Balsam Hill, LLC

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/12/16) */
Hello,
We are sorry for the frustration the customer has expressed with the warranty processThe customer placed an order online on September 30th, for a Pikes Peak White Christmas TreeOn October 20th, the customer
contacted us and advised the tree had some yellowingAs the tree is covered under warranty, we advised the customer it was currently out of stock but provided the customer the option to wait until the tree became available for us to send a replacement tree, which the customer acceptedWe contacted the customer on December 1st to offer the option of receiving the original tree with lights instead of unlit at no additional cost or choosing a different tree with the amount paid for the original orderThe customer declined these options and just wanted a refundUltimately, we issued a full refund as the tree was not available to shipOn December 15th, we issued a full refund to the customer's accountAt this time we consider the matter resolved
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service

I am writing this review to express my complete dissatisfaction with the customer service provided by Balsam Hill Their response to my problem has ruined the pleasure I thought I would have with my brand new treeI just bought a 7.5' California Baby Redwood with color and clear lightsThe tree was nearly $1, On Friday, November 25, 2016, after assembling the tree, the lights did not work I called Customer Service and spoke to Vince He told me that the receiving box and remote were defectiveI was told he would immediately order a new box and remoteWe proceeded to spend hours decorating the tree I called today, November 29, 2016, to inquire the status of the order and I was told the items were out of stock and they would not be available until next SeptemberOuch! Needless to say, this is not acceptable! I had hoped that after spending $1, on a tree, I would get a better response from Balsam Hill

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 8, 2014/12/23) */
Hello,
We are sorry for the frustration the customer has expressed with the process of their orderThe customer placed an order online on December 1st, for a Castle Peak Pine FtChristmas TreeOn December 3rd, the
customer contacted us to request an estimate on the delivery timeframeWe advised the customer the tracking information was not provided for his order at that time and once it was available we would update them once it was providedOn December 5th, we received notification from our warehouse that the tree was out of stock, the customer contacted us for an update and we advised them of the informationWe offered the customer the option of choosing a different tree with a discount of 10% for the inconvenience or receiving a full refundThe customer chose a different tree which had a price difference of $in which they wanted us to match to the original tree they purchasedWe advised the customer this was not an option and again they could use the 10% off the tree and purchase the one they choose or receive a refundThe customer stated they would think about it and let us knowUltimately, we issued a full refund as the tree was not available to shipOn December 10th, we issued a full refund to the customer's accountThe customer has the option of purchasing a tree with the 10% discount when they are readyAt this time we consider the matter resolved
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 10, 2014/12/29) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I specifically Stated that I did not want a refund on more than one occasion and stated when they had Stock of the Castle Pine Send it to us at the price paid, Was told that they did not do that and was told a Refund or send dollars more for the Cheaper MSRP tree, Does that make any senseBuy a Tree MSRP 1699.99, wait on a Sale make a Purchase of 862.92, then have the company say -out of stock-, no we won't send you the tree for that price when it is in stock, YOUR OPTION is full refund, Buy Cheaper MSRP tree just send us dollars moreNOW Lets Discuss the Middle Ground, 1.Send the Castle Pine for the Price Originally paid on Sale, prior to being forced to take a REFUND, None of Aspen Silver Fir -Sold Out- I will accept an offer of dollars including taxes and shippingHowever I would Like to say without a doubt my first choice is and always has been the Castle Pine
Final Business Response /* (4000, 13, 2015/01/19) */
Hello,
As stated in our previous response, we are sorry for the frustration the customer has expressed with the process of their orderThe customer placed an order online on December 1st, On December 5th, we received notification from our warehouse that the tree was out of stock and the customer was informed of this informationWe provided the customer with the options of receiving a full refund or selecting a different tree with 10% off the cost of the new tree due to the inconvenience
The new tree that the customer selected had a price difference of $The customer requested that we price match the new tree with the original treeWe advised the customer that would not be an option and again provided the customer with the two options of a full refund or 10% off the cost of a different treeUltimately, we issued a full refund to the customer's account and offered to give the customer 10% off of a future purchase
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service
Final Consumer Response /* (2000, 15, 2015/01/29) */
(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)
There Is no Middle Ground from Balsam Hill nor any Resolution, Not even a proposal, to offer me the Original Purchased Tree at the sale price when it becomes an IN STOCK item again, Or any option even closeAAA Revdex.com ratingI don't think so

