5/5

posted Sep-26-2009

UPDATED REVIEW

I posted my original review regarding an order that should have shipped the next day, but according to Chief Value's website, had not even been packaged yet -- 4-days later -- even though my Visa card had been charged right away. To make matters worse, their Live Chat system was not responding to my numerous attempts to contact Customer Service...

Turned out that my order did indeed ship on time and the package arrived the day I originally expected it to. Chief Value's order progress system simply had a temporary problem preventing it from posting current order status.

CV's Customer Service promptly contacted me after seeing my original review here and expressed a willingness to resolve any remaining issues. Among other things, they acknowledged there had been a problem with their website order tracking system and they were making efforts to make it more reliable. Similarly, they were also working with the company which provides their Live Chat support system and hope to soon have that working reliably again.

So, in light of these developments I can say this: Chief Value has demonstrated to me a genuine desire to maintain high standards of service to their customers and to quickly resolve any disputes or misunderstandings that may occasionally arise. They have certainly resolved my dispute, so I am willing to continue buying PC hardware from them for my business.

ANOTHER UPDATE

I placed an order on 10-16-09 (Friday late afternoon) and their order status system seems to be working fine now. On Sunday I recieved 2 emails: one showing my order shipped out already (on Sunday!), including the tracking number; the second was the sales invoice. Keep up the good work Chief Value! :-)

Kent's Video Concepts

This review was modified by RWP on October 18 2009 08:09:07 PM

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1/5

posted Jun-25-2008

Beware of SuperMediaStore -- they sell misrepresented and inferior products!

In the first few weeks of June I placed two separate orders with them about a week apart. First order was 100 of their premium quality standard DVD cases, second was 100 of their premium slim CD jewel cases.

The DVD cases arrived on time and undamaged, but used a different disc hub retentention mechanism than was pictured on the Website. There was no statement posted there that the product shipped may vary from the represented image. The pictured design had a much better disc hub release system than what I got. The one I got places undue stress on the disc and could create stress cracks in the disc which could result in the disc coming apart at the high RPMs typically seen when it is being played. However, I decided to keep the order and use them for personal projects where I can be careful not to over-stress a disc during removal. I would never give these cases to a customer though...

The jewel cases I received were both significantly damaged AND of inferior quality to the same product I buy from other Internet and local retail merchants. The 100 jewel cases were placed in a box meant to hold 200 cases, without ANY packing material to keep them from moving about during shipping. The product I recieved looked like it came out of a rock tumbler! Many of them had broken hinges and many more were deeply scratched. Even the good ones were full of plastic chips inside and have to be vaccuumed before they could be used. As if that wasn't bad enough, the jewel cases show obvious casting flaws and do not perform as well as the same product I buy at the same price from the competition. I will not use these for my customers either -- even if they arrived undamaged.

On June 19, 2008 and again earlier today I emailed Supermediastore about these issues and have not received a reply...

So here is what I have learned about Supermediastore based upon my first two purchases:
1) They misrepresent products by shipping items that differ from the represented product image.
2) They offer products of inferior quality to what the competition sells for the same price.
3) They have a shipping department that sends poorly packaged products.

Looks like I got burned by them but I'm glad I found out before before I trusted them with a large order. I'm in charge of maintaining a preferred vendor list for a large group of video transfer businesses who collectively buy tens of thousands of DVD discs, cases, and related supplies and equipment each year. Supermediastore has now been listed as a merchant to avoid.


EDITED REVIEW -- UPDATE 7-24-08
SMS finally contacted me right after this review was first posted (but a week after I emailed them) and the CS person I spoke to was courteous and professional in working to resolve these issues. They agreed to pay for return shipping of the damaged jewel cases and refund my full purchase price upon arrival. I was also offered a $10 store credit on my next purchase, so I inquired about purchasing their Epson-compatible ink tanks but was advised (by CS) that they were having a lot of "problems" with this item and I should avoid them. (Yet they still sell them and promote them in their weekly sales newsletter. *Sigh*). I also asked CS to please at least update the product images of the Premium Single DVD cases to reflect the version they actually ship...

