I should be in my craft room drawing a Halloween scene as requested by HeWho took his wife out yesterday for dinner and shopping. I should be enjoying the excellent weather and deadheading plants while collecting seeds. I should be doing laundry, a task I enjoy.
It all started this morning when, while perusing Pinterest for a suitable image to portray a happy seasonal image for a banner, I happened upon an advertisement that had Halloween merchandise. Lacking a formidable witch costume for myself I noted that this particular site had some inexpensive dresses that would fill the bill. I meandered through the on-line store and chose some things and then saw that if I purchased $45, I would be eligible for free shipping. Being the thrifty shopper that I am, I acquired $48 worth of
Lest you think me to be unfamiliar with on-line shopping, I can tell you that I shop on-line quite frequently, being tethered to my business, as I am. I went through the process and eliminated one item that I had considered, until I saw a much cheaper alternative. It is a costume, not a ball gown, after all. On to the next step, I entered the required information about shipping and noted that the shipping method defaulted to expedited shipping. I changed it to standard shipping which was free, due to the amount of merchandise I was ordering.
I entered the shipping address and the billing address and saw that the shipping method had defaulted back to expedited shipping in the amount of $30.64 again. There is no way I would pay that for shipping, even if I wanted it to be expedited. I changed it again and then went on the payment step.
After I put the payment method in and almost hit the button that would give them permission to take that money out of my account, I noted that the shipping method had defaulted again! When I tried to get back to the shipping method, It would not let me. My only option was to pay for the merchandise. Well, anyone who knows me, know I was not paying that shipping fee.
I opted for customer service. This proved to be equally dismal to navigate. I only want to change the shipping method. I went back to the original site. My shopping basket was now empty!!!!! There is a phone number to call for customer service, but I know I will need the order #. It has vanished, along with the items in the shopping basket.
I am so annoyed now. I call the number. A woman answers and I know right away that English is not her first language. I take a deep breath and explain that all I want to do is to change the shipping method. No, I do not have the order #, it is waiting out there in the inner bowels of the internet and I can't seem to retrieve it.
I suggest that she try to access the order with my e-mail address and my name. She tells me that she can e-mail me if I want. WHAT! No, I do not want too exchange e-mails with you, I just want to change the shipping method. I tell her what happened with the order. I speak slowly and use common terms and all the while I am onto her. She has no clue how to change it either. I switch over to my e-mail and find that the billing department has sent an e-mail to me. They want me to know that I cannot receive my order until I authorize payment. But, it includes a summary of the order, along with my order#.
Thinking that if I have the magic number, the CUSTOMER SERVICE representative can simply change the shipping method and all will be well in the world. I was wrong. After I give her the number she carefully parrots the shipping info to me and tells me that if I want free shipping, I will need to order at least $45 (in US currency) worth of merchandise. I point out to her that I did and she tells me that my total is $80.01. I want to scream at this point and I did raise my voice. I asked if there was anyone there who spoke my language and she informed me that only customer service representatives were allowed to help customers. She went on to say that I could wait 24 hours for someone else to e-mail me. I told her to cancel the order.
I have already spent too much time trying to change the shipping method to the free shipping you so boldly advertise. Your website automatically chooses expedited shipping in the amount of $30.64. I changed it twice while still on that step. It defaulted back and I happened to catch it before I gave you the permission to apply that amount to my credit card. Your website did not allow me to go back and change the shipping method.
I called your support number and was treated to a most annoying conversation with someone who barely understands my language. Talking to her was even more frustrating than trying to navigate your website. You may be wondering if I am still interested in the merchandise I ordered. As much as I would like to complete that order and anticipate the arrival of the items I chose, I will not be placing the order. I will not be placing ANY orders in the future.
Your support center suggested that I wait 24 hours and then try to place the order, never addressing the shipping method at all. I speak clearly and enunciate my words well, but failed to make her understand what I was calling for. Your customer service is appalling.
I did respond to the e-mail. Not that it will do any good. I have calmed down now that I have vented. I suppose I could cook a nice meal, but my creativity seems to have gone the route of that shipping method. I did use the almost brown bananas and made a nice banana pudding this morning. Perhaps we will just have that as the main course. Which wine shall I pour with that?
6 comments:
I've had about the same problem with Amazon. I delete the order and forget about it.
There are hundreds of websites that sell the same thing. Find another one.
Once I paid extra for expedited shipping, for a gift for my 81-year-old grandma. I knew what I was doing, and the price was worth it to me. THAT ITEM DID NOT ARRIVE BY THE TIME PROMISED FOR EXPEDITED SHIPPING. Shame on them. I'll never give them a chance to shame ME. It was Figi's. I badmouthed them to everyone I knew. I take perverse pleasure in seeing that in January this year, they had to shut down part of their operations. I'm sure I single-handedly caused that downturn...
I, too have had similar experiences, when the shipping method is decided for me. And it is almost always way more
expensive than I am entitled to pay. It is infuriating how a person can inadvertently be cheated if he isn't paying attention.
I hope you are able to find the things you were buying from some other source.
It might be one of the weird sites where you have to fully process and pay, then the shipping method goes to the free option because of the amount you paid. And maybe they don't tell you that part either, it just shows up on your bank statement that all you paid was the cost of the items, or it shows up right away when you have completed the whole process.
I've had similar with buying dvds online, if it is a movie I really, really want to own, I'll complete the purchase and when the confirmation email arrives I find that I have received the free shipping as advertised and my bank balance confirms this.
I also hear your frustration had it happen to me and I usually just just delete everything and forget about it. Also because I am Aussie I have to check that the site is in Aus dollars not US dollars.
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