I ordered a resin santa sleigh paired with reindeerMy order came today with just the santa sleighI was so disappointedCalled your customer service # spoke to a very nice girl who agreed why I would think it would be with the Santa sleigh since in your description it stated it was paired with itShe said and we don't have any reindeer that we could even sell you~ I promised my kids this and so upset I wouldn't want to return the sleighThe women offered percent off which was I didn't even search yet and see how much the reindeer would be Well I just found and it's from overstock.comI am so disappointedI thought this was coming with the santa since their description stated paired with it and also has it in the picturesDoesn't ever state reindeer sold separatelyI have screen shots of your description and their ad online I feel like this is advertising And then to only credit me when I now have to spend for a reindeer I have a husband in the military so me spending what we did was way more then the norm and now I have to pay another is really upsetting to me when their ad states paired with I feel like this is not fair nor good business They falsely advertised their product and them only giving me a $credit when now I have to spend on overstock.com for a reindeer I thought was coming with the sleighI WOULD BUY AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!!!! HORRIBLE COMPANY

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2016/01/27) */
Hello,
We are sorry for the frustrations that the customer has expressed with their ordersOn November 14th, 2015, the customer placed an order online for a 7.5' Fraser Fir Flip TreeThe following day the customer contacted our Customer
Care center and requested to change the tree on their orderBy the time that our Customer Care team received the customer's request to change the order, the order had already been processed by our warehouse and could not be changedWe informed the customer that we only have a thirty minute window available to us before an order is processed by our warehouse, and offered to do an exchange for the new tree that the customer was wanting instead
The customer agreed to process the exchange and a new order was placed on November 15th, for a 9' Noble Fir Flip TreeThat same day, a request was submitted to have a no cost return label sent out to the customer so that they would be able to return their original tree once they received itOn November 18th, 2015, the customer contacted us again, stating that they did not like the 9' Noble Fir Flip tree they had ordered and requested to do another exchangeThe agent assisting the customer placed a third order for a 9' Fraser Fir Flip Tree and submitted another request to have additional return labels sent to the customer so that they could return the tree from their second order
On November 20th, 2015, the customer contacted our Customer Care Center in regards to the third order they had placed, stating that the tree had arrived with a broken branch in one sectionWhen there is an issue with a tree, we go through a troubleshooting process to verify the stated issueThe 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 defectOur policies, which are a part of the terms and conditions accepted at the point of the sale, outline this informationAfter completing the troubleshooting it was determined that the customer needed a replacement section and a request was submitted for the needed partThe replacement section was shipped out on November 23rd, 2015, and was delivered to the address provided to us by the customer on November 25th,
On December 17th, 2015, we received notification from our warehouse that the customer's first order had been received and a full refund in the amount of $1,was issued back to the customer's account used for the purchaseWe reached out to the customer the following day to notify them that their refund had been processed for the first order and advised them that we had noticed that the tree from their second order still had not been returnedThe customer stated that their assistant was handling everything and we would need to contact them in regards to the matter as they were unaware of what was going onThey also informed us that their assistant would not be available until after December 28th, as they were on vacation for the holidaysWe confirmed the contact information for the assistant and advised the customer that we would have someone reach out to them after December 28th, Ultimately, the customer decided to file a chargeback with their financial institution
On January 7th, 2016, the customer contacted our Customer Care center, requesting to return the trees from their second and third ordersWe apologized for not following up with them as promised, but advised them that as they had filed a chargeback with their financial institution, we would have to look into what options were available and follow up with them once we had more informationThe next day, we contacted the customer back and advised them that we had been notified that the chargeback with their financial institution had been resolved in our favor, and offered to let the customer still return their treesWe informed the customer that if they would like to return their orders outside of the standard return period, a 20% out of return period would applyThe customer declined this option and stated that they would like to look into what options were available to them on their endThe customer advised us that once they had made a decision, they would contact us back
On January 15th, 2016, the customer contacted our Customer Care center and requested to return their orders again without the 20% out of return period feeAfter further reviewing the customer's information, we did agree to waive the 20% out of return period fee for the second order as they had attempted to initiate the return on November 18th, We advised the customer that the third order would still have a 20% out of return period fee applied if the customer chose to return the item due to the customer not requesting to return the item until after the return period had expiredAs of January 27th, 2016, we have confirmed that both trees have been received by our warehouseA full refund in the amount of $1,was issued back to the customer's account that was used for the purchase of the second orderAs the customer was subject to the 20% out of return period fee for the third order, a total of $was deducted from the customer's total before the refund was applied, leaving an amount of $1,that was refunded to the customer's accountAt this time, as the customer has returned all items, and a refund has been issued on all three orders, we feel this matter to be resolved
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service

Revdex.com:I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to meI want to know if the replacement part has a warrantyThe replacement part was received without any accompanying paperwork regarding a warrantySince the tree is packed away for the season for months now I would like an answerI have received the part but reserveSincerely, *** ***

