Major problems with deepdiscount

[El Chuxter]

I'm posting this here as a warning. I'm not sure if anyone else has had problems with deepdiscountcd or deepdiscountdvd lately, but this one's so bad I doubt I'll ever order from them again.

On 11/27, I wanted to get the new album from Paul Stanley, and (as is so often the case) deepdiscountcd.com was the cheapest retailer. So I ordered it and, being subject to impulse buys when I'm ordering online, threw on a Waylon Jennings CD as well.

I got a shipping confirmation on 11/1 for Paul, and on 11/2 for Waylon. About two weeks later, Waylon arrived in my mailbox. But no sign of Paul, who'd shipped a day earlier. Not a big deal--I'm used to orders from them taking a while to arrive.

But Paul still hadn't arrived on Saturday (11/24). This was almost a month after the ship date, so I sent them an e-mail message. At about the same time, I sent another e-mail regarding a CD I'd ordered for Mrs Chuxter on 10/17 that was still on backorder. (I clearly indicated both order numbers in the subjects and bodies of the e-mail.)

Basically, I spelled out every detail (as I usually do when I have to write companies): I'd ordered two items, they shipped separately, one had arrived but the other hadn't. Not sure how you generally handle this situation, but I paid for the CD, and I'd like to have it.

On my wife's CD, I got an e-mail back within a couple of hours (so I know they were checking the mail on Saturday). But no response on the missing CD. So I e-mailed 'em Monday night (11/27). I forwarded the earlier e-mail, and again spelled out exactly what had happened, and mentioned that it had still not arrived.

The e-mail address I used (and have registered at both deepdiscount sites) is one I don't always check regularly, as I get a crapload of spam. I checked it again a little while ago, and had two really strange e-mails.

First, early Tuesday morning I received, instead of the polite "we're sorry, but we'll send out a replacement right away" message I expected, something that looked like a duplicate of the original order confirmation. But Paul's CD had gone up $3 since I'd ordered it, and the order number was different.

Then, from earlier this evening, a shipment confirmation. Not only was it for both CDs, but it indicated I was being charged for this shipment! I checked the credit card website immediately and, though details won't be available for at least 24 hours, there's a pending authorization that just so happens to be the same amount from the shipment confirmation.

Needless to say, I am furious. I wrote a polite but nasty e-mail stating that A) it looked like I was being charged for the order, B) I'd clearly stated twice before that I'd received the other CD, and C) the e-mails looked confusing as hell. I demanded they refund my card for this new amount, and said that I would return the CD they mistakenly sent when it arrived, so long as I do not have to do so at my expense.

We'll see how they handle it, and I'm hoping I just get what I already paid for and don't have to hassle with the credit card company over the second charge. To be honest, though, right now, I'm so p***ed off that, no matter how well they resolve it, I think I'll just pay the extra fifty cents to get stuff elsewhere. Anywhere elsewhere.

Anyone else having these issues lately?

[2-1B]

It took forever for my Sopranos 6.1 to get here, first time I ever had a delay with them but the next order for Seinfeld 7 came lickety split.

Good luck cleaning this up, Chux.

[darthvyn]

On 11/27, I wanted to get the new album... I got a shipping confirmation on 11/1 for Paul, and on 11/2 for Waylon.

yep... there's your problem right there - their time machine is broken.

(i assume you meant "10/27" for the date you wanted to get the new album...)

in seriousness, that sucks. i tend to go more middle-of-the-road on etailers. when buying computer stuff, for example, i used to find the cheapest price, but ended up having way too many problems, so i stick with a site that i know and trust that might be a little bit more expensive, but i know i'll get the item i ordered, and FAST. i don't order any media stuff online, but i feel that the same practice would hold true. basically, if you're paying very little for it, the company is paying their employees very little to get it to you, and thus they don't give a care.

[El Chuxter]

I got a response back today, with a return label for Waylon and an explanation that, in re-shipments, they issue a credit and then charge the account. Sounds like a kinda laborious way to do it. It sounds like the credit is for the new price, which it had better be, since I wanted to get Paul at the sale price.

Either way, I'm still p***ed that they could've sent a very brief explanation of what they were doing and saved the headache and confusion. And that they essentially ignored two separate e-mails where I said I'd received one item. I'm a cheapskate; I don't mind waiting a bit longer to save a buck or two. But now I'm worried about even getting any future orders, so I think I'm more likely to go a safer route.

Add to that the CD that's now been on backorder for a full six weeks, and should ship by 12/5. I don't think they're going to be able to get it, and don't want to just admit it. I could've ordered it from amazon.com for $0.70 more, and it would've been here almost a month ago.

Vyn, I'd prefer to get media items in a store, but around here, K-Mart, Wal-Mart, and Target are my options. If I get into town, there are a few other choices, but I usually can't make firm plans to go while the first-week sales are on. And, with only Target to compete with (K-Mart's hardly worth mentioning), the WM's aren't ones that run unbelievable sales on new items.

Believe me, I'd love it if there were a nice independent record store around here. (Well, there is one near work, but it's one of those that thinks "independent" means "we should only carry brainless crap for kids in mascara.")

[Jedi_Master_Guyute]

I dunno what to tell ya, Chux. During the 20% off sale, it took a few weeks for stuff to get to my place (1-2) and one flick, "Serenity" took almost 3 1/2 weeks. Then again, two things I ordered on Thanksgiving arrived safe n' sound this afternoon. DDD is really fickle when it comes to shipping.

Then again, you were ordering a CD by Paul Stanley, sans makeup and we all know that once the makeup leaves, the KISS guys kinda go silly (Dare i mention their hit co-written by Michael Bolton?) So, maybe this is a blessing in disguise? :crazed:

[darthvyn]

Vyn, I'd prefer to get media items in a store, but around here, K-Mart, Wal-Mart, and Target are my options. If I get into town, there are a few other choices, but I usually can't make firm plans to go while the first-week sales are on. And, with only Target to compete with (K-Mart's hardly worth mentioning), the WM's aren't ones that run unbelievable sales on new items.

all the more reason it pains me to see Tower going out of business... the selection was better than anything else (in an actual building). it just sucks that craptastic stores like bestbuy and walmart (along with piracy, no doubt, but not to the extent that record companies would lead you to believe) are responsible for Tower's demise, and now we'll get even less choice.