 and again on 1/23/14. Once the credit is issued, we have no control over how long it takes for a customer's bank to put that credit back in the customer's account, so if the customer didn't see the credit, they should provide the transaction ID to their bank and request that their bank resolve the issue.
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/08/11) */
Hello,
We are sorry for the frustration the customer has expressed with their tree. On December 12th, 2014 the customer contacted us with a lighting issue in a section of their tree. The tree is covered under warranty and after...

troubleshooting, it was determined a replacement section was needed. As the customer states in this complaint they were frustrated with the process of receiving a replacement section. The customer received the replacement section on December 18th, 2014. The customer contacted us on December 30th to advise us that the replacement section received was damaged. We apologized for the mishap and we advised the customer we would send another replacement section, but it would have to be in our off-season due to we would have to have it manufactured, as stated in the warranty policy. The customer contacted us on July 28th, 2015 to check the status of their replacement section. We advised the customer that our replacement sections are due to start shipping to customers in August of 2015 and they should be receiving their section before long. The customer understood and accepted this information.
We have taken note of this complaint and will have a supervisor contact the customer to discuss the matter.
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service