The worst sales department and CEO !

  • 7 March 2024
  • 7 replies
  • 142 views
P

I wrote this message to the CEO and after two weeks NO response at all !!

At least an apology !

First let me mention that I have in My Home an extensive Sonos system in almost every room.

About three Weeks ago I noticed that you had a sale on the “ Arc “ for $ 719 ( Super Bowl Sale ) but unfortunately when I went to buy it the sale was over.

I called the sales dept. and ask them if they can extend the sale so I can purchase it but I wanted to use My AMEX Rewards points so I will need to get a gift card and convert the points, because once the points are redeemed  for a gift card they cannot go back . 

They say that was OK and especially asked that Sonos can accept an AMEX gift card and they said emphatically YES and received an Email stating our conversation.

Knowing how sometimes the answers We get are not right , I called again twice to make sure if I transfer points from AMEX and get a gift card I can use it to purchase the “ Arc “, I got an Email stating that The Sonos rep will wait until I receive the gift card from AMEX and to contact them using a reference # they gave me.

I used My AMEX web site and transferred 200.000 points form My rewards account and purchased an AMEX gift card for $ 1000.00 .

Well I received the card ( which I expedited ) and called SONOS immidiately and the sales person tried twice to complete the purchase but the card was denied , I immediately called AMEX and the card was in perfect order and I can use it as soon as I got it .

Called Sonos again and tried to make the purchase and again it was denied, at that point I requested to talk to a manger and I did talk to him but he informed me that SONOS doesn’t accept gift cards ,  needles to say that I got extremely upset because from one hand I was relying on the fact that I was told and documented  three times that I can use an AMEX gift card and the fact that i redeemed all those points just for this purchase , the manager/supervisor at this point was plain annoyingly  appologizing but unfortunatly couldn’t do anything. So at this point I was really screwed I wanted to make a purchase to keep enhancing my Sonos system and your sales team instead of working on a solution just plain rejected any compromise , then I lost 200.000 points from my AMEX rewards , 

What kind of sales representatives you have working at your company that plainly MISREPRESENTED  ( three times ) the use the of a gift card and now I am stuck with a gift card that I do not have any use for !!

 

 

7 replies

AjTrek1
Userlevel 7

Hi

I’ve never tried to use a 3rd party gift card on Sonos. Also, your situation is a bit outside the box as you were trying to get a sale extended. 

Sonos payment options do not state the use of 3rd party gift cards as an option. However, you appear to have been led astray with bad information.🤔

You are now between a “rock and a hard place” meaning AMEX not willing to reverse the points used to purchase the gift card and Sonos not willing to accept the AMEX gift card as payment.

When I’ve been in situations such as this I’ve filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). I went against Apple and won using the BBB! You may have to file against AMEX to achieve a resolution. It doesn’t matter if the company in question is a member of the BBB or not…they just don’t want the  publicity. 

Since Sonos has not collected any funds IMO the most you can expect is a sincere apology and  MAYBE the opportunity to purchase the Arc at a discount using an acceptable form of payment. 

Together Everyone Achieves More = T.E.A.M.
P

The issue here is misrepresentation and lack of trying to work out a solution since Sonos was in the wrong , Amex had nothing to do with the misrepresentation.

i did get the points returned to my account and I bought the Arc using my Amex card  .

The fact that also writing to the CEO and not getting a reply gave a very bad taste about Sonos as a company that cares about their customers !!

 

Corry P
Userlevel 7
Badge +18

Hi @Pabs58 

Welcome to the Sonos Community!

Your CEO case wasn’t picked up due to a system error. We have flagged your case internally, and you will hear from someone soon - apologies for the delay so far.

I hope this helps.

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein
N
Userlevel 3
Badge +4

@Pabs58 I definitely empathize with your situation, as I’ve been there before.

Sadly what you experienced is the norm in dealing with companies nowadays, so you have to proactively counteract it by asking to speak to a manager or supervisor from the start (or “loyalty department” as they’re sometimes referred to).

For example, I no longer talk to the regular reps at my local tv, Internet, phone provider because over the years, I’ve found them to be so unreliable due to their lack of proper training and knowledge which ultimately is the company’s CEO and managements responsibility. So when dealing with issues, I’ll directly contact their loyalty department and even speak to the manager in the loyalty department to ensure things are dealt with correctly.

Again it’s sad that you have to do this nowadays but it ensures 1) you get someone who actually knows what they’re talking about and 2) has the authority and knowledge to ensure it gets done right. 

P

Thanks for your reply.

I did talk on two of my calls with a “ Manager “ or  ‘ Supervisor “ ( who knows ….) and I didn’t get anywhere , These two  “ supervisors “ I talked kept apologizing ad nauseam for the MISREPRESENTATION but couldn’t do anything , it was  like hitting  a wall !!

Incredible lack of creativity and willingness to solve a problem that Sonos created .

As I wrote before no customer service at ALL !!

N
Userlevel 3
Badge +4

 I did talk on two of my calls with a “ Manager “ or  ‘ Supervisor “ 

After the issue occurred yes. The point I was trying to make though is that nowadays you have to talk to a manager / supervisor first so as to proactively avoid issues arising (ie speaking to a Sonos manager / supervisor first would have let you know that you couldn’t use a gift card).

For example, with my communications provider in the past, 80% of the time when asking a basic rep to do changes to my service, an issue would always arise out of it. Like it was unbelievable absurd how often this occurred. Now that I contact their loyalty department and have even spoke to their manager in the loyalty department, I encounter issues way less. So if I’m doing something stupidly simple now, like changing some channel types on my TV service, I’m fine talking to a basic rep. Everything else though (i.e. contract renegotiations), I talk to their loyalty department and at least a supervisor there.

All said and done though, it’s still sad that you can’t trust a basic rep to know what they’re supposed to know (as you spoke to a couple of Sonos reps even). But again, that’s the responsibility of the company’s CEO and management. Like I hate having to waste a manager / supervisors time but if it saves me time in proactively avoiding frustrations, I’m going to continue to do so.

 

Dogdad
Userlevel 5
Badge +14

The issue here is misrepresentation and lack of trying to work out a solution since Sonos was in the wrong , Amex had nothing to do with the misrepresentation.

i did get the points returned to my account and I bought the Arc using my Amex card  .

The fact that also writing to the CEO and not getting a reply gave a very bad taste about Sonos as a company that cares about their customers !!

 

I doubt the CEO will actually respond…only some Sonos employee….I’ve never heard of the Sonos CEO actually replying.. even though an email is given for him .

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