A cautionary tale about Borrow Lenses.com

chakalakasp wrote in post #14281882
It's pretty simple; OP doesn't exactly sound like someone who would come up with a super-convincing story for the police officers that would contact him, nor does he seem like the type that would just clam up, meaning the officers would probably get enough out of him to secure a warrant for a search of his house. But fortunately OP isn't the kind of guy to steal the lenses.

Do you think the Chicago Cops work like CSI:Chicago?

1. The company couldn't report the lenses 'stolen' as that would be filing a false report. They WERE NOT STOLEN.

2. The OP got merchandise above and beyond what was ordered. He wasn't even obligated to report to the company he got it. Legally, it's a 'gift'. Not even technically. Legally.

3. Get off the 'theft' train. There was no theft. No one stole anything. Period.

However, since the OP did notify the rental company, they have the ability to pay to have the lenses returned. Once that was established, the OP would THEN be obligated to return them. But not before that.

Did I miss anything in this summary?

1. Customer orders rental equipment
2. Customer receives six to eight thousand dollars with of gear, which he is under no legal requirement to return.
3. Customer informs company of error to sort things out.
4. Customer is asked what kind of compensation they would like.
5. Customer suggests credit toward future rentals to complete a project, company appears to 'agree'.
6. Company turns around and offers less than customer believed was previously agreed to.
7. Customer brings up the "Error".
8. Company calls customer a liar.
9. Company refuses to do future business?


I have no idea if they are even a viable option for a Canadian customer, but frankly I would never deal with that company if given a choice after hearing about this.


Just think, that gear that he wanted to rent stood a good chance of sitting on a shelf for those weekends he needed it, earning them nothing. For barely any costs, the company recovered several thousand dollars of equipment, and could have secured a life long customer. Instead they told him to buzz off and go rent from their competitors?

Had I been working there, I would have pushed to learn more about the guy's project and offered all the free rentals he needed to complete it in exchange for my logo somewhere on the final product. But no, they choose to flush how many thousands of dollars over the next few years down the drain to save themselves a few hundred?

markweaver wrote in post #14281422
I did read. He was offered something and then it was changed. No verbal contract ... a reward. The CSR did not offer for two free rentals and then the OP (based on that offer) booked another trip and incurred expenses based on that promise. The OP was disappointed at not getting more for doing what he should do. I am not saying the company is completely without fault, but the bottom line is he did the right thing but did not get what he thought he was "due" or "deserves" and now he is angry.

Apparently you need to read again.

The CSR offered him a reward, asked what he wanted. The OP asked for two free rentals. The CSR agreed to this.

The OP based a budget on these two free rentals.

The company later said that those two free rentals were not something they could do, and instead offered $50 after already agreeing to the aforementioned two free rentals.

When the OP tried to find out why this was the case, he is called a liar.

This is pretty much exactly the opposite of customer service.

I would send them some postcards:

FWIW, the OP did start the thread as "a cautionary tale" and not...

"OMG Borrowlenses.com sucks and they stiffed me my reward!!!"

Pretty sure I'm reading the company did not promise him anything rather a misguided employee did.

A company can hardly be responsible for that..

People need to brush up on their reading comprehension here. If there story is as related he didn't beg borrow lenses for a reward and he had no obligation to send them back. He saved them the hassle of filing claims for missing inventory and they had the nerve to call him a liar.

I've been in this very situation before in court where I related that a cop told me something and the cop denied ever doing it. The lawyer managed to refresh his memory fortunately with some documentation from me.

It's absolutely frustrating when someone tells you that they're going to do something and reneg on it with the implications of making you look like a liar.

You-by-Lou wrote in post #14282007
Pretty sure I'm reading the company did not promise him anything rather a misguided employee did.

A company can hardly be responsible for that..

No, but they could compensate him and/or dock the employee's pay or fire him. Would you rather lose a customer that's doing repeat business with you and risk losing other business via word of mouth like this or would you rather cut ties with that employee and move on. $600 in rental fees vs. what could ultimately be thousands down the road. In the end, it's borrow lenses's loss.