Just received my 9' Noble Fir tree in the mail todayUpon opening the box I was very disappointed with the plastic look of the treeMy wife convinced me to put the tree up and see how it lookedI got as far as section ( of 4)The lights did not workAfter calling customer service and being on hold for minutes I was abruptly disconnectedI called back again and only waited minutesThe rep was very friendly but not much helpEven after telling her that I went through all the steps to correct the issue she proceeded to read me the manual on how to diagnose a lighting problemI decided to go a step further and remove all the lights one by one in the strand and see if that would resolve the issueAfter have no luck I called back again ( on hold minutes) and told them I wanted to return the treeThey did offer to ship me another one but by this time I was was very frustrated with the whole experienceI told her I just wanted to returnShe said no problem and sent me a return tagWhat she did not tell me is that I am forced to pay the $shipping fee to return a defective treeI would understand this if the tree was not defectivePlease shop around before you buy this productThe quality was very low at best and their return policy is terrible

Hello,
We are sorry for the frustration that the customer has expressed with their orderAs stated in the customer’s complaint, they placed an order with Balsam Hill on January 4th for an artificial BH Balsam Fir Tree
The customer contacted us on December 3rd
to let us know that they had lights out on their Christmas treeAfter completing troubleshooting steps provided by our agent the customer was able to figure out that the issue was the receiver box that came with the treeWe were able to set up a warranty case to have a replacement receiver box sent out to the customer as well as walk the customer through bypassing the receiver so they had a working tree for the holidays while they waited
The customer contacted us on December 11th to let us know they had received the warranty replacement receiver boxThey called us because the replacement was not working either, so they requested an additional replacement receiver be sent out to them as soon as possibleWe created a new warranty case for the customer at this time and advised them that our back office team would review the case and send out the necessary warranty partsThe customer disconnected the call at this timeAfter reviewing the warranty case our back office team added the customer to our manufacture list to have the receiver manufactured and sent out to the customer as soon as it is readyWe added the customer to this list due to not having any warranty receivers in stockOur warranty policy is available at ***According to our warranty policy “Our goal is to service your product under warranty as soon as possible; however, our items are handmade and the time needed to repair or manufacture a replacement may vary during the yearIn most cases, if your product is no longer available for sale on our website or has been redesigned, the parts will have to be manufactured.” This means that although we do not like making the customer wait, at certain times it will be necessary while we manufacture the necessary replacement part
The customer contacted us on January 3rd to inquire about the status of the warranty case they had filed previouslyAt this time we let the customer know we were still waiting on our replacement receivers
The customer reached out to us on February 15th to let us know they were very upset that they had not received their replacementThe customer wanted a date as to when they would be receiving the replacement receiverAt this time the customer let us know that if we could not provide them with an exact date that the receiver would arrive to them they wanted to return the tree and get a full refundHowever as per our return policy “If you are not completely satisfied with your Balsam Hill™ purchase, you can return or exchange the product within days of receipt or prior to December (whichever comes first).” This means that no return could be permitted as the customer purchased the product in question on January 4th
On February 28th the customer contacted us again to check on the status of the receiver they had been waiting to receiveAt this point we explained the out of stock process, and let the customer know they would be receiving the replacement small part once it had been manufactured this upcoming fallAt this point the customer let us know that they would be consulting the Revdex.com and disconnected the call
As the customer is on our manufacture list, we are still honoring our warranty as per our warranty policyWe have no way to send a part that is not currently in stock; therefore we have done our best to assist the customer in fixing their treeWe have assisted the customer with setting the item up to be manufactured and sent out to the them, so we feel the issue to be resolved
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service

We bought a tree from Balsam Hill several years ago Each year we have had to replace an excessive number of bulbsWe replaced over bulbs this year alone They have been aware of this problem from the beginning since we have ordered bulbs several times Two hundred at one time When we once again had to order bulbs this year , we were told the bulbs would no longer be available After contacting customer service and getting a "canned" reply, we contacted again and there reply was that the suggestion to restring the tree We feel we should have been offered some sort of help in resolving our situation After these bulbs burn out, we are without a tree