As of the time this update was submitted:
1) Misleading DVD case images are still in place (they did remove a close-up image of the hub, but another image still shows a different design than what is being shipped).
2) The honest customer reviews I submitted for both the DVD and jewel cases (the reviews were auto-requested by them after the sale) were never posted. Guess they only post the positive ones.
3) They had the nerve to reduce my refund for the returned jewel cases by (I assume) the number of broken ones -- which were shipped to me in that condition in the first place! What a bunch of cheapskates! (Good luck to the next guy they ship those cases to...)

BOTTOM LINE: MY OPINION OF SUPERMEDIASTORE HAS NOT CHANGED. IF YOU SEEK DECENT QUALITY PRODUCTS AT A COMPETITIVE PRICE FROM A REPUTABLE MERCHANT, LOOK ELSEWHERE!

This review was modified by RWP on July 24 2008 01:40:31 AM

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5/5

posted Dec-21-2007

Excellent Customer Service and Low Prices!

I was quite impressed by their free 1-2 day UPS shipping on orders $50 or over - less than 48 hours from order to delivery in my case. Even more impressive is OfficeBella's customer care.

One box of my multiple box shipment arrived with damage to the contents, which was not caused by UPS. I contacted OfficeBella about this by email and they promptly responded BY PHONE! They apologised for the problem and explained that it was likely caused by less-experienced temporary help in the shipping department of my local warehouse. (I had placed an order about a week before Xmas.) A replacement shipment for the damaged items was then sent and arrived less than 48 hours later - well packaged and undamaged.

There are many Internet based office supply businesses out there and most of them have low prices. What sets OfficeBella.com apart from the rest is their commitment to customer service, which is rare in ANY business these days. I will definitely order from them again as well as recommending them to others!

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1/5

posted Nov-26-2007

WORST EXPERIENCE I'VE EVER HAD WITH AN E-MERCHANT !!!

On October 15th I ordered a CE Labs video distribution amplifier, which included free shipping. The Web page stated the shipper was Antonline.com and the product was NEW.

Received the order on Oct. 19th, but it was an obviously used, open-box item, sent from the Amazon merchandise returns department -- not a new one from Antonline, as the Web page still stated!

Emailed Amazon CS about this and they were very apologetic; they agreed to X-ship a NEW one right away and issued free return shipping for the used one.

Close to a week later what did I receive? ANOTHER USED ONE FROM THE AMAZON RETURNS CENTER !!! (No, this was not the one I was supposed to return. Still had it.)

Emailed Amazon CS AGAIN; got connected to a chain of out-sourced CS agents from India who were very confused and not very helpful. At one point they told me I couldn't request another RMA because I bought a bed frame set with the same order... where the H did THAT impression come from??? I had never ordered a bed frame.

At this point I had two used video amps and had been charged for one NEW one. Amazon refused to assist me further until I had returned both amps to them. They gave me a 30-day deadline from the first order to do so, or they'd charge my Visa the NEW price for the other USED amp.

Sent everything back. About two weeks later, I get an email from them acknowledging receipt of the first amp, but not the second one returned at the same time. They went on to write that since I still have the second one, they won't refund my $$$. I had enough at that point...

I contacted my bank to do a credit reversal and launch a formal investigation into Amazon's fraudulent advertising of this amp as being NEW and being shipped by Antonline. Later, on the same day Amazon sent me an email apologizing for this latest screw up and announced I'd be credited the original purchase price ASAP! (They also quickly removed the fraudulent evidence from their Web site -- even though I'd already saved the page for my records weeks ago.) I did eventually receive the credit I was due...

Beware of electronic items advertised as NEW with free shipping -- Amazon will probably send you someone else's RMA...

Will I ever again attempt to order ANYTHING from Amazon? I DON"T THINK SO !!!

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1/5

posted Oct-19-2007

I purchased a NEW video distribution amplifier from ANTOnline through Amazon.com but instead received a "used" or "open box" item. The anti-static protection bag had been previously opened and then casually resealed with scotch tape, full of finger prints and fuzz stuck to it -- definitely not factory sealed and new. I became concerned that that was how they were able to offer a good price with free shipping on the item: by selling returned/open box items as NEW!

