***********THIS LETTER WAS SENT BY CERTIFIED MAIL I HAVE NOT YET HEAR FROM MR SMITH IN REGARDS TO THIS SITUATION*********** I HAVE SENT A COMPLAINT TO THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU OF MOBILE, AL AND DALLAS, TX WHERE THE CORPORATION RESIDES. I WILL ALSO SEND THIS LETTER TO AS MANY NEWS AND TV PEOPLE AS I POSSIBLY CAN DUE TO THE FACT OF HOW KELLY BOWMAN TREATED US AFTER THE EARRINGS WHERE RETURNED SHE IS VERY PREJUDICE AND SHE IS PSYCHO BITCH!!! DON'T BUY ANYTHING FROM THIS STORE OR THIS WOMAN!!!SHE IS RIP-OFF- ARTIST!


August 21, 2010


Mr. Randy Smith
Customer Service Executive
Zales Corporation
901 West Walnut Hill Lane
Irving, TX 75038


Dear Mr. Smith:

I am writing you this letter because I have a complaint that I would like you to be aware of. On 8/15/2010 at 3:10 pm I went to the Zales Store in Colonial Bell Air Mall in Mobile, AL to payout my layaway with a balance of $68.90 for a pair of solitaire diamond (SKU # 011-17393802). From 4:10 to 4:48pm I waited to pay for the earrings, almost a whole hour to be waited on to be “approved” to pay out the layaway that was too long of a time to take a payment from a customer and pay my layaway out.

On 6/19/2010 I paid an installment of $50.00 which left a balance of $68.90 and was prepared to pay it off that day due to the fact that I was given a call a couple of days prior by phone by one of your sales associates stating that “if I came in and paid off my layaway I would receive an additional percentage off of the earrings”. A couple of days later while in the store to receive the percentage off of the merchandise and pay the layaway out I was told by the sales clerk I could not have an additional percentage off of because “I had already had a percentage taken off for the earrings and No other percentage will be applied and someone made the call by mistake!”

Mr. Smith, I received approximately 3 calls from your store at BellAire Mall in Mobile, AL from Sales Associates during the duration of the layaway. The latest was one week ago on the 10% additional sales if I “Paid out the layaway.” So I don’t understand why would I would be told in the store that the calls where a “mistake?”

On 8/5/2010 I called the Zale’s store to find out about any sales going on and if the August sale was still in effect. I spoke with a sales clerk and he pulled my layaway and gave me a price of the balance and he also advised me that Zales would be having a 10% off sale through August 15, 2010. And If I paid out the layaway during the sale I would receive the additional 10%. He also told me that I was only given one percentage off of the regular price and he stated that the company policy on the layaway agreement that a customer could receive up to two discounts during the duration of the layaway. And he stated it would be no problem to make the adjustment when I come in. So Sunday, 8/15/2010 at 3:10 pm to pay the balance of $68.90 and to receive my 2nd discount applied to my layaway which would have been 10% off.

The gentlemen that I spoke with on the phone pulled my layaway so that I could be waited on. It seemed to have been a problem with me paying the last installment of $68.90 and held me up for approximately 1 hour while he and the manager, Kelly Bollman, along with my layaway receipt in his hand “discuss” my layaway in another part of the store. When the sales clerk came back to me, the he says: “Someone else paid your layaway out” I told him, “No! Who would pay my layaway out? And are the earrings here?” And I then told him, “If I paid them out I would have the earrings!” He then says, ” The store has the earrings.” He then walked away from. However I was still waiting to pay the last installment of $68.90 of the layaway out.

The salesmen came back to me with a Zale’s bag I then told him, “May I see the earrings?” He proceeded to take the earrings out the Zales box. I examined the earrings and it appeared to me that the earrings that I put on layaway to purchase at the store were NOT the earrings! I then asked the sales associate had he cleaned them. The sales associate says, “Yes, I did clean them.” He then proceeded to tell me, “They had paid the $68.90” And I said to him, “Who?” He then changed his statement and said, “We paid the layaway off!” He then took the earrings and placed the earrings back in the Zales bag and told me “Thank you” and sent me on my way!

That same night at home I noticed the receipt that the store gave me along with the protection plan was dated 7/24/2010. I NEVER came into the store on 7/23/2010 or the whole month of July 2010. I was in the store on 8/15/2010. The last time I was in the Zales store was 7/19/2010 at 12:29 pm. I have the receipt showing the balance that I owed of $68.90. I was in the store on 8/15/2010 but Kelly Bollman and the sales associate gives me a receipt that shows 7/24/2010. WHY WAS THAT DONE????????????
I thought the protocol was for any purchase would have the CORRECT date on the receipt?

The reason why I am going to return the earrings I know that Kelly Bowman backed dated the receipt to keep me from receiving the full 10% discount which I was told I could receive when I paid the earrings out. I know that the original price of the earrings were $1173.90. 10% of that would have been approximately $117.39 that is a $48.49 difference from the $68.90 that I originally owed for my last payment.

If the manager, Kelly and the sales associate has to tell me those types of LIES in my face as a customer, I will NO LONGER be a customer of ZALES any longer!!! So even thought I am one person, I am going to tell EVERYONE I know what type of treatment I received from your employees and your manager which is REPRESENTING THE ZALES CORPORATION! And selling “so called” fine jewelry to the public. I don’t TRUST anything the store manager or the sales associates says or do so therefore I am returning the earrings to get my money back I will take my money elsewhere preferably your local competitors that I have dealt with for years: GOLDSTEINS, DAVID’S JEWERLERS, OR WARE’S. I assure you they would not try to do a “Bait and Switch” or treat me like I want something for nothing and appreciate my money as a customer! And I am 100% positive that I will be treated better than Kelly treated me in your store.


Cordially,


Mrs. Verlie H. Carroll