Barbara Bussey

Review of Habitat for Humanity Halton

For the first time, I went to the restore in Burli...

For the first time, I went to the restore in Burlington yesterday. I purchased several large furniture items, one of which was a tall, solid wood book shelf. I was able to fit everything into my vehicle with the exception of the book shelf. I had pointed out each item I had purchased to the two gentleman who helped me load the items. As I left, I said "I will return to get the book shelf." I knew there was a 2 day period in which to pick up purchased items because I heard one of the employees say so to another customer. "no problem", he said, "just hang onto your receipt and show it when you come back for the shelf." Okay, no problem. Great experience so far. That was yesterday, August 14th.
This afternoon, August 15th, I returned to the loading area, rang the bell, spoke to a different young man, showed my receipt and said, I need to just pick up a book shelf I purchased yesterday. He said, can you please point out which one? I saw it straight away and I said, it's this one. This is when the problem began. Apparently, after I purchased the book shelf yesterday, it was resold TODAY to someone else. They retrieve their manager (I'm assuming), a younger lady with blonde hair (likely the same person as a previous customer described in a review below - sounds exactly like the tone of the person who spoke with me today). She was immediately defensive explaining to me that my receipt didn't match the receipt on the shelf. I was completely confused. I explained exactly my steps of the previous day. She's telling me it's my neglect for not placing a Sold sign and sticking it along with my receipt to the bookshelf before I left yesterday. Why would that be my job? I don't work there. "Haven't you ever been to the restore and know that's what you're supposed to do", she says flatly. "Umm...actually, No, I've not been to the restore before and No, I did not have two receipts (one to keep and one to place on an item) and I also was not equipped with a Sold sign to stick on it!
"Well, there's nothing I can do, the shelf is sold and you cannot prove to me that you purchased it yesterday." Well, I have a receipt with August 14th as the date and the item for $30 is on the receipt. I spoke to several individuals yesterday who would have recognized me AND in fact, I had spoken to this very blonde woman a couple of times while at the store yesterday! "I'll give you a store credit of $30", she says matter of factly. There was not one sentiment of apology from her tone, her body language, or her choice of words.
I'm a very tolerant person and I completely understand human error. However, inconsideration and indifference toward another when it was so clearly a ball drop of the store, is what raised my ire the most and the reason I'm taking the time to write this review (as long winded, as it is). She trundles off to get my store credit. She returns with it and throws out a completely tone deaf, "We're sorry for the inconvenience". It did not deserve another word spoken from me. I took the "credit" with the 30 DAY DATE OF EXPIRY, no less. Why not add insult to injury! My First and my Last visit, Restore Burlington.