1/5

posted Apr-13-2012

Placed an order for a few items and paid using Paypal. Never got an order confirmation, although Paypal showed the charge to my credit card.

Several weeks later I tried to check the status of my order using the inquiry function on their website, it said the order number I entered was invalid (it was the invoice number as shown on the Paypal transaction).

So then I inquired using their customer service webform as to when I could expect my order. I waited several days and never received a reply. I tried a few more times, using their webform and an "customer service" email address I dug up from their FAQ section, and still never got a response.

I filed a dispute with Paypal and got a refund within 10 days, which is unusually quick for Paypal. I assume that Dealextreme ignored Paypal's requests for information the same way they ignored mine and thus facilitated my speedy refund. At least they're consistent.

* a friend suggested the observation of Chinese New Year could have interfered with the processing of my order, but since it was placed on January 2nd 2012 and CNY didn't begin until the 23rd I don't think that's likely. In any case, it certainly didn't interfere with them failing to acknowledge my order in any way - and yet charging my credit card immediately.

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1/5

posted Feb-18-2012

Had ordered a few times in the past from Harbor Country Bike with no problems. They have good prices and reasonably fast shipping times.

Unfortunately HCB's customer service is virtually non-existent. When they sent a wrong-sized part in my last order, I was unable to contact them by phone to get a return authorization number (required by their return policy). Nobody answered their phone, and their voicemail box was always full, and they didn't respond to repeated emails. When their "online help" was tried, I got a live person, but was informed they were at an offshore call center and only handled questions about ordering, not customer service.

Long story short, the only way I finally got the problem resolved was by writing this review. Then I was finally contacted by THE OWNER of Harbor Country Bike. And even then, after I'd returned the part and waited weeks for a refund, he had to be repeatedly pestered, and finally threatened (with being reported to the BBB, his state's Attorney General, etc.) before he issued a refund.

So you'll probably be okay if you don't need to return anything, otherwise...

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1/5

posted Feb-27-2010

I ordered a JVC bookshelf audio system from Rizcamera.com. Instead of a stereo, Ritz shipped me a pair of headphones. I emailed Ritz's customer service to get a Return Authorization Number and they replied telling me to contact the manufacturer of the headphones. Repeated attempts to get Ritz to fix their mistake have failed.

Edit: It took over a month to get a refund after finally reaching a supervisor at Ritz. Unfortunately during that time the bookshelf stereo I originally attempted to purchase was discontinued by JVC, and now I'm unable to obtain one anywhere now thanks to this drawn-out hassle.

This review was modified by firerant on March 25 2010 09:23:52 PM

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1/5

posted Oct-19-2009

Ordered an item from a merchant (bikesarecool.com) that used Google Checkout exclusively.

I received the usual order confirmation from the merchant in addition to a separate one from Google Checkout. Fine so far.

Merchant emails me a few days later that the item is out of stock, they don't expect to get any more, and my account will be credited. Ok, that's the breaks, no big deal.

I check my credit card online a week later and no refund has been issued yet. I note my card had been charged immediately when the order had been placed. Smelling fishy now.

I was going to call the merchant and find out what the deal was when the mail arrives and in it is a check from the merchant for the balance of the refund. Better than nothing I guess. But why do I have to waste my time depositing a check? Can't Google refund my payment to my credit card?

So a few weeks later I begin to order another item from another vendor and they ALSO use Google Checkout exclusively (the one thing Google genuinely excels at is marketing itself).

I try signing in to Gogle Checkout using the id I'd registered in the previous session and it doesn't work - 'email or password invalid' type of deal. Tried several times, retyping to make sure I hadn't misspelled. No dice, same result.

As a last resort, I try re-registering with Google Checkout. It says 'that email address is already in use'.

So then I try to have Google Checkout reset my password and email me a link to create a new one. Now it says 'no account with that email address exists'.

Niiiice...

So I spent a little time reading complaints about Google Checkout on the various forums where the term “Google Checkout Sucks” shows up in a Google search. At least their search engine still works.

