Recently ordered something from J&P. I've ordered from them in the past and never had an issue. The particular thing I was ordering was $499 from them and in stock, and $449 but out of stock from a competitor. J&P's Gold Club price was $449, so I figured if I wanted it now, I could still save some cash by joining the gold club for $39.00. The item shipped quickly and I had it in just a few days. As soon as I installed it, I noticed the competitor now had stock of the item, and it was on sale for $399. $100 cheaper than what the average customer would pay. $50 cheaper than J&P's 'exclusive' Gold Club membership. J&P offers a no questions asked return policy, but I thought I would contact them to see if we could work something out. Give them the opportunity to keep the sale by evening things up a bit. Their customer service responded promptly and curiously, but were very firm on the fact that they offer NO kind of price matching and that I could send the unit back. I even asked to be contacted by a supervisor who listened to my concerns, agreed with me, even offered free return shipping in my item, but would not offer any sort of retroactive discount.

The inly reason they offered as to why they were unable to do anything was because that was the policy, and that's the way it's always been.

To me as a customer this was a disappointing answer. Because of the internet, it's pretty easy to shop prices. I saw this unit for less on eBay and a few other places. I picked J&P because of the reputation they have earned with me over the years. I even invested in our relationship $39.00 to jon their exclusive gold club because now that I have this new street glide, I'm expecting a big upsurge in my motorcycle spending budget. I would think that a sales organization would go out of their way to keep my money flowing in their direction. By losing some profit on this one sale, but satisfying me as a customer they would have ensured my repeat business, but stubbornly sticking to this policy which causes me as a customer to try to decide if I want to go through some effort to save $50, after I already, as a courtesy, gave J&P an opportunity to save the sale...it's just hard for me to feel good about it. I would imagine that I'm not the only person who has come away from a dealing like this and not felt slighted. It would be difficult at this point for me to do business with them again, so now I'm not only out the $50 difference in the item, I'm also out the $39.00 gold club membership that I now probably won't use.

I'm not trolling with this post. I'm really just trying to understand this kind of customer service policy and putting it out there in the hope that somebody could explain why a company would do something that hurts the customer AND hurts the company by losing a customer's confidence.

 

It their policy....It doesn't seem all that hard to grasp.
For a few dollars, what's the point?

 

I don't get it. You bought the item at a competitive price, you joined the club to lower that price. You received the product and were satisfied but now you want them to lower the price. I think once you buy something and are happy you should stop looking for better prices on that item. Get over it.

 

Yep, I totally get that this is their policy, and I respect their right in the free market to do as they see fit. What I'm saying is, what kind of business sense does it make to alienate your customers? What does it cost them to lose this sale completely? What does it cost them each time a customer decides to stop doing business with them?

 

Please don't take this personally - BUT

I don't see the issue. You went shopping and made a purchase based on your wants and needs at the time. You didn't want to wait for a better deal and got what you ordered promptly and courteously. Now, after you got what you wanted, you have an issue with money? I have no experience with J&P, but it sure sounds like they are being more than fair to you.

As for your last paragraph, I don't see it that way. They didn't and aren't doing ANYTHING to hurt customer relations. Just the opposite. They offered you your money back AND to pay for the return.

 

My problem isn't that their price is 10% higher through a paid discount club membership than their competitor. My problem is that given the choice between giving me the same deal that their competition would give me and losing my business all together, they have decided to lose my business all together. That certainly doesn't benefit either one of us. It's not like I've had the thing for a month. I had it for 1 day when I saw the competitor's cheaper price.

 

They're not alienating too many customers with this policy. Like was mentioned in the previous post, You gut a fair price and purchased the product and now because someone else has a slightly lower price, you want them to lower theirs.
That aint how it works...

They will take the product back "no questions" so what's the problem?

Stop doing business with them...They won't notice, or care.

 

You're not the kind of customer I would want anyway.

I know Mama told you your whole life you were special, but damn!!

 

What it costs them to pay the shipping both ways, and to lose my business is probably a lot more than what it would cost them to offer me store credit for the difference and keep a customer who obviously thought they were going to do enough future business to pay $39.00 to join their gold club. To me it just doesn't add up. I get what you guys are saying. I've never tried to come across as whining because I spent too much money and if I would have waited, I could have save some cash. The point I'm trying to make is that I contacted them and explained that, as a customer, I could get this item cheaper, but I would like to make the offer to them that there was an opportunity to keep my business, and ensure future business, and they declined. That's my point. Not that I'm looking to get the absolute best deal and I'm trying to extort them for my business. I was looking to offer a mutually beneficial compromise to a situation.

 

They have to have policy and stick too it. I understand what you're thinking but I just don't agree with it. They have to draw the line somewhere otherwise there will always be someone out there looking to bend the rules. Like I said, get over it. You got a good deal, try to be happy with it.