HSN did right by me
Written: Nov 28 '07 (Updated Nov 29 '07)
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After shopping online, and checking out all the deals available, I finally settled on HSN for the purchase of two Irobot cleaning robots - a Scooba for the kitchen floors, and a Roomba for the rest of the house. HSN had the best deals available, free shipping, and a first time customer coupon that sealed the deal for me.
Using the site was easy, and after a few clicks, I was excited to start cleaning my home without lifting a finger! I am an impatient, and perhaps lazy (robotic vacuum???), person, and so after application of all the discounts, I figured I'd actually pay for two-day shipping. I don't like standing in lines, either...
Well, according to the HSN checkout process, the shipping sure ate into my discount, but I was OK with that - I placed the order on Thursday, and HSN said I'd have my boxes on Saturday. OK, OK, I should have realized this really wasn't going to happen, but that's what my final receipt said. And, as it turns out, my initial fears were correct.
By Saturday, the day that HSN had said my boxes would arrive, the Order Status page still suggested that my items hadn't shipped yet. To be fair, I placed the order on Thanksgiving Day, and despite their assertion that it would arrive two days later, on a Saturday, I was pretty sure that I wouldn't see these little robotic wonders until Monday. At least, that's what I figured when I placed the order.
Here's where HSN really impressed me: I sent an e-mail to Customer Service, and actually got a response! One that certainly suggested that : 1) they actually read my inquiry, and 2) went so far as to look at my original order before responding. NOW I'm impressed. In addition to the profuse apologies, the customer service rep promised to get the items out Monday (1 business day later than I had optimistically hoped for), AND, once the items were received, would credit my charge for the expedited shipping. Oh yeah, AND the items would still ship expedited!
So, when do I get my boxes of robotic wonder? TUESDAY! They must have shipped Monday, and somehow these two huge boxes made to me the next day. I am impressed, as well as pleased.
Now I'm feeling a little bit guilty. I don't return items as a general rule, and while I will shop for a deal, I don't usually haggle over it. Realistically, after having placed an order on Thanksgiving, the following Tuesday is pretty darn expedited for receipt of two large (and yes, expensive) boxes. I struggled with letting the whole thing go and not contacting HSN further - but at the end of the day I realized that I had spent over $120 on two-day shipping, had purchased over $500 in merchandise, and they had promised me I'd have my robotic kitty tormentors on Saturday (Oh, yes, buy a Roomba just for the effect on the resident feline: Roomba Robotic Vac - $350; Two-day Expedited Shipping - $120; Look on kitty's face when these things start roaming the house - PRICELESS!).
But I digress....
Bottom line: I sent Customer Service an e-mail, with the original e-mail as an attachment, indicating that I'd received the items, and inquiring about the refund. Their response? MORE apologies, and a promise that my charge card would be credited nearly all the shipping charges - I think the original deal had free standard shipping on one vac, and nominal charges for shipping applied to the other. Credit turns out to be close to $110.
So, all in all, quite an impressive experience. Look, I expect that I may be mislead when it comes to promised delivery dates, and that sometimes circumstances change and things don't go the way everyone expects or promises. But HSN dealt with the problem quickly, properly, and almost to the point that I feel guilty about it. I'll get over it, I'm sure, and perhaps my guilt is partially what compels me to write this review. I trust the karmic balance has been restored. HSN did right by me.
UPDATE: Two days after the miraculous arrival of my robots, the miraculous arrival of my credit for the shipping charges - $108. Well done, HSN.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
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Reviews written: 8
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