Newegg: Insane "security" policy

[trefork]

I submitted an order yesterday with Newegg, something I also did the day before. I used the same credit card and address as previous order, and even though my billing and shipping address is the same, and my address is, of course, on file with my credit card company, they insisted that I call them from my home phone. I tried to explain that I had paid for expedited shipping and didn't have time to wait until I got home, and furthermore, my phone does not display caller ID, so there would be no way for them to verify my phone anyway. I did however call them from my work phone, which was also registered on my account. Yet they canceled my order without notifying me. Unbelievable arrogant.

Amazing any company can afford to throw away customers like that.

BTW, I was suggested to post my experience here, because Resellerratings only allow reviews where your credit card has actually been charged. So even though I had an order number, they will not allow my negative experience to be seen by other potential customers. Very shady. I wonder how much they make in referrals to Newegg.

Originally Posted by trefork

BTW, I was suggested to post my experience here, because Resellerratings only allow reviews where your credit card has actually been charged. So even though I had an order number, they will not allow my negative experience to be seen by other potential customers. Very shady. I wonder how much they make in referrals to Newegg.

There is nothing at all shady about our policies, which are publicly posted and evenly applied to all reviews. As you have chosen to question us on the public forum, however, I will repeat my reply again to you here.

First, your statement "... where your credit card has actually been charged.", is not exactly what was related to you. Using a credit card is not a mandatory requirement, but being charged is.

A customer is one who has paid for goods or services; i.e., the merchant has possession of your money, even if briefly. The instrument of payment - be it credit card, debit card, cash at a brick-and-mortar store, Paypal, etc., - is irrelevant.

Our policy states a review can be removed when: (10) The posting references a commercial transaction that did not occur. (See: Terms of Use).

If you placed an order and it was cancelled before you were charged, then you did not complete the purchase transaction - no money changed hands, and you're not a customer. Note also that a credit card authorization is not a charge.

We don't allow reviews to be submitted by non-customers because that would permit anyone with any level of experience with a merchant (even if they just "heard" something bad about a merchant and wanted to post it, never having bought anything from the merchant) to write a review. That doesn't help anyone.

By defining "customer" as a person that completes a transaction with a merchant, we can be certain that all reviews reflect real experiences with merchants.

[flipper812002]

I actually like that policy and i mean both resellerratings and neweggs. One neweggs policy can save someone from fraud and resellers policy makes sure you actually have an experiance with a seller. If you were never charged at all and all they wanted to do was verify your information i dont see any problem with it at all. So what you see as a bad experiance 99% of the other ppl see it as a SAFE place to shop. Also if you placed an order the day before and it went thru then u could use that order # for a reveiw. I have noticed that you havent though so did any order go thru and if not why complain about newegg being a secure place to shop makes no sense at all.

[frostbitetwice]

That should not of happen to you, trefork. I would give egger another try. They are really an excellent etailer. WELCOME TO RR !!

[Peter Cornstalk]

Merchants eat fraud.

I will decline to do business with someone in a heart beat if they will not supply information that I need to insure an order is not fraudulent. I don't care if someone is in a hurry... a lack of planning on the customers part does not constitute a lack of security on my part.

I have no problem with the customer buying from someone else that is not careful and eats a lot of fraud... they just pass it on to the customer with higher prices eventually and my prices are lower.

[trefork]

Originally Posted by Lara RR

By defining "customer" as a person that completes a transaction with a merchant, we can be certain that all reviews reflect real experiences with merchants.

Let me assure you that my experience with Newegg was very real. Unfortunately your policy means that your ratings are less reliable than they could be. As you well know, I suggested you change your definition of "customer" to someone who has a valid order number with the company. Newegg's poor treatment of me is cannot be reflected in your scoring system. If Newegg does this frequently, the rating cannot show that. RR is a place people come to check out a merchant usually BEFORE they make their first purchase, and my experience, and others' like mine, is valuable when making a decision on a merchant.

[trefork]

Originally Posted by Peter Cornstalk

Merchants eat fraud.

I will decline to do business with someone in a heart beat if they will not supply information that I need to insure an order is not fraudulent.

And what information did I not supply? I supplied all information that was possible for me to supply. On top of that, I had ordered previously with Newegg using the same credit card and same billing/shipping address.

I have shopped online for the last 10 years, with a ton of different etailers, and I have never seen this kind of over-the-top "security", which I put in quotes because it really isn't about security, but rather the appearance of security. Entering a random phone number and being able to answer that phone is not security. Having the shipping and billing address be the same is. Verifying that information with the credit card company is security. Canceling a customer's order without notifying him is not.

If you've had a good experience with Newegg, then good for you, but don't tell me it's my own fault.

[flipper812002]

[QUOTE=trefork;1133766]And what information did I not supply? I supplied all information that was possible for me to supply. On top of that, I had ordered previously with Newegg using the same credit card and same billing/shipping address.QUOTE]

If you had shopped with newegg before like i said use that invoce # to post a reveiw. Id rather have over the top security than none at all or very little.

[QUOTE=trefork;1133766]I have shopped online for the last 10 years, with a ton of different etailersQUOTE]. If that is the case why post now over this one incedent. If you had shopped online for the last 10 years i can almost garantee you have run into other problems with other retailers and yet now over this one you after 10 years post a reveiw or try to and come into the forum about it. Just makes me wonder what motivates people like you.

Also someone teach me that quote trick that even this person in less than 4 post has learned to do. hmmmmm

[trefork]

Originally Posted by flipper812002

If you had shopped with newegg before like i said use that invoce # to post a reveiw.

I will not post a bad review using an invoice number for a transaction that did not have any problems.

Originally Posted by flipper812002

If that is the case why post now over this one incedent. If you had shopped online for the last 10 years i can almost garantee you have run into other problems with other retailers and yet now over this one you after 10 years post a reveiw or try to and come into the forum about it.

If you check, I have a couple of reviews dating back several years. Even recently I have posted another negative review of AbesOfMaine. That disappeared mysteriously without any notification. You can understand I'm beginning to have my doubts about ResellerRatings.
Furthermore, believe it or not, I have had very few problems in the 10 years of doing online shopping. I post a negative review if I feel I've been treated poorly. I did in this case, where my order was canceled without any notification, neither email nor phone, even though I was promised a call back, and was told it would be resolved within an hour.

Even recently I have posted another negative review of AbesOfMaine. That disappeared mysteriously without any notification.

Unfortunately, I'm finding no record of a review submitted by you [trefork] for Abe's of Maine. Please try submitting your review again by clicking here:
http://www.resellerratings.com/survey.pl?seller_id=2003.

If you have any questions or problems, email me directly and I'll personally assist you.

Bottom line: If a review meets compliance with 1-16 of our policies, it will not be removed. That goes for every single review on this site.

Originally Posted by flipper812002
If you had shopped with newegg before like i said use that invoce # to post a reveiw.

flipper812002, reviews must be based on the transaction indicated by the entered invoice number only.