Scholl Orchards

Review: I purchased a bag of Scholl pears on Wednesday evening of last week from the Scholl Orchards stand at the [redacted] PA Farmers Market. Examining them at home (after the Market had closed), I found them beginning to rot. The Market was not open on Thursday or Friday. When the Farmers Market again opened on Saturday morning, I returned to Scholls with the decaying pears, the sellers told me that they do not give refunds and do not guarantee the quality of their produce. They said that their produce is sold "as is". They ordered me to "Go away, old man!" When I further demanded a refund, the young adult Scholl family members operating the [redacted] Farmers Market stand became very insolent to me, an elderly retired senior citizen (aged 68). They treated me with utter contempt and laughed at me. They threatened to "call the police and have (me) arrested and put into jail for loitering and harassment!" I told the Scholls that I would report their unfair business practices to the [redacted] Revdex.com. They continued to laugh at me and warned me of their reprisals if I caused any trouble for them! They repeatedly demanded to be informed of my name, address and telephone number. I refused to comply. They appeared to find sport and pleasure in threatening and bullying me. Eventually, I abandoned the rotten pears with the Scholl family, having learned an expensive lesson in consumer purchasing. I neither received a refund of my purchase money nor an apology from the unscrupulous Scholl Orchards family. Scholl Orchards' motto appears to be "Let the Senior Citizen Buyer Beware!"Desired Settlement: I desire that my $5.00 purchase price be refunded in full, that the Scholls be warned against: reprisals against me, further deceptive and unfair marketing and sales practices, taking unfair advantage of senior citizens, and verbally abusing senior citizens. Please do not provide the Scholl family with my name, address, telephone number, or email address, as they have threatened to "make a lot of trouble" for me if I should report this matter to the Revdex.com. Thank you.

Business

Response:

Dear

On Saturday, October 5th, 2013 at the Easton Farmers' Market (EFM), a customer presented Scholl Orchards a bag of rotten Bose pears. The customer claimed that he purchased the pears at the Wednesday night market, a week and half prior. He also stated that the pears never ripened, and rotted instead.

He was informed that a Bose pear is a firm pear that does not get soft. He was directed to the sign with the same description, which is prominently displayed in front of the pears (see enclosur e), I offered to replace the pears with another quart of pears. He refused the pears and demanded his money back. I then offered him a quart of Bartlett pears, which are a softer pear. Again, he demanded his money back, He was informed of the company policy, which is to exchange the damaged product for the same or comparable item. We do not offer monetary refunds.

At this point, he raised his voice, causing a scene. He stated that he would not leave our tent until he received his money. We were very busy with other customers at the time. He started yelling "Beware" to the other customers. He also told them that our products were of poor quality.

Thankfully, a neighboring vendor alerted [redacted], the market manager, of the situation, who removed him from our tent.

His Revdex.com complaint is filled with half-truths and outright lies:

1- He claims the purchase date was Wed., October 2, 2013. The last day of the Wednesday night market at EFM was September 25,2013.

2- He stated that the purchase price was $5.00. We sell a quart of pears for $4.50.

3- He stated that I told him that our products are sold “as is.” I told him our company policy (we will replace, not refund).

4- He stated that I laughed, threated, and told him, “Go away, old man.” This is a lie.

5. He stated that I asked for his name, address, and phone number. That is also a fabrication.

His outrageous and inappropriate behavior rattled me to the point of tears. He is the bully who harassed me and our customers. In the past it has also been reported that he has caused problems for other vendors and the market manager at EFM,

Scholl Orchards firmly stands behind and is proud of all products sold at our market locations and satellite famers’ market locations.

We will not comply with his request for a refund or an apology.

Sincerely:

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:

1. The pears in question were purchased three days before they were returned for a refund.

2. No prominently displayed sign regarding the consumer use of Scholls' bosc pears was apparent at the site of purchase.

3. No sign proclaiming a "company policy of no refunds" was visible at the site of purchase. No verbal notice of a "company policy of no refunds" was given to me at the time of purchase. No such "company policy" is communicated to the purchaser.

4. Scholl Orchards neither displayed its address or telephone number at the site. I was unable to contact them until the following Saturday, three days after my purchase.

5. The purchase price was $4.50. I paid for the pears with a $5.00 Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture senior citizen voucher. [redacted] refused to give me 50 cents change in return, claiming refunds on vouchers were against her "company policy". However, when she later redeemed the voucher, the state of Pennsylvania gave Scholl Orchards $5.00 in cash for the $5.00 voucher. [redacted] misrepresents the truth. Scholl Orchards did receive $5.00 for its $4.50 pears. The Scholl company policy, in all circumstances, appears to be "We win, you loose!" ("on our undisclosed terms, and, on our fabricated facts"). Therefore, Scholl Orchards DOES owe me $5.00.

6. It is true that [redacted] demanded my name, address, telephone number, and that she laughed at me, threatened to call the police if I did not leave, and told me to "Go Away, Old Man."

7. Later a friend who witnessed the exchange, told me that, after my departure, [redacted] repeatedly referred to me as "That [redacted] Old [redacted]". (I was wearing my [redacted] cap at the time.)

8. It is unfortunate that [redacted] has chosen to escalate this event into anti-[redacted]...which explains her outrageous and inappropriate behavior.

9. Rather than "rattled to tears", [redacted]'s posture was one of ethnic distain and confrontation.

10. I am not a bully, nor did I harass [redacted] and her customers. I was an unhappy customer with defective pears that rotted from the inside. I was a displeased customer whom [redacted] sought to drive from the [redacted] Farmers Market to avoid public knowledge of her defective produce.

11. I also was not aware that [redacted] had "reported" me for causing problems to her by asking for a refund for the defective pears. To whom did she report me? Why did not that person contact me?

12. [redacted] states that I have been "reported" for causing problems for other vendors and for the market manager at the [redacted] Farmers Market. I have never had any dealings with any other vendors! After the said incident with [redacted], I have avoided contact with all [redacted] Farmers Market vendors. Assuming [redacted] to be representative of [redacted] Farmers Market vendors, one exchange with a vendor was more than enough for me! I challenge [redacted] to produce the names and addresses of the other vendors who claim that I have caused them problems.

13. At no time did [redacted] appear at the Farmers Market to confront me on behalf of Scholls Orchards or any other vendor. I demand that [redacted] detail the alleged confrontation which she claims I had with the [redacted] Farmers Market manager [redacted] on the date of this incident.

14. As I child, a youth, and an adult, I lived on my family's farm in northern Pennsylvania, which included ten acres of various pear varieties. We also sold fruit and farm produce at the roadside. I am quite acquainted with bosc pears and direct produce merchandizing. We have had experience with defective pears which rotted from the inside. We fed such pears to the pigs. We did not off-load them onto unsuspecting consumers. We guaranteed our produce to all purchasers, and cheerfully made refunds to dissatisfied customers. Our highly visible motto was "Satisfaction Guaranteed Or Your Money Back!" We stood by what we sold!

Sincerely,

[redacted] (a [redacted])