What I believe happened is, I used a ‘secure online credit card number’ when I registered with Google, a service available from my credit card company, that creates a special card#+ccv# that can ONLY be used by the merchant it’s created for – in this case, it was bikesarecool.com. Now, I’ve done this for a couple years now, in particular with Paypal, Amazon, and dozens of other online merchants, with no problems whatsoever. But somehow Google Checkout’s automated and halfwitted ‘fraud detection’ software, along with it’s crack team of offshore security specialists, has decided this is suspicious, and has permanently flagged my email address to deny membership. Typical cause for the ‘email address already in use’ and ‘email address not found’ runaround.

If you want to delve into it yourself, right now you can google ‘google checkout sucks’ (without quotes) and find online merchants griping (even on Google’s own forums) about what a flawed ‘service’ it is. The most common problems they have are having their merchant accounts suspended for unknown or erroneous reasons, and little or no luck getting a response when they try to contact Google Support. Amazing Google can stay in business when it takes such a callous attitude toward the people who make money for them.

BTW, if the mods at resellerratings are reading this, looks like the reviewer ‘cepreu’ is the only one besides me so far that actually reviewed Google Checkout. Those reviews should in fairness be deleted.

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2/5

posted Aug-24-2009

This vendor has some good prices and specials, but their customer service leaves a lot to be desired.

I'd ordered an Answer Hyperlite handlebar that was one sale. In every review of these bars it mentions special plugs are included to allow barends to be used if desired (since the bars are so thin at the ends the special plugs keep the ends from getting crushed by barend clamps).

So of course the bars I ordered didn't come with these plugs.

I emailed their "Help Desk" and asked what was up and their response was "These do not include anything extra not described in the ad... Have never even heard of such a thing... No one runs bar ends anymore...".

I can understand the first bit, but the comment about nobody running bar ends is garbage. Sounds like they have a 12-year-old boy answering their email.

This review was modified by firerant on August 24 2009 04:55:14 PM

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1/5

posted Apr-01-2007

(Edit: re-write, addressing some criticism that's been posted on bikeforums)

Bottom line: Worst. Experience. Ever.

Ordered a Downtube IXFS, a 9-speed folding bicycle, off of Downtube’s website. A few days later a big box arrives, I excitedly unpack the new bike, and the horror begins…

Blow-by-blow:

The bike’s frame is decent, good even, although the finish quality is disappointing. Downtube brand stickers were crooked, off-center, and peeling up at the edge even when brand-new. Stickers were not under the clearcoat, leading me to wonder if these frames were actually “designed by Doctor Yan” as Downtube claims, or are simply badged for Downtube by one of the smaller Chinese bike manufacturers. Since my ill-fated purchase I’ve seen several bikes on Asian ecommerce websites that are identical to several bikes that Downtube offers, loyal fans/evangelists/shills on bike forums claim these are copied from Downtube’s “designs” by competitors. Kinda doubt that. Why copy the lowest-priced brand out there (probably smallest market share too, at least in the US).

Bike is poorly assembled and adjusted, would be substandard even for a ‘mart’ offering. Wheel hubs, headset, and crank turned like they’d been lubed with sawdust. Probably fixable with some real grease and adjustment, but bearing surfaces might be damaged beyond repair if not fixed before initial ride. I’ve ridden bikes that were originally from a ‘mart’, that had been stored outside, exposed to the elements (water mostly) for years, that were in better working condition .

Components are off-brand, ill designed, and function at best just adequately. Gripshift-type gear shifter slipped out of gear with a slight touch. Rear derailleur was so cheap it acted like one that was worn out. It had so much play that shifting was unreliable and rendered the bike’s gear system practically worthless. The suspension fork seems more suitable for a child’s mountain bike, it pogos unnervingly and bottoms out on even moderate bumps. Cheap plastic covers over rear triangle pivots fell off and found in bottom of shipping box. This is a critical piece of engineering as it hides the rust that immediately begins forming on the steel pivot because they didn’t even bother covering it with a single layer of clearcoat. I could go on and on, I’m just hitting the high points.

Had a difficult time returning the unused bike per Downtube’s 30-day money back guarantee. In fact my credit card company ended up paying me back out of their own pocket when Downtube disputed the return of the bike, this despite the easily-obtained proof of their employee’s digital signature on the UPS delivery ticket.

And finally, to address some shill’s claim that this review was written by a competing folding bike manufacturer or distributor…you’re nuts, or a liar, or both. Like the guy that signs your paycheck, or whatever compensation you get for crowing on and on about Downtube. Get a life shillbert.

