Daily Nonsense

I enjoy checking out some of the deal-a-day sites each morning and aggregating some of the better deals in my Daily Internet Bargains segment.  For the most part (but not in every case) I have purchased at least one thing from the sites that I list and have been happy with the experience.

Today I’m posting about a site which will not only never get listed in my bargains segment, but will never get my business again.

The story starts on October 19th (exactly one month ago today) when I ordered two Eleca Foldable Acoustic or Electric Guitar Stands from goingTODAY.com (AKA WrightWay Music Products).  The price was right ($5.99 each + $5.00 s/h) and I really could use these.  So, I place the order and pay via PayPal.  I promptly get a receipt from PayPal, saying that I had paid goingTODAY.com the total of $16.98.

That was the last prompt thing about this transaction.  Let’s fast forward to November 1 when I send an e-mail to the address as stated in my receipt from PayPal.  The result of that carefully crafted missive?  Nada, not a Frikkin’ thing.  Not from goingTODAY or PayPal.  Again, let’s move forward to November 2.  I send a second e-mail, this time to the ’sales’ address listed on their single page web site.  The response from that e-mail?  More of the same being ignored.

So, now it’s November 5 and I decide I’ve had enough of this particular brand of piss-poor customer service.  I go to PayPal and lodge a formal complaint against goingTODAY.

And then, magically, I get an e-mail from goingTODAY on November 6.  and what do they say?

Hello Bob,
The boxes designated for shipping that product were substandard – we are waiting for our box supplier to send a better product.  Estimated time on new boxes = 2 more days.
Estimated time to ship your 2 Eleca foldable stands = by end of this week.
I apologize for your wait.  Let me know if there is anything else that I can do for you in the interim.

It takes them 18 days and a formal complaint through PayPal to make someone want to contact me and feed me some story about a sub-standard shipping container?  And do they even bother to mention the PayPal complaint?  Hell no.

So, here’s the message.  There are a lot of companies out there selling inexpensive stuff.  Many of them can offer a pleasant shopping experience.  goingTODAY (AKA WrightWay Music Products) is not one of those, They suck from a customer service standpoint.  And I guess I should know, it’s what I do for a living.