This might be the first Pit thread I’ve ever started. I recently found out that the website www.DeepDiscountDVD.com was having a 20% off sale, and they already offer pretty low prices and free shipping. It seemed like a great opportunity to order the Scrubs season 1 box set, since I started watching the show late and never saw the early episodes. $23 later (which is a great deal), and I was ready to go, checking my mail every day in anticipation of some good comedy.
Today, about a week and a half after ordering, I got a brown cardboard box, crushed flat, as if by a machine. There was a big sticker on the front with the official United States Postal Service eagle logo, that said “We’re sorry that your article was damaged during processing.” Well, upon turning the box over, I found that it was open, and empty. No DVD box set, not crushed, not anywhere. Even my paper invoice slip was gone. The post office took the time to stuff what was left of the box with newsprint paper, though.
Damn, I’m disappointed. Of course I didn’t pay extra for insurance on the package, because Deep Discount DVD offers free shipping so I don’t even think insurance was an option. I already e-mailed their customer service to see if they could send me another. I wonder if they’ll think I’m trying to pull a scam on them. I can take a digital picture of this box and the post office’s stupid sticker if it puts their minds at ease. I was really looking forward to watching some Scrubs this week, but I guess if I ever get it, I will be content. It’s just annoying in the meantime.
I’ve also ordered from them without any problems. Hopefully they will replace it for you at no extra charge. The fact that the DVDs were missing sounds very suspicious to me. I’d contact the local branch of the post office and let them know what happened if I were you.
Why wouldn’t it be up to the post office to replace the missing merchandise? They’ve admitted that they damaged the package so why wouldn’t they be responsible for the contents regardless of whether you bought insurance?
I just figure the post office will tell me to go screw myself, even if I show them the box with their sticker and the DVD sale receipt I saved to my e-mail when I ordered it online. They’ll give me crap about not having insurance, and I’ve heard horror stories that even if you bought insurance, the USPS will never pay up if a package is lost or the contents are damaged. I do a lot of e-commerce, including buying and selling on eBay, and I’ve been lucky that I’ve never had another package lost, stolen, or completely destroyed.
Meanwhile, since I’ve heard nothing but positive things about this DVD merchant, I figure they’ll send me a replacement without busting my balls over it. Don’t worry, I fully intend to talk to someone with a rank at the post office about this, but I don’t expect to get anywhere.
There is usually some minimum amount of insurance that is provided with a post office mailing, I think. Basically, there’s nothing to be lost by going to file a claim. If the total value is only $23 (you say that’s a good deal for you, but it’s not much in the big picture), there may in fact be some recompense.
You’ve got nothing to lose by asking and applying, but a bit of your time.
But do it soon – they do have an expiration date on claims.
Well I called Deep Discount DVD’s customer service number, and the operator was very nice and apologetic, considering it wasn’t their fault. She said they would ship me another one today, and even send it via Priority Mail so I get it in 3-5 days… they don’t HAVE to do that for me, but they did anyway.
I may still contact the post office, just on principle, but I can’t stress enough how cool Deep Discount was to me on the phone just now. In this day and age, good customer service seems like more of a rarity, so I like to give credit where credit is due.
I’m glad the situation was resolved, but I’m even more glad about something else – I also ordered from deepdiscountdvd.com during their recent sale and if Lou got his shipment yesterday, I should be getting mine soon as well!
You know that tampering with the mail is a felony, right? And that if the DVDs shattered remains didn’t make it back into the box, there’s the possibility that someone stole them, and that the folks at USPS don’t have much of a sense of humor when it comes to such things, and really like to bitchslap anyone who steals mail.
If you speak to them again, tell them their good customer service just got them a new customer. I was planning to buy some stuff this weekend, and they’ll get my business.
Not that my $20 makes a big difference in their corporate future, but still.
Well I have to mail some eBay packages this week, so I intend to bring the empty box with me and speak to a supervisor about it. I have no idea what they’ll tell me, but I will report back here in case anyone still cares.
I had some curtains get lost in the mail and then show up damaged. I called the store to re-order, thinking it was just my bad luck. They send new ones free of charge. The sales rep told me they definitely wanted to know about problems like this and that they’d deal with the USPS. Big chains have reputations to uphold, just like everybody else, but they throw a lot of business to the USPS, so there’s a better chance they’ll listen if it’s a chain calling to complain.
That’s great. I hate bad customer service, so stories like that do give me hope for businesses out there.
That site is awesome. I also bought five DVDs from them a little while ago, during that excellent 20% off. I mean, who cares if shipping to Canada is $4.95? That’s a flat fee, and I still get a great deal! I loved getting Pulp Fiction: Collector’s Edition for less than $12.
Well, so much for Priority Mail. I’m sure it might be in transit, but I haven’t received my replacement package yet, over a week after speaking to them.
