I've written in the past about having had issues with belts I've purchased falling apart. Someone commented hear that I'd be better off buying men's belts, so at the end of May, I bought two nice men's belts.
However, when I got home, I realized the belts were a bit too big. So I got the brilliant idea to purchase a leather hole punch from Amazon.
However, when I got home, I realized the belts were a bit too big. So I got the brilliant idea to purchase a leather hole punch from Amazon.
I bought the number one rated leather hole punch, which didn't ship through Amazon but they have free shipping from a third-party seller. After I bought it, I realized the delivery date was June 24 through July 13. But this has happened to me before, and the item usually arrived much sooner than that.
Anyway, fast forward to July 13, and the hole punch still hadn't arrived. I was kind of annoyed, because I really wanted to use my belts. My pants are falling down! I contacted Amazon, and the third-party seller assured me that my item was in the country (!) and would arrive in the next week.
Yesterday, July 23, two months after I ordered the item, it still hadn't arrived. I contacted the seller and asked for a refund. I had every intention of going on Amazon and giving the product a scathing review. But then I got this email from them:
"Ok, we have make a refund for you, we have send you the item and we have make a refund for you, we lost my product and my money, if you don't mind, could you please don't leave us any bad feedback, bad feebdack fatal to me, hope you can understand, thanks."
And now I feel like I would be a bitch to give the scathing one star review. But at the same time, I feel like people need to know that this could happen. What should I do?
I would still write a reveiw, but bump it up to two starts instead of one.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI understand why you feel torn about it but I think future buyers have a right to know what they're in for. And then business will never (likely) improve unless they're motivated by consequences for thier poor service.
ReplyDeleteYou could lighten the blow a bit. Instead of a scathing review keep it less emotionally driven and just state the facts. That anyone who buys from them better be ready for a long shipping time. That you feel that the seller genuinely is trying but you just didn't have over 2 months to wait for your product. Or something like that.
But I would definitely leave a review. And an honest one. All the millions of Amazon buyers thank you. It's reviews that keep companies honest and keep quality reasonable.
ooh that's a tricky situation. If someone had left a similar review and you had read it at least you would have known what you were getting yourself in for.
ReplyDeleteGoing over it again, I think if it was me, I'd probably wouldn't write a review. I'd feel guilty, like I was hurting someone else's livelihood.
DeleteWhen I read reviews on Amazon, I'm mostly looking for actual product reviews. It's kind of frustrating to read a review that only talks about the transaction. Since they refunded your money I would probably just not leave a review and move on. (I've gotten duped by non-prime free shipping before too, fortunately in both cases I was able to cancel the transaction and get a refund before they shipped).
ReplyDeleteIt kind of sounds like your package shipped from overseas, I would guess China. I have purchased from China via eBay before and they usually have a little disclaimer that says, essentially "while the average ship time is XX to YY days, it can take up to ZZ weeks, please be patient." It's very possible that your belts might yet arrive.
Yes, but if I really thought that it would take two months for them to come, I never would've considered ordering them.
DeleteAmazon makes it possible to rate sellers and the products separately, but it frequently seems that a lot of people write a review of the seller in the product review area.
DeleteI wrote a bad review because of shipping problems (people have a right to know) but Amazon "rejected" my review because you're supposed to complain about shipping problems in a separate link, which goes directly to Amazon and is not publicly posted. I'm not sure if that's still Amazon's policy.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I'll wait and see if Amazon asks me to review the seller rather than the product…
DeleteSo they are asking you to fake your review. I would respectfully decline that concept. :)
ReplyDeleteWait until the refund gets into your account, then: "Item did not arrive after two months. Refund given."
ReplyDeleteIt's true, and it informs other would-be and actual buyers that there are potential problems and what the company will do to solve them.
That is a good idea, Amazon usually lets me review the item separately from the seller.
DeleteI have to admit that I don't understand the allure of on-line shopping, except that you can do it any day and time. However, exchanges are more difficult, usually involve a trip to the post office, and you don't really know what you are getting until it arrives. Truth be told, I hate shopping of any type - clothing, groceries, household furnishings // on line or at the store - and if I had mucho bucks, I would hire a personal shopper, so I am not an expert on the subject; but, in keeping with some other blog-responders, I will give my off-point opinion anyway. It was a hole punch! Really?! I guess I could understand searching on-line for a top quality hole punch if I lived in the middle of nowhere or if it was an unusual product, but it was a hole punch. I probably would have gone to the next town to a Michaels (or another craft store) and just bought the one that I liked ... and I would have been wearing the belts the same day. It's not a criticism -- I actually have friends who are online shoppers ;) --- but I just don't get it. Tricia G.
ReplyDeleteI'm not entirely sure why it's hard to understand why I would rather click on two buttons on my phone to buy the product rather than drive to the next town with two kids in tow, searching from store to store for a product...
DeleteOnline shopping is convenient. Going to the store is not.
DeleteMy daughter needed a pair of dress shoes. We can drive an hour to a store that claims to have her size, discover that the person on the phone didn't believe that we knew what size shoes she needed and they don't really have any in stock but would be happy to order some, drive an hour home, return a few weeks later to try on the shoes, discover that none of them work, drive home empty handed... No. Instead my daughter spends as much (or little) time online searching for shoes that she likes, orders a pair, and they are on our front porch in a few days. She tries them on. If they fit, it saved a ton of time and gas and aggravation. If they don't fit, it's easy to shove the shoes back in the box and stop at the post office (a 10-15 minute drive, not an hour).
Books, games, craft supplies, swimming pool liner repair kit, books, suitcase, small appliances, baseball socks for my boys, books, travel adapter plugs, birthday gifts, Christmas gifts... And, of course, books. Lots of stuff is available online much more conveniently than having to locate the product in a physical store. If there's something I want to get, it might take me a week or two to have the time and energy to make a trip to the store. Or I can sit at my computer, point and click, and a day or two later the item will show up at my house. Aside from my daughter's shoes, I've only ever had to do two returns and both were very easy.
OK - I guess I get it. In fact, WarmSocks, it would also take a week or two or more before I, too, could face the drive to the next town to buy the hole punch. I get so distracted when shopping I often leave exhausted without buying anything and my one bad experience at on-line shopping has really soured me on the experience. Of course, if I am distracted in a store, you can only imagine the wandering I do on line! I decided I would take the leap by purchasing items at a store I am familiar with - Talbots. I like their style of clothes, they are age- and work-appropriate and I know (or thought I knew) how their clothes fit. I purchased five items and four had to be returned either because they didn't fit or, in one case, it was completely the wrong item. Not a great first-time-out! When I recently purchased a new (used) car, I read a lot of reviews on car websites about the cars I had in mind. Believe me, after that experience, I was convinced that there was not a single car manufactured that did not have serious problems. However, both of you have convinced me that I just need more experience .... so long as I don't end up liking it too much! Tricia
DeleteMaybe it's just me, but I feel like the seller really did their best. They gave you a refund when the product didn't show up, and it sounds like they did ship it to show up in the window they had told you. I wouldn't feel right giving a bad review for that. I certainly have had far worse experiences with Amazon sellers.
ReplyDeleteAs a frequent Amazon shopper, I appreciate honest reviews. You are not ruining someone's livelihood by giving honest feedback. If a seller wants good reviews, then the seller needs to provide service that warrants good reviews.
ReplyDeleteAfter getting stuck once by something that came via slow boat from China, I now know to double-check, and I really appreciate it when the bold title in the reviews say, "be aware this ships from China". But as others have pointed out, you'll want to leave a seller review, rather than a product review if you never received the product.