WARNING: buy.com 40GB IPOD -> was sent SOAP!!

[Papagayo]

BS..

I'm sure this happens to people, but the guy that posted this thread is new.. This is his first post..

"Hey, I ordered a Dell laptop from dell and they sent me a frying pan.. Ohhh no.. I'm gonna get a lawyer.."

 

[zippin44]

I voted for Gore and got Bush!

 

[brucekatz]

Dispute with credit card company, if it did not resolve, small claim court may be your best bet. It is not really that complicated, but going to court is often unpleasant.

Honest mistakes did happen. Once I ordered a N64 game from EB, I got the game, and they kept sending me PS1 game every other weeks (included invoice addressed to someone else). I called, they said, "keep it, cost more to pick it up". After 3 "free" games, they finally sent UPS. Oh, maybe someone is washing his hands with your IPOD, is it water proof?

 

[wallsfd949]

Shrink Wrappers can be bought for >$80 that will look just like store bought. I'm surprised we don't hear more about it.

On the other hand, this is HIGHLY Off Topic and I can't find a Hot Deal anywhere in this post. Read FORUM RULES before posting please.....

 

[AdOgG0911]

I'll tell you right now how this happened because a guy I knew from highschool was running this scam over 10 years ago. He worked in the warehouse of a large computer and electronics retailer. When shipments would come in, the guys in the stockroom would take what they wanted and sneak it out. Then they go home, remove the product, put back in some junk and used a shrink wrap machine to reseal it. Then they put it back in the warehouse the next morning. This is probably how you got your bar of soap.

They got busted because they got greedy and did it too often.

He ran the same scam at stores as well. Go buy something, take it home, remove the product and replace it with junk, reshrinkwrap and return it. Its still sealed so the $5 per hour CSR thinks nothing of it.

 

[smb]

Sorry to hear you got taken to the cleaners., but at least you will be clean as a whistle

 

[mdavis]

Thanks for the reseller ratings link. I had already posted to bizrate and pricegrabber.
I used Amex and will initiate a challenge.

 

[mdavis]

MODERATOR: please remove this post if it is not appropraite for this forum. I posted it here because I had read about the buy.com coupon on this site and had ordered from them because of this reason. I was also wondering if this problem was more widespread. buy.com has yet to refund my money. They still think it was stolen during shipment, yet I couldn't see any evidence of this...However, the shrink wrap was clearly NOT from apple.com. I think it's likely that they shipped me a returned item.


Regards, Mark

 

[PapaSurf]

Fry's does open the packages and they even check to see if the stickers on video cards have been tampered with.

 

[Mayfriday0529]

I work for a Computer Hardware company, we sell a USB device and make story short a customer return the device to the store he bought it from and that store send it back to us for credit without actually looking inside the box.

the unit had been open by the customer he took the entire part out of his case and replace the inside of the case with black puddy and put a regular USB cable inside and coming out of it so it looked somewhat normal.

we all laugh but didnt give credit to the company that return it for beign to stupid.

 

[MontyBurns]

Let us know what your "attorneys" find out.


Also, let me know where you can find not just one attorney, but two, who are so cheap that it's worth it to hire them over a $400 item. Now THATS a hot deal!

 

[VaG]

I hope you drop the soap and get what you deserve. You little snitch.

 

[Axon]

Originally posted by: MontyBurns
Let us know what your "attorneys" find out.


Also, let me know where you can find not just one attorney, but two, who are so cheap that it's worth it to hire them over a $400 item. Now THATS a hot deal!

If someone I knew had this happen to them, I would look into what I could do for them. However, I doubt any attorney in the world can help him prove that he's not palming the Ipod and trying to return soap.

 

[bman46]

This is a great story. I love it.

 

[UncleWai]

Originally posted by: VaG
I hope you drop the soap and get what you deserve. You little snitch.

hmm, mdavis is the victim who has the soap. I don't think he wants to get shafted again.

