ASTROPLUS/ASTROVISION: Please don't let me down

[Chet]

I bought several DVD's at Astroplus Podium yesterday (5 Dec. 2002) hoping to give them as gifts.  Unfortunately, after I had already brought them home and opened the cases to check that the discs weren't loose (as I am wont to do) I found out that the person I was going to give the discs to already had those titles.  Not having touched the discs themselves, I waited until this morning to ask Astroplus Podium whether they could take them back.  I called, and I explained that I had already opened the cases.   The courteous young lady named Neri on the other line said that if I brought them back immediately, they would take them back.  So off I went to Podium.  When I got there, I was surprised to find out that the shop couldn't give me a refund.  They said  they couldn't accept opened  DVD's for return, a rule which appears nowhere on their receipts or packaging.  As of today (6 Dec. 2002) there are no signs within the premises of Astroplus Podium that are within easy view of customers indicating such rule.  After seeing the prisitine conditon of the discs, the salespeople offered to simply replace my returns with other titles.  However, since I had just gotten several discs the previous night, I was hard-pressed to choose anything else.  Possibly understanding my predicament, a gentleman among the staff named Ferds called up their acounting department, and after what seemed to be a lengthy consultation, came back to me with the proposal that Astroplus would ask Equitabl-Visa for a charge back on my behalf and accepted the returned discs, making a notation on my receipt.  So I left the store with said receipt and a calling card.  

Now, I know representatives from Astrovision read and post on this site.  I just want to remind them of this commitment made by their company through their helpful staff.  I accepted this arrangement on the basis of what seemed to be an honest desire of the Astroplus Podium staff to help me out.  

So Astrovision, please expedite the request for a chargeback with Equitable Visa and keep me informed of the progress.  Thank you very much.

[gumby]

Unfortunately, after I had already brought them home and opened the cases to check that the discs weren't loose (as I am wont to do) I found out that the person I was going to give the discs to already had those titles.  

I'm glad it turned out well for you but this struck me as odd: you were going to give opened DVDs as gifts?   I assume the DVDs were gifts (since you didn't know that the recepient had them already) - won't the recepient think they were second-hand or something?

I never give opened items as gifts but I keep the receipt in cases that it had scratches or defects (or the recepient already had them). Opinion lang naman  

[Courage]

Pag ako reregaluhan nang DVD's open man or sealed patok pa rin ehehehe

[Chet]

Unfortunately, after I had already brought them home and opened the cases to check that the discs weren't loose (as I am wont to do) I found out that the person I was going to give the discs to already had those titles.  

I'm glad it turned out well for you but this struck me as odd: you were going to give opened DVDs as gifts?   I assume the DVDs were gifts (since you didn't know that the recepient had them already) - won't the recepient think they were second-hand or something?

I never give opened items as gifts but I keep the receipt in cases that it had scratches or defects (or the recepient already had them). Opinion lang naman  

You bring up a valid point, and napag-isipan ko rin yun, pero I concluded na mas nakakahiya kung:
 a) badly scratched yung disc dahil loose; or
 b) wala yung disc!

Besides, close relative naman, e, tapos alam naman nila na gov't salary ako

[diver]

just want to share my point of view ...

I've been buying discs from Astrovision and have always been very happy with the sales people from Festival, Alabang Town Center and Southmall.

There was one instance that the disc played well up to the middle but towards the end there was something wrong na with the picture and maybe since i've been a regular customer of theirs... even if i returned the disc a week after they still exchanged the disc with another copy but with the same title (which suited me just fine) ... this is an example of customer service coz they even ran out of the copy and i had to wait about two weeks for newer stocks to come and they called me so i claimed my disc  

Please don't get me wrong with what i am about to say ...

I am a customer too and more than anything else i want to be given EXCELLENT Customer Service from any store that i go to since that is all part and parcel of having a business but as customers we too have to do our part...

I want to play devil's advocate and try to see things from the side of Astroplus/Astrovision or any business.

I guess it would be okay to exchange something IF it is damaged and within 24/48hrs... exchange meaning the same title coz anyone can tell them a story yun pala they just watched the movie and then ay nde pala maganda so balik ako to change it or ask a refund ... kawawa naman the business kasi that would be so unfair to them di ba ... put yourself in their shoes.

As customers we have to check before buying ... check the discs infront of them if you want to see if there are no scratches or "sira" on the disc holder itself para walang gulo kasi they do allow you to check the discs in front of them naman eh. And like i said if the movie itself is damaged they do change it naman with the same movie and no questions asked pa.

With regards naman with giving gifts, maybe you should have asked first if they have that movie na before you bought those movies and wala ka pa sakit ulo in complaining and returning

You are one LUCKY guy kasi Astrovision/Astroplus refunded you but I am so sure that NOT many people would do what Astroplus did for you .

