imho they're anything but....WARNING....Problems

[andyflystrikes]

So purchased a samsung 65" TV  before Christmas. Website reported no stock in local store, but available from HQ so I'd have to pay a $80+ postage and handling but I'd have it on the 28th December. With the 20% off ebay price it came down to about $2200 for a TV that today is advertised by them at $3495. (before discount on the day of purchase $2695)

The local store rang next day to say NO stock in TGG HQ in Melb and none locally so you cant have it until early Jan and when you do it'll come from the local store...... OK....not real happy but it is what it is.....When I raised the issue of them charging $80+ for post when collect from local store was free she said...no issues we'll refund the postage........

Wasnt sure that a phone conversation alone was tight enough so on the 29th I opened a "Did not recieve" case where I specified that in all fairness I just wanted my postage refunded given that you didnt actually incur that cost which you were claiming at the ttime i purchased it and lets not forget that delivery date has slipped.....

TGG said....get stuffed.....you cant have it back. In the end they told me that they were cancelling my order and refunding the price paid.....which is not at all what I want after all if I get my $2200 back in my hand I sure cant go and buy the same thing anywhere else for that money.....

Am I being unreasonable....what should I have done differently?

They kept telling me during the whole reolution process that what they were offering was fair and reasonable........which was exactly nothing.....

They also wanted me continuously to close down the "Did not recieve goods" dispute before they would agree to a resolution.....how shonky is that!!!!

Thoughts?

Caveat Emptor!!!!!

[andyflystrikes]

well perhaps im hard headed but no I dont wish Id shut it......I might not have approached this in the most conducive to a good outcome way, but from a principles perspective I personally believe the $80 charge in the end was plain wrong and I dont understand why they dug their heals in......the only conspiracy theory I have is that the item was miss priced in the first place because to go from $2695 to $3495 when no one else is even close to that (Model No for those interested QA65Q7FNAWXXY) is a bit odd...especially as TV prices, in general, go down all year from first released then jump 1 year later when the new years models are suddenly available...rinse...repeat....

 
With regard to the missed opportunity, I agree it would be better that it wasnt missed, but my elasticity of demand means they can ask $1300 more but they sure arent getting it from me, principles or otherwise.........

 

anyway thanks everyone that contributed.... if I find myself in a do over I may keep my powder drier longer......

[digital*ghost]

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@andyflystrikes wrote:

well perhaps im hard headed but no I dont wish Id shut it......I might not have approached this in the most conducive to a good outcome way, but from a principles perspective I personally believe the $80 charge in the end was plain wrong and I dont understand why they dug their heals in.....

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You may have already received all the input you'd like, but my 2c anyway, some of which is really just going to repeat a few sentiments already posted, just in different words, so it's really more like 1c, or half... 

When a customer service rep says something that you want to be able to prove at a later date, you just need to ask them to provide you that in writing, and / or simply ask them what steps to take to ensure their promise is honoured. If you get to a point where something has transpired and you didn't make that request, and later you think "wait, that's not good enough, I need something in black and white to ensure they honour their word", call them back, speak to the same person, and ask for it.

Going in swinging is all but guaranteed to get a business to meet the barest minimum of obligations, and end the transaction as quickly as possible (for example, if one of my buyers doesn't receive something and the first thing they do is send me a rude, demanding message that accompanies a dispute, 9 times out of 10 I will just refund, cancel, block. For those who make an inquiry and treat me with respect, conversely 9 time out of those 10 I will go above and beyond the call of duty to get them their order the fastest possible way, and usually include a little something extra for the inconvenience. The only reason I have for why I do that is....because it's so rare to be approached with genuine understanding and respect, but I see no reason why a seller or CS rep doesn't deserve it, unless they've deliberately transgressed in some way). 

As far as TGG is concerned, or other businesses like them - TGG eBay is basically a virtual store owned by the corporate side of things, and local stores facilitate the sales that the virtual store makes. Your local store generally has nothing to do with the sale, except act as the warehouse / pick-up point. This is why what someone at the store says vs what the eBay rep for TGG says can be wholly contradictory. 

[lyndal1838]

I have to admit I think you have cut your own throat in this transaction.