 

[Joe221]

Originally posted by: yukichigai

Originally posted by: SgtZulu
WARNING: another AOL user posts in the wrong forum

Yes, you can find the proper forum here, away from us.

Still, sucks dude. This is why I pay for all my online orders with American Express. While it isn't a cheap credit card their charge dispute services are top-notch; I have never had them back down from a dispute until I gave the say-so. Every time I've either gotten a refund (through the disputee or through AmEx's fraud protection) or a new product.

Actually I just had AmEx back down without my say so. I could have fought more but I was lacking enough proof and just gave up and didn't fight any more. I still wish AmEx had asked me first. On the other hand they won a dispute for me at the same time. so I'm batting 50%. Overall I love AmEx they've come through for me far more than they messed up.

 

[weepul]

Originally posted by: zippin44
You guys preume that the retailers really give a $!^^. I cannot tell you how many times I've been in Best Junk or Wal-Mart and have seen beaten up returned items that are obviously missing parts that they've just stuffed back in a box and put back on the shelf. Here's a personal example. I was in ChumpUSA last week looking for a scanner. humpUSA had the HP 5470c on close out for $49. They only had an open box, that they reduced to $44 because it had been previously returned. THe salesman said it had been tested by their techs and it worked fine, but suggested that I buy one of their replacement policies just in case. In fact, he said to "shake the scanner around a bit" when I got tired of it and they'd give me a new one. Anyway, I got home loaded all the software, crawled around on my knees to hook up all the wires, made my first scan, and presto, red, green, and yellow stripes! There's no way they tested it. Had to rip it all apart, repack everything... Like I have time for this! When I went back, I showed them my replacement policy, but they refused to replace it. THey just gave me my money back, and basically said too bad schmuck! Like I said, they don't care if you buy returns that are missing parts or whatever, because when you return it, they can usually just send it back to the manufacturer.

couldnt u have refunded both the scanner and the refund policy?

//krunk (^_^x)

 

[Phamine]

Originally posted by: zippin44
You guys preume that the retailers really give a $!^^. I cannot tell you how many times I've been in Best Junk or Wal-Mart and have seen beaten up returned items that are obviously missing parts that they've just stuffed back in a box and put back on the shelf. Here's a personal example. I was in ChumpUSA last week looking for a scanner. humpUSA had the HP 5470c on close out for $49. They only had an open box, that they reduced to $44 because it had been previously returned. THe salesman said it had been tested by their techs and it worked fine, but suggested that I buy one of their replacement policies just in case. In fact, he said to "shake the scanner around a bit" when I got tired of it and they'd give me a new one. Anyway, I got home loaded all the software, crawled around on my knees to hook up all the wires, made my first scan, and presto, red, green, and yellow stripes! There's no way they tested it. Had to rip it all apart, repack everything... Like I have time for this! When I went back, I showed them my replacement policy, but they refused to replace it. THey just gave me my money back, and basically said too bad schmuck! Like I said, they don't care if you buy returns that are missing parts or whatever, because when you return it, they can usually just send it back to the manufacturer.

You could always go through the manufacturer since they do offer a warrenty on items you buy. I've bought open box items on clearance at staples where I know the item doesn't work. You can't beat a $250 3 in 1 printer for $40=D

 

[Johnbear007]

Originally posted by: DarkNephree

Originally posted by: mdavis
I ordered a 40GB IPOD from buy.com.

I received a "shrink wrapped" package that was clearly not the "factory" shrink wrap. The seam was very rough and was down the middle of the box.

Inside, IRISH SPRING SOAP AND NEWSPAPER TO HOLD IT IN PLACE.

The delivery package was not opened.

The worst part of the situation is all the time and effort I have invested. buy.com still hasn't credited my account. Be warned and hope this isn't widespread.

My attorney's are investigating, and of course, I will challenge the charge.

Regards, Mark

How is this a HOT DEAL then Mark? I hate to post negs, but this thread has no place in Anandtech. If this thread were in the correct forum (w/ related category, of course) it would be a very helpful. Not here though, not really helpful for users who are excited to find HotDeals. Try posting your thread at resellerratings.com.

