I was ready to let the OnSale issue drop and just not order from them again.
And then yesterday I got a response to the email I sent them on Feb 2nd. Ten days earlier.
This cheesed me off enough that I decided to send them an email explaining why I won’t be shopping there anymore.
To: support@onsale.com
Subject: Attn: Customer ServiceI would like to let you know why I will not be ordering from OnSale, PCMall or MacMall again.
Order #XXXX
Account #XXXXOn Jan 25th I placed an order for a laptop backpack on the OnSale web site.
On Jan 26th I received an email stating that my order had been entered.
Later on Jan 26th I received another email stating that my order was being processed.
That was the last email that I received from OnSale until Feb 12th.
On Feb 2nd – one week after I placed the order – I checked my order status online to discover that it was still ‘in process’. I then sent an email to orders@onsale.com to find out what the status was.
I got no reply.
On Feb 10th – more than two weeks after I placed the order – I checked the status on the web site and it stated that my order had been canceled.
So I called the customer service number to find out what happened to my order.
I have to admit that the hold time was reasonable and the service representative (Juan?) was pleasant and helpful.
I explained my situation and the representative told me that there was a problem with my credit card and that you had sent me an email about it. Since I did not respond to the email within 48 hours, you canceled my order.
I never got that email. Nor did it appear in my spam folder.
The representative asked me if I wanted to reorder the item. Since there had been a rebate on the item that required it to be purchased before Jan 31st, I did not wish to reorder it.
I thought that that would be the end of it.
Then, to cap it off, yesterday, Feb 12th, TEN DAYS after I sent the email inquiring about my order, I got an email response:
> CC DECLINED..CUSTOMER HAS BEEN EMAILED 01/26/06
> ——-
>
> The credit card used on this order declined. You were emailed and the
> order was systematically cancelled after 48 hours.
>
> If you still want this item, please enter a new order or all a sales rep
> at 888-760-0300
>
>
> Michael Stewart
> WEB Response Rep
> PC Mall / Mac Mall
> FAX 310 630-5194
> email: michaelst@pcmall.comFirst off, in case no one ever told you this, email is unreliable. It is not guaranteed to get there, nor is there any guarantee on it’s delivery time.
Second, why ask for a phone number on the order form if you are not going to use it to follow up if there are problems with the order?
Third, why was there a 10 day lapse between when I asked for information and when I got a response? On the Contact Us page, it states:
> We can effectively manage support needs via e-mail with a maximum
> 24 hour response time. Please e-mail us at: support@onsale.comI realize that I sent my email to orders@onsale.com, not support@onsale.com, but still, ten days?
I admit that the order was only for $30, and that perhaps I should have followed up sooner, but there should have been no problems with my credit card – I use this card online all the time – and I should not have to follow up on every order I make.
So, my first order experience with OnSale will be my last. And the fact that PCMall and MacMall are related to OnSale also means I won’t be ordering from either of them.
So, now we wait (want to take bets on whether it’s ten days?) to see if we get a response.
