Customers dont seem to matter anymore.

[LD1]

I am not doing a very good job of picking vendors or something anymore. Just had an ordeal with a company who I will never do business with again. Heres the saga:

Last Friday 2-12 the DLP bulb went out in my TV. I knew it was about time as it was starting to get dim, and its been 4 years since last replacement. Now those unfamiliar with bulbs, there are basically 4 kinds you can buy.
1. Phillips OEM ~$75
2. Osram P-VIP OEM ~$65
Both of these are 6000+hr bulbs and the best of quality
3. Osram value line called "neolux". ~$40. Not as good as OEM, but better than chinese 1500hr bulbs.
4. Chinese bulbs. 1500hr at best, dimmer ~$20

I decided to go with a Osram P-VIP. Cause everything I read indicate it is as good as phillips, but saves $10. But this isnt about what bulb is best.

So upon my searching for a lamp to buy, it was important to find someone close to home. That way if it gets shipped out friday, and only has to travel 1-2 states, I should have tuesday (monday was a holiday).

So I purchased from a place in northern indiana....bout a 3hr drive. So though good.....will have tuesday. But was a little disappointed when I got the tracking info that it was coming from about 8 hrs away in PA :mur: but no issue, still showing for delivery tuesday. Just glad this wasnt coming from a "warehouse" out on the west coast.

So, Tuesday, package arrives. I am immediatly concerned, as the bulb I received was a Osram Neolux. NOT what I ordered. But I wasnt gonna wait another 2-3 days for a replacement, so I decided to install the cheaper quality bulb, and when the correct one arrives, I'll take the cheap bulb out and return. Good plan in theory, but bulb dont work.

So off to the computer. The bulb I need is a Mitsubishi 915b403001. But Osram uses their "own" part numbering system. The osram I got was a 69071. The bulb I need (different firing voltages I think) would have been a 69073 for the cheap neolux, or a 69788 for a P-VIP. SO that explains why it aint working.

Given the time of day, I couldnt get ahold of the vendor so I e-mailed them. Got a reply 6-minutes after they opened wanting a picture of what I actually received. I complied and let them know of the urgency of getting this resolved, as by now its getting late morning, and want to make sure another one gets on its way that day. (which is now wednesday 2-17). About an hour goes by, no reply. I send another message again, stating the urgency that this gets shipped out TODAY, and if thats not possible, I will order from someone who can get one on the way TODAY. Again, no reply, by now its 11am so I call. They are all apologetic and aparently the mistake wasnt on their end, as they told the warehouse to send me the correct one, but they grabbed the wrong part. (this warehouse is not really "their" warehouse, rather another vendor that only sells to distributors so....they are basically playing middle man). At the conclusion of the call, she said she would be e-mailing me a return label and I requested she send me the new tracking number as soon as she could, she said no problem. So I didnt think much more about it, thought this was resolved, and headed to the shop to tinker around.

Bout 4:45 I was getting concerned that I hadnt got a tracking number yet and that it wasnt going to be shipped. So I start scrolling through my phone to call them again and an e-mail comes in.

E-mail basically says sorry, we cannot ship a new one out til the old one is received or they charge me again. WHAT:mur: So I call immediately. And conviently the lady that sent the e-mail has went home for the day and the person I spoke to gave me this crap about company policy. I would be alot more understanding if I screwed up and ordered the wrong thing, but THEY screwed up and sent me the wrong thing. Now want me to float them a loan of $64 to cover their screwup with the vendor that shipped, or wait til the old one is returned........NO WAY. And why the h3ll wasnt I notified of this policy at 11AM when we spoke instead of at (5:00pm now). At least I would have had a chance to get one on the way, in hopes of having it by saturday. But since they waited til 5pm to tell me this.....probably wont have another bulb til monday. So their waiting 6 hours to notify me of their stupid policy, is gonna cost me 2 more days til I get my TV back.:mur:

Not that $64 is a big deal, but its the principal of the matter. If I am gonna get charged a second time and wait on my refund, that charge will be elsewhere. So thats what I did. And why the double standard.....they wont ship me one without charging me, yet expect me to ship it back prior to getting a credit?