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/11/10) */
Hello,
We are sorry for the frustration the customer has expressed with the return processThe customer contacted us on 09/25/after receiving her merchandiseShe stated she had received the tree but the lighting was not correct as
they did not look to be the multi LED lights she orderedWe confirmed the information on the order and on the box the customer received, as the information matched we requested the customer to send us photos of the tree to help with a resolutionAfter reviewing the pictures received from the customer on 10/19/we determined she had received the correct tree with the LED multi lightsOn 10/20/we reached out to the customer but were unable to contact with the phone number provided on the orderOn 10/21/the customer contacted us to follow up for a resolutionWe provided her the details of the determination that the tree she received was the correct one with the LED lights she had orderedThe customer was adamant that the light were not LED and wanted to return the treeWe advised the customer about the exchange program, which is an option that allows the customer to return the tree and choose a different tree and if the tree is the same price or higher the $exchange fee would be waivedThe customer was not happy with this as she wanted the same tree with the correct lightsWe offered to waive all shipping costs for the return of the tree and place a new order for her once the original order was received back in our return warehouseThe customer accepted this optionWe issued her FedEx return labels to print off and schedule a pick upThe customer contacted us back on 10/22/with an issue printing the labels as they were not printing properlyWe walked her through how to do it and as she was still not able to have them print out correctly, so we issued a new label for her to attempt to print againWe contacted the customer on 10/31/to ensure she was able to print the second label issued, she confirmed it was printed and the tree was on its way back to our return warehouse as advisedWe placed the new order for the customer on 11/06/after confirming the original tree was received on 11/05/in the return warehouseAt this time the customer has received a replacement order for her tree and we feel the matter to be resolved
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (2000, 7, 2014/11/13) */
(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)
the matter has been corrected and I accept the new tree
thank you for your help
M***

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/12/24) */
Hello,
We are sorry for the frustration that the customer has expressed with their orderAs stated in the customer's complaint, they placed an order online for an artificial Christmas tree on July 29th, 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 treeWhen there is an issue with a tree, we go through a troubleshooting process to verify the stated issueThe 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 defectAt that time, the customer requested to return their orderWe advised the customer that they were outside of the day return period, and offered to send out a replacement section under warrantyOur 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 dayOn December 8th, 2015, the customer followed up with us to check on the status of their replacement sectionWe informed the customer that we did not have tracking yet for the replacement sectionDue 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 frameOn 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 issuedWe attempted to issue the refund on December 12th, 2015, but were unable to do soWe followed up with the customer again and collected the correct credit card information so that a full refund could be appliedAs of December 15th, the customer's card has been refunded in full for the tree and the item has been returned
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service

I bought one of their Chinese trees in November that had two sections that were defectiveI notified their horrible customer service the same day I received the tree and was informed that they would replace the defective sections a month later; after ChristmasGetting in touch with their customer service is almost impossible with long waits on the phone, hang-ups and English-challenged agents that you need to start over with every time
Bottom-line is that we didn't have a functional Christmas tree for Christmas that we paid a thousand dollars for in November, and the day after Christmas the trees are 65% less than what I paid in November despite that I didn't have a functional tree until mid-January
It took over ten calls and numerous e-mails to get them to honor their warranty - just disgusting
I requested the January price for the tree they finally delivered mid-January and they refused my request
I wouldn't recommend this company to my worst enemy

this is a dishonest responseThey accepted the return as I told them my daughter placed the order and was an unauthorized user of the cardMy wife heard the conversationThey verbally agreed to cancel then hung upThen the tree arrived so I rejected the delivery and took down the tracking numberYou can run that number and see it was returned to their warehouse in Kearney NJ and signed for. This is a dishonest company.
The credit card company has accepted the charge backIt wasnt easy but they accepted my last request and credited my account. *** ** *** *** ** * ***Complaint: ***I am rejecting this response because:Sincerely,*** ***

Hello,
We are sorry for the frustration the customer has expressed with their orderAs stated in the customer’s complaint, they placed an order with Balsam Hill on March 23rd, for an artificial Christmas tree
On March 24th, 2017, we received notification from our warehouse that the item
the customer ordered was out of stockWe contacted the customer by phone the same day and notified them that the order would not be fulfilled as we could not send the productAs we do not hold a customer’s funds when an item is out of stock, we informed the customer that a full refund was issuedWe do this as constant changes to our product line are made based and we occasionally retire specific itemsThe customer expressed their frustration and asked if we would be capable of honoring the tree at the price they paid when it became available againWe apologized and informed the customer that we would not be able to honor the price due to system limitations and the fact that we occasionally change product designs which affect the overall price of the itemThe customer expressed their frustration and stated that it was a scam
We apologize for the inconvenience the customer has experiencedOn March 29th, 2017, we attempted to contact the customer to offer a credit towards a future purchaseThe customer did not answerAt this time, as we are unable to honor the pricing due to limitations but are prepared to provide the customer with an alternate solution, we feel this matter to be resolved
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service