Since I bought it through Amazon, that is where I went to seek support to get to the bottom of this matter. At first I was angry to find no obvious support link or contact info and thought I'd been "had", but I eventually stumbled upon some contact info buried deep in the site and sent them a scathing message, threatening to contact my state's AG Consumer Fraud division if this matter wasn't resolved in seven days.

I was both surprised and pleased to receive a prompt reply from Amazon the next day offering to cross-ship a new replacement and also a pre-paid return shipping label for the RMA of the used item.

UPDATE on 10-30-07
The replacement item that was supposed to be new was also an open box item. UNBELIEVABLE! The shipping labels from both the original and replacement item show they came from the Amazon Return Center -- not ANTOnline as the item's selling page states. No wonder they are open box products! Amazon clearly is selling used merchandise as new, and falsely stating that it is shipping from ANTOnline.com. If I were ANTOnline, I'd want to prosecute Amazon...

In the past week I've had about three email conversations with Amazon (work-at-home people in India it seems) and they get the problem more confused each time. One time they thought I was trying to order a replacement bed! Now they don't want to discuss this anymore and tell me to send both units back before they charge my debit card for a second item! I also have been getting a lot spam since giving my email address to Amazon...

I emailed ANTOnline about all this last week and have received no reply.

At this point I have a strong distrust of Amazon AND ANTOnline. I'll return the items, hope to get a full refund, and deal with more reputable sellers next time... I also have photos and proof of all the supporting evidence, the Amazon Web page selling the item as NEW, email correspondence, etc. and will submit it all to law enforcement officials who specialize in this kind of crime. Stay tuned...

UPDATE -- 11-26-07
Finally got this mess cleared up with Amazon, no answer/help from Antonline.

If Antonline doesn't care that Amazon is associating their name in falsely advertising NEW merchandise shipped free, and then shipping used items directly from the Amazon returns center... why should I???

This experience has taught me to avoid BOTH of these merchants LIKE THE PLAGUE !!!

This review was modified by RWP on November 26 2007 02:58:56 AM

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1/5

posted Dec-14-2005

I have a major "beef" with several of Newegg's long-term, ongoing deceptive business practices:

1) They are constantly manipulating their prices on many items often on a daily basis, and at a faster, non-linear pace/rate than natural market fluctuations. In fact, I believe they are a monopoly that artificially inflates computer hardware prices for their own huge profitability.

2) Newegg has a dishonest "Sale Price" promotion program where they often will raise the total delivered "sale" price (item price + shipping fee) higher during the event than it was earlier in the week when it wasn't "on sale". Quite often NE will also raise the price and/or shipping cost of an item during the checkout phase -- so the buyer initiates the purchase at one price and by the last step of the purchase the price has been increased! Very unethical...

3)Newegg routinely censors honest critical user reviews, mainly allowing the positive ones -- thereby falsely representing the item's true user satisfaction rating. Unethical...

4) Newegg often bundles OEM DVD and Blu-ray players/burners with the software necessary to use these devices to the vast majority of buyers -- but not to ALL buyers. These drives are useless without the required software and buying the software separately is more expensive than the drives were! Yet when NE selectively fails to bundle the software and the buyer contacts customer service for compensation, they are told regardless of how many buyers report getting the bundled software, it is not listed in the product's description -- so too bad! However, since NE posts a majority of user reviews stating the software was bundled with the drive, that legally constitutes advertising stating software IS indeed normally included. I'm going to the FTC on this one unless NE halts this practice! Either EVERY BUYER gets the required bundled software or no one does. No ifs, ands or buts...

I have purchased many thousands of dollars of computer hardware from Newegg over the past 5 years or so and quite a few products they sell are as advertised and for a decent price. However, one must be very aware of of NE's numerous deceptive practices or risk being ripped-off!

This review was modified by RWP on December 04 2010 03:33:21 AM

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