So now its thursday morning, I sent them a professional but sternly worded e-mail requesting an immediate refund. And that I shouldnt have a $64 charge on my card for the next 3-4 days to cover their error. And at the very least, I should immediately be credited the price difference of what I paid for, and this cheaper bulb.

Ok, Rant off

 

[davesl708]

Does not seem to be that unusual now days to get service like that.
Hope they make you whole on this mess.

 

[LD1]

Hope they make you whole on this mess.

Time will tell. Worst case scenario is I have to wait till item is returned for full refund. Which isnt the end of the world. But would prefer to force them to issue the refund NOW.

 

[davesl708]

Agreed, I had a vendor advertise the product was in stock and when I ordered I got a back order notice with a two week ship date. Canceled immediately with a note I did not appreciate advertising in-stock when it was not. I did get the credit the same day.

No reason your order should not be handled same day.

 

[mkr7734]

Just another reason to thank some CEO with a MBA. It ain't about you anymore it is about profit and them.
Hope it works out. I called customer service two days ago on a order for a Moen product and the girl had me on hold while she called Moen and came back and said they were shipping my item that day to them so they could send it to me. Today I get a e-mail from them saying it is still on back order and they already charged my credit card even before they shipped it to me.
Yeah, Now that's a good way to do business. :thumbdown:

 

[Industrial Toys]

Does this mean you won't be following them on facebook, tweeter, whatever?

 

[KretZ]

You want to know a company with good customer service? Midwest Brew supplies. Those folks are on their toes. Just recently got into home brewing beer, so I have spent a little bit of money upgrading my basic kit that I got for Christmas. Those people are all over it. I have made about 3 separate orders in the past month. My first order is where I spent the most on the fewest items, but even with my smaller orders where I ordered a bunch of small stuff (bottle caps, gravity tester, hose fittings) they still took the same care and made sure the order was complete and accurate. And the one mistake they made? I made a phone call, taken care of, I hung up the phone looked at the call timer, 48 seconds, no joke. Three days later, the replacement package is sitting on my doorstep when I get home from work. I'd recommend them to anyone. (Sorry for the thread hijack LD1, hope your sitch is taken care of soon)

 

[kcflhrc]

I just sold my old Mitsubishi 65" DLP and bought a new Samsung 4k, problem solved. Now it's someone else's problem.

 

[LD1]

I just sold my old Mitsubishi 65" DLP and bought a new Samsung 4k, problem solved. Now it's someone else's problem.

Dont really want to spend thousands on a tv that onlt needs a ~$65 light bulb once every 4 years. For me, it would be a waste of thousands of dollars for nothing.

 

[hawkeye08]

Agree that some vendors are not very interested in fixing problems. I am starting to always check Amazon when shopping things.. I check the return policy on the item I am interested in. I had a small part that was missing from a shipment, notified them and a replacement was shipped expedited in a day or two (it was around holidays and they wanted to make sure it did not show up in separate shipment).

 

[LD1]

Agree that some vendors are not very interested in fixing problems. I am starting to always check Amazon when shopping things.. I check the return policy on the item I am interested in. I had a small part that was missing from a shipment, notified them and a replacement was shipped expedited in a day or two (it was around holidays and they wanted to make sure it did not show up in separate shipment).

Return policies and all that shouldnt apply when they screw up and send you something you didnt order. Then refuse to send the item you paid for without charging you again, or waiting on old one to be returned.

There return policy is simply listed as 30-day guarantee, either money back or replacement....customers choice.

 

[oldnslo]

LD1,
Not sure where you live but is there a brick and mortar company close enough that you could have drove to and got this part Vs an internet order?

Being an older phart I am old school and like to do the hands on here is what I am buying Vs looking at a picture or add and hoping this is what I am buying.

good luck

 

[KennyG]

Sounds like a very frustrating experience. However, I buy a lot over the internet and my experience has been almost always positive and I think it keeps getting better. If I can't nail down the exact item I'm getting I don't order or I call and check with them first. It's usually spot on and delivered quicker than advertised.

 

[LD1]

LD1,
Not sure where you live but is there a brick and mortar company close enough that you could have drove to and got this part Vs an internet order?

Yea, for about double the price for the exact same part and would require a trip in to get it. I work 12hr shifts and nights to boot. This place was out of the way and in the middle of my 4-day work stretch. So I figured I could order, and part would arrive before I would have my next day off to even consider picking it up.