Hello,
We are sorry for the frustration the customer has expressed with their order. As stated in the customer’s complaint, they placed an order on November 28th, 2014 for an artificial Christmas tree for a total of $374.00.
The customer contacted us on December 6th, 2014, via Phone Support to...

request an exchange for a different type of tree. We exchanged the customer’s tree as per their request and we emailed the customer FedEx return labels for the original tree.  The cost of the new tree came out to $449.00. We informed the customer that we would apply the original funds of $374.00 from the first order to the exchange order and they would be responsible to pay the price difference between the two trees. In order to act in the best interest of the customer, we applied a coupon that takes $30 off of orders worth $399 or more. This brought the new exchange order total down to $419.00. As such, the customer was only charged an additional $45.00 for the exchange which brought the total payment between the two orders to $419.00.
The customer contacted us back on December 15th, 2014, via Phone Support to request our assistance with a few issues they were experiencing with the new exchange tree. The tree was having a lighting issue, so we completed various troubleshooting steps with the customer in order to verify the problem and figure out how to best assist them. We determined that they needed a replacement Section 2 for their tree. Due to the high call volume and being so close to Christmas, we notified the customer that it could take longer than usual to ship out so it might not reach them by Christmas. As a temporary fix until the replacement section arrived, we offered to send out light strands as a way for the customer to make it through Christmas with a lit Christmas tree and the customer agreed to this resolution.
The customer contacted us again on December 16th, 2014, via Phone Support to speak with us in regards to the lighting issues they were experiencing. We informed the customer that as per our previous conversation on December 15th, 2016, a warranty claim was put in to request a replacement section and we placed a no charge order to FedEx 2Day Air two light strands to them as a temporary resolution. The customer requested to return the tree for a refund instead of following through with the product warranty. We advised the customer that they may return following our standard Return Policy, in which they agreed to at the time the orders were placed. We advised the customer that we would email no charge FedEx return labels and as per the policy, they would need to have the item in transit back to our warehouse prior to December 25th, 2014. This policy is in place as Balsam Hill offers a large variety of seasonal items with an emphasis on the Christmas holiday and therefore, customers would need to return their item prior to the 25th of December or within 30 days of receipt, whichever comes first. After advising the customer of this information, the phone call was disconnected.
The customer contacted us back via Live Chat on December 16th, 2014, to express their frustration in regards to having to return the item prior to December 25th, 2014. We apologized and informed the customer that if they wished to return, it would have to be returned following the standard Return Policy. The customer requested to be transferred to a manager and as our chat team does not have the capability to fulfill this request, we advised the customer to contact our customer service line as a means to speak with a member of our Leadership Team. The customer disconnected the chat.
The customer contacted us via phone support on January 12th, 2015, to notify us that they received the incorrect replacement warranty section. We apologized and informed the customer that we would request the correct section to be shipped. We informed the customer that they were free to dispose of the incorrect section in any manner they saw fit. The customer requested that we provide them with return labels for the incorrect section as they did not want to dispose of the part. We honored the customer’s request and emailed them a no charge FedEx return label.
The customer contacted us via phone support on February 4th, 2015 due to receiving the incorrect section a second time. They requested we send return labels as they did not want to deal with discarding it. We sent the return labels as per the customer’s request
The customer contacted us via Phone Support on December 7th, 2015, to let us know there was plug located in the replacement section that was not connected to anything. The customer did not want another replacement section as they had received two replacement sections already. The customer informed us that they had not attempted to connect it to their tree to verify whether or not it worked correctly. We offered the customer a 10% customer care credit as well as suggesting that they attempt to connect the section they already received to see if it worked. We advised the customer that if the section did not work, we would request that they contact us back and we would offer an exchange to a different product, using the funds from the original order towards the new item. The customer accepted our resolution and we issued the 10% customer care credit to the customer’s credit card account.
The customer contacted us again on December 7th, 2015, requesting to speak with the same supervisor in accordance with their previous conversation. We informed the customer that the Supervisor would reach back out to them when they became available. The Supervisor attempted to reach the customer on December 7th, 2015, as per the customer’s request. As the section did not work as intended, we created a case to have a third warranty section to be sent out to the customer.
The customer contacted us on January 11th, 2016, and requested to return the tree. We advised the customer that we could not authorize a return for an order that was over a year old however, we would be more than happy to assist the customer via the Warranty Policy. The customer escalated the call to a supervisor and inquired on the status of their 10% credit. After researching the issue with the customer, we confirmed that the refund of 10% was not previously processed correctly. At this point, we issued the 10% refund to the customer’s credit card account. The 10% customer care credit came to $44.90 which brought the order total down to $.10 and the overall charge between both orders to $374.10 for the original tree and the exchange tree.
The customer contacted us on December 30th, 2016, in regards to the issues they were experiencing with their Christmas tree. We informed the customer that their item was still covered under warranty so we would be more than happy to assist them. We provided the customer with two options: 1. We could process a Warranty Claim for a full tree replacement for the same item or 2. We would allow them to use the $374.10 they had put towards both trees towards a separate tree of equal or lesser value. We requested that the customer donate the tree to a non-profit 501(C) organization and email a copy of the receipt to [redacted] Occasionally, we will request a customer to donate a Christmas tree that is being replaced as the foliage of the item is still in perfect condition and allows others to enjoy a Balsam Hill product that might otherwise not be able to. We informed the customer that the new tree’s warranty would be effective from the original purchase date of the exchange tree. The customer disconnected the call at this point.
We attempted to reach out to the customer again on December 30th, 2016, and then again on January 2nd, 2017, in order to see if they had made a decision as to which option to pursue. The customer did not answer our attempts or attempt to reach back out to us. At this point, we have offered the customer two separate options, both of which are honoring the warranty the customer agreed to in the terms and conditions. In the customer’s complaint, it states that they originally paid $450.00 between the original order and the exchange order. This information is incorrect as the new tree the customer chose in 2014 was $449.00. The customer used the funds of $374.00 from their original tree towards the new item and we applied a coupon code of $30.00. At the time, the customer paid an additional amount of $45.00 for the exchange tree. This brought the total dollar amount between the two orders to $419.00. As stated previously, we provided the customer with a refund of 10% which brought the total amount received between the two orders to $374.10. As a courtesy to the customer, we would like to provide them with the option to use the $419.00 that they originally paid between the two orders to use towards an alternate tree of equal or lesser value.
On April 25th, 2017, we attempted to reach the customer by phone to discuss the alternate replacement. The phone call was unsuccessful and stated that the number dialed could not accept calls at that time. We have since emailed the customer for contact information and will have a member of leadership follow up with the customer to ensure a resolution is reached. At this time, we are awaiting the customer’s response.
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service