MODERATOR: Remove this thread.

Read the rules. Threads regarding fraud or shady business practices are acceptable in hot deals.

READ THE RULES BEFORE YOU ACT LIKE A WANNABE MOD RETARD.

 

[Johnbear007]

Originally posted by: wallsfd949
Shrink Wrappers can be bought for >$80 that will look just like store bought. I'm surprised we don't hear more about it.

On the other hand, this is HIGHLY Off Topic and I can't find a Hot Deal anywhere in this post. Read FORUM RULES before posting please.....

What about CONSUMER RIGHTS and BAD DEALS?

We all know there are dishonest dealers on the Internet. We also know that, at one time or another, everyone makes honest mistakes. Legitimate Hot Deals are Hot. Dishonest, deceptive and fraudulant offers and practices are NOT.

If a company has acted dishonestly or fraudulantly, threads discussing legal ways to enforce your rights are a valid and important topic for discussion.


Try reading the rules yourself noob.

 

[mchammer187]

What about CONSUMER RIGHTS and BAD DEALS?

We all know there are dishonest dealers on the Internet. We also know that, at one time or another, everyone makes honest mistakes. Legitimate Hot Deals are Hot. Dishonest, deceptive and fraudulant offers and practices are NOT.

If a company has acted dishonestly or fraudulantly, threads discussing legal ways to enforce your rights are a valid and important topic for discussion.

If a company posts a deal and then cancels it for reasons such as a pricing error, before you scream for blood or go looking for a lawyer, consider the circumstances:

* Did the original ad contain enough information to show that the company knew (or should have known) the true value of the items offered and the amount of the discount they were offering?
* Did the company announce the cancelation in a timely manner?
* Did the company offer any reasonable compensation (discount, gift certificate, etc.) to those who were legitimately inconvenienced by their actions?
* Does the company have a documented history of "bait-and-switch" or other questionable tactics?

If, after considering these questions, you believe a company has acted dishonestly or fraudulantly, we welcome threads discussing your rights and legal ways to enforce them. Please remember:

* Uninformed rants and misinformation accomplish nothing.
* Calls for illegal acts of retaliation can only lead to trouble. Those who engage in such acts may lose any rights they had and end up with legal problems of their own.
* If a bunch of greedy people actually manage to hurt a good company, it will only ruin future good deals for everyone.

Try to keep all posts about a given problem in one thread. If you start a consumer action thread, you get to maintain it. If the thread gets too long, start a continuation thread, and post links from old thread to the new one and from the new thread back to the old one.


Don't flame bitching that this is not a hot deal when you haven't even read the rules n00bs
EDIT: Seems johnbear beat me to it

 

[Naruto]

Was it refurbisehd IPOD? I bet you some sleazy apple employee packed a bar of soap in they because hey, white soap looks like an IPOD... at a distance!

And it's ok to cuss about this injustice because you got soap to clean your mouth with now.

 

[Childs]

Originally posted by: Naruto
Was it refurbisehd IPOD? I bet you some sleazy apple employee packed a bar of soap in they because hey, white soap looks like an IPOD... at a distance!

And it's ok to cuss about this injustice because you got soap to clean your mouth with now.

I work at Apple, and can assure you that we would not replace and Ipod with Irish Spring. Dove maybe, but Irish Spring is too pedestrian.

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: new2AMD
Im off to buy some irish spring to see if theres an ipod inside.

+5 funny

 

[iliopsoas]

Originally posted by: Parn
Every return should be taken out of shrink wrap and checked before accepted

If retailers were smart, that would be the policy. I returned a cdrw looong time ago to Fry's, that I had never opened, and they opened it anyways to check the contents. That is smart.

Fry's is checking the contents only because they've been scammed many times. A long time ago, try 8 years ago, I bought a sound card from them in a returned box. when I got home, I found that it was just an old PC board. I went back in to Frys and swap it without a problem.