A Delta, B.C. woman locked in a battle with customer service reps says she would be out more than $1,000 dollars if technology wasn’t on her side.
Jacqui Patrunia has cameras installed throughout her property. When she had them put in place for security purposes, she didn’t know they would help her when she tried returning two hotdog bun warmers she’d ordered online for more than US $1,100.
"The manufacturer told the middleman, which is Webstaraunt Store, tell her we're sending FedEx and they will come pick them up," explained Patrunia.
Later that day, a FedEx truck arrived and she handed over the packages. But five days later there was no refund from the manufacturer.
“They said ‘well, we never received the packages,’” she said, “FedEx said that they had tried three times to come to my home and that I wasn’t home.”
But she had no receipt to prove FedEx had been there. She says the FedEx worker told her she wouldn’t get a slip because she was not the shipper and the manufacturer had set it up.
“I thought… how can I prove them wrong? Nobody wants to be called a liar,” said Petrunia.
That’s when she remembered the security cameras. She had video that clearly showed a FedEx worker picking up the packages and placing them in his vehicle.
After showing the video to the retailer, it gave her a full refund.
“We tell people not to rely on a verbal conversation,” warned Bruce Cran, with Consumer’s Association of Canada.
The Consumer Association of Canada says when dealing with companies, try to get a receipt, a recording, a photograph, notes or anything to prove your case.
FedEx has apologized to Petrunia and says it’s disappointed proper procedures weren’t followed. It now confirms the packages were received, but the packages still haven't been found. FedEx says it is working to resolve the situation.
Petrunia says she’s glad she had the video.
"Oh, you have to. You have to have to because how else are you going to be believed?" she said.
