Why Pottery Barn Can Be A Pain In The Ass...

Remember Pottery Barn? The place where I ordered our nursery set? Although I had to order it from online, instead of in the store, because apparently "Pottery Barn Kids" the store and "Pottery Barn Kids" online are different entities - even though they do share some items and order from the same place? The same place that cancelled my order then had to next day air my shipment to me after I found out and had waited 2 weeks for it?

Well - I wanted curtains for the nursery. They had 3 in stock and ordered 1 for me from the distribution center. So a week later I get a note saying it'll arrive around 12/8/05. No problem. The next day, I get a letter saying it'll arrive 2/5/06?? Whatever. I'm irritated but not enough to call. If they're out of them, they're out and not much I can do about it (apparently I can be laid back once in a while).

SO TODAY ( 12/9/05 ) I get a box from Pottery Barn Kids...with a panel. And a bill for THREE panels, saying one more is on it's way "soon" and another is on back order and a receipt for a credit card charge for THREE PANELS.

???

I call their customer service and what the lady wants me to believe is that even though MY PRINTED RECEIPT says otherwise, they are only sending the 1, and only charged me $51.45. So I pull up my credit card statement online while I've got her and see they've charged me once on 11/30 and once on 12/7, but credited it back on 12/8. For some reason, she says, they always double charge it then refund one. WHAT? That doesn't make any sense.

I explain to her I do not appreciate random charges to my credit card, regardless of what they "usually" do. She says, but we only charged you once. I say, actually, NO, you charged me twice, but you did refund one, so the NET is $51.45, but you did charge twice, which I did not approve and do not approve and I'd better not see any more fiddle faddling w/my credit card. She says no, we charged you once. We go around about once vs. twice (she acknowledges that charges were made on 11/30/05 and 12/7/05, but since they also credited, it isn't actually a charge) before I HAD to hang up on her before my head exploded.