This review was modified by firerant on June 09 2010 12:26:28 AM

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4/5

posted Nov-19-2006

Pros: Website is well-designed & easy to navigate, some VERY good prices, order shipped quickly.

Cons: Emails to customer service unanswered. Was added to their e-newsletter without my consent (although I was able to unsubscribe). Sale prices had inexplicably changed when I referred friends to them(?)

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1/5

posted Oct-27-2006

My complaint with SHOP.COM is, when I placed an order to HomeandBeyond.com through their website, they added me to their spam list without even asking. I hate spam, and I hate even more when I get it from a company I did business with, and they didn't even bother asking if I wanted to be on their "daily specials" list or whatever other spam they broadcast. They had the one chance and blew it. I won't use their shopping service again.

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1/5

posted May-24-2006

Ordered a Benchmade Pardue Axis 530 from them. Got an order confirmation, that was it. Waited 25 days, no knife. Looked at the website for a customer service phone# to call, there is no phone#, only an email address "abilityw@yahoo.com" - real comforting. I emailed them, waited 4 days, and no response. So I emailed them again & canceled the order. Still no response. Luckily I just got my new credit card and the CCV code changed, so at least I don't have to worry about the possibility I gave my CC# to some thieving scumbags. Just indifferent scumbags, seems like.

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1/5

posted Feb-05-2006

I'd been a satisfied customer of Sportsman's Guide since they first started catalog sales in the 1980s, and had recommended their products without reservation. But after recently being treated to the most boldfaced "bait and switch" I've ever experienced, I'll no longer be shopping with them.

I ordered a Eureka Spitfire tent from Sportsmans Guide on 3/31/05. I received an email confirmation of the order showing:

Eureka!® Spitfire Tent, Tan / Blue
Product: WX2-93630
Shipped directly from the vendor. Expected ship date: April 21, 2005.
Quantity: 1, Unit Price: $69.97, Total Price: $69.97

On 5/4/05 I finally received the tent, except it wasn't a Eureka Spitfire, it was a Eureka Solitare, which is quite different (and widely available for less than $70!) I called and spoke to Sportsmans Guide's customer service, who told me the Spitfire was listed on their website for $89.97, and had always been that price. When I asked why I was able to order it for $69.97 they told me somebody "in the warehouse" made a mistake. I'm sure there WAS a mistake, but it wasn't in the warehouse. I think it happened something like this. Their sales staff realized they'd made a mistake listing it for $69.97 when a bunch of orders flooded in and they realized it was a hot item. So they upped their price $20 and directed the manufacturer to send the poor slobs who already ordered one the cheaper Solitare. I have several bits of evidence to support this theory. I know the tent had been listed on their website for well over a week with the $69.97 price, because I waited over a week to order it after initially finding it there (at that price) using Froogle. And after talking to their customer service, I posted on several outdoor discussion forums about "the $70 Eureka Spitfire at Sportsmans Guide" and found one other person who had gotten the same bait and switch from them on the same tent:

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?p=103646#post103646

Even better, on another forum a person pointed me to a discussion on the backpackinglight Yahoo! group where the $70 price was mentioned in a post dated 3/13/05:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BackpackingLight/message/98586

I don't understand how a company can operate like this. I guess they keep enough people happy that they can get away with dumping on a few occassionally. Personally, I'll look elsewhere for camping and sporting goods items from now on.

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1/5

posted Feb-05-2006

I ordered a 3-pack of stylus for my HP Jornada 720 handheld computer from eXpansys (also known as MobilePlanet.com) to use as spares in case I lost my original. When they arrived the problem was immediately apparent.

The styli I received were over an inch shorter than my original stylus , and too small in diameter to fit in the stylus bay of my Jornada without falling out. My original stylus has a pocket clip that served to lock the stylus to the computer, but the Mobile Planet styli had simple nubs instead of a clip and were completely non-functional either as a pocket clip or to lock the stylus in the stylus bay on the computer. In fact, comparing the styli I received to the pictures on Mobile Planet’s webpage, they were completely different. And yet the sticker on the simple plastic bag the styli were packaged in read “eXpansys Jornada 720 Stylus Pack’.

