"Available immediately" must not mean what I think it means...
by Stacimd000 - Written: Dec 18 '01
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The Bottom Line
Don't believe everything you read... If you expect to receive your order by a certain date, don't shop here.
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| Full Review |
I placed an order with BarnesandNoble.com on Wednesday, the 12th of December. B&N had a special promotion which offered free three-day shipping with UPS if you:
*order more than one item
*all items you select are designated as being available
to ship within 24 hours
*you select to have all items shipped together
My order consisted of 9 items, and I met the other criteria for free shipping as well. According to the website, my order would ship within 24 days, in one package, and at no shipping cost to me. I expected my order to ship by the end of day on Thursday. On Friday morning, I received email that stated one item had been shipped, the others would follow. That evening, I received an additional email that another item had shipped. This message also said that three more items would ship separately, and the remaining four would ship on December 26, 2001.
Everything in my order was intended to be a gift for Christmas, so on Monday the 17th, I called B&N's customer service at 1-800-the-book. I spoke to a representative who informed me that it looked like the rest of the order was in stock, and was being prepared to ship. Because I had placed my order before the 18th, B&N guaranteed to deliver before Christmas. The customer service agent said to allow a day to go by, then to call back to confirm that everything had shipped. She also informed me that they would upgrade my shipping to two day express free of charge if need be.
On the morning of the 18th, I had a new email message informing me that three more items had gone out, but it still stated the remaining four would not ship until the 26th. Once again, I called customer service. The person I spoke with said all but one item was in stock, and that all 4 books were waiting on that one because I had selected to have them ship together. (Even though the rest of the order shipped in three packages.) She stated that she would send a rush request to the warehouse to send the other three out with express shipping.
On the afternoon of the 18th, I received yet another email message which shows where one more item had been sent out, but the other three are still slotted for the 26th. Again, I had to call customer service. The agent I spoke to this time said that the only way the remaining instock books would be sent now is if I chose to cancel the out of stock book and reorder it later (with me being charged for shipping on that book). She also informed me that when the website said something was available to ship immediately, it only applied if they happened to have the book in-stock. According to her, there was no way to find out online if something was really available. As I was not happy with her answer, I requested a supervisor. When she came on the line, she offered to make the out of stock book a separate order with free shipping, so the remaining items could be sent out.
I must wait until tomorrow to see if this happens. Personally, I placed an order with the understanding that all of my selections were available. Now, nearly a week later, I should already have my order but I am still fighting to get it shipped. I will not use this company again.
This company has a huge online selection, and very good prices. I find it easier to shop for books online than in a store. However, I cannot trust a company that does not honor its commitment. As far as my recommendation to others: only place an order if you have a lot of patience and can wait 2-3 weeks for delivery.
Recommended:
No
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