Revdex.com:I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. Sincerely, [redacted]

Hello,
We are sorry for the frustration the customer has expressed with their order. As stated in the customer’s complaint and our initial response, they placed an order online on September 27th, 2016 for a two 5’ Outdoor Fairybell Trees, two 7’ Outdoor Fairybell Trees, and two 10’ Outdoor Fairybell trees.
As previously stated, the customer placed their order online on September 27th, 2016 and first contacted us by phone on January 9th, 2017. The customer was allotted 30 days from the date of purchase to return the items or to contact us with any issues as the items purchased do not come with a warranty carried by Balsam Hill. The customer did speak with us on multiple occasions and we attempted to resolve the issue through troubleshooting. As the customer states in their response, they were advised that once we received photos, we would forward the issue to our Warranty Team. Our Warranty Team approves or denies warranty requests for replacement parts based on the warranty guidelines as stated in our Warranty Policy online. The Warranty Team did receive the customer’s information and upon review, the request was declined. As our website states, we only carry a warranty on our artificial Trees, Wreaths, and Garlands within our Signature or Classics collections. Our website states that we do not offer warranties on accessory products or décor items. As the customer’s trees are not a part of our Signature or Classics collections and are classified as outdoor décor items, we are limited to servicing the items to only out of box issues. In order to be approved for warranty service, the customer must contact us within 30 days of receiving the product. As the customer received their items on October 1st, 2016 and first contacted us in January 2017, we were now too far outside of the timeframe to provide an exchange, return, or possible warranty.
We relayed this information to the customer and provided them with the contact information for the manufacturer of the products as any warranties and or replacement parts would have to go through them. We apologize that we are unable to service the items under warranty and also for any undue stress this situation has caused the customer. We have attempted to resolve the issue with troubleshooting the problems as well as providing the contact information for the manufacturer. At this time, as the customer is outside of our 30-Day Return Policy and their products do not carry a warranty, we feel this matter to be resolved.
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service

