Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Brown and Hopkins Country Store's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  Brown and Hopkins Country Store

  1179 Putnam Pike Chepachet, RI 02814-1961

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  Brown and Hopkins Country Store

  PO Box L Chepachet, RI 02814-0712

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/26/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Hi,Every day after Christmas my family drives an hour north to go to Brown and Hopkins. We do Christmas shopping for the following year. Years ago, I joined their ********** and got a clip card for dollars spent. After spending $320, you receive $25 in free merchandise. My card is finally filled and today they say they changed their policy and I have to spend $175 that day in order to use it!!! Both my sister and mom had filled and ysed their card last year and there was no such restriction. I want them to honor their original ********** rules!

  Business Response

  Date: 12/27/2024

  Hello!

  As explained in the store, the business was sold a few months ago. The rewards program you are referring to was established in 2006 by the previous owner. It was an untracked system for 18 years, so it is unknown how many cards are out there, but we estimate in the thousands. As the new owner, instead of getting rid of it altogether and disappointing consumers during the transition, I came up with the $175 compromise through yearend (and then I will be replacing it with a new program) so it didnt financially sink the business. Even with the compromise, Ive redeemed in excess of $15k worth of cards that are completely out of pocket as the original rewards dollars went to the old owner. I am a small business owner trying to get on my feet, so the financial impact has been tough. Brown & Hopkins is the oldest, continuously running general store in the country and I will work tirelessly to keep it that way. I apologize for the inconvenience, but again, it was an untracked program so I enacted a happy medium solution. Ive been blessed to have had 99.9% of customers come into the ********************** and not only understand the tough position I was put in, but also act very kindly and graciously to my staff. I hope this clarifies the matter further.

  Kind regards,

  ******* ******

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/30/2024

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  I was already informed of the information you wrote.  The business went into a contract with me which took me a few years to complete.  The business is not honoring that contract.   Bottom line, it is your choice not to honor a contract, but know that my entire family and friends will no longer support your business ever again.  We drive over an hour just to shop at your store- no longer.  

   I believe you will understand soon that customer care and support is important.  We loved your store because we felt seen.  I can easily find the products you sell online, but chose small business over mega-stores.  Perhaps my family and friends no longer buying anything from you will not inflict financial pain, but know that asking a teacher to spend $175 to use a $25 benefit is not reasonable.  It took me 3 years to get enough punches to earn the $25.  Your store was a special treat.  Not anymore
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  ****

   

   

  Business Response

  Date: 01/06/2025

  Hello again!

  I'm sorry you are so angry over the situation, which is why I believe you might be missing the point.  There would be no store to shop at if, as new owners, we honor the old rewards program because it would have financially put us out of business.  As such, I was forced to choose the health of the business, keeping the long term employees gainfully employed, and - we are a crucial business within the community - the importance of staying open to the community. 

  The way rewards programs work is that the owner takes a certain percentage loss on sales (in this case it was about 8% to the old owner) and they budget for this through what is normally a tracked system.  The sales for the cards out there went to the old owner, so the loss was 100% to us as new owners on an untracked system with an incalculable amount of cards out there for almost two decades.  It was a no-win situation when we took over.  In fact, the program was becoming problematic for the old owner as well because it was untracked and she was going to have to terminate it had we not bought the business.  Additionally, we decided to honor merchandise credits and gift cards for the past two years (which we are not required to do) as a thank you to the customers.  Again, 100% out of pocket.  All totaled, we are well into a 5 figure $ deficit as a new small business owner trying to get our new business off the ground.  And, it is indeed a new business - we only kept the name so that it would be continued to be recognized as the oldest, continuously running general store in ********

  Again, I am so sorry you are so upset, but I hope you can finally see that there would be no business for you and your family to shop at had we continued with the program.  And as you mentioned, it is a treat to shop here and we have kept the offerings and atmosphere the same for the most part - kind, welcoming, and wonderful - but also realistic.  Brown & Hopkins is a sacred institution to ******* and is on the National Historic Register.  I am a hometown girl who followed my dream to buy it with every ***** I had and keep it from either closing or being bought out by corporate America like a few on the street already have. 

  I'd be more than happy to discuss this further over the phone if you'd like at ************ as I believe if you got to know me and fully understood the gravity of the situation, you might feel differently.

  Kind regards,

  ***** ******