Batteries Plus — Attraction in Orange Township

I have never posted a bad review, but I feel this one is well deserved. First, I do want to say I have always used this store for my battery needs, and been satisfied....

But for phone repair? DON'T USE THIS STORE!!!!!!!!!!

Now for the details. Every. Last. One.

For me and my phone, it was a bad week. First, my charging port went out. Went here to get it fixed, but the repair tech admitted he wasn't sure of the problem, and that if it was a software related problem, he wasn't "the man". I appreciated the honesty...and went to Wireless RX. It took a few days to get back, but all was well...until it wasn't.

Two days after I got my phone back, my wireless speaker fell on top of my phone, cracking the screen. The phone was still ringing, holding a charge, and texts were coming in, but I couldn't see them. Since Batteries Plus opens earlier than Wireless RX, I was there the next morning to get it fixed. They had me sign all my rights away...two pages, 2 signatures...that basically said, they could flush my phone down the toilet and it would be my fault (I'm exaggerating of course, but you get the idea), but I trusted they'd do it right and besides, I needed to start my day...WITH my phone. Every hour counted. So I handed it over.

When I came back, my phone was in the midst of a factory reset. I LOST EVERYTHING. I've lost everything before...from lost phones...water damage...but from a cracked screen? Have never heard of that...and besides, it really was working. They were quick to remind me of the pages of releases I signed...like, gotcha! You got nothing on us! You agreed!!!! So I paid...$150 (not cheap!!!!) and left... grumbling to myself.

Less than a week later, my screen stopped working. It would not respond to a swipe...or anything. So...I took it back... and I was mad. Really mad.

I wanted my money back. I felt I couldn't trust my phone anymore...I surely didn't trust these people to touch my phone...ever again. They had done quite enough, thank you very much.

They wanted to fix it. I REALLY didn't want that. We went round and round...I wanted my money back, they wanted to fix it. I finally got them to agree to refunding half and fixing it. FINE! Whatever. Had to come back...again-- for a "fix" I didn't want. Not from them!

Anyhow, I came back an hour later and they were quite proud of themselves...did a big peal back of the plastic off the screen...like...look! It's perfect!!!! I said, fine, and handed them my Discover for my refund. They looked at me like, no...you don't owe us a thing...we did it for free! (Lucky me!) I reminded them of the refund they agreed to and they said, they fixed it!!! And they did it for free!!!! I reminded them I never wanted them to touch my phone!!!! I only wanted a full refund, since they wiped my phone and the screen they put in didn't work only one week later. (In other words, they had done more harm than good, so getting all my money back was fair...and all I would have lost was time, contacts and data--no small cost!!!)

He said, if I refund all your money, I will need to keep your phone. Wow. Let that sink in for a minute...cause that's what happened. To get my 150 back, I had to leave my $300 phone there. BUT, since I really no longer trusted my phone since they had had their techs in it...twice now... I left my quite (formerly) nice phone there and they refunded my money.

Lucky me.

If I were you, I wouldn't get any reconditioned phones from them...they are stolen property if you ask me. I have actually considered filing a stolen property report for my phone...because that's what they did. They destroyed my phone and then...

Make sure you ask specific questions if calling ahead when looking for an item. I needed a 394 watch battery. As I could not find it near me in other stores, I called this location. I was told they showed 11 in stock in the store. I rushed over after work, only to find they closed at 6pm. Oh well, that was on me. So I show up the next morning at 0800 (flexed a little time at work to do so). Walk in ask for the 394 battery, and they all start looking around. The male employee was like, yeah it shows in stock, but I cannot find them. The female employee states, she cannot locate any, but they get a shipment back in today after 1:30pm, come back after that. I guess they figure everyone doesn't work. However I really need this battery, so I then take time off work at the end of the day, so I can get there before the early close. I walk in, say hello, and say I am the person looking for the 394 battery that was in this morning at 0800. They go to the shelf, nothing. I say.... maybe check the shipment you were to get today at 1:30pm. The same female goes to the back, and comes out..... sorry, I guess it didn't come. She then offers to try to get it from another store, but that I would have to come back another day. I have now been to the store three times. I do not live close, so I have driven now over an hour out of my way with the three visits. I went home and just ordered off Amazon. If you call and ask if they have a specific battery, ask them to go to the shelf and confirm it is there. Not a...

I was recently most appreciative of the sales person’s willingness to bend the store return policy due to the circumstances. I had purchased two specialized light bulbs that I subsequently learned I could not use due to the need to change the fixture instead. I went first to the Clintonville store, was told that Lewis Center had the bulbs, and they only had one. I tried to return the bulbs to Clintonville after I learned I could not use them, packaged, unused, with receipt. There I was refused on the basis of having exceeded a two week return window I did not remember being informed of. He pointed to the written return policy on the receipt, which was in tiny font and practically unreadable. I found him abrupt and rude. He eventually told me to take them to Lewis Center, where in contrast the salesman immediately agreed to accept the return.

I really appreciate shopping retail and know it has its challenges. I understand the need for return policies. But the ability to listen and make reasonable adjustments, to demonstrate care that customers feel fairly treated means a lot to me. I returned something someone else can use but for which I learned I had no use, and they were not cheap bulbs.My only regret is that there was nothing else I could purchase there at the time, but I am changing this store to my preferred store. Thank you, Lewis Center...