ELH from buy.com

[gregweller]

Ok, now I am really mad. I ordered mine on the 22nd, as a number of other people did who already had their's shipped. So this morning I wrote a polite inquirey:

Hi, I had ordered the 'Epic Level Handbook' several weeks ago, and I
understand that the product went on backorder. However, I've noticed
that the product is now in the 'ships in 24 to 48 hours' status for over
3 days now, and my account shows that my order is still in the
warehouse. I want to make sure that my order is actually going through,
and hasn't been held up in limbo. Thanks! Regards, Greg Weller

-------------------------------

Later today I get this response:


We are writing to inform you that your order was cancelled due to the
availability of the item. We apologize that we needed to cancel your
order. Unfortunately, you will need to place a new order for the item.
We thank you for your patience with this past order, and hope you
continue to shop at buy.com in the future.

Please write us again with any other questions or concerns.

We look forward to serving you in the near future!

So I look at my order and indeed, it was canceled. And I look at the item and it is still listed as 'Ships in 24 to 48 hours'.


So in other words, I can reorder at twice the price. They are going to get a really nasty letter from me.

 

[Talaysen]

I sent them an e-mail this afternoon. I'm supposed to hear back within 12 hours. If I don't hear back from them tomorrow, I'm going to find a phone number for them and give them a ring. I've been waiting two weeks for them to even SHIP this order, and I am already very put out. If they mess with me I can guarantee I'll never shop there again.

 

[gregweller]

Not wishing to stew on this overnight, here's the email I sent them in response to cancelling my order:

I am *quite* upset about this. It's all very well for you to say that I can re-enter an order, but it's going to cost me twice as much as the original order that I placed! I ordered the item at a price of 13.87. When I look at the item now it is over 25.00! Now, I know of at least half a dozen people who ordered that item at the same time I did, who were 'sent to the warehouse' until the item came in, then were shipped that item at the 13.87 price. They didn't have their item cancelled due to 'availability of item'. It seems like mine got cancelled simply because I wrote inquiring about it. I was very 'patient' with waiting for my item, and I think that this is horrible customer service to cancel it like this. I'm giving your company the benefit of the doubt and hope that this is a misunderstanding and that I will be allowed to re-order it at the original price I ordered it for. Again, please note that my item was *never* cancelled until I wrote you about it!


So, we'll see if this does any good. If anyone else had this happen to them, I'd love to hear from them.

 

[frankthedm]

Sorry to hear that gregweller, probally would of been best to wait, and not draw thier atention to the mistake since they did/ do have the right to fix a princing mistake that come to their attention.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Got mine yesterday in the mail at the old price.

 

[Harlock]

gregweller, go back and read posts by Joshu Dyal on the first fwe pages. He had the same problem. He calle the 1-800 customer service number and got it squared away. The numbers are listed on the first page as well, if not, second page of responses. Hope that helps.

 

[gregweller]

I guess I will try the phone, next. I haven't heard back from them from my last email. However, I did find this in the Better Business Bureau report about them:

Complainants allege the company fails to sell merchandise at advertised prices. Some customers complain they cancel after billing statements are received because of errors made in product pricing or inventory, but the company fails to issue refunds for the returned items. The company responds to complaints by issuing credits or offering explanations. Some complaints are closed as unresolved. Customers are not always satisfied with the company's responses. On May 24, 2000, Buy.Com signed an Assurance of Discontinuance with the New York Attorney General's Office which requires the company to clearly disclose to consumers any and all costs for products and services. Buy.Com agreed to fully disclose in all print, television, radio and Internet ads: the existence and cost of any requirements in a service agreement, that consumers may incur additional charges connected with agreements including phone calls, and the existence and amount of any penalties or forfeitures for early termination. On June 29, 2000 the company also entered into a Consent agreement with the Federal Trade Commission to settle previously filed charges that they had engaged in deceptive advertising of free or low cost computer systems. The charges alleged, among other things, that the company failed to clearly and prominately disclose, the term of the required three year subscription and it's cost, the amount of the rebates, and the total upfront costs, the penalty for early termination, and long distance telephone charges or hourly surcharges to use internet services. According to the terms of the agreement, future ads must be clear and conspicuous and in close proximity of the price claim. Buy.com was also ordered to provide clear and conspicuous disclosures when ever an after-rebate price is advertised showing the before and after rebate price. A Consent agreement is for settlement purposes only, and does not constitute an admission of law violation. This company is a member of the Betters Business Bureau and has agreed to membership standards, which include a commitment to ethical business practices. We do not endorse, recommend or disapprove of any product service or company.


If anyone is having problems and wants to go the route of contacting the Better Buisness Bureau where they are located (or want to be able to threaten to do so with some authority), the address is:

http://bbbsouthland.org Use the 'search for a company link' and use buy.com as the search. You'll get the report listed above.

 

[Roland Delacroix]

I just got my 2 in the mail. The website says that I got them at the $13 price. HOWEVER the shipping order/reciept that came with them does NOT list the 'price per unit' or whatever. So, double check yer credit card statement just in case. Maybe i'm just paranoid, but this is starting to sound like the shady sort of company that would pull this type of scam.

 

[Christian]

Sorry to hear that gregweller, probally would of been best to wait, and not draw thier atention to the mistake since they did/ do have the right to fix a princing mistake that come to their attention.

Probably. So naturally, I decided to go ahead and do it.

I decided to try out their e-mail customer service system, on the grounds that (a) they can't just cancel my order and have done with it, as they've already cashed my check, and (b) I have no interest in the speed at which I acquire the ELH-I wasn't even going to buy it, actually, until I saw the buy.com advertised price.

I just sent an e-mail to buy.com asking for the order status. We'll see what they say ...

 

[gregweller]

It looks like this might have a happy ending after all. I just got this email from them:

"We apologize for the inconvenience this has caused. Since your order
was cancelled due to an error in our system, we will honor the original
price you were going to pay for this item. Simply place another order
and email us once you have. We will then request a credit for the
difference between the original cost and the current cost of this item. "

Now I don't know if this means that they'll issue me a 'store credit' for this, or if I'll actually get it taken off the price. But it looks like at least I'll get the item at the original price one way or the other. If it doesn't work out, I'll post an update. If it does work, then I take back all the bad thoughts I was having about them, and I can go ahead and cancel that curse that a couple of Thayvian wizards were going to lay on them for me.

 

[Zigmutt]

ok- i don't thnk i should post this- for fear that I might get linched by th epoeple who have not yet gotten their books.

I ordered my book on BUY.COM about 10 days ago- for $24- i just got my book today.

So if you have not gotten your book yet- I am pretty sure that they are filling the $13 orders last- if at all...

sorry guys