Homesonic in Starmall Gives More Fun to Visitor

Read how a visitor scheduled to fly back to her home abroad got mired into the pit of Homesonic in Starmall:

Homesonic – Starmall Edsa – 725-7335 – Scam

I am adding my complaint about their unethical tactics to the hundreds, possibly thousands of similar stories already on file on the internet and the Department of Trade & Industry.

It is amazing to me that with so many complaints every day (and not one satisfied customer!), this outfit is still in business — apparently pulling the same crooked stunts several times every day, preying on vulnerable widows, grandmothers, pregnant women, and elderly people.

My Story is the same as everybody else’s.

massage-chair

I was on my way to pick up my laundry on the afternoon of 8 Dec 2012 when a lady approached me outside the Homesonic Store in Starmall and said “We are having an anniversary giveaway so come in and get a free gift.”   I said “No, I don’t need anything” The girl pulled me into the store, then pushed me down in a massage chair inside the store.
[adsense]

She handed me an envelope which she described as a raffle ticket.  I opened it … the message inside said I won 2000 pesos, plus a massage chair worth 85,000 Pesos, and a multi purpose cooker worth 15,000 pesos.  I was told I didn’t have to buy anything I was the lucky winner.  All the staff, about 4 girls and 2 men were then surrounding me, cheering, applauding, and congratulating me on being a very lucky winner. They said everybody else only gets a “thank you for participating note.”

“You are so lucky!”

Then the salesgirl said that there was no obligation to buy and and everything was free winnings but would I like to have my picture taken and make a statement to be used to advertise Homesonic Products.  I said “no problem.”

After that, they brought over a few more boxes of appliances all the while screaming and yelling how lucky I was. They then brought over still more boxes and handed them to me shouting excitedly , you are so lucky you have also won all this free stuff:  a set of flatware cutlery worth 15,900, a body-fat measuring scale worth 6,900, an infra-red massager set worth 9,900.  That is in addition to the Massage Chair P85,000 and the multi-purpose rice cooker P 15,000.

Then the salesgirl handed me a cell phone. A lady on the line identified herself as a regional supervisor and asked me if I had any relatives on the Homesonic staff which would prevent me from being a lucky grand lottery winner. I said “No!” I handed the phone back to the original saleslady who put on a big act that she was so excited and happy for me because now I was going to win even more stuff.

Then a man who identified himself as the store manager or supervisor came over with an inventory list of all my “winnings” show a total value of 114,000 pesos.

But “Because are a big winner today, you don’t have to pay that.”

Then the salesgirl said they would deliver and install all my prizes if I paid for only the delivery charges of 8,000 pesos in cash. I only had 7000 P .  They agreed to accept that and make delivery.

Then he handed me a purchase agreement pointing out that there was a big “7 day money back guarantee, stamped in a different color ink” on it.  Then he asked for identification and a credit card, and I gave it to him.

The goods were delivered and my husband told the delivery girls “Do not unpack anything, we are in a hotel room and will be going on a plane soon; we have no use for this stuff even if it is free.” They kept unpacking the massage chair, plunked him into it, and then with the hand massager I had won started to massage his feet & told him to calm down.  He did not calm down but said to me and to them “If you do not return this stuff at once to the store, I want a divorce. You might as well have brought up a white elephant for us. We are in a small hotel room, leaving Manila on a plane in a few days and have absolutely no use for this stuff . We can’t possibly carry it with us — free or otherwise. I will want storage charges and delivery handling charges if I have to bring it back.”  The delivery girls paid no attention and left my “ winnings.”

At this point I looked at the “sales contract” and realized I had signed it.  In my euphoria over my big winnings, I had also signed a visa credit card slip which I later learned was for 49,900 pesos.

As it was late in the day, I waited till the first thing next morning.  Then I called the store asking to return everything, cancel any credit card charges & and get back my cash money under the “7 Day money back guarantee” clearly stamped on my “sales contract.”

The supervisor who would not identify himself said “You used the stuff and so no return is possible.”

I told him everything was in the original boxes, seals not broken, except for the massage chair which the girls had unpacked and which we never used or even sat in.  I said “please pick up everything immediately.” This supervisor and later ones who called that day insisted “we will only take back merchandise in unopened boxes and only if you agree to pay us half the money, i.e. 25,000 + 7,000 as our service charge.”  I said “No way” Then I cancelled their credit card charge on the internet.

After this the next day I received frantic calls from Homesonic demanding 32,000 pesos cash and their goods back.

My husband said to the caller “ we will deliver everything back today if you refund our 7000 pesos cash.”  The unidentified supervisor said “bring it in and maybe we will give you a check.”

My husband said “Yesterday we saw hundreds of complaints about Homesonic’s similar SCAMS on the internet and SO we don’t trust your checks. Will you give us cash OR NOT?”

The answer was, “No you still owe us 32,000P charges even if we take back anything.”

At this point I called the Filipino Dept of Trade to make a complaint, but as the procedures there involved personal visits, forms, and so many complications that I decided it was easier to lose the 8000 pesos.

And that pretty much is the whole story.
19 Dec. 2012
Tara Torry

Click this to see more complaints against Homesonic Appliances