One of the great things about shopping on the Internet is how you can find just the product you want at the beset price. But one of the not-so great things about the Internet, as one reader found recently when trying to buy a laptop mounting stand for his car, is how often shipping promises turn out to be lies.
The reader wrote:
"After an exhaustive search for a platform for my laptop in my automobile, I discovered Autolaptoplinkinc. They have an impressive website with excellent photos of their products and accessories, and fairly good installation instructions/pictures. Their prices are less than half of competing products. But that's where the good news ends."
"I was able to connect by phone to get a question answered about mounting it in my car, but didn't get a very good answer. I also asked about delivery time from date of order and was told two to three days. From looking at the product, that seemed a bit excessive, but I placed my order. That was three weeks ago, and I don't feel it's any closer to being shipped than the day I ordered."
"They immediately sent an email telling me my order was in process and had a link to on-line status. I've used that link every day since I ordered and it has never changed, always showing 'in process.' They also have a toll-free number to call, but it's nearly impossible to get anything but a recording directing that you leave your number. I've done that at least 10 times, but never got a callback. Additionally, they have an on-line chat. I've used that frequently. In the course of those chats, I've been told almost any lie I could imagine including being told four separate times that it had shipped. Each time they said shipped, I asked for a tracking number and was told to hold while they got it. Most of the time, the agent just waits a while then closes the chat."
"One time, I got pretty irate and accused them of lying and was told 'the boss' wanted to telephone me. I agreed and to my surprise my phone rang a couple minutes later. The boss was all apologetic and repeated a couple of the delay lies I had been given before, something about the problem being with a parts supplier. But he assured me they now had all the parts and would be shipping later in the day. He suggested I call back the following day because he would personally take the box to UPS and have a tracking number for me. I was able to reach him the next day and sure enough he had a tracking number."
"Of course, when I went to the UPS tracking page, the number didn't work. I waited until the next day and tried again. This time it said the number had been billed, but cautioned it may not actually be in UPS's hands yet. For the next couple days I checked UPS and that status hasn't changed. I tried to telephone the boss again, left messages, etc., but never got any response. A couple hours ago, I re-logged to their on-line chat and simply asked for status. I was given one of the stock lies, i.e. it's done except for one part from a supplier. The part is due within the hour and my product will be shipped late today. Without telling them I knew I was being lied to, I asked that the boss call me and gave my name and telephone number. Apparently, the boss recognized me, so the call has never come."
A week later, the reader reported he was still waiting for his laptop platform. "Since I wrote you last time, they've said it would ship today two more times. Without any prompting from me, they almost always say they haven't charged my card yet, so much so that I've checked with my card company twice to confirm it. So far, no charge from them. Earlier today, I contacted them on the chat-line pretending to be a new customer. I asked a couple questions about the product as I had done originally. Then I asked about time between order placement and shipment and was told no more than two or three days, just like they told me originally."
"This is clearly a case of where some honesty would help," the reader concluded. "As I explained to the person I talked to on the day I ordered, I probably still would have placed the order if I knew it would be several weeks until shipment. What bothers me is the constant lies I'm told each time I contact them and the growing feeling that it's some kind of scam. I can't help but wonder if I've only been lucky to never encounter other businesses like them in the several years I've been buying on-line."
Read and post comments about this story here.
8:33:52 PM 
|
