Barnes and Noble orders unfulfilled

[maintcoder]

Just a short rant to hopefully prod Barnes and Noble into action (if they check out sites like DVD Verdict). My order from the Fall sale is still not complete. They have not sent me the last two remaining items (Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence and Antichrist) and have not responded to numerous email inquiries. I have tried calling to no avail - after an hour on the phone each time waiting, the line disconnected.

If anyone has a better way to connect to the Barnes and Noble customer service, I would love to know how!

[molly1216]

if they haven't charged you for the items yet, they haven't really harmed you
- so you actually want a favor more than restitution for a wrong.
if they have charged you then they are being bad and need to be reprimanded.


1st rule of getting a company's attention:
go from the top down.
do not spend more than time with the minions than necessary

start at the top
put together just the PERTINENT info of your problem in a 1 page professional letter...no whining, no nasty
then fax and mail it to the corporate office
they will hand to a minion whose job it is to make it right.
at times i have put a device in a box and mailed it to a company president and gotten a replacement or a refund.

Barnes and Noble
122 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10011
United States - Map
+1-212-6333300 (Phone)
+1-212-6750413 (Fax)


Leonard Riggio Chairman of the Board
William J. Lynch Jr. Chief Executive Officer
John Foley President - Barnes & Noble eCommerce
Dan Gilbert Executive Vice President - Operations and Customer Service

[Dimwitted]

Ahhh, and I thought I was the only one. Their customer disservice is a disgrace. Given their much publicized financial troubles and the fact that they only charge when shipped means that I am annoyed not truly angry.

The fact that they advertise the disc as In Stock and on sale just burns my ass. It certainly makes me hesitate if I see another deal from them. You only have one chance to make a first impression and theirs isn't good.

[Steve T Power]

A friend of mine never did receive two of his discs either. And after a month and change and an e-mail inquiry they just issued him a refund. Why not ship replacement copies?

Thankfully, mine was all a-ok and waiting for me under the festivus pole.
.

[Dimwitted]

What I'm thinking is it's a lot like the supermarket specials. They buy a special deal from the manufacturer/distributor, in this case Criterion, and when they run out, that's it. Really popular issues are a crapshoot. If they announced that right at the beginning I could understand it, just like the BR Battle Royale discs sold by Amazon.uk. It was a limited edition right from the getgo and if it sold out, you missed it.

[maintcoder]

What I'm thinking is it's a lot like the supermarket specials. They buy a special deal from the manufacturer/distributor, in this case Criterion, and when they run out, that's it. Really popular issues are a crapshoot. If they announced that right at the beginning I could understand it, just like the BR Battle Royale discs sold by Amazon.uk. It was a limited edition right from the getgo and if it sold out, you missed it.

Yep, that is what I believe is happening. I mean why ship a disc they are selling for nearly $30 for half that price, especially 3 months after the sale. I just wish they were honest about the limited numbers or whatever the story is. The complaint sites on the web are rife with Barnes and Noble's poor customer service, so I guess this experience is par for the course.

I hope I did not come off angry or harmed as they have not charged me for the order - it was more of a rant about the situation. They offered items for sale, I agreed to purchase them, and they failed to fulfill the order. I like to think I was fair to give them a chance to follow through on the order via the numerous communications I sent. From this experience I have learned they do not want me to spend my money with them, which is fine. I will find some other place to spend it as there are more than enough places to purchase DVDs...

[maintcoder]

Well, I believe the current conjecture may have some merit. I canceled my long outstanding Barnes and Noble order yesterday, and what did I receive today - an email telling me the items are in stock if I want to re-order them. The contents of the only 'real' email reply is below.
-------------------------
Dear Customer,

Thank you for your inquiry regarding order #157921247.

We are pleased to confirm that the canceled items you had ordered are
now available. If you still would like to receive this item, you can
place a new order at www.bn.com. If your order previously had qualified
for free shipping, we will waive standard delivery charges for this
item.


Visit www.bn.com and click on the options that appear in the upper
right-hand corner to view information about your order.

We look forward to your next visit.

Sincerely,
--------------------
How's that for timing! Of course, I ordered the items elsewhere... LOL

[Dunnyman]

I will find some other place to spend it as there are more than enough places to purchase DVDs...

If you're still in the Puget Sound, Silver Platters cannot be beat for selection or service. They are all huge film and/or music buffs. Sure, some of the online places can beat their prices, but no one I've found knows their subject better or takes better care of their customers. I just got a CD from them of a very obscure indie collaboration out of Scotland, 3.67 cheaper than any online reseller, and no shipping charges. And of course, Scarecrow still rocks as well.

[Dimwitted]

The problem is that B&N have me by the short hairs on the ½ price sale. There's nothing anywhere like it in Canada. I'll just have to try again when they do it in the summer.

[Steve T Power]

The problem is that B&N have me by the short hairs on the ½ price sale. There's nothing anywhere like it in Canada. I'll just have to try again when they do it in the summer.

This is truth. Truth absolute. Though HMV and Future shop do stock a solid batch of Criterion blu-ray these days at what I can only call reasonable pricing.

I've seen Seven Samurai around town for $44

[HGervais]

I don't order from the web site. I frequent the two B&N's in the area enough that I know most of the people in the video sections and during sale times that pays off. I guess I'm saying if you have access to a local B&N it pays to shop in-store.

[Dimwitted]

The problem is that B&N have me by the short hairs on the ½ price sale. There's nothing anywhere like it in Canada. I'll just have to try again when they do it