Borders

Larry of Orlando FL (06/17/08)
I went to borders as usual to get a cup of coffee and browse the books and magazines on a friday night. I went to the coffee counter and said hello to the young lady and how was your week. She said fine and what would you like. I had a large coffee plain. I sat down with a magazine and 15 minutes later 2 police officers and a security guard escorted me out of the store and claimed that i had sexually harrassed the clerk. No discussions were had and no review was given. I was embarrassed and shocked. The store has made no effort to return my calls and discuss it with me. I guess they will be discussing it with my attorney in court now. Don't talk to Border Employees

Elizabeth of Burlington VT (10/08/07)
I went into Border's tonight looking for the #1 best seller on the NY Times best seller list: Clarence Thomas' "My Grandfather's Son". It is nowhere to be found on the new books' display or on the displays of best sellers. The book is buried in the back of the store in the stacks and you have to ask for help to find it. Border's should not allow the politics of the local managers to bias their displays of best sellers. When I asked the saleswoman who helped me find it why it was not on the new release table, she said, "In this town, they will never put this book on prominent display...." So Border's headquarters is allowing local store managers to bias their own displays according to their own political opinions of what should be made available to customers and what should not.

Michelle Soto of Arlington VA (08/31/07)
According to Borders policy, one might return books within 30 days with a receipt and receive their money back. One might also return without a receipt and receive store credit for the current prices. On August 29, I attempted to return 9 books in their original condition for store credit. Mr John was extremely rude to me. Not only did he refuse to follow this policy, claiming he did not have to take them, but he also refused to give me his supervisor's telephone number, and threatened to call the police. I am 17. I'm poor (presently residing at the Sullivan House Shelter) but I manage to convince my dad to invest money intended for groceries, utilities, rent, etc. in books, under the promise that I will recover the money by returning some of them. I purchase 10 or more at a time, keep some, and return the rest within 30 days for cash. Although I do keep some books, eventually I need a book and have no money, so I return some for store credit. Now if I abuse this policy it is not my intention. If they feel that way, they should establish a limit, but so far I am within their policy and I don't see room for Mr. John to do what he did.

I had to walk about 8 blocks in 90 degree wheather to get to the bus stop, and transfer buses twice to get home. It was a very big waste of time. Mr. John's rudeness also lowered my glucose levels (I am hypoglycemic) and blood pressure to unhealthy levels. I was not myself for the rest of the evening, feeling dizzy and faint.

Melissa of Sacramento CA (07/05/06)
I bought two gift certificates from the store on Fair Oaks Blvd in Sacramento on 8/10/03. The next day, 8/11/03, I realized I didn't need them after all as the event I bought them for was cancelled. I called and spoke to Jim, who stated he was a supervisor in that store. I explained the situation to him and he said that I could return the gift certificates in exchange for the manner in which I had paid. For example, cash for cash, credit card for credit, etc., as long as I had the receipt.

I told him I would come down that day after 5:00 pm. He agreed. When I got to the store, I was informed that Jim had given me misinformation and that they could not give me a refund. The computer would not let them. Of course, Jim was not there.

I was also instructed to call a manager the next day to make sure. When I expressed my disappointment at the wasted trip and my time, the clerk, a man by the name of Bryan, seemed so disinterested and was extremely rude. He refused to call any managers or give me his last name. I became angry and stated he was one rude MF. I know, bad behavior, but I really resented having my time and money wasted in a store that I had frequented many years and to be treated this way. Those people did not care about the fact that I was given such gross misinformation by a supervisor, no less.

To make matters worse, after I called and complained, I was assured that I would receive a return call. I received a call from a general manager, but she was from Georgia or some place, and said it wasn't her department. She told me that she would have the correct department call me. By January 2004, I gave up since I had never received any call.

Joe of Moorpark CA (10/17/04)
On Saturday, October 16, 2004, the new Simi Valley Borders advertised the sponsorship of a Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) Anniversary Event. The public was invited to participate in a D&D campaign at this Borders location. Seven members of my California State University D&D group and I arrived at the Simi Valley Borders at the specified time of 6:30pm only to find the stores Dungeon Masters, who were to facilitate and direct the campaign at the stores request, were not present.

During this period of time there were twenty-three D&D participants and multiple spectators from many cities waiting to begin the campaign. Just prior to 7:00pm, the Borders Manager approached me and requested that I be the Dungeon Master for this event. Since I am a loyal customer of Borders, having bought nearly all my D&D and other reading materials from Borders, I was willing to assist in making this event successful.

It took nearly thirty minutes of detailed preparation before I could begin the campaign. I performed as Dungeon Master (DM) for three continuous hours with no break or refreshments. During this time the Simi Valley Borders gave promotional items to both the many spectators drawn to the event as well as the 23 other participants. Because I was busy as DM, I did not ask for nor receive any of these items.

