I’ve ordered online for several years now. Up until the last month, I never had a single problem. Now, I have apparently disappeared into the online ether and no longer exist.
First came the book order that never arrived. It’s been a couple of months. Fortunately that was a quick cancel, but I really wanted that book.
Next came the order for over a hundred dollars worth of fantasy miniatures. This order was made three weeks ago. The company was quite quick to deduct the money from my credit card, but three weeks have passed and I still don’t have my miniatures. Two emails and two phone calls have gone completely ignored (voice mail, no live people available). They have until today to respond if UPS doesn’t delivery the order or I start the chargeback.
Then came the order for the toy company for my nephew’s birthday. I could get a free toy if I ordered $25 worth of one company’s product. When I noticed that the toy didn’t show up on the order form, I emailed the company. “Please make sure I get that toy offered.” Hm, no response. OK, maybe it automatically gets added. Nope. The order came in and no free toy. I emailed again. “I didn’t get that free toy. Would you please correct that oversight and send it?” No response again. WTF? Not even a simple courtesy, “We’ll get back to you shortly” email. How odd. It’s a major corporation after all.
Next was the order at a major chain department store’s site. Everything was fine until I noticed they’d overcharged my credit card by fifty dollars. OK, this shouldn’t be a problem to fix. They’re affiliated with one of the biggest online stores in the world after all. After a search, the length of time of which is normally reserved only for the Holy Grail, I finally turn up an online email form. I wonder why I can’t find a phone number; I’d rather call for something like this. Oh well, email should be fine.
What? Why haven’t I received anything but the standard “We’ll get back to you” email?
OK, in the four years I’ve been ordering online, I’ve probably placed around two hundred orders. Some have been rather large $$ purchases like computer components. Some things are purchased almost exclusively online (DVDs, computer games and electronic componets mostly). And until recently, I never had a single problem. The only conclusion I can make is that I’ve ceased to exist. Companies no longer feel the need to acknowledge me. I’m pissed.
