Star Cedar Sales Inc,

Review: I purchased two bundles of 80 fence post. ( 160 total ). When I removed the metal straps to unload the post I discovered that many of the post were rotten, broken or otherwise not useable for fencing. On or about 6-20-2013 I called [redacted] ###-###-#### at Star Cedar and he told me they had a no return policy.Desired Settlement: Refund of half the cost of the post. 80 post at $3.00 each = $240.00 + tax. Or return of half the post ( Star Cedar to pay the cost of hauling - aprox. 100 miles ) and $3.00 per post returned.

Business

Response:

Customer in this complaint signed for, paid for, and picked up the material personally at our yard.

All walk-in customers are given the opportunity to inspect material at the time of purchase. Any walk-in customer who inspects material, and is unsatisfied, may choose another piece, or unit. Walk-in customers who are unsatisfied with our material, or were unclear what they were purchasing may cancel any order before pick-up only. Once a customer has inspected the material, paid for it, and left our yard, we do not process returns.

The purpose behind this is that 99.9% of our sales are to wholesale, full truckload customers. The no return policy is to prevent a customer from purchasing a whole unit of material at a discount price, and then returning the unused portion for us to restock. Also, because we are a high volume producer, the handling of small quantities slows down our production facility. This policy allows our smaller customers to get an exact count of the material they need and be sure that both parties plan accordingly.

Star Cedar has been in business since the 1968, and we have had this same policy with no problem, ever.

This customer picked up the material personally, paid for it, signed for it, and then didn't request any sort of refund, exchange or file any complaint for nearly a month after the purchase.

Although we regret that a customer was dissappointed in any way with our company, he was given opportunity to decline or cancel the purchase before pick-up. We have also never recieved any complaints on the product this customer purchased, which we sell completely out of nearly every year. We have also never had any problems with our return policy, due to the fact that we are a wholesale production facility that will sell to the public on occasion, not a full service retail store. We can, upon request, provide any customer with a list of our stocking retail dealers who are better set up to accomidate the normal public.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 9614872, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

There has been no offer from the business to resolve this matter. Star Cedar's response states : All walk in customers are given the opportunity to inspect the material at the time of purchase. I do not agreed with that statement because the fence post were in bundles of 80 pieces on a single pallet with metal bands around the bundle. It was impossible to inspect the material inside the bundle until the metal straps are cut exposing the post inside the bundle. It was not until after I had hauled them to the ranch ( aprox. 100 miles ), cut the bands and began to unload them the next day that I discovered many rotten and defective post. I am not a farmer or rancher by trade and therefore decided to get an opinion from someone with that experience. This took more than a week , when I showed the fencing crew the material. I was ask where I bought them and advised to take all them back because many were not usable. Star Cedar also writes that I did not complain for nearly a month. It seems they disregard the phone call to ask about returning the material as a complaint. I was never given the opportunity to inspect the post inside the bundles before the purchase and not given any resolution to be refunded for defective material that Star Cedar sold to me. I paid for 160 ( usable ) fence post. Some are rotten, some broken and otherwise unable. I wrote Star Cedar a check for 160 fence post. I did not get 160 fence post ( as many pieces are not usable ). Star Cedar cashed my check ( a contract for 160 fence post ) and failed to complete the contract.

My view on the matter is that Star Cedar is selling a product they call fence post that are in reality a waste product after other more profitable products are produced.