6. All I wanted was a damn printer!

Preface

This is the second installment fast and furious consumer complaint letter, dealing with a printer I ordered online. I waited all day for the thing to be delivered, but it never arrived. The courier company couldn't find the house, so they returned it to the warehouse. They were never provided a phone number from the company I ordered it through, so it went back to Auckland. The vendor decided I should pay for shipping. I begged to differ. All names and sensitive information have been changed since they have since complied with my demands.

From:
El Desconocido
62A The Parade
Paekakariki, Kapiti Coast

Re: Order 17548--Breach of Contract

11 December 2006

To:
ripyouoff.co.nz
Attn: Jim
123 Main Street
Waterloo, Lower Hutt, Wellington

CC:
Catherine McDonald
Consumer Advisor
Consumer Institute
Wellington Office

Attachments:
Photo: 62A The Parade, Paekakariki Letterbox in Public View
Photo: 62A The Parade, close ups
Photo: Text message from Jim dated 5 Dec finally naming courier and tracking number, 5 days after transaction initiation
Form: Desconocido Invoice with printer details and cost breakdown
Form: Itemised and dated chronology of events

Dear Jim,
I recently attempted to order a Canon MP150 printer through your internet company ripyouoff.co.nz. Unfortunately and regretfully, the transaction turned into an exercise in futility for all parties involved when the courier company failed to deliver it to the designated shipping address.

Nearly a week after the order, I requested a full refund since the transaction was never completed; the goods never physically touched my hands. However, the refund amount was short in the amount of $7.88, even though in your invoice (see attached) shipping was actually charged out at $7.00. This constitutes a legal breach of contract and I am requesting that you reconsider your decision and promptly refund the remainder. Had the goods been delivered to an incorrect address or were received then rejected, then yes, I would agree that I should be responsible for the shipping charges. But the fact remains, it was not a completed transaction.

In a phone call to your office, you claimed that I should pay the return shipping since, according to you, I supposedly provided an “invalid or undeliverable” address. This is entirely untrue and is evidenced by photographic proof to the contrary. The 62A letterbox is in clear and public view and there is no reason why the courier company could not have delivered this package. They clearly made a mistake, so that issue is between your company and the courier. I should not be made to bear the burden of their error.

It is my belief that you illegally breached your responsibilities as a vendor. First, you did not provide me with the courier name and tracking number until 5 days after I initiated the transaction. This is supported by photographic evidence (see attached). If you had supplied this information, I would have called the courier company myself and had them redeliver it the next day.

Second, the courier company claims that they didn’t have my phone number, even though I entered it into your website interface at the time of order. If you’d have given it to them, they could have easily called me while they were still in Paekakariki trying to deliver it. I spoke with both Margaret and Tatiana at Courier Post, both of which confirmed that you did not provide them with my mobile number.

Third, I am left to wonder why, from the initiation of the transaction, you as the vendor didn't tell me which courier company was delivering the printer, nor provide me with a tracking number. Had this been furnished to me early on, we could have circumvented this entire issue. As evidence of this, please see the following email from you to me dated 30 November.

Fourth, I am dismayed at the way you handled the situation when we spoke on the phone last Friday (8 Dec). You continued to insist that I provided an invalid address and should be liable for shipping at which time you stated to me, "I've wasted enough time on this already." Your unwillingness to help your customer nor attempt to better understand the situation before making a decision is unfortunate and, in my opinion, represents poor business ethics and customer service standards.

I call your attention to the fact that Miss Catherine McDonald (cc'd on this email) with the Consumer Institute in Wellington was quite disturbed by the turns of events and is interested in the outcome of this matter. I have agreed to keep her informed as the issue transpires.

Please review the attachments contained herein and let me know if you'd like to reconsider your decision. Please be so kind as to respond within three (3) business days or I will consider further action into resolving this matter. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Regards,
El Desconocido


XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Rip You Off Sales support@ripyouoff.co.nz escribió:
Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2006 22:26:39 +1300
From: Rip You Off Sales support@ripyouoff.co.nz
Subject: Rip You Off SalesOrder 17548 - Despatch Advice (Invoice Attached)
To: eldesconocido@yahoo.com

Kia ora Desconocido,

Your order, number 17548, has been despatched from the warehouse. Unfortunately we were not able to obtain a tracking number for this order. Please let us know if you have not received delivery in a day or so.

Before accepting delivery from the courier, please ensure the packaging is in good condition with no signs of damage. If damaged, it is best to reject the goods back to the courier and advise us asap.

A tax invoice is attached. Please print this out and keep it for your records. A hard copy will not be sent out unless you specifically request one.Thanks again for shopping at Rip You Off Sales, and we hope to see you again soon.

Kind Regards,
Rip You Off Saleshttp://www.ripyouoff.co.nz
If you have any questions about this message simply reply with your query, and we will respond to you asap.