Computer Certificate Fails to Network

Question: Earlier this year I quit my job in Santa Ana and moved east. My co-workers went to the Computerland store in Tustin in May and, knowing that I was going into computers seriously, wanted to get me something nice as a going-away gift.

The clerk there, who was pretty obviously new to the job, tried to talk them into several things but, not knowing what I really needed, and knowing that I wanted to keep my moving expenses down, decided on two $100 gift certificates. They told the clerk that I was moving out of state, and they were assured that it was no problem.

As soon as I got settled in Pennsylvania I went to the nearest Computerland store--my town doesn’t have one so I had to travel quite a distance.

I was told, quite rudely, that they would not honor the certificates . . . that they were a franchise operation and that there was nothing to be gained by this store in honoring the certificates.

The certificates did have printed on them the fact that they would be honored only by the store whose name appeared stamped on the back. But because there was no name stamped there, both my friends and I assumed that the redeeming store, wherever it was located, would put its stamp there and be compensated.

Now, it seems, I am stuck in the East with two Computerland certificates that are worthless to me, my well-meaning friends are out $200 and Computerland is $200 richer. It doesn’t sound right to me.--J.C.

Answer: Strikes a rather unpleasant note here too. The basic problem is two-fold: Your friends were obviously dealing with, as they suspected, a new clerk not familiar with the procedures, and two, they made the natural mistake of confusing Computerland, which is a 100% franchise operation, with a more conventional nationwide chain with a central headquarters and with standardized procedures for handling things like gift certificates.

As Stan Schneider, Computerland’s public relations officer in Oakland, Calif., points out, all 481 Computerland stores in the United States (as well as the 258 stores in 32 other countries) are individually owned, and each has its own policies covering things like gift certificates. And, almost without exception, gift certificates are honored only by the individual stores issuing them.

The Computerland store in Tustin is owned by Hank Gray, a pioneer in the Computerland chain--his was the fourth store in the nation to come aboard and, he too agrees that something fell through the crack here. Your friends must be off on their dates, however, because his records show no gift certificate transactions during that time period.

“But,” Gray added, “the certificates are all numbered, and if she’ll photocopy the two certificates before sending them to me, the numbers will tell the whole story, and we’ll certainly make it right with her.” Send them to the personal attention of Hank Gray, Computerland, 18331 Irvine Blvd., Tustin, Calif. 92680.

If, for some reason, something else falls through a crack, contact me again, and I’ll pass on to you the telephone number of Stan Schneider in Computerland’s national headquarters in Oakland, who has promised to follow through in the event of such a thing.