 

[coobie]

The wife and spent the last 3 weeks new truck shopping how do you think that went? I feel your pain,LOL..

 

[LD1]

Update:

I called them about an hour ago, since it had been 3 hours since I sent them an e-mail requesting an immediate and full refund, and hadnt heard anything.

The guy I needed to talk to was apparently out to lunch. So left him a voicemail to call me ASAP.

Never called, never e-mailed back, but my phone just gave me a notification that I have been refunded the full amount and order was cancelled.

Wouldnt it have just been alot easier to send me a bulb out yesterday and ASAP. They would have still had the sale, they would only have been out the return shipping, and I would have been a more than happy customer (since it was actually the "warehouse" that just grabbed the wrong one).

As it is, out the sale, and still paying return shipping, and have a very unhappy customer.

I have said it before and will say it again. No matter what venue you use to order, or what business you order from, people are human and make mistakes. Every company makes mistakes. What sets the great companies apart is how they handle these mistakes. If I was a business and I screwed up one way or another, I am gonna bend over backwards to try to have a happy customer. This company had no interest in owning up to their mistake and trying to make things right. Will never do business there again.

One of my best experiences was with a company that I had ordered a part from, and 6 months later a bearing failed. It was actually a mower clutch. They honored the warranty no questions, but upon receiving the new one it was realized that I screwed up. Had installed the old one upside down:mur: I called them, explained what was going on and feel they dont owe me the warranty and that I would pay for the new one. And instead of sending the old one back, I would keep and attempt to replace the bearing that is staked in and not supposed to be replaced. They wouldnt let me pay full price. Insisted on only charging me their "cost", which was almost 1/2 off.

Guess where I am buying a mower clutch from next time I need one.

 

[Rustyiron]

. I called customer service two days ago on a order for a Moen product and the girl had me on hold while she called Moen and came back and said they were shipping my item that day to them so they could send it to me. Today I get a e-mail from them saying it is still on back order and they already charged my credit card even before they shipped it to me.
Yeah, Now that's a good way to do business. :thumbdown:

I have dealt with Moen directly on 2 or 3 faucets (over the years) Amazingly helpfull and NEVER charged me anything. I am impressed with them and their "lifetime" guarantee means just that. IIRC it was all done on the computer, no phone calls.

 

[rekees4300]

I am starting to always check Amazon when shopping things.

Bingo ... 95% of the stuff I buy online is from Amazon. No hassles, no stress. When I need to return an item I just put it back in the box and the next day UPS picks it up. No return labels to print/cut/tape, no return authorization numbers, no telephone/email tag, no arguing with incompetent sales reps., and refunds made the same day Amazon receives item. Amazon is amazing, it just works, simple as that!

 

[PILOON]

I have dealt with Moen directly on 2 or 3 faucets (over the years) Amazingly helpfull and NEVER charged me anything. I am impressed with them and their "lifetime" guarantee means just that. IIRC it was all done on the computer, no phone calls.

Me too! except that they changed that 'lifetime' after a certain date. Fortunately I had a receipt to prove date of purchase.
Shame is generally it was a mere 'penny' O ring that would cause a problem.

 

[hawkeye08]

Return policies and all that shouldnt apply when they screw up and send you something you didnt order. Then refuse to send the item you paid for without charging you again, or waiting on old one to be returned.

There return policy is simply listed as 30-day guarantee, either money back or replacement....customers choice.

Agree, but I have had good luck with Amazon and not so good luck with some of the smaller vendors online. For example, I found some safety thingies for the door knobs (so grand daughter can't open door so easy). I found a little cheaper a few places, but settled on a seller on Amazon. I ordered a three pack, received the package when expected, but it was qty one for the 3 pack price. I sent an email to seller and had a return email within the hour saying they would take care of it. Next morning another email saying they would credit my account and I am to keep the one they sent by mistake. I could reorder if I wanted the 3 pack still and they would ship it right out. Decided it was not quite what I wanted so never ordered the 3 pack, but am confident that they would have made good and shipped the right one. I suspect the other customer that got the 3 pack for a 1 pack price was also happy. If it had not gone so well, I would have been emailing Amazon getting them involved, seems you have someone to go to if the Amazon sellers don't respond.

Hope it all works out for you.