The saga continues!

So, I sent the ‘you’ve got 24 hours’ email on the 31st… and I get home from work last night – No Credit (Is anyone really surprised????) Although..there is another email letting me know they’ve forwarded my request for a credit (again).

So, since I have to wait till this morning to dispute the charge (I have to fax some paperwork into my bank to do it) – I unintentionally give the incompetent staff of buy.com some extra time to process the credit (hey, maybe they feed stuff to banks in the middle of the night only?). I check again this morning before I head out to work…no credit. So, I fax the stuff from work to dispute the charge.

I check my email when I get home.. and there’s an email from buy.com (I now ignore all the auto-responses)… that says: “… We would like to inform you that we have already forwarded the request for credit, …” and ” … Please provide us with a few business days for the credit request to be approved”

Uhh.. you mean the few business days they’ve had between the 19th of August and today aren’t enough? On the plus side..this email did finally provide me with a contact phone number (1-877-780-2464)..so.. I whip out the phone..and give them a call!

The call is answered by one of the many out-sourcing companies in India. While this might annoy some people right off the bat..I figure I can give them a chance..so here, is a paraphrased version of our phone conversation (No.. I didn’t record the call or write down everything we said..but this is close).. one thing I did find interesting on the phone call..buy.com charges you extra to place your order via a person instead of their website..

rep: Thanks for calling buy.com, how can I help you.

Me: I want my credit for the merchandise that I returned.

rep: I would like to inform you that it takes 7-10 days for the shipper to get the merchandise back to us

Me: It’s been in buy.com’s possession since the 24th of August according to FedEx

rep: I would like to inform you that it takes 2-3 days for our system to update, and then the request for credit will be issued.

Me: A request for credit has already been issued on the 19th of August..and how come no one will tell me who buy.com has to request credit from?

rep: I takes 5-7 days for a credit request to be approved.

Me: Great..it’s been 14..either give me the credit today, or if you can’t do it, let me speak to someone that can.

(rep repeats that they can request a credit for me several times, I repeat that I want my credit today, and if she can’t to let me talk to someone who can. She tells me no-one there can, but finally lets me talk to her supervisor)

Sup: We can only request credit, we can’t escalate it any further.

Me: That’s fine, I understand that not all call centers can do some tasks, if you can’t give me the credit, let me talk to someone who can.

Sup: You’re talking to as high up as you can go now.

Me: Fine, give me the number for Corporate HQ

Sup: We don’t have that number

Me: So..you’re an out-sourced call center, with no way of talking to your employers?

Sup: We’re not authorized to give you that number.

Me: what can you do?

Sup: We can request a credit for you

Me: That’s been done 4 times..obviously, it’s not working..so what can you, as a customer service department do for me?

Sup: We can request a credit for you

Me: So..you’re saying that as a customer service department…you’re really no help and can’t do anything?

Sup: We can request a <click>

I got tired of the broken record..and hung up… sent another email to buy.com informing them that the charge was being disputed, since I can do what I say I will..while they are apparently incapable of that. I also congratulated them on finding a call center full of volunteers who were willing to work without anyway of contacting corporate HQ! that’s got to be a real moneysaver!

Still looking for numbers/email address to Corporate officers..so if anyone’s got one let me know!