You-by-Lou wrote in post #14282007
Pretty sure I'm reading the company did not promise him anything rather a misguided employee did.

A company can hardly be responsible for that..

The employee is a manager. He represents and liable for the company. He is at the top of the "food chain." He isn't just a part timer or the guy who packaged the lens. When you are a large company, there are "protocols" or "red tapes" or "store operations" you have to go through and to jump through to carry out your customer service. It is called customer service when you can go beyond the rules in order to satisfy a customer. You know, retail customer service 101. Such as extending the return policy days to another week. Taking back opened items, when you are not allowed to, because the customer bought the wrong toys for their kids. When you begin to see your customers as your enemies , it is then you would refuse to bend the rules. In fact, you will think that every customer out there is trying to rip off the company....

Thousands down the road? How about thousands the next day when the employee that shipped the lenses sends out another few thousand dollars in lenses to one of us in this thread, and we decide to keep it.

This is getting ridiculous. If an employee of a company makes a mistake that ultimately costs me $600, I too would be just a little pissed off, and the company SHOULD be held accountable, especially when it's in a case where I effectively saved the company thousands of dollars (i.e. returning the lenses that were sent to me in error). If the manager was in no position to make an offer like that, that shouldn't be the OP's problem, that's the company's problem.

You-by-Lou wrote in post #14276762
you did the right thing returning them
with that said we do the right thing to do the right thing not for reward

a sense of entitlement for being good samaritan sense like a contradiction in terms

Whilst I joyfully read along I cringed when I got to "I jokingly told him that as a poor film student,......"

And with that said....While 600 is unreasonable two free rentals seems perfectly fair as it does not cost them the 600 is not their cost

But once again......we do good deeds because we are good people not for recognition and reward

Village_Idiot wrote in post #14282031
No, but they could compensate him and/or dock the employee's pay or fire him. Would you rather lose a customer that's doing repeat business with you and risk losing other business via word of mouth like this or would you rather cut ties with that employee and move on. $600 in rental fees vs. what could ultimately be thousands down the road. In the end, it's borrow lenses's loss.

Intimated early on the two free rentals were fair comp

For ever customer lost as a result of this thread one is gained in hopes of the mistake being duplicated


It's a wash

Return $7000-8000 worth of lenses and is called a liar? That is just ridiculous. They should have given you a key to the store and put your pic up on their website. I'll look elsewhere for rentals.

OP, I'm sorry you went through this. As I read your story, my blood started boiling. I've been in a customer service oriented business for my entire life and I believe they completely and grossly mishandled your situation. If it's any consolation, your story has caused them to never see any of my business, either. Please rest assured that you have done everything correctly. Your anger will eventually pass and karma will be on your side, not theirs. All the best...

My business is (anti) counterfeiting and supply chain diversion -- to me, it does sound quite a bit like this vendor has a problem. A lot of scams for theft involve over-packing and shipping to confederates who keep the items and eBay them.

It very well could be OP encountered hostile people because, gasp, they over-packed to him instead of the "right" recipient, namely one of their confederates in the diversion scheme. So, the owner of the company would be wise to conduct a physical audit now, and look hard for packages were OVER weight upon shipment.

S.Horton wrote in post #14282230
My business is (anti) counterfeiting and supply chain diversion -- to me, it does sound quite a bit like this vendor has a problem. A lot of scams for theft involve over-packing and shipping to confederates who keep the items and eBay them.

It very well could be OP encountered hostile people because, gasp, they over-packed to him instead of the "right" recipient, namely one of their confederates in the diversion scheme. So, the owner of the company would be wise to conduct a physical audit now, and look hard for packages were OVER weight upon shipment.

+1 for sure.. I'm kind of surprised the OP didn't try to bring this to the attention of the operating manager's supervisor (of course, I have no idea how large of a company we're talking about.. )