So I got an RMA# from eXpansys and returned the styli for a refund. Since the problem was all theirs either in mislabeling or misrepresenting their product, I requested a refund of my return shipping as well. After waiting 30 days for them to “inspect” my return I received a refund for the original order amount, but not my return shipping. Looks like I’ll have to contact my credit card company and see if I can start a dispute. Luckily I did screen captures of eXpansys’s webpage showing the styli I ordered, and took some digital pictures of what I received, hopefully these will expedite getting a refund

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1/5

posted Feb-05-2006

I ordered a 3-pack of stylus for my HP Jornada 720 handheld computer from Mobile Planet (also known as eXpansys.com) to use as spares in case I lost my original. When they arrived the problem was immediately apparent.

The styli I received were over an inch shorter than my original stylus , and too small in diameter to fit in the stylus bay of my Jornada without falling out. My original stylus has a pocket clip that served to lock the stylus to the computer, but the Mobile Planet styli had simple nubs instead of a clip and were completely non-functional either as a pocket clip or to lock the stylus in the stylus bay on the computer. In fact, comparing the styli I received to the pictures on Mobile Planet’s webpage, they were completely different. And yet the sticker on the simple plastic bag the styli were packaged in read “eXpansys Jornada 720 Stylus Pack’.

So I got an RMA# from Mobile Planet and returned the styli for a refund. Since the problem was all theirs either in mislabeling or misrepresenting their product, I requested a refund of my return shipping as well. After waiting 30 days for them to “inspect” my return I received a refund for the original order amount, but not my return shipping. Looks like I’ll have to contact my credit card company and see if I can start a dispute. Luckily I did screen captures of Mobile Planet’s webpage showing the styli I ordered, and took some digital pictures of what I received, hopefully these will expedite getting a refund.

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5/5

posted Jan-23-2006

I've placed dozens of orders with STP over the years and its always a great experience. I receive order confirmation almost immediately, receive my items quickly, and the shipments are always securely packed (big wholesalers don't always do a good job of that). Several times I've had to return items because of sizing or quality problems and my credits have always been promptly issued. This even immediately after Christmas, when I'm sure they had plenty of other returns to process. One time there was an extra undershirt I hadn't ordered in the package, and I called and told their customer service and they not only gave me a credit but told me to keep the shirt. A similiar situation a few months ago, I ordered two Kelty daypacks and received only one of the model I'd ordered, the second was a model that was about $40 more. I called customer service and they issued me a credit for the full cost of the pack (I'd have been happy if they only refunded the difference) and told me to keep the pack. Outstanding! I hardly ever shop anywhere else now, except for REI which is also one of the best. Honestly, STP and REI should be the standard against which all other online merchants are judged. Now before anyone starts thinking "shill" just look at my other reviews and see if I gush like this about anyplace else except REI. In fact, I'd almost say that if you managed to have a bad experience with STP, you're either a) cursed or b) a huge pita anyway. Just my .02.

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1/5

posted Dec-28-2005

I placed an order for a Sandisk WiFi card and received an order confirmation. The card was listed as a special order item so I didn't expect immediate shipment. Two days later I received an email from Axion stating the card was discontinued and couldn't be ordered. The email asked for a response from me by phone (a toll call) or email. I emailed them saying to just cancel the order. The next day they phoned and left a message saying pretty much the same as their email, and asked me to call them back so they could get me a "comparable" product (I already know there isn't one). I again emailed them and asked the order be canceled. Later that day I tried canceling the order directly on their website,and the "cancel" link did not work. At this point it seems my order is evolving into a bait-and-switch. In any case, I'm calling my CC company and denying charges from them, its cheaper than making a toll call to Axion.

EDIT 11/20/06: I just checked my review and their rebuttal is to tell me to call their toll # to straighten it out? What a bunch of loons.

This review was modified by firerant on November 20 2006 02:51:20 PM

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1/5

posted Dec-21-2005

Had ordered a Champion Softshell jacket online, upon receiving, discovered it wasn't so much a softshell as it was a sheet of non-breathable rubber. Tried taking it back to the local store in Kirkwood, MO. Was told because I'd used a secure "online" credit card number (available from Discover) that I couldn't return the jacket. I told the so-called customer service person to keep the jacket and walked out. They had my order form and the item, if they gave a rat's backside about their service a manager should have tried contacting me to see what the problem was, but no such interest from Target. Will never do business with Target again.

This review was modified by firerant on February 20 2011 09:05:31 PM

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