[Chet]

You are one LUCKY guy kasi Astrovision/Astroplus refunded you but I am so sure that NOT many people would do what Astroplus did for you .

Actually, the extent of my luck remains to be seen.  I don't think their request for a chargeback has been made yet.  I'll agree with you about one thing though: from now on, I will check first if the recipient already has the title.

[Mo®pHeOu$]

 

AstroPlus/AstroVision shops are very reliable in terms of customer service.  Just call them up and you can have your titles reserved if they have it in stocks.  You can also have your defective DVDs replaced.  One time, I even saw a customer return two DVDs and said that they already had that title pala and Astro replaced it with the new titles they wanted.  See that!!!  

It's worth your money buying DVDs in these stores.  Kapag suki ka na, you would even get posters for free and they would call you for new arrivals.

[keating]

Astrovision in Sm North Edsa has EXCELLENT SERVICE also, in Sm Megamall.

My swordfish dvd was replaced at once because of a minor crack around the disc.

I can say that they can beat AMAZON.CA in terms of SERVICE! Especially in Sm North edsa where you can see me always browsing during lunch break their dvd titles.  

Good luck Chet on your next purchase at  Astrovision and happy viewing!  

[popetwo]

I would like to share my rather unpleasant experience at Astro SM Manila.
Last Dec 13, a Friday, I decided to buy the Last Temptation of Christ which I saw a week earlier. Unable to see it on the display rack, I asked a sales person near the Cashier if they still have a copy of the film. Without batting an eyelash and to my great surprise, the sales person blurted out "wala kaming title na ganyan" or to that effect. When I told her that I saw it last week, the Cashier who overheard the conversation, checked her computer and indeed there was a title like that and a copy was still available. When the disc was retrieved by another sales person and brought to the Cashier, the disc was tagged at 999 pesos but it turned out that the price has been reduced to 850 pesos. I ended up buying too the Amedeus for 800 pesos as the the reduced cost of the 2 discs was within my budget.

I believe Astro got the better deal of this transaction considering that they were able to extract from me, a true blooded Ilocano, 1650 pesos despite or in spite of the incompetence of its staff.  Sales persons are supposed to at least be familiar of their goods which also should be properly tagged.

[Blankman]

just want to share my point of view ...

I've been buying discs from Astrovision and have always been very happy with the sales people from Festival, Alabang Town Center and Southmall.

There was one instance that the disc played well up to the middle but towards the end there was something wrong na with the picture and maybe since i've been a regular customer of theirs... even if i returned the disc a week after they still exchanged the disc with another copy but with the same title (which suited me just fine) ... this is an example of customer service coz they even ran out of the copy and i had to wait about two weeks for newer stocks to come and they called me so i claimed my disc  

Good for you. The only instance I tried to exchange a DVD was when Astro Festival Mall gave me a sealed but SCRATCHED copy of "The Wizard of Oz." Guess what they told me: "Normal ang scratch" ??!!!!** That lady Nora and some guy. And that was the day after I bought the disc. Never bought from them since. I usually go to Astro ATC to buy DVD.

JOHN

[Mo®pHeOu$]

 

Hey John - medyo masungit nga ng konti yung mga tao dun sa Festival.  Haven't bought a DVD there.  Sa ATC rin ang suki ko eh!

[Steel]

Yup, me too.  The people in Astro ATC are really nice.  If at the worst case they don't have stock for a particular title that I'm looking for and Astro Festival has it in stock, I still ask that the title be delivered to Astro ATC and that I'll just pick it up the day after.  

[Courage]

Baket ako hindi pinagsusungitan sa Astro Festival.. almost half of my DVD's where bought dun. Pag pasok ko pa lang eh nakangiti na yung mga  sales lady dun sa akin...tapos binibiro pa ako na baka makita daw ako ni esmi na nabili nang DVD's ehehehe.....ang dami na nga nilang nabigay na posters sa akin dun..minsan kahit hindi ako humihingi eh tinatanong nila ako kung gusto ko nang poster..any way siguro eh dahil ang dami ko nang nabili sa kanila....

Tapos pag wala silang stock nang DVD na gusto ko eh ikinukuha nila ako from other branch..tapos pag may scrtach daw yung dvd na binili ko eh ibalik ko lang daw sa kanila....

[banzai]

Courage, guwapo mo siguro kaya they are always smiling when they see you.

[Mo®pHeOu$]

 

Case to case basis lang siguro! Siguro pag pogi mabait sila...hehehe!!

[phantom]

malakas talaga sa chicks yang si Courage nung estudyante pa kami sa LB.  di'ba bro?

[viper]

Yung Astro sa Robinson ermita, the DVDs were all stacked one on top of the other behind the counter (so you cannot browse through them). Tapos, nakakabit pa anti-theft device. Hindi na nga maabot ng bibili, me anti-theft pa!

