Wolf's Den

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFwwM9WhL2w

www.remember-them.com

So I tried to buy some Zune Pass points last night.

Normally I don't buy them because most of the mp3s I download are free to download with my Zune Pass subscription (kind of like a Napster ir iTunes account). I just wanted 400 points because, as I've said, I don't use them that often. 400 points is $5.00.

I entered all my CC info and clicked confirm purchase..

It proceeded to tell me my CC number was invalid. 4 times. I was tired, so I kept double checking to be sure I was indeed entering it correctly. Tried spaces, tried no spaces, everything.

I checked my PayPal account, as that was the account the CC was drawing on. I was charged for the $5.00 worth of points I wanted. I looked at my Zune acount. No points were there.

I received an email- 4 times, that said my CC number needed to be validated before I could finish my purchase. Checked my account and IT said that the CC was valid and 'good', so now I'm getting frustrated and confused, as I know I had the $5.00 in my PayPal account, and I know I have no points to reflect where that $5.00 went to.

So I called Zune Customer Service.

Went through the rigamorale of the automated system, and got some guy who spoke so fast and with such an Indian accent that if he said his name I didn't catch it. The background was full of loud talking, laughing and music. Ok, I assumed he was in a large call center type place. The background noise should have been my first clue on how this was going to go.

I explained my issue and he went to pull up my account. Only HE can't find it. I have to literally SPELL MY NAME out to him. I have to literally tell him exactly how to find my account, which I was looking at in front of me on my computer screen, as well as my PayPal account.

He finaly finds my account, I have to explain again that I paid for points and did not recive them. After 15 minutes, with me repeatedly asking him to repeat what he just said because he said it so fast that I couldn't understand him, he puts me on hold, saying he was going to try to find someone from billing. That should have been my second clue that this wasn't going to end well.

After waiting 14 minutes, 13 seconds, he comes back and my gods, the background music was blaring through my cell phone. He literally, I shit you not, asked me if I could hear him. I said barely, I can barely understand you. He says a bunch of stuff, something about billing and waiting some more. I asked him several times what he was saying. I said repeatedly, I cannot understand you. It got so bad that at one point, I literally held the phone away from my ear, a good 10 inches, and could STILL hear the music loud and clear. I said, 'Dude, this is extremely unprofessional. I cannot understand a word you are saying over your music.'.

He rattled on, saying something about a ref number. I grabbed a pen and said ok, what is the damn number? he rattled it off, I repeateded it back- amazing how THAt came through clearly and he said something about me going BACK on hold again. I said you want me to hold for billin g again? I THINK he said something about either holding or calling back, hel if I know. I said fuck this shit, and hung up.

Mark came upstairs to see what was wrong, cause he could hear me downstairs- I guess I thought if I couldn't understand HIM, he couldn't HEAR me. he said when you call back, file a complaint. I planned to, believe me. I was pissed. No, I was LIVID.

I immediately called Customer Service back, and after going through the automated service again, got a woman this time. With a blessedly silent background and no decernable accent.

I gave her my name and said I have a ref number, which she then asked for. She asked for my phone number, which the first guy never asked for(he asked for my user name, email addy, etc), and she managed to pull my account up in no time.

I asked if the first guy's name was on the file and she said yes, I said good because I'd like to file a complaint against him, in addition to having my issue addressed hopefully. She got me a manager almost immediately, I only had to wait maybe 1 minute. He took down all the info, I said the guy had an Indian accent, which I know really means nothing these days, he laughed and said, yes, but he still had to ask. I explained that even after 30 minutes, my issue still hadn't been resolved, he agreed that that was wrong, that it should never have taken that long.

I also told him that the music sounded like 'Bollywood' music, if that helps any. He said indeed it did. So it sounds to me as if this guy has heard this before. so we got the complaint filed. He addressed my issue of being charged for the points , being told the card was invalid and not getting the points. Said he has no record of the transaction, and asked why I was buying points if I had a Zune Pass (he asked if he could ask me first), I replied that it was because sometimes I come across music I like that requires points, otherwise, as he could see, I don't buy them that often. He laughed and said yes, the record showed I last bought points in August, and before that, July.

He agreed that something was wroing in that my money was taken from the PayPal account, and yet, I didn't receive the points. He asked that I give it a day or so, see if the points either show up or if PayPal puts the money back, as he has a PayPal account as well and that's happened to him, though not with Zune. I said ok, and thanked him for his time.

That took 10 minutes. And that's how it should have been the first time.

As of today, neither the money or the points have shown up. I'm giving them until tomorrow before I call back.

Apparently over the weekend, they closed down 2 shops without prior warnings.

Closed down as in, GONE, account is wiped, etc.

There's been numerous threads in the forums lately pertaining to buyers suddenly contacting Etsy Admin, instead of the seller as they are supposed to, about non delivered packages. This in turn, generates a report on file for that seller, who otherwise had no clue that a package wasn't delivered properly. This creates a blemish on an otherwise spotless account.

According to the buying rules, buyers are supposed to contact the seller with any and all questions, to try to resolve any issues BEFORE contacting Etsy. Yeah, that doesn't always happen, nor does it get enforced by Etsy.

As a result, shops are getting shut down without warning.

Another thing that's apparently happening, is that certain persons in the forums are harrassing others, and when the seller being harrassed complains, THEY GET SHUT DOWN, with the excuse of 'history of conflicts' emailed to them.

Wow.


I honestly can't say I'm suprised at this. What with no time limit on when buyers have to leave feedback for purchases by, it leabes it open for them to claim a package was never received, up to 6 months later. Yes, an incident such as this was brought up in the forums. And yes, there are unscupulous buyers who would make such claims. In which case, you not only lose out on the merchandise, but run the risk of losing your shop, as well as the possibility of PayPal refunding the buyer if it's within 45 days.

Also, having a tracking number isn't by any means a guarentee that you won't get screwed over, as PayPal apparently only takes Deliovery confirmation or Insurance tracking numbers. So if it's an internationally shipped package, which you can't get insurance or tracking on unless you pay exorbinant prices ($25.00 for Express Priority, which does offer tracking), you're screwed.

Getting a straight answer from Etsy Admin as far as whether our discxlaimers in ouir shipping profiles will be respected or not, is like pulling teeth.

Then of course, there's the conflicting information from the Post Offices as well, as to which forms are outdated and which forms are now used.

Something else I've noticed- it's getting to where you cannot mention ANYTHING about a transaction or feedback, especially if it was a negative experience, without getting the thread shut down. This is a repeated trend that I've seen lately. Even if you go out of your way to not disclose any identification of the seller/buyer, just mentioning a bad experience, gets the thread closed. It's as if Etsy Admin doesn't want the world to know they are infallible.


Sometimes I have to wonder if it's all worth it at all.


(And apparently my Avatar has spawned copycats. Yes, it's the same Avatar on my main IJ page. Not sure whether to be flattered or offended. Except the other person's dog is a Beagle? or Daschaund? possibly and their hair is fuschia. Not to mention, has NOTHING to do with their shop- name or otherwise, whereas mine is named after Dante, who is prominant in my Avatar. Hmph.)

Looks like we get to go through a third round of Strike Through.