Assured me that items ordered were NOT refurbished and were brand new in original packaging.
Received three items in generic bubble wrap. There was no invoice, no instruction manual, no original packaging whatsoever.
Called overstock.com, originally was told that they had no way of knowing how the item is originally packaged from the manufacturer, and that these theoretically could be packaged in this way by the manufacturer. I doubt these items would be placed on shelves in retail stores with no instruction manual, no box, no anything (not even identifying marks as to the make and model of the item). Still, they insisted this could be the case, but the CSR "had no idea for sure."
Asked to speak with manager who was more helpful, acknowledged they "may" be a refurbished item, and that it was probably mislabeled on the website. Assured me it would be corrected, and provided a good discount to make it right. Thumbs up for that, though after 3 weeks the website still has not changed, so buyer BEWARE that you are actually getting a NEW item and not a refurbished item. In my case, one of the three headsets I ordered smelled like cigarette smoke.
Also be wary of the reviews on Overstock's website. I posted a review stating what I wrote above, and it was never posted. I figured maybe I forgot to hit "submit" or made another mistake in submitting my review, so I wrote another one. It also was either deleted or never posted, as I checked back to make sure it was actually published. It still has not been published after several weeks.
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Bottom Line:
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1. Do not rely on customer reviews on their website, they may be censored
2. Use online chat to ensure discounted items are actually "brand new" and not "refurbished." Keep a record of this communication, because you may receive a refurb when it was not listed as such on the website.
3. Customer service if this happens was excellent if you get past the initial CSR who may supply the same misinformation as the website itself. Speak with manager where possible.
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This review was modified by its author, ReviewerMD, on
2/4/09 9:42 AM.