Ordered from smartbargains.com, package was lost/stolen, waited, waited, refund issued 3 months later.
Written: Sep 22, 2005 (Updated Sep 22, 2005)
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Smartbargains.com is an "online discount retailer", a business that buys up name-brand products from other businesses at distressed prices; all the items are either overstock, clearance items, remainders, close-outs, last year models, seconds/irregulars, or stock from businesses that are going out of business. If you have a Filene's Basement in your town, you can think of smartbargains.com as an internet version of it. For the consumer, it all translates to savings.
Shopping at smartbargains.com is pretty much straightforward. I had no problems accessing the site, and the policies associated with shopping on that site, e.g., shipping policies, returns, faq, etc.
Pricing, and product selection is good compared to their competitors like overstock.com
My problem started after I purchased a pair of sunglasses from smartbargains.com in July 2004 I paid by credit card, and selected their "cheapest" shipping option, which was their "standard" at $6.95. Now, while their shipping policies are accessible before you buy, nowhere did it mention what carrier will be used to ship your item. I discovered later--the hard way---what method that was, and the wait I had to endure to get a refund from a lost/stolen package.
After I placed an order from smartbargains.com, I received an email the next day about my package leaving their warehouse, and the tracking number. Through the tracking number, I discovered Smartbargains was using a carrier called packagedirect.com to deliver my item.
This is how packagedirect.com works: they take a package from smartbargains.com, load it onto a delivery truck, drive up to a USPS regional mail sorting center closest to your city, and drops the fucking package into the mailbox. They call it "shipment consolidation" in the industry---supposedly helping small business save money, at the expense of sticking the customer with longer delivery times.
Through the tracking number, packagedirect.com supposedly "delivered" my package to a USPS sorting center, but I never did receive my item. After 2 weeks, I emailed customer service, and got a form letter asking i wait 8 days for USPS to do a trace, and 10 more business days for them to resolve the issue. After 2 more weeks, I emailed/phoned, and they emailed back saying I have to wait 10 more days, and if I wasn't contacted, to contact them again...
After 10 days, I received no further response from smartbargains.com. It was apparent I had to contact my credit card company, but I let it slide for the time being.
Two-and-half months later, in mid-October 2004, smartbargains.com finally sent an email. They received the results from the USPS trace, and (smartbargains.com) considered the package lost in transit. I had the option of getting a similar item, or a full refund; I took the refund.
Smartbargains customer service over the phone seemed pleasant enough. I didn't get any clueless people from India reading from a script, just a straightforward refund, and an apology.
notes: Smartbargains filed for an IPO in July 2004, they withdrew the IPO in February 2005. Packagedirect.com had been acquired by FedEx in August 2004, and the service (of partially delivering items to to a USPS sorting hub) renamed FedEx SmartPost.
Recommended:
No
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? sunglasses
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