How Not To Treat A Customer: Abusive Bait and Switch Online Camera Store

[regic]

Abusive Bait and Switch Camera Store

"I will make sure you will never be able to place an order on the internet again." "I'm an attorney, I will sue you." "I will call the CEO of your company and play him the tape of this phone call." "I'm going to call your local police and have two officers come over and arrest you." "You'd better get this through your thick skull." "You have no idea who you are dealing with."

These are all direct threats that I received today from an individual who identified himself as ... the manager of [online photo store] ...when I called to inquire about my order with them. My crime? Telling him that I planned to write an article about my unfortunate experience with his company regarding the camera order I had placed with him yesterday.

How are these people able to stay in business?...

One of the things that troubles me the most about this situation is that I found this retailer through Yahoo! shopping and they were perceived to have positive feedback...

full article: http://thomashawk.com/2005/11/priceritep...witch.html

[valleygirl]

How are these people able to stay in business?...

They probably have very few repeat customers.  Their Yahoo! Shopping listings are gone.

[iron_chick]

Update #17: Although PriceRitePhoto's website is still offline and they appear to have been dropped from all of the major shopping comparison sites, they are still operating on eBay. They are listed there as a "power seller."

[amy]

They changed their user ID in December.  Their 7th user ID change.  Good feedback 

[iron_chick]

[quote author=amy link=topic=1508.msg7789#msg7789 date=1137435290]
They changed their user ID in December.  Their 7th user ID change.  Good feedback 


[/quote]

Unfortunately, there are a lot of newbies (and not so newbies) out there who see 5000+ feedback and Power Seller and 98.9% and never actually LOOK at the feedback comments, because they do *think* it's good feedback.

Until their camera doesn't arrive.

[stardust]

[quote author=iron_chick link=topic=1508.msg7788#msg7788 date=1137431085]
Update #17: Although PriceRitePhoto's website is still offline and they appear to have been dropped from all of the major shopping comparison sites, they are still operating on eBay. They are listed there as a "power seller."
[/quote]As usual, that's disgusting.

[amy]

eBay needs to do something about the abuse of its mutually withdrawn feedback feature by certain sellers like this one, poster boy and his 2700 withdrawals, and a few others.

[mandy]

Update:  Yahoo Shopping lifted its 3-month ban of the camera store and PriceGrabber lifted a 1-year ban.  Apparently a name change is all it takes to be relisted on Yahoo Shopping after a ban.

Want to know how long it takes a sleazy online retailer to get relisted with Yahoo! Shopping after being delisted for abusing their customers? Give or take about three months...

full article: http://thomashawk.com/2006/03/yahoo-shop...photo.html

[jezebel]

[quote author=mandy link=topic=1508.msg10964#msg10964 date=1142511931]
Update:  Yahoo Shopping lifted its 3-month ban of the camera store and PriceGrabber lifted a 1-year ban.  Apparently a name change is all it takes to be relisted on Yahoo Shopping after a ban.

Want to know how long it takes a sleazy online retailer to get relisted with Yahoo! Shopping after being delisted for abusing their customers? Give or take about three months...

full article: http://thomashawk.com/2006/03/yahoo-shop...photo.html
[/quote]

[valleygirl]

What percentage of buyers do you think read merchant ratings before making a purchase?

http://www.pricegrabber.com/rating_getre...strec=100/