Funny/sad Story About Tandy Leather...

[Dougster]

I just started working with leather two months ago (October 2015). I'm old enough and have had a steady job for long enough that I was able to spend about $2000 since I started, almost all of it at the nearby Tandy Leather. (I have enough leather now to last at least six months...)

Well, one of their Twelve Days specials was a Tucson Python side, so I bought one. Apparently Tandy corporate had a computer glitch, so they charged me $21 less than the stated price. I didn't notice until I got home and entered it in my books. The next time I was in the store though, the manager was in a tizzy about it and was giving me a hard time. Seemed sort of odd to me that she was angry with me about something that wasn't my creation.

Well, I gathered up a few items and made for the checkout. The price was a bit higher than I expected, but I just figured that I had added in a couple extra items and hadn't looked closely at the prices. On the way out though, the manager looked at me and said, "we're square now."

The more I think about it, the more it disappoints me. The $21 itself is mostly unimportant (especially compared to the other $1900+ I spent there), but that interaction with the manager was such that I don't believe I'll be shopping at that store any more.

Sigh...

[AndyL1]

WOW! I am at a loss for words at the nerve of that manager. That is absolutely ridiculous. I would share your story with Tandy.

[JLSleather]

I just got a flyer in the mail yesterday, which includes a reduced price on 3/4 oz royal meadow tooling leather. That's always been good leather -- I've used it for years, made a few wallets (or 1000). But I haven't ordered any because they told me that was discontinued and no longer available. Now, it's on sale ... :#!@N@!#$!

[25b]

That would be enough to make me file a chargeback on the credit card for that stunt.

Then, once they approve the chargeback and the card was credited, I would go to their store and dump everything from that particular sale on the floor for them to restock.

I don't take things like that very nicely. There's no reason she should have done that...you had absolutely nothing to do with the error. She should've just ate the loss and moved on. What she did was unacceptable, in my opinion.

Edited December 16, 2015 by 25b

[jfdavis58]

Been a customer for almost 3 decades-never heard of anything like this. I doubt I would take it so calmly; rather I would call corporate, better business, attorney general and my lawyer. It's not much money but the principle is the real issue. What the manager did was -in my opinion- illegal and criminal. We all buy items marked or tagged by the seller and never question the pricing unless we have an advertisement or a coupon--not our responsibility to verify. I know I've found mis-marked items and taken advantage of the windfall. I assume that it works the other way more often then I would care to know.

[veedub3]

There is no way she would have charged my card on a current order for a mistake "THEY" made on a previous order. No way would I allow them to take advantage of me that way. I wouldn't care if it was a nickle. They made the error, they should eat the loss and move on. If she would have said that crap to me, I would have turned around and returned every single item I just purchased, and called the Corporate office from the store to complain about what happened.

[Redochre]

Dougster that is in no way shape or form exceptable behaviour by that particular manager. With the amount of money you've spent there they have already made a pretty healthy profit off of you.

If they have done this with you then they have done it to someone else, head office should really know about it.

I can only speak from experience with Tandy UK, I've found them a terrible company to deal with. The only reason I dealt with them was because of one particular employee who was a wealth of knowledge and was also honest about the stunts Tandy pull.....He has now left

One example is the royal meadow promotions they do.... He openly told me they rebranded craftsman oak sides.....

[fredk]

What she did is totally illegal in the UK

[rmr]

Dougster

With the amount of $ you have spent there in the short amount of time- if it were me- I would shop elsewhere. Besides- there are far better superior quality suppliers of leather and leatherworking tools out there than Tandy

[Norton Custom Leather]

Springfield Leather Company

Springfield, Missouri

I left Tandy due to the corporate BS. Over pricing, lack of quality tools & leather, lack of exotic leathers & so on. Corporate will not let the store employees match any prices of competitors. The people that work at the local Tandy store by me are awesome though. You can go in for an hour, talk leather & they don't try to pressure a sale.

SLC has never disappointed.

[TheModifier]

What she did is totally illegal in the UK

And in Canada. That should be reported to the head office.

[fredk]

The way I see it;

If Dougster complains to Tandy HQ, he'll end up worse off.

He may well get that $21 back, but Tandy will want $21 more for the leather, and a complaint will turn the shop boss aganst him, making future shopping unpleasant.

Unless consumer law for where Dougster is is similar to the UK.

If this was in the UK; Tandy can't ask for the extra $21 after the sale. But the buyer can claim back any over charging. So the buyer wins. Complaints of over charging aren't seen as personal attacks but as 'errors' to be corrected.

[okiwen]

I too would have gather the stuff back up and returned it. Place a stop on the credit card. I would still let the head office know and tell them that the $2k you spent will be the very last. The nerve of that person if profound. But....it's all up to what you feel like tolerating. Even now is not too late. Everyone has an opinion, and now you've heard mine.

[Dougster]

I sent a message to Tandy corporate, but I don't know whether I'll hear back. If I do, I'll be sure to post an update. At this point, I don't want the $21, I want the trust back. Ultimately, twenty bucks is cheap to learn what a person is really like. (It cost me a lot more to learn what my ex-wife was about!)