As siste pa, I asked kung merong listahan para makapamili. Kasi, mahirap basahin yung mga titles isa isa kung nakasalansan. Wala raw listahan. Tapos yung 'saleslady' na pumuwesto para "mag assist-kuno", parang galit sa trabaho niya at wala kang makuhang info. As if, yung DVDs nila ayaw ibenta! Bakit, lahat ba ng taong pumupunta sa Robinson Ermita, hindi marunong bumili ng DVD?

[Courage]

Langya wala akong kaalam alam eh napagkaisahan pala ako dito ehehehe lalo ka na Phantom ehehehe oi mabait to

[friendlypirate]

Yeah from my experience, best talaga ang astrovision, when it comes to price, quality and service. To the management and staffs reading this forum, keep up the good work!

[lazy_maze]

Yung Astro sa Robinson ermita, the DVDs were all stacked one on top of the other behind the counter (so you cannot browse through them). Tapos, nakakabit pa anti-theft device. Hindi na nga maabot ng bibili, me anti-theft pa!

The best display setup (easy access, choices, arrangement, space) that I've seen (as far as 6 Astro outlet that I usually buy from are concerned):

- Astroplus Podium (they have VCD titles that other   Astro branch don't have)
- Alabang Town Center (spacious, almost all the new releases are displayed in easily-accessible racks)

Good to Bad:
- Megamall (Good)
- Festival Mall (fair, a bit cramped, some titles stacked and behind the "palakad-lakad" sales people)
- Virra Mall (fair, it fits the "tiangge" mood of the sorrounding so okay lang kung cramped)
- Galleria (Edsa) - (bad, cramped, some titles you have to gazed at a mile away from the counter)

I'm posting this not to complain (baka di na ako pagbilhan ng DVD  ) but so that they can improve their stores. Treat this as a customer feedback .

More Power to Astrovision!!! (sipsep!)

[vacuumtubes]

let us wait n see for the ASTRO at Glorietta!!!

[diver]

Just went to Astrovision Festival Mall the other day and sayang kasi isang tao lang yata marunong mag smile there . The other saleslady behind the counter i really smiled at her with matching effort pa ha and she just looked at me and gave me a blank face tapos while i was paying for my dvd finally tumawa siya , yung nga lang doon sa kakwentuhan niya while i was there waiting for my dvd and change to be given to me while they are making kwento and not thinking na meron customer na nagiintay.

Sa Astrovision Town Center nalang nga talaga ako pupunta coz the people there are really nice.

Ehem ehem , i'm just saying this too so that Astrovision can improve their services at their Festival Mall branch

Thank you ... yun lang po ... *bow*  

[junji98]

hi guys

wala bang balita kung kelan magbubukas ang astrovision glorietta?  

junji98

[Mo®pHeOu$]

 

I hope they open it soon.  Lapit lang sa office namin eh!  

[Mo®pHeOu$]

 

Just want to share an experience.  My suki sa Astro ATC got transferred sa SM Bacoor last November ata.  AFter that yung senior dun sa shop nila is the one who calls us up (sometimes text) to let us know kung anong mga bagong titles.  That way updated pa rin kami kahit nawala na yung suki namin.

That's customer service!   More power to AStro ATC and I hope other shops would do the same.  

[vacuumtubes]

sana magkaroon din ng ASTRO WEBSITE and sure na tayo tayo din ang nandun sa site,

and mga updates,

with comments & suggestions din sa mga branches nila for their improvements & commendations.  

just me.  

[Mo®pHeOu$]

 

I hope ASTRO puts up the website.  

[Mo®pHeOu$]

hi guys

wala bang balita kung kelan magbubukas ang astrovision glorietta?  

junji98

they didn't post the opening date, but from the looks of it mukhang soon!  

[Blankman]

Just went to Astrovision Festival Mall the other day and sayang kasi isang tao lang yata marunong mag smile there . The other saleslady behind the counter i really smiled at her with matching effort pa ha and she just looked at me and gave me a blank face tapos while i was paying for my dvd finally tumawa siya , yung nga lang doon sa kakwentuhan niya while i was there waiting for my dvd and change to be given to me while they are making kwento and not thinking na meron customer na nagiintay.

Sa Astrovision Town Center nalang nga talaga ako pupunta coz the people there are really nice.

Ehem ehem , i'm just saying this too so that Astrovision can improve their services at their Festival Mall branch

Thank you ... yun lang po ... *bow*  

Believe you me, P-traders are a lot more customer-oriented than the people at Festival Mall. Go to Astro ATC instead, they're a lot more helpful.

JOHN

[vacuumtubes]

astro sent me an email with this text...

"thanks ,soon magkakaroon na kami ng website,medyo inaayos pa".

from astro email/website

fyi.