After placing the order for a Samsung TV , having the item confirmed in stock, I was contacted by e-mail to call in by phone to verify the purchace and my identity so that the TV could be shipped that afternoon or next day. The following day I got the "Oops! we ain't got it in stock" e-mail and an offer to buy more expensive models. Bait and switch! Stuff it in your Vann!
This company does not want to deal with problems. If everything goes smoothly that's one thing, but if you have a problem, they are not there to help. I ordered a DVD recorder that quit two weeks after I received it from Vanns. I sent them a message on their website and it took nearly two weeks for them to respond. After they heard that Panasonic was going to deal with it, they were ready to do anything to help... but not before. Make sure you don't throw anything away that comes with your order; they may even want the ties that the cords are wrapped in... No customer service here. Just lip service. I see that they are all owners and I'm sure that comes in handy when dealing with a dissatisfied customer; just a moment I let you speak with the owner...
NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER order from this company. Do yourself a favor, and pay more somewhere else. You will be thankful in the end. I ordered a washer and dryer from them on November 13. When received on November 19, the washer was damaged in transit, but the dryer looked fine. I rejected the washer, contacted them (usual 30 minute hold on customer service), and they agreed to ship out another ONLY when they could confirm the damaged one was in transit back to them. This took several days of my work before Vann's decided to ship out another. On November 29, another washer was delivered. This too came in damaged. I rejected this one and after my 30 minute wait for customer service, we mutually agreed that they would simply refund the amount of the washer when they received the washer back. They claimed I should have a credit on my card within a week. Here it is more than 2 weeks later, and still no credit. I keep getting passed from service representative to representative, each one with a different story of why no credit has occurred. And now I have to wait for the “manager” to call me back, but it may take some time since they are so busy these days. Very dishonest and unethical. That is only the first problem. After needing to order a washer from a more reputable company (which came in fine within a few days), I attempted to install the dryer and noticed that the dryer had been damaged on the bottom during shipment. I did not notice this when it first came in since I did not turn the dryer on its top to check it. And now, Vann’s WILL NOT take the dryer back since they claimed it is past the allowed time to be able to return damage deliveries. No ifs, ands or buts. A simple NO was what I got after several days of waiting for a “manager” to call me back. So here I am almost a month later, with no credit for a washer I no longer have, and a dryer I cannot use. Whirlpool was just as useless in that they provided no help at all. Never again with either Whirlpool or Vanns (not that they care).
They do not honor their published prices, but tried to sell the same item to me for $700 more! SCAMMERS...AVOID. They confirmed the order (Panasonic TH-50PZ750U) and price and gave an expected delivery date. Then, three days after that, I get an email claiming it was a pricing error and that they were willing to sell it to me at their cost, $700 higher and exactly what Circuit City was selling it for a couple weeks ago (do they buy from Circuit City?). I will be filing complaints with THEIR state attorney general and MY state attorney general. Hopefully, they'll be out of business so nobody else will even have to see what their rating is (was). They act like a NYC camera store.
This review was modified by its author, George48169, on
12/15/07 5:45 PM.
DO NOT REWARD THESE PEOPLE. PLEASE. We wanted to spend $3000. We got overcharged, lied to, called crooks, liars, and hackers. They then admitted knowing it was their fault all along and still wanted to do business. I think not. Supporting such behavior just invites more of the same.
This was an awful experience. Myself and 2 friends (both RN's, I am a pilot) were looking to by 3 HDTVs. Doing research in advance of Black Friday I ran into a Vann's online offer for a Panasonic PT-56LCZ70 for $999 including free shipping. My friends were reluctant to buy from an outfit they did not know but they ordered on my recommendation. I told them of a year earlier ordering a camera from Vann's and getting sent the wrong one. When notified they offered to re-ship immediately without waiting for the return. Impressed, I felt good recommending Vann's to friends. Even ones about to spend $1k each.
Then the misery. I went to order and the website kept trying to charge $150 shipping. Free shipping, right? It WOULD allow me to specify in-store pickup for the $999 and I did not want to miss out/ run out of stock. So, before ordering, I left a voice message of what I was going to do (order in-store pickup, straighten it out when they got in). I ordered, emailed them the same explanation now including order number, and then re-voice messaged immediately this time with the order number. Friend2 did the same thing. Friend3 could not get into the website. She called the next morning and ordered it no problem with free shipping. Shipped next day.
I called 2 days later just to be sure and was told I was on hold because the website was wrong and free shipping was not supposed to be on this item but another. I protested and mentioned that I had now missed Black Friday sales. She checked with a Laura or Linda and she gave me the OK. Hmmm. I told Friend2 she better call too. 4-5 hours later my phone rings and I am on a 3-way call with Friend2 and "Mike", from Vann's.