Interesting enough, I pretty much had bought all the core tools that I needed, along with a half dozen veg tan sides, some python and alligator print sides and several other pieces to work with. If I have any talent for this, I'll probably want to start shopping with Barry King, Bearman, Gomph-Hackbarth, etc., anyway...

[TinkerTailor]

I deal with retail in my day job, and i have made similar mistakes with pricing. The most i ever do is phone the customer and let them know i made a mistake, and while it was my mistake it would be cool to clear it up. No pressure, just letting them know i screwed up. I can't remember a single person who didn't come back and clear it up and continue shopping. I am completely honest with customers, even when it makes me look bad. It is amazing how much respect i get for this. Customers that blatently tell me they bought xyz product from me rather than cheaper elsewhere because i was honest.

That store manager has no clue and should be promoted to sanitation manager.

[DavidL]

From that manager there will always be a trust issue, guaranteed. If they were having a bad day and was acting uncharacteristic then it was unlucky situation.

For what it is worth I personally would of paid the 21 dollars out right without them asking, even if they insist you keeping it. Just my opinion.

[fredk]

What I write now is not a refelection on Dougster or anyone. Just my experience and the way I do things.

A few months back as I was filing away an invoice I noticed that my leather supplier [not Tandy] had undercharged me on the S & H by £13.50.

It was noted on the invoice that the the amount I'd paid had been undercharged. The supplier didn't say anything, never contacted me about it at all.

But trust goes both ways. My supplier has always been most helpful and easy to deal with.

I contacted my supplier and got them to raise another invoice for the underpaid amount which I paid promptly. They were rather shocked that I did this, but it takes the trust between us to a new level.

I've noticed that my last two orders were dealt with and with me within a week rather than the over two weeks, nearly three weeks, it used to be. They even set some specials aside and gave me first dibs on ordering it.

If I have good dealings with a company I'll pay up if I've been undercharged by them, that money shortage may have to come out of the worker's pay packet.

If I have bad dealings then they can go fetch.

[Thor]

Well this is said, but to be fair, it isn't rightful to take advantage of the manager's mistake. If you notice it, you have to say so. If that same manager just added $21 arbitrary to the next bill this is very clearly fraud. Now that both actions aren't very lawful it's hard to make a call here.

[Dougster]

To be clear, I absolutely was NOT trying get away with taking advantage of their mistake. Part of the reason I even went to the store that day was to talk to them about it. I asked what happened and I was told that corporate had messed up the entry in the computer, but that they sent a message out saying that employees should correct the price at sales time. Apparently, the clerk I worked with had not heard that he was supposed to do that. The manager implied that it was their mistake and that I shouldn't worry about it. I never told her that I wouldn't pay the difference or that they had to deal with it because it was their mistake.

I hope you all understand that I would have been happy to correct the initial charge and pay the amount due on that ticket. My problem is how things unfolded after that. At this point, I am happy that the manager and I are "square", and I can walk away with a clear conscience. I think it's unfortunate that we couldn't have just fixed the first transaction without tainting the second...

[Studio-N]

You need to contact Tandy management about that. They should not have done that. It is simply considered a loss against the stores profit.

How was it charged on your receipt? It is an item # that was not received then that was illegal.

AND if was an item #, you should do a 'return' of that item. But definitely put a stop on the CC.

What store was it?

[electrathon]

You need to contact Tandy management about that. They should not have done that. It is simply considered a loss against the stores profit.

This is the point. The stick to have a store properly charge is the loss of profit when they do it wrong. You did not cheat them, they cheated themselves. You should not have been charged the $21 because it is on them.

[Bob Blea]

Dougster, as someone who has been working directly with customer's in various roles over the past 25 years, I will emphatically state that the way the manager handled this was TERRIBLE! I've found most people would be just like you and are happy to work things out so that things are fair to all parties. To even things out behind your back (which is kind of what they did) is just wrong.

[Art]

Which TLF? Was it one in the LA area?

Art

[cgleathercraft]

I think the general response here is - If they charged you an extra $21 for their mistake on a separate visit, then it needs to be addressed.

1. It is illegal for them to do this.

2. who else are they going to do it to?

3. If they are willing to take from you for their mistake then they may take from you just because they can.

Ever hear about those stories where some cashiers were hitting the extra $20 cash button when people were checking out then pocketing it? (This was not at Tandy BTW) It's the same principle here. New day - new transaction - they stole your money.

Get Corporate involved and get your money back. Managers and employees like this is why Tandy is getting a bad rep.

[25b]

....and Dougster...I understand you're ok with the principle of letting them have the $21 so you paid what they should've charged you -- I got that. What we're saying is what she did is dishonest, so it needs to be corrected so she doesn't try that again with you or anyone else. It's not ok for her to do that. A chargeback will straight up get her attention and make sure she doesn't do that again, but a call to TLF corporate could work too. I'm the kind of person, I'd do the chargeback and once I got my money back, I'd dump the stuff on their floor, but that's just me...

It shows you're an honorable person wanting to make the transaction right (especially since you had nothing at all to do with the error), but she shouldn't be doing that to people.

Edited December 17, 2015 by 25b