From: uni@acs.bu.edu (Shaen Bernhardt)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hardware
Subject: MacDepot  AGAIN!?!
Date: 13 Oct 92 23:42:56 GMT
Organization: Boston University, Boston, MA, USA


 
 
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
I should have listened to you all, but no... I had to go my own way.
 
Being in the market for a SuperFax Modem V.32bis I picked up the nearest
Mac World and staked out the "warehouses" for said modem.  Heeding the
warnings (that you smarter than I net users had posted) I avoided MacDepot
like the plague in my first pass.  I reminded myself to be wary of the "Sure-
we-shiped-it-sir!"  [low-whisper-with-hand-over-mouthpiece] "Damnit-Tom,
-call-inventory-and-ask-them-when-those-backordered-SuperFax-Modems-
are-going-to- be-in!" [back-to-customer]  "I-just-confirmed-the-shipping-
order-MYSELF-sir!" scam.  And as such I opened with the line "Hi do you have
any SuperFax Modems in stock?"  The first bite was MacCenter.  Some lady
answers and responds "We sure do!  Let me get you sales!" (Why sales isn't
rung at the outset is beyone me)  Then I get some sales shark.  "MacCenter
Sales may I help you."  'Yes, I'd like some information on the SuperFax Modem.'
"Yes, it's one of our best sellers!  It's got [long list of features deleted] and 
blah blah blah."  'And the cost?'  "$369."  'Oh, everyone else seems to be selling
it for $349.  Can you match that price?'  "Well, hold on let me check on that."
[pause much to short for any real consultation with anything/one] "Yes sir,
we can meet that price."  'Ok, I'll take it.'  [Relay of shipping information,
credit card info, phone numbers etc.]  Now, _AFTER_ all this info what do
I get?  "Well sir, now that I look, we seem to be out of stock." [BUUUUUZZZZ]
 'But...but...I asked [senseless dribble]'  "Well sir, it seems..."  
'Cancel my order.' *Click*
As it turns out, NO ONE ELSE HAS ANY IN STOCK.  I'm impatient, I want my
modem NOW.  So [mistake #2] I call MacDepot.  Dummy, Dummy, DUMMY.
I know I know.  But, sure enough, after three or four inquries they INSIST they
have them in stock.  (Interesting they wont answer exacally HOW many they have.)  They start right off with the $349 price instead of the bartering bullshit so I
figure hey... ok. [mistake #3]  "Have you ever ordered from us before sir?"  
'Uh, no.'  "Ok, let me take some information for our mailing list."  (Watch
closely folks or you might miss it.)  'Sure.'  [What the hell right?]  
So they want my home address, heretofor known as 123 Home St., the
credit card billing address heretofor known as 456 Bill St. and the
address where I want the modem shipped heretofore known as 789 Ship St.
Note that both Home St. and Business St. are in Chicago, and Ship St. is in
Boston (where I'm despertly trying to finish my MA)  With all these
addresses floating around, I make sure that they know which is which
by doublechecking, and then later TRIPLE checking.
No problems I figure right?  Ok, like I said-I'm impatient, I want my modem
yesterday, so I ship it FedEx.
24 Hours later (after skipping my whole day to wait for the FedEx guy who
can never figure out how to get into my building)  I've got to admit, I'm like a
kid again, there is a certian Christmas flashback whenever anyone gets a FedEx
package, don't you think?  Well 4:30 rolls around and those stories of lost
packages and forged inventory reports are floating in my head.  So I call up
MacDepot and ask (figureing I better get on it before they close) about the
status of my package Order # 435045-AX344  (or whatever)  "We shipped it
in full yesterday, should be there anytime...."
5:00 pm:  No package.  I know something is up.  Call MacDepot ask about
Order # 435045-AX344.  "Yes sir, we shipped it.  It should be there by
now."  (Note:  Right about here a creepy, slimy feeling crawls up my back,
and things smell very fishy [poor word choice?])  'Uhm, what address
was it shipped to?'  "Why, [clever smile] 123 Home St. of course!"  [NOOOO!]
It's not this that bothers me though.  I suppose it is really just an innocent
mistake if not a little predictable.  What really irks me is the way things
are delt with after this point.  I'm connected with a customer service agent
[agent being the operative [NPI] word here] who begins to try and solve my
problem.  I figure the first important thing to do is to see if the package 
was accepted in Chicago, I don't know for sure who's home, my fiancee
might very well have accepted a package delivered to me.  So I ask the
agent for the tracking number.  "The what?"  'The Federal Express package
tracking number.'  "Uh, hold on."  Now I don't know how many of you have 
talked to MacDepot before, but it can easily be said that MacDepot has the
WORST elevator music.  It's the local easy rock station over there in
Cali.  Great for sleeping, poor for waiting.  Anyhow, the agent comes back
after some ten minutes and announces that he doesn't have the tracking 
number because the computer is having problems.  (Note that the rest of
my order shows up without a problem, including the shipping date.)
Ok, not an unavoidable problem.  I tell him, I think it's too late as it's
working on 4:30 in Chicago, but if I can get the package refused I would 
like to have it sent to me here in Boston, at the PROPER address.  I'm told
that this is impossible.  "It's our policy not to send orders to any address
but the credit card billing address without a XeroX copy of BOTH sides of the
card." Sure enough, this is the FIRST I have ever heard of this policy.  I don't
deny it makes some sense, but someone should have mentioned it at SOME
time while I was placing my order.  So I say, 'First off, this is the first I have
ever heard of this policy.  Not only that but as you sent the order to my HOME
address, not the BILLING address.'  "No sir, that's not possible, we sent it
to the address the American Express people send your bill to.  123 Home st."
'Uh, that's my home address.'  "You must be mistaken."  'You're telling me I
don't know where my American Express bill goes?'  (I checked later just in
case, sure enough, 456 Bill st. is the ONLY address American Express has
for me at all.)  "Well, I can't explain why the exception was made, but
if you want us to take care of shipping we'll need a Xerox or fax of your
request and the credit card."  'First of all, never in my life can I imagine
a SECURITY policy to be excepted (especially with regard to phone credit
card orders) and second I would LOVE to fax you, but I don't have my Super
Fax modem.'  I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't think I could get
anyone to make an exception to a sales policy of ANYKIND even if I held a gun
to their head.  Not only that but I asked the sales person what the shipping was
going to cost, they gave me a quote for New York because it was the closest 
guess they had for a BOSTON price.  It boggles the mind that such a policy
(if it even exists) would never be mentioned much less be circumvented
without thought.
Ok, time to cut the losses I figure.  I'm going to eat it for two shipping
bills.  Whatever.  So I ask the customer service agent to call me when he finds
the tracking number at last, so I can find out if the package ever arrived in
Chicago.  He assures me he will "Call you the moment I know."  (and repeats
my phone number back to me)  That was at around 5:45 yesterday.
I found out eventually (with help from Federal Express who couldn't BELIEVE
MacDepot had lost the tracking number) that the package arrived in Chicago.
(In fact with the explanation FedEx gave me regarding its' importance, I was
tempted to tell MacDepot that the package never arrived.)
I'm not claiming this experience represents ALL of MacDepot's orders,
but their preformance in my experience leaves them 0-1-0, which as far as
I'm concerned will ever be their record with me.
 
uni@acs.bu.edu