Black Swan Hearth and Gift

Review: We ordered 3 tons of pellets for our stove, and gave a specific card number to use for the payment of this product. The employee at Black Swan did not use this card, and used a previous card from an older transaction to process the payment. This pulled every single penny we had from our checking account, leaving us in a huge financial mess without a dime for our resources. We called Black Swan to point out this grievous error, and were told the reversal to put the funds back in our account will be done. It has now been 6 days, and we are still waiting for our money. While we are struggling each day, Black Swan feels no guilt, nor are they inconvenienced in any way because they did get their money using the card they were instructed to use in the first place. Since we purchased the stove from them in Dec. 2012, we have been forced to use their services, and each and every experience has required multiple phone calls because whether it is the servicing end or the sales department, there is not an employee there who is competent. Taking all our money and then making us wait endlessly to reverse the erroneous transaction is probably the last straw. Despite specific and clear instructions, they went and processed our transaction using an unauthorized card.

Product_Or_Service: 3 tons of Hamer pellets

Account_Number: Acct. under [redacted]

Desired Settlement: While we are still waiting for the funds to be returned to our account, we would like Revdex.com to please make a note of this outfit and label them accordingly - incompetent, insensitive,and aggravating. This is so other consumers never have to endure a similar situation. Black Swan should not be in business if they are incapable of competently processing something as basic as a charge.

Business

Response:

Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2013/08/14) */

Contact Name and Title: [redacted]/ owner

Contact Phone: XXX XXX XXXX

Contact Email: [redacted].com

The customer provided a card number and approved that card to be used for payment for the pellets, this is refered to in the complaint as "useing the card they were instructed to use in the first place". After placing the order and giving that card number, apparently someone else called back and changed the card to be used to a differant number.

When the customer called to notify us of the error (the next day), the bank was notified while the customer was on the phone, the charges reversed and then put on the card of the customers choosing, again while the customer was on the phone. We have an electronic trail to show this. (refund issued 08/08/13 @10:32.57, transaction #XXXXXXXXXX) If the customers bank has held funds and delayed the transaction that is beyond our control. We appoligized profusely.

Absolutly no one is forced to do business with us. Black Swan appreates every single person that does business with us and we try as hard today as we have for the last 35 years to do good by every person that places their trust in us. Black Swan feels that this matter was handled as best we could, in under 1 hour. There is no "forced" to do do business with us, if the customer is that uncomfortable there are other places to purchase pellet fuel.

Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2013/08/18) */

(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT ACCEPT the response from the business.)

The Truth as it really is:

- Black Swan used an unauthorized card to gather funds for payment of an order of pellets

- Their incompetence left us without a penny to our names for 6 days

- And yes, we received our funds back but suffered for 6 days for no other reason than the fact that Black Swan chose to completely disregard specific payment instructions

- Being in business from 35 years does not absolve them of the basic responsibility to admit to their error or have the decency to follow-up and check on the progress of the funds reversal process

- Now, they add insult to injury by coming up with this fabricated story about 'someone' calling and changing the card? So, they are saying that we intentionally chose to give a card that would reduce our bank balance to a negative? Totally false because that would mean we are completely devoid of intelligence

Closing remark:

Yes, we got our funds back but we suffered greatly in the interim period. Black Swan is just another company that has forgotten the meaning of the word 'decency.' We are 'forced' to do business with them because our pellet stove was purchased from them and they are the ones responsible for its maintenance. Will we ever purchase pellets from them? No. And we will write and complain to the stove manufacturer as well and try to have someone else service it. Our hope is that Revdex.com can save some other consumer from having to endure a similar situation caused by negligence and incompetence.

Thank you for your time and assistance.