Hmm.

[afuna]

I paid for a tablet end of October, with delivery set for mid-to-end November. It's the beginning of December, and no news; the company responded to my first email, telling me they're talking to the courier. My second email (sent yesterday) has had no reply.

I'm worried that it's too late to file for a chargeback, but let's say it isn't, should I tell the company I'm filing for a chargeback, or should I let the credit card company handle it? Is there a polite way to go about this?

I'm torn between giving them a chance to figure out what's going on, and trying to resolve things so I'm not out the money I paid, with nothing to show for it.

Bleh.

Comments

[zorkian]

I don't know how shipping in your country/to your country works, but at least here, there should be a tracking number that the sender can give you. This gives you some ability to talk to the courier and see what the status of the package is.

Without a tracking number, your recourse is either get satisfaction from the company or initiate a chargeback. I would definitely talk to them first and let them know that you are going to -- often a company will get their act together when they realize they're going to lose the money plus face recriminations from their bank.

[afuna]

Hehe, yeah, my biggest concern is that it sounds like a threat.

On the other hand, it is a threat, isn't it? And one that means that we don't involve a third party if they can resolve it on their own. Okay, have decided I will get over my worries about being confrontational because and contact them tomorrow, after a good night's rest.

[zorkian]

Unfortunately there are very few tools in your toolbox for this problem.

a) Talk to them more.
b) Talk to the courier (requires a tracking number of some sort).
c) Initiate a chargeback.

If you can't do B, you might as well do A and let them know that you're aware and willing to do option C if they can't give you resolution (such as giving you the ability to do B).

But since you mention that this is a tablet, it's probably a decently large amount of money -- and that's absolutely worth doing C over. You don't want to end up out the money.

[afuna]

Thanks, this was really helpful! First time I've ever had to deal with anything like this (usually I just pick it up straight from the store), and you were immensely helpful <3

Went to their office and got them to give me an update. (In fairness to them, it looks more like incompetence / communications breakdown rather than malice/fraud) so very politely applying pressure seems to be doing the trick.

(It's not even my money, that's the problem! It was for a friend who didn't have a card with sufficient credit, but had the cash to back it up, so went through mine and uuugh just a mess all around).

[jumpuphigh]

I know with my credit card company, to initiate a chargeback, I have to have given the company the opportunity to refund my money. I would follow up with the email that they didn't respond to telling them that they need to refund your money within 24 hours or you will be contacting your credit card company.

[afuna]

Thank youuuuu this was really helpful, and led me to the right direction to be able to get a response from them <3333

[synecdochic]

Yeah, what others said: write a final notice to the company saying that you are giving them one last chance to give you a tracking number with the courier, to ship a new tablet, or to refund your money, and after that it's chargeback time.

[afuna]

Thanks <3 that was very good advice <33

[schadenfreude]

This past June, I ordered a camera and had the same issue arise. I called the telephone number listed on the "Contact Us" page, left a voice message that if I didn't hear something by the end of business hours that day, I was calling my credit card company, to stop payment. I heard from them that day and received the camera by second day delivery.

[afuna]

Excellent, I'm glad that worked for you! They didn't respond until I went physically to their office, but once I was there, I knew exactly what to say, so thank you for your comment! *g*

Ack!!!!!!!!!!!!

[shinsetsu]

Dear Afuna,

I just made you a comment reply to your comment about Google and John Lennon, and I misspelled a word, so I was going to delete MY comment and re-do it, but instead, I deleted yours by accident. :( I will leave my misspelled one there now before I delete something else. You can still read it. I'm sorry I deleted yours. I was happy to hear from you. D:

Re: Ack!!!!!!!!!!!!

[afuna]

Belatedly it is okay! (And uh do you want me to re-comment there with the missing comment? Though it's quite likely too belatedly for it to matteR!)

Re: Ack!!!!!!!!!!!!

[shinsetsu]

Thank you, but I got in a funk and took off a bunch of entries completely, so it's okay. :/

Re: Ack!!!!!!!!!!!!

[afuna]

<3