A Matter of Principle

[jtzou]

OK, this is, in a sense, a trivial matter... and its definately not about the money (which is supposed to be about $2), but here's the deal. I have a FedEx shipment being sent by Comp-U-Plus... who has standard 14.95 for FedEx 2nd Day (I just checked and that's about right for a 5 lb package). I need it by tomorrow, because I'm moving, and I don't want a package randomly left at my door after I no longer live there... Anyways... its been delayed at Newark for reasons beyond their control... However, I made a few calls to FedEx, and they said that I would be credited... now since I'm the recipient, and not the sender, Comp-U-Plus will be credited...

So after talking w/ a rather rude lady at Comp-U-Plus, here's what I've arrived with... First, she states that they have a contract with FedEx, so as long as it is received tomorrow, they will NOT be credited (odd, because FedEx told me it'll be received tomorrow and I'll still be credited). After repeatedly stating that FedEx told me they WILL be credited (she rarely let me finish), she then proceeded to state that they MAY receive $2 credit... which in MY opinion should filter down to me. Maybe not the full $2, but at least a portion of it... But the lady told me that I was not being credited (well duh, the Sender is, not the Recipient...)... so I restated that THEY would be receiving credit thanks to ME, and that in turn, I should receive a portion of the extra profit they will be making. Simply put, she said I would get nothing from them other than what I ordered. No credit. And a very lame apology of which only half was heard because I hung up.

Now is it just me, or could they have taken the time to give me a whopping $1 credit? I don't think my request was out of line and if they don't get credit from FedEx, then I don't expect to be credited myself, but if they DO... shouldn't I get a piece? I think I'll be calling up Jeff who's at x104... People at ResellerRatings say he's nice. Maybe he'll be of some help, cuz that other lady definately didn't...

[Zotzmein]

I think it's a rather insignificant issue. I would be more concerned about your emotional and physical health for having let such a trivial matter upset you rather than the two dollar profit the shipper might receive from FedEx's failure to meet it's delivery obligation.

Regards,
Zotz Mein

[Zotzmein]

BTW...Best of luck on the move, the real stressors are just ahead.

Regards,
Zotz Mein

[jtzou]

Ha ha ha... I kinda expected a reply like that... I could reallie care less if they refunded the whole $15... this is one of those things you'll probably never run into, but in my opinion, the way a company reacts to these rare occassions says something. No clue if Newegg or any other big company would do much better, but if I ever started my own online reseller, I'd pay attention to such details. A happy customer comes back w/ more money than before.

[travis4prez]

The money is insignificant but this is a matter of principle. The retailer should realize that and accomodate the buyer if that retailer wants to see any more $$$ from that buyer. I'm with you jt. I'd tell the retailer that was the last $2 that they would ever get from me.

[PresterJohn]

don't beat yourself up over one dollar. and if that's all that's wrong with your life, you have it pretty good...

just dont buy from them again

[Zotzmein]

I fully agree. The true character of an individual or company is best witnessed in the worst of situations rather than the best. Your treatment is a glaring caution sign. Though they may not give you a refund or some alternative monetary consideration, they should at the very least act in a courteous and professional manner.

Given your story, I would be hesitant to deal with them.

Regards,
Zotz Mein

[kg2k]

I am kind of surprised at the responses I see here.

I would be more concerned about your emotional and physical health for having let such a trivial matter upset you rather than the two dollar profit the shipper might receive from FedEx's failure to meet it's delivery obligation.

and if that's all that's wrong with your life, you have it pretty good...

What the heck? ResellerRatings is based on giving feedback about experiences with online companies, right? I guess all of the complaints on the site could be considered trivial to some people. We must all have it pretty good if all that's wrong in our lives is problems with Internet resellers. :P

I have had at least two occasions where I ordered something either overnight or second day and it was late in arriving. I have always been refunded the whole shipping charge and wouldn't have expected anything less. Maybe I was wrong for expecting it but it was never even an issue and automatically given upon notice that the package was late. If I had gotten a response like you claim you got, then I would have refused the package and reversed the charge. After all, what if you were ordering a part for a job and the job fell through because the part didn't show up when it was supposed to?

I also find it unusual that Fedex would only credit them $2 for a guaranteed delivery time that was late.

[PresterJohn]

>I am kind of surprised at the responses I see here

i thiink you need to look at my reply and the others more carefully.

first of all, i fully support the idea behind reseller ratings. if you've had a negative experience with a vendor, it's a great help to post a complaint there so that others can get a warning.

as for refunding shipping charges when packages arrive late...you're pretty much at the mercy of the honesty and quality of cust support of the seller. you can't force them to refund the charges if they're not willing. and like many things in real life, pursuing legal channels for recourse often involves valuable time and possibly more expense.

compared to the horror stories i have seen here and elsewhere with problems mail/web ordering, jtzou didn't get burned that badly.

since he was only going to get a refund of a paltry dollar, is it worth it to get upset over? for me...i would give them a negative rating on resellers and just not give them my future business. my mental health and well-being is just too important to get terribly upset over for such a paltry amount.

[Zotzmein]

Ranting in an online forum is one thing, it took only a few moments for me to type this response, but spending “hours” in pursuit of two dollars is wasteful. Time has a quantifiable value, I’m confident that everyone reading this post would agree that their hourly worth is more than two dollars.

Though I appreciate people’s input, frankly, not every negative response posted on ResellerRatings is legitimately deserved or earned.

Regards,
Zotz Mein