I had a similar situation some years ago with the Good Guys.   I purchased a fairly expensive DVD player and an Easy Cook Turbo Oven.  They were both on sale at TGG and were elligible for an ebay 20% discount.  To be picked up at out local store.

The store notified me that they had the DVD player but would have to get the Turbo Oven from Melbourne.  They asked would I like to collect the DVD player immediately and wait for the Oven...which I did (it was the week before Christmas and it was possible that the oven would not arrive in time).  It was not a worry as it was only a replacement for an ancient oven that I had.

Needless to say, the oven did not arrive before Christmas and after Christmas I was advised that Melbourne no longer had it in stock and I could wait till mid January for them to get one for the manufacturer or get a refund.   I was a bit miffed by then but did not want a refund due to the sale price plus the ebay 20% discount.  Then I was advised that there was one available in Brisbane if I wanted to pay the $20 postage.

I said I was happy to get the one from Brisbane but would not pay $20 postage as I had bought my item with free pickup in store.

TGG must have hated me but my Easy Cook Oven arrived from Brisbane 3 days later with no postage paid by me.

Yes, the whole episode was annoying in the end but I got what I ordered, at the price I paid by working with the store and sticking to my guns about what my rights were.

On the whole  I find TGG very good to deal with....we have known the owners of two local store for over 30 years and regularly go back.  The same with Bing Lee.0

[shoppingbag*]

So you took eBay's mythical "estimated" delivery date as set in stone? Ebay plucks the date out of the air and it is put up by them, NOT the Seller, so saying the Seller did not live up to their promises is TOTALLY INCORRECT. Also, do you not understand what ESTIMATED means??

[collect247]

I love the TGGs I have store credit discounts with them as I purchase all my electrical goods from them.

They're fantastic to deal with and ebay's guesstimates well they're just that.

[enigmabear]

Never had any issue with them at all myself so I'm afraid I can't knock them at this point in time

[springyzone]

Hmm, I can understand you feeling miffed at paying $80+ for postage & handling if they weren't going to post it out. In fact, I can't understand why they couldn't post it out once stock arrived. If there is currently no stock in Melb, none locally & none in headquarters, then I presume the wait till early Jan is for new stock to come in. They could have just told you when it was expected, they could post one then or was that too late & would you prefer a refund?

It sounds though as if stock was going to come into HQ, then be distributed to local stores and you were being asked to pick up from your local store. In that case, a refund of postage paid should have been a given.

Probably your best recourse would have been to ask the woman on the phone to confirm in writing that a refund would be given if you picked up the item.

Once you opened an ebay claim though, I am not sure  the Good guys would have had the option to just refund you the postage cost. They surely would have had to either supply the item immediately or refund in full? That's how I have always interpreted ebay item not received claims, although I could be wrong.

But hey, what is done is done. You have not lost any money.

My advice now would be to wait. If they had it on special at that price once, they (or someone else) can have it on a good special again. Also, GG will barter, once they have stock in, see what you can get it down to.

[digital*ghost]

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@springyzone wrote:

Once you opened an ebay claim though, I am not sure  the Good guys would have had the option to just refund you the postage cost.

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I should have clarified this in my post, but they don't. The ability to offer a partial refund of a payment is only available in item not as described cases, with INR it's all or nothing. 

[andyflystrikes]

Ok so it’s clear to me that despite having used eBay for decades I know very little about it.

My intent wasn’t to box them into a corner with no possible moves available to them other than refund. Rather I naively thought that the dispute process would simply put them on notice that I was serious about wanting the problem resolved. I sure didn’t understand that a dispute even if it was resolved would count against them. As a buyer I guess I should be thankful that we have protection but even to me to be penalised when they ultimately do the right thing seems unfair.....

it’s a shame that my ignorance will cause them ongoing impacts.... I don’t know what I can now do to undo the penalties that have unfairly been applied. I might ask the moderator to remove this whole thread or at least remove all reference to TGG so they aren’t damaged further.

[lyndal1838]

I would not worry about it.   Anyone who reads the boards and keeps up to date with the changing ebay policies will see where the fault lies.

Even if you leave the seller bad feedback it will not make a lot of difference to them.  Most of the big retailers on ebay have appalling feedback, often with no good reason.

It certainly would not have stopped me taking full advantage of the 2 discounts that applied to my transaction....and it would not stop me in the future.