Deceptive and unethical business practices
Written: Jan 04 '05 (Updated Sep 01 '05)
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I purchased a watch from Overstock.com. Delivery time was average and the order was accurate. Customer service was awful.
According to Overstock's website and the documentation that accompanied the watch, the warranty is through Overstock, not the manufacturer (Seiko). After five months, the watch stopped running. I thought it may simply have needed a new battery. I wanted to take it to a jeweler rather than send it in to Overstock, especially because Overstock charges $8 up-front for any items shipped for repair. A literal interpretation of the warranty makes it sound like changing the battery may void the warranty, so I wanted to ask someone at Overstock about it.
I tried calling their customer service and warranty repair phone numbers, but both were out of service. I called the main number and eventually got a customer service rep. He instructed me to contact Seiko to find out if the warranty would be voided. I told the rep that the warranty was with Overstock. He sounded confused, put me on hold, and then said that he couldn't get through to the warranty department, so he emailed them and told me I should receive a response within two days.
I received an email from the warranty department which claimed that I had no warranty because I didn't purchase one. ("There is nothing we can do at this time.") The email concluded with a sales pitch for three special deals.
I called another customer service rep, told him about the email, and then started reading the warranty certificate that was included with the watch. After putting me on hold for a long time, he said that "because we included a warranty certificate, we will honor it." (Overstock's website, however, says ALL their Seiko watches are under their warranty.) He also told me that I could have the battery replaced without voiding the warranty. (He then tried to give me a sales pitch for three special deals. I politely told him to stop wasting his time.)
I had the battery replaced by a local jeweler. Fortunately, that was the problem with the watch, though it surprised me that I had to replace a battery after only five months. As for problems with Overstock.com, this company obviously tries to avoid honoring its warranties.
UPDATE -- Reaction to the Merchant's Response:
"I'm sorry that the warranty information you received with your watch was confusing for you and that you had difficulty locating our customer service phone number." The warranty information was not "confusing" for me; it did not cover my question: does the opening of the watchcase by a third party to check or replace a battery invalidate the warranty? I had NO difficulty locating your customer service number. The numbers posted on the website and in the information that accompanied the product were not in service according to the phone company's recording; I tried them multiple times on different days.
I agree that many merchants charge a fee similar to your $8 fee. A careful reading of my review will reveal that I did not complain about the $8 charge at all. But it simply did not make sense to send the watch to you and pay $8 IF all it needed was a battery, especially IF replacing the battery would not invalidate the warranty.
"Overstock.com would not attempt to avoid honoring a valid warranty." According to the email I received from your warranty department, my warranty was not going to be honored. That and my other experiences detailed above are strong indications of Overstock's lack of willingness to honor the warranty.
Recommended:
No
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? Seiko watch
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| Response To Review from Merchant |
Re: Deceptive and unethical business practices
Jan 19 '05
Dear Customer,
I'm sorry that the warranty information you received with your watch was confusing for you and that you had difficulty locating our customer service phone number. Our main customer service number is 1-800-843-2446, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (excluding holidays) and is listed on our website under the Help screens, and also on every page of the Checkout process. Should it be necessary to replace any of the items not covered by the watch warranty, that would not invalidate the warranty. The 3-year Overstock.com watch warranty information, which covers your watch, states that the watch warranty "Excludes the watchcase, watch bracelet, straps, glass, or battery". We do charge $8.00 for the processing, handling, and return shipment for any watch that is returned under the 3-year Overstock.com warranty. With just about any warranty on any product you purchase at any other retailer, there is usually a fee associated with products that are returned for warranty issues. The warranty referred to in the email which stated that you did not purchase a warranty is an "extended protection plan" warranty which is not available for watches. Overstock.com would not attempt to avoid honoring a valid warranty, and please note that with almost 500,000 products on our website, the customer service agents in the call center may not have answers to all information that you were requesting of them. It was not their intent to mislead you regarding the watch warranty. Sometimes they must escalate issues to a research team for further review and response, which does take a few business days to resolve. Apparently the request was forwarded to an incorrect warranty queue from which you received that email. I apologize for any confusion caused as a result of this error. Please know that we are committed to correcting any errors that have occurred. I would certainly encourage you to contact our Help Desk at ceooffice@overstock.com to address any additional concerns you are having. We truly value your opinion and look forward to your next order with Overstock.com. I would hope that an unfortunate misunderstanding of the watch warranty terms would not deter you from shopping with us in the future. Sincerely, Ryan R. Escalations Specialist Overstock.com
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