Mike was special. First, he tells me there WAS NO offer of free shipping. I tell him I have screenshots (I always do this, finally paid off).
Second; he tells me my friend's account has been flagged by their "anti-fraud unit" because they can tell she was trying to "hack" their site. I ask him if he is accusing her of attempted theft of some sort and also lying to cover it up. He says yes. Third, when I then give him my order info (so that he can see my supposedly fine order and that she was simply doing the same thing), he looks at mine and says it is still on hold because I am a hacker too. Oh, my gosh. Read Kafka?
Fourth, when I ask to talk to a supervisor, Mike says he “one of the Owners.” Lets be clear; the intended implication was that he owned a half or a fifth of the company. Turns out EVERY Vann's employee has at least a one-bazillionth ownership share. Partially so they can ALL tell this lie? Very cute. Anyway....
Mike-The-Owner(MTO) maintains we are hackers (attempted thieves). I ask him to check "Linda" that she approved my free shipping. He does so right then and she confirms it (yea Linda). MTO says he will remove the hold on mine, but since Friend2 did not get a Linda-pass (instead getting Mike on the phone), she has to pay $150 shipping. After much unhappiness and unpleasant accusations, he comes down to $100 shipping and Friend2, fatigued, beaten down, and wanting to get off the phone very, very badly, agrees. Was supposed to be a fun Christmas thing and now it’s just ugly.
HERE IS THE PUNCH LINE: Still on the phone while tidying up details, Mike-The-Owner has some sort of post-bout adrenalin crash and starts running at the mouth. Trying to explain how Friend3’s order went so smoothly (ordered by phone, order-taker not read the memo); he tells the story of how at Vann’s everything over $400 usually has free shipping, but 3 items (including ours) were supposed to be the exceptions over Thanksgiving. But the web-guys mistakenly stopped free-shipping on ALL items. An attempt to fix this remotely put free shipping back on. But this included our item too, unintentionally. So, yes they did it, yes they knew it all along. No mystery, no hacking or fraud. No lying.
HOLY %*$#!! I point out to MIKE that, since he/they KNEW ALL ALONG what happened, his accusations of hacking-lying-thievery were in themselves just lies? We are trying to spend $3k, you make a mistake and, fully knowing this, decide to call customers thieves and crooks? You make a knowingly false accusation of a cyber-crime and include hinted threats of "turning it in?" And no sense of shame? Not a bit.
After a day thinking it over, we just couldn't keep it down. We checked if either one had shipped. They had not and we just canceled our orders. Rewarding behavior like that invites more. Everyone has to do their part and writing this review is mine.
One last thing: This was very embarrassing for me. I recommended Vann’s to two friends and we ended up with a very sour experience. Personally; I was called a liar and cheat. I am neither. Nor am I well prepared to have to sit there and just take it….. Not to sound like a jerk (here goes anyway); but I am a 6’2” 240lbs ex Div1 college wrestler. Though a puppy inside, I don’t have these problems in person. I hear about them but I don’t have them. My world is nice that way and it is easy to be easy-going. Then this Mike has me wanting to reach through the phone thinking full-body origami. We are supposed to be better than that, yes?, and afterwards I felt… what, unclean? Who pays you back for that?
Placed an order for a bunch of lenses. Received an email asking me to call their 800- number to confirm. Started to sound a lot like the NY scam jobs. I tried to call the number for 3 days and was on hold for a total of 3.5 hours. Finally emaild their customer support and asked them to cancel the order. I had to resend the same order 4 times before someone replied to the email and cancelled the order.
From the other feedbacks on this site, Vann's sounds like a legit outfit but I have given up on them. Nothing they have is that special that I will spend hours on the phone.
I purchase a Yamaha YSP-800 BL speaker system on 9/21/07 on 9/26/07 I had email Vanns and asked them when would my order shipped and they reply back to me on 9/27/07 telling me that this was a discontinued model,and they would not be getting anymore in stock, and would I like to cancel my order. Now that last part is what I like. Bottem line they sould have notify me as soon as they knew this and not in a reply to my email. They had just drop the ball.
I purchased an iPod Shuffle on 12/1/06, and received it yesterday. The packaging of the product is scratched so bad, it looks like it was in contact with sandpaper. I contacted customer support and they said they don't guarantee product packaging from damage in shipment. Poor response. And secondly, the product as a HUGE yellow tracking sticker that completely covers the back of the package. This was to suppose to be a gift. Beware!