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 with Balsam Hill on October 13th 2017 for an artificial Colorado Mountain Spruce Tree.
The customer initially contacted Balsam Hill customer service via phone support on December 15th 2017 informing us that their receiver for their Colorado Mountain Spruce Tree was malfunctioning. As the customer’s Colorado Mountain Spruce Tree is covered under warranty, we advised the customer that we would send out a replacement receiver.
On December 18th 2017 the customer contacted us to express their frustration regarding their warranty receiver ultimately being out of stock for the season. As the receiver was out of stock for the season, a member of our leadership team offered the customer an alternative tree of the same value, or the customer could proceed with a refund. The customer declined both options and advised us that they would channel the issue to the appropriate agency.
We reached out to the customer on February 13th 2017 as a means to resolve their ongoing dispute. Despite the customer declining a return prior to Christmas, we contacted the customer to offer them a return minus a 20% restocking fee. As per our return policy “If you are not completely satisfied with your Balsam Hill purchase, you can return or exchange the product within 30 days of receipt or prior to December 25 (whichever comes first). Please note that we reserve the right to reject items that are ineligible for return, and/or to assess an additional return fee. Products ineligible for return include personalized items, items that are damaged due to improper care or use, and items for which a return has not been authorized. Additionally, all delivery refusals will be charged a $75 per box service fee.” At this time we have not had any additional contact with the customer however; we have added the customer to our off season out of stock list to have the warranty replacement receiver shipped to the customer in the fall of 2018.
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 6, 2016/01/20) */
Hello,
We are sorry for the frustration the customer has expressed with the warranty process. The customer placed an order online for an artificial Christmas tree on November 21st, 2015. On December 20th, 2015, the customer contacted us in...

regards to 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. Our policies, which are a part of the terms and conditions accepted at the point of the sale, outline this information. After completing the troubleshooting, it was determined that a replacement section was needed and a request was submitted for the part. We advised the customer that the part was in stock and once it was shipped, they would receive a confirmation email with the tracking information.

The customer followed up with us on December 26th, 2015 as they had not received any tracking information and wanted to know the status of their replacement section. We confirmed that the request had been submitted for the needed part, but we still did not have any tracking information. We advised the customer that we would send an email to our warehouse for an update and follow up with them as soon as we had a response. On December 29th, 2015, the customer contacted us again in an attempt to get an update on their replacement. We apologized for the delay and advised them that we still did not have any updated information due to our warehouses being closed for the holidays. We confirmed again that once we had been provided an update, we would follow up with them.
On January 4th, 2016, the customer contacted us again and requested to speak with a supervisor in regards to the status of their replacement. The agent assisting the customer advised them that a supervisor would give them a call back that same day after doing some research on the customer's concern. As promised, a supervisor did reach out to the customer that day. When we contacted the customer back, we apologized again for how long it had taken to get a response in regards to the status of their replacement. We advised the customer that the replacement section that was needed was out of stock and would have to be manufactured in our off season, with the customer receiving the part in the fall of 2016. The customer declined the option of waiting for the replacement section and requested to return their tree. We advised the customer that they were ineligible for a return as they were outside of the 30 day return period. After providing the customer with this information, they requested to speak with another supervisor as they were not satisfied with the option they had been given. We confirmed the customer's contact information and advised them that another supervisor would be following up with them.
On January 5th, 2016, a different supervisor reached out to the customer. We provided the customer with three different options in an attempt to replace their tree. The customer had the option of waiting for a replacement section and we would provide them with a 10% Customer Care Credit, donating their current tree for a full tree replacement with a 10% Customer Care Credit or, they could exchange their tree for a different one. The customer stated that they needed to talk it over and would follow up with us with a decision.

On January 7th, 2016, we followed up with the customer to see if they had a chance to decide on what they would like to do, but we were unable to reach the customer. We left a message for the customer requesting a call back. That same day, the customer contacted us back to let us know that they had accepted the option of donating their current tree in order to receive a full tree replacement and a 10% Customer Care Credit. The customer has been made aware that we do not have their tree in stock currently and that they will be receiving the replacement tree once it is available in the fall of 2016. On January 7th, 2016, a refund in the amount of $58.00 was issued to the customer's account used for the purchase. At this time, as the customer has accepted the resolution of a full tree replacement with donation required and a 10% Customer Care Credit, we feel this matter to be resolved.

Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (2000, 8, 2016/01/22) */
(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)
Regarding Balsam Tree's formal response, the initial complaint was made and recorded one day before the 30 day return period, which is Balsam Tree's policy. The option to receive the replacement part was accepted under the understanding that the part was in stock and not subject to any delays. Had this stipulation been made from the beginning, it would have afforded me the opportunity to make a more informed decision and would have made the process smoother.
In any case, regarding Balsam Tree's response on the events of January 7, I am in agreement with them. It has been explained to me that the replacement should arrive in the Summer and I have agreed accordingly.

Case# [redacted]
 
Hello,
 
We are sorry for the frustration the customer has expressed with their order. As stated in the customer’s complaint, they placed an order with Balsam Hill on November 9th, 2015 for an artificial Christmas tree.
 