Once the campaign ended, at approximately 10:30pm, I assisted the store associates in putting away the equipment and furnishings. Since the Store Manager had not returned to express any appreciation for my coming to his aid on such short notice and so unexpectedly, I approached him to see if I could receive any of the promotional items they had provided to others. Not only did the Store Manager not express gratitude to me, he told me there were no other promotional items available. I then asked if I might receive the Campaign Manual used during this campaign, a discount on another book, or some other appropriate form of compensation. The Manager became belligerent at my request and basically requested that I leave the store even though I had shook his hand and been polite.

My past experience with Borders has always been positive, and I am very disappointed to have been treated in such a way, especially after giving up my free time to assure the Simi Valley Borders success in this event. I have always believed Borders to be an honest and fair merchant. I am bringing this incident to your attention so that other customers and event participants do not experience the disappointment and rude treatment that I received. At this point I have no desire to shop at the Simi Valley Borders. I trust that Borders will take immediate action to remedy this situation.

Ray of Montebello CA (01/20/04)
I bought 4 gift cards at Christmas for $25.00 each for my friends. 2 friends went and used theirs without any incident. The 3rd friend went to use his at the same store I bought the card and they told him it was not good. He gave me the card back and I went to the store. After 1 hour of arguing with the manager she decided to check the card on the computer and came back and told me that 3 had been used and one had not been used, only 2 had been used in reality, she lied.

She replaced one and canceled the old one. She told me the numbers did not mactch on the back of the card to the reciept. Well, how am I suppose to to know this and why didn't the clerk check this when I bought them. Well that was that. Now my 4th friend called me and told his card which is the forth card does not work either.

So out of 4 cards I bought 2 worked and 2 didn't. I'm not even going to go back to try and claim this one because they will not accept it or they will give me some talk about numbers which they didn't do when I bought them. My loss, but that's Ok, I will never buy Borders cards again and I will let everyone know of what is going on at Borders. They sell cards and then they don't work. They confuse you so much you don't know if your coming or going.

Daira of Brooklyn writes:
On Friday June 30th I was waiting for my husband in the Borders Bookstore in the World Trade Center. I was there with my 23-month-old baby in the children's department. Since babies will always be babies, my daughter was walking around picking up books here and there. She would give them to me and I would either put them next to me or I would put them on top of the stroller.

At one point I had to get up to change my daughter's diaper and I picked up the books and put them on a shelf. I walked away and went into the ladies room to change the baby. The moment I walked out of the bathroom I saw my husband and we took the escalator down to exit the store.

As we're walking out the door, a man stops me and tells me to come back inside the store (mind you the alarm by the door didn't ring.) I asked him what for and he tells me that I have merchandise inside my daughters stroller.

I tell him that he must be mistaken and try to leave the store. He then tells me that I must accompany him to the office and show him what's in my bags. At this moment I was already getting angry.

So, for the sake of not making a scene my husband and I followed him, he wouldn't let us take the elevator up and made us take the escalator with the baby sleeping in the carriage. That really got me mad. We follow him through a store packed with Eric Jerome Dickey fans (he was there signing autographs) and into an office in the back of the store. He takes us into an office and starts calling out for a manager.

A man walks into the room and asks what's going on. He tells him that I have merchandise in my bags. I was so outraged at this point that I took all my stuff out of the stroller and put it on a table that was there, I then proceed to empty the bags and I show him that I don't have anything that belongs to Borders. He then sees my baby's lunch bag and he asks me what's in it, mind you the bag only fits a thermos and maybe a small sandwich. I open it and show him that ther's only a box juice and a bag of chips.

He couldn't believe that he didn't find anything and made me open a small shoebox that contained new sandals for my baby. What can practically fit in there? When he saw that I didn't have anything he said that he saw me take books and put them in a bag. I again show him the stuff in the bags. When he didn't see anything, he mumbled an apology and looked away. I can't believe the humiliation that man made me go through that day inside that store. I can't believe he didn't realize that if I would have had something the alarm to go in and out of the bathroom would have gong off and and so would the alarm to exit the store.

Before I left the store I stopped by the info. desk and I asked for the address of the main office and I had to wait for someone to call the clerk back. Next thing I know the store manager (who didn't know what really happened) shows up and asks me what happened. I was in such a rage that my tears came out of my eyes. I told her what happened and she said that they have to take whatever precaution to stop shoplifting, and the she asked me if I wanted help with my purchases. I said no that I would never step in the store again. She smiled and said she understood. She didn't take my name down or offer me a valid explanation for what happened.

I then called the main office and told them what happened and the person that answered the phone took my complaint and told me that she would research what happened and she would call me back that same day. She didn't call me so I called one or two days later. She told me that she didn't have any information that all she has is my side of the story. I told her then that I would get legal advice, the moment I said that she changed her attitude towards me and told me then that I shouldn't call her anymore to call the legal department if I wanted more information.

No one has called me back since then and it's been three weeks. I didn't get a lawyer because that would be a long process and I won't get anything. But all I want is an apology and a good reason why I was humiliated for no reason.