Purchase of Onkyo HomeTheatre system that was open box went smoothly. I purchased the extended warrantly just in case. The receiver started popping and smoking almost immediately, and after being bounced around to several departments, I find I have to get it repaired by Onkyo. Their warranty doesn't kick in til after the manufacturer's ends. (The extended warranty isn't even through Vann's, and their customer service was worthless. She had never even heard of Onkyo, and it was utterly beyond her to look them up.) This is normal, but very annoying because the manufacturer is invariably less flexible, more costly, and more time consuming. I have to drive it to a service location and it'll be a month before I have it back at the soonest.
Placed an order for a sony projection lamp and was expecting it to arrive within a week, ground shipping. On 4/6/2006, I get a call and email from vanns saying my package went to another customer and I may be getting his package. The other customer got his package and my package. Was told my item would ship out next day thru 2 or 3 day shipping. Did not ship until 4/10/06 and it was not thru expedited shipping to make up for their error, but thru ground shipping. Will not be receiving this item until 4/18 as per ups tracking. WILL NEVER DO BUSINESS WITH THIS COMPANY AGAIN BECAUSE OF THE LIES AND BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE. Had they told me it would be re-shipped thru ground service, I would have cancelled the order.
Ordered a set of Harmon-Kardon speakers from Vanns via amazon.com.
Vanns shipped speakers in the original factory box without additional packing.
When box arrived via FEDEX on February 21, it was open and packing was hanging out. I refused delivery because of damage.
A subsequent call to Vanns, they reported that they were "out of stock". I asked for a refund -that was February 22 - and was promised a refund.
No refund has been forthcoming. I filed for Amazon.com's great "a to z" refund as soon as I could, which was February 28. To date, I have no refund and no speakers.
Amazon.com posted today, on their web site, a refund MINUS SHIPPING, so they're charging me for shipping for something inadequately packed?
And NO refund has posted to my credit card account yet. I will dispute it to the bank today.
Original order went well, processed quickly and was received quickly. Unfortunately, the item was defective. It took 3 e-mails and 4 phone calls (Greg, then Greg, then Jen, then Jamie) before we finally received the RMA # and return label from the company. On the last call we were told they would put a replacement camera on hold for our return. Our returned item was received by Vanns.com and signed for on 12/15. On 1/11/05 I called to see what the status of the exchange was and I was given the run around. First they said it had shipped - then they called me back to tell me it hadn't but they'd ship it that day. They said the item had been out of stock (what happened to the one on hold?) Finally (almost 2 months after the original order) we received a working camera - but they sent the WRONG CAMERA! We will not do business with this company again.
Tried to purchase a Canon ZR-85 camcorder. Reviewed pricing on their website and also called their 800 number to confirm that the camcorder was in stock and the pricing was correct. Sales rep confirmed pricing of $289.88 and the camcorder was in stock. They charged my credit card, sent me a confirmation email that my order was approved, a confirmation order that shipping was approved and even sent me a fedex tracking number that my order was ready to ship. I then recieved an email that said they could not sell me this camcorder for the agreed to price of $289.88. This price was supposedly $70 below their cost. I called the sales rep and he said it was a mistake on their web site.
Today I bought the same camcorder on line from e-tailor Digital 1234 for $299.98. I'll never buy or recommend VANNS to anyone. They should have honored their agreement.
Absolutely the worst company i have dealt with online.
I purchased on jan, 21, 2004 4 bose lifestyle 50 systems.($9412.00) they charged my credit card and I was expecting to gte the tracking number soon and order more equipment later once the first ,shipment arrived since it was the first time i ordered online.
First they called , emailed and verified EVERYTHING (which is good and i liked this) it was for my protection but as i found out later more for theirs....
Once they knew that i was safe and legitamate they secured the money charged the credit card took my money and did not ship the merchandise.
i called and they said that they will ship it out tomorrow,
the next day i called and they said it was on hold. then they said they cant ship it but no reason why. I was disconnected and phoned back, they put me on hold and then 41 min later disconnected.
I called back and then they said they do not want to sell them, i asked why and they said that they cant, i asked why do you have them online for sale they hung up!
then i received a email stating that the purchase will not be shipped today and that i have to call.
I called a 6th time and they put me on hold for 20 min (AT LEAST) and then told me they are going to cancel the transaction and that they will refund the money on the credit card.
I told them they should not charge my credit card for money in their bank to float their accounts and i wanted the credit that day, they said it would appear on the next bill.
they took the $9412 from me and i want the refund NOW!!!!!!
I will dispute the charge otheriwse and the manager man told me he doesnt care what i think because they are big enough that what i think is not important.
I will make sure this little guy is not pushed around and tell everyone about this company.
I have also fouond out that there are alot of bad complaints about vans and that they rigged their rating on other forums to seem good.
I will start a new website and post it here later for anyone else that has had these problems ..
beware if you are not big you may get swallowed....