On December 26th 2016,...

the customer contacted us by email to notify us that the multicolored lights on their tree would not light up. The customer let us know they were not at home and would contact us later on during that week. We emailed the customer our trouble shooting steps video as a means to best assist them during this brief interaction.
 
On January 3rd 2017, the customer reached out to us via email to provide us with photos of the top section of her tree to demonstrate that the lights were not working. We advised the customer at this time to contact our phone/chat support in order to finish any necessary troubleshooting steps before processing a warranty claim.
 
On January 5th 2017, the customer reached out to us by contacting our chat team letting us know how disappointed they were with a damaged top section. The customer also let us know during this interaction that they had completed all of the recommended troubleshooting steps listed on our website. As a means of best assisting the customer within our policy guidelines we offered to process a warranty case through for a full tree replacement. Our chat agent clarified that the customer would need to donate the original damaged tree, the customer accepts this resolution.
 
The customer reached out to us via chat on January 10th 2017 letting us know that they had received our email letting them know that the original tree that was purchased by the customer was out of stock at that time as our busy season had just passed. The customer let us know that they did not want to choose a replacement product from the selection that we had at that time as we had such a limited selection due to our busy holiday season that had just passed. The customer asked what their options were; we obtained a valid phone number from the customer and agreed to check into this issue further before reaching back out to them with a better resolution.
 
 
We reached out to the customer via phone support on January 11th 2017 and left the customer a voicemail letting them know that we had come up with a better resolution but we needed them to call us back as a means of conveying this.
 
We reached out to the customer again on January 12th; we left another voicemail at this time requesting the customer call us back to discuss a possible resolution.
 
The customer emailed us a copy of the donation receipt from the original tree on January 12th 2017, they let us know that they had donated to a nonprofit as verification that they had done as we requested.
 
On January 13th 2017 we reached out to the customer again via phone support, we reached the voicemail yet again. During this voicemail we let the customer know we needed them to reach back out to us to discuss our possible resolution. We also let the customer know as we had attempted to reach out to them 3 times we would no longer be reaching out to them.
 
 
On January 18th 2017 initiated contact with us via our chat team letting us know they had missed phone calls from us and wanted to know what our resolution was. Our chat team member advised the customer that they would need to call our customer service phone number as a best means of deciding upon the correct resolution.
 
The customer called our customer service number again on January 18th 2017 as per our chat team’s request. We provided the customer with two possible resolutions, the first resolution was for the customer to be added to our out of stock list and have an identical replacement tree sent out once the tree was available to be sent and our secondary option was for the customer to hold onto in store credit in the amount the original tree was worth. The in store credit provided to the customer was in the amount of $349.00.
 
Our representative that had originally contacted the customer and left the voicemails reached out to the customer from our customer service center on March 23rd 2017. We were calling to verify that the customer wanted to hold onto in store credit and wait for our upcoming selection instead of being added to our out of stock list for an identical replacement. The customer service agent provided this information via email as the customer did not answer.
 
On March 23rd 2017 the customer called into our customer service center to let us know that they did in fact want to hold onto their in store credit until we have a better inventory available. We accepted the customer’s resolution.
 
On September 11th 2017 the customer reached out to us via phone support. The customer escalated past the agent that answered the call when they were informed that they would be unable to choose a more expensive tree and pay the difference. The supervisor that took the call from the agent reiterated this concept to the customer once more. We let the customer know that we would be unable to let them choose a more expensive tree, they would have to choose a tree worth an equal amount or less than what was originally paid. The customer let us know that unless we let them pay the difference between the desired tree and the original that they wanted a full refund for the donated original tree. Once we let the customer know that this was unobtainable they said they would be filing a Revdex.com complaint and going to social media as well obtaining legal aid as a means to collect a full refund from our company.
 
We reached out to [redacted] on September 13th 2017 to let the customer know that we would allow them to pay the difference between the original tree and the newly requested tree. The customer did not answer so we left the necessary information via voicemail. The customer contacted us again on September 13th 2017 in response to our voicemail. The supervisor that had reached out to the customer had gone home for the day; we let the customer know that the supervisor would contact them again the next day when they were back at work.
 
On September 14th 2017 the customer called in and spoke with the supervisor that had reached out to them. We let the customer know that the new tree would maintain the warranty from the original purchase as half of the price was covered at the original purchase date. The customer agreed to this condition and paid the difference. The replacement order number is [redacted].
 
As the customers concerns have been resolved, and the replacement order was shipped out on September 14th 2017, and the replacement was delivered on September 18th 2017. As we have honored our warranty policy and the customer has a fully functional product, we feel this matter to be resolved.
 
Regards, Balsam Hill Customer Service