Category: Product Reviews

As a follow-up to this post, I wanted to document that I received the replacement speaker in the mail at the beginning of the week. That evening I switched the batteries from my current unit to the new one and was experiencing the same exact problem. At that point it occurred to me that maybe the batteries were to blame, so I switched them out for new ones and the speaker worked fine, which means the original speaker probably wasn’t broken to begin with (didn’t even think to put new batteries in that one to check). I’m surprised the person at Philips didn’t ask about this. Surely this isn’t the first time they’ve heard of such an issue.

I’m still going to ship back my original unit to them via FedEx (pre-paid postage was included), and despite how very accommodating they’ve been I don’t think I’d buy another portable speaker again due to how quickly it eats through batteries. I barely used my original unit before having issues so it doesn’t seem like a very cost-effective solution particularly because it uses AAA batteries and I only have a charger and rechargeable batteries in AA.

I’ve been using this weekly conditioning treatment on my thin dry hair for a long time now (although not once a week, more like once a month) but it’s getting more and more difficult to find at any store, so I turned my attention online. Amazon wants $29 for a pack of 6 treatments (2 oz each) which comes to a little under $5 per treatment, and for the life of me I can’t remember if I paid $5 at the store, or only $4. In any case, I found the same deal at Buy.com through a third party vendor for a total of $11.39 which is super cheap, so I placed an order.

I guess I shouldn’t be too shocked that when the package finally arrived it only contained a single 2 oz box of the product instead of the pack of 6 advertised, right? That price was too good to be true. Luckily the company was extremely responsive when I contacted them. They explained it was a mistake – the price was for only a single box, and they had been pulled the listing from Buy.com (which I verified). They offered to reimburse me the shipping cost, but that was more than the product, so I told them if they’d do it the other way around so my final cost was only $5 then I’d keep the product. They agreed.

Now it’s back to square one trying to find this for as cheap as possible. If only I could remember what I had paid in the store. :p

Remember the cute speaker I purchased in November? It started acting funny two weeks ago which was really disappointing. Today, with some free time on my hands, I went online to Philip’s site to chat with their customer service, and was pleasantly surprised with the ease at which they handled my issue. They are sending me a replacement speaker. Now that’s good customer service! Plus I’ve always felt it makes a difference how you communicate to the person you’re seeking help from, so I’m posting the transcript in case anyone would like to see an example of what I typically say.

Following this transcript, check out the poor experience I had with Bank of America recently. I could have handled myself better in the chat, but I was fuming at the time, particularly because that was not the first time that they changed the parameters of an account and I was slapped with monthly charges. Shame on me for not noticing them sooner, though. I have to keep a better eye on the accounts I don’t use often. Luckily I was able to convince them to refund all the charges, but I’m still considering changing banks. Anyone have a recommendation? I need a local bank (I’m in Illinois in the suburbs West of Chicago) that allows online banking and free ATM use.

Philips

Chat started!
Sam: Hello Nicole
Nicole: I purchased the portable universal speaker for my iPhone in November and already it is not working properly. The sound cuts in and out as if the connection for the cord is loose. I’m very disappointed as the sound quality was nice.
Nicole: I’ve only used it a few times since I’ve had it too.
Sam: I’m really sorry about the experience, I’ll be glad to help you with it.
Sam: May I have the model number, serial number and date of purchase of your player?
Nicole: is the model number and serial number on the box?
Sam: It should be on the back of the Speakers.
Nicole: Model No is SBA 1600BLK/27
Nicole: S/N number is _________
Nicole: It was purchased on 11/12/11 from Walmart
Sam: Thanks, Nicole!
Sam: Since the your unit is within warranty, I will process a replacement for your the Speakers.
Sam: To process the replacement for you, may I have your full name, complete mailing address with phone number and email address.
Nicole: Wonderful! :)
Nicole: Sure. My name is ________.
Nicole: My address is _________
Nicole: My phone number is _________
Nicole: My email address is __________
Sam: Thanks, I’ve processed the request. You should receive your replacement within 7-14 business days. Also, here’s our chat session ID __________ for your reference.
Sam: A pre-paid return shipping label will be included with your replacement for the return of your current speakers.
Nicole: Ok. Thank you for the assistance, Sam.
Sam: Once you have packaged your non-functioning speakers, please drop it off at your nearest FedEx location or FedEx drop box. You may visit www.fedex.com to find a location near you.
Nicole: Will do.
Sam: You’re welcome!
Sam: “You might receive a short email survey soon. It would be great to hear your feedback about our chat today. If you are pleased with my service, you would rate either a 9 or 10; and if you unhappy, please rate between 0 to 8.”
Sam: Is there anything else I can assist you with today?
Nicole: Nope. Thank you. Have a nice day!
Sam: Thank you for contacting Philips.
Chat is closed by agent

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