Site To Store To Nowhere
Here We Go Again!
I've been trying to get a new hard drive based recorder. I say trying because not only is my local Wal-Mart out of it, but only one store out of the twenty closest has "limited supplies." I found out that Wal-Mart has this new Site To Store plan. It works kind of like the old Sears catalog pickup. I order it online, they ship it to the store, and they send me an email when it is ready to be picked up. By sending it through the Wal-Mart distribution channel, they don't charge me shipping. They also claimed on the site to not charge my credit card until I pick up the item. Reportedly, if I don't pick it up, I don't get charged.
With the above in mind, I decided to give it a try. My order went through. Because it was shipped through the Wal-Mart distribution channel, there is no way to track the package like with UPS or FedEx. After a week of looking up my order, and it only saying "shipped," and never receiving the email to pick it up, I started to get curious. Make that impatient. After all, the Fall TV season is starting in two weeks. I wondered if maybe I had missed the email, or it hadn't gotten past the spam filter.
I copied down my order number, and headed to the store that the device was to be shipped to. At the desk was a pleasant woman, who offered to get some help. She called on a handheld radio, and I heard several of the associates say that they were doing something, and couldn't respond. On the 3rd request, an assistant manager did respond to the desk.
I explained the situation to the at least partially disgruntled woman. She took my order number, entered it into the system, and told me it was "returned." Huh?! I never received it, so how could I return it? She then told me that the item must have arrived at the store damaged, and it was returned for credit.
I then asked if they were getting me another one. I was told "No, there's a shortage of these." She then suggested that I put the order through again.
Then, this was the final shocker. She asked me for my credit card for the refund. Huh?? I thought I wasn't being charged for this? I was told that I had been charged when I placed the order, but they would take it off now.
I left wondering, empty handed mind you, that if I hadn't gone to the store, that the charge would have been on my credit card bill for an item never received!
Overall, I am completely dissatisfied with my Site to Store experience. Last night, I received a survey from them. I started to fill it out, but after 10 minutes of filling in dots of how the experience went, I gave up. I was hoping for a text box that I could explain it to the higher ups, but I decided to simply post it here instead. Maybe they'll get the message- then again, maybe not. Next time, I'll use Amazon.
If you've used Site to Store, feel free to share below.
--Jonas
Labels: shopping, Television, television recording, Walmart
posted by digitaldoc at 6:14 AM
4 Comments:
The sad part about this is that stores are *supposed to* adhere to the rules as put forward by the credit card companies in order to accept those credit cards. This means that, according to Visa, you can not be charged until you actually receive a product/service or until the item is shipped.
I have a feeling they had the wrong text on their website and it should have said you would not get charged until it was shipped even though the Site to Store paradigm is a bit different than a traditional "mail order" method.
I believe the S2S method is SUPPOSED to be more like shopping at the store in person only you "called ahead" to make sure the item was in the store. So you technically should not have been charged until you actually picked up the item. Evidently, the charge was processed using the more traditional method of when shipped instead.
There's not much you can do about this other than complain to the vendor and complain to Visa though, in my experience, this rarely solves anything. It's one of the reasons I stopped buying from Buycom.com as they always charged me at time of order instead of at shipment. Finally, Buy.com eventually *fixed* this and I started buying from them again though I stopped buying because their prices are too high.
Sorry you went through this. I hope you get your recorder set up before the season starts!
Kevin
Thanks for the input, but no apology necessary (at least from you, Kevin)!
I wasn't going to complain to Visa as the charge is off the account (so I think). At any rate, I do have a receipt that says so.
Amazon doesn't charge my account until the item leaves the warehouse. I'm pretty sure it's the same for NewEgg and most others.
I don't understand why they didn't attempt to get me another one. That process can't be good for business. I mean, after all, I'm willing to buy one, they just need to get it in my hands! Are they too dumb to figure that out and not just leave the order in limbo?
I think I should have something ready to go by the TV season debut. If not, I'll be literally glued to my set.
--Jonas
I noticed that both Sam's and Costco had units like the one you were looking at, but I didn't investigate them. Even if you're not a Costco member, you can buy from their website for an additional 5%. My experience with Costco was mail order was very good.
Just upgraded my PVR to run with two tuners. Autumnwave just released new software that supports multiple units. Made my first dual HD recording last night as a test, and the AMD dual core never broke a sweat. Have to up the hard drive space and I'm ready to go for the fall season!
Got my hopes up, but I looked around both Costco and BJ's, and they only have DVD recorders, or Tivo. The toy I want, no make that need, is the Philips 3575 which is a Walmart exclusive. It has a hard drive like a Tivo, but no monthly fee.
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