Mary Greenlees sent a message to Laura J. Alber Director, President, and CEO, Williams-Sonoma email address that said:
Hello Laura,
My name is Mary Greenlees. Im a partner in a Florida CPA firm. Ive been with the firm for over 30 years, and have been married for almost 40 years. Although Ive been engaged in providing accounting and tax services to several CEOs of publicly traded companies, this is the first time I have ever had to correspond to a CEO regarding a problem with their company.
Ive been having a horrible time trying to correct an error that your company has made. Service is everything in my practice, so I felt it important to write to you directly. My billable rate at the firm is
$ 280.00 per hour. This issue has kept me on the phone and sending emails for several hours and has interrupted my work schedule .
In November, 2017 , I planned a family trip to Charlotte to visit my son, who had just landed a new job as a Cardio Device sales rep with Medtronic. I was close to turning 60 and one of the things I wanted to do was to re-fit my entire kitchen with new everything. I had accumulated multiple items of various kitchen stuff, and so the clutter was driving me crazy.
My family ended up at the Birkdale Village Mall in Huntersville, NC. on November 25th, 2017. While the guys watch football, my plan was to find your store, and purchase everything I was going to replace on that day. I had gotten organized by writing a list, looking at the website, etc.
Both my sister and I spent at least 2 hours at your store . The result was a purchase of several items, and my total bill was $ 1,893.35. The clerk that assisted me was very helpful. My receipt states that her Associate # is 294756. If you were to look up my address: 94 North Saint Andrews Drive, Ormond Beach, FL, you would see that I am a repetitive customer, as I love your products.
At the checkout counter , the person that assisted me had shared that there was a special, whereas if I opened a credit card, I could receive another 20% off my purchase. I rarely do this , as Ive found in dealing with my clients, that excessive credit cards can result in a bad credit score.
I was approved for $ 20,000 in credit, and so I instructed them to place the charge on my credit card, and send me an invoice. I noticed on the bill that the 20% was not deducted. The Manager,
Allison Coughlin gave me her card, told me that the 20% would be deducted on my statement, and to contact her if there was a problem.
I recently had to sign on a line of credit for my practice, and the bank officer informed me that my husband and I had the highest credit score he had ever seen. I believe he stated that our credit score was 847.
The items I purchased were all in the store, and I requested they be shipped to my Ormond Beach home . The items came timely, and I fell in love with my organized kitchen. I have since shared with my friends who are approaching that golden age, that a new organized kitchen was one of the best gifts Ive ever received.
The holidays came and gone, and I realized that I hadnt received a bill or a new credit card from Williams and Sonoma. I called the Birkdale store and asked for the manager to call me on several occasions, and never received a call back.
I later received a random call from a person named
" Mo" sometime during the end of January. He said he was from a collection agency and that I needed to pay my bill. The balance he shared did not reflect the 20% credit, and instead added a service fee. He asked for my social security number and a credit card number, and of course I did not share this.
I dont anticipate paying the bill without a statement, as well as the 20% credit that was to be taken away from my $ 1,893.35 bill.
Last week , I think it was February 15th, I attempted to call the store for the 4th time. I spoke to a very professional young lady named Amanda Addison. She asked that I email her a copy of the invoice. I was also told that I needed the credit card before I could speak to anyone in customer service.
Ive finally received the card in the mail, but no statement .
Im so frustrated, concerned about my credit score, as Ive never been contacted from a collection agency. If you or one of your staff members can take a look at this transaction, I would very much appreciate it. I can be reached on my cell phone at
386-679-1899. In addition, please feel free to email me at my office email Maryg@olivaricpa.com
Im sorry for the lengthy explanation, but from looking at your bio, and reading about your past career, I thought it important to write directly to you.
On another note, my son who is now 30, got in to Penn and Columbia University for a post graduate degree. He chose Columbia University. The cost of living in NYC was unbelievable. I was raised in the Northeast, but lived in the suburbs where the costs were not nearly has great.
Ill wait to hear back from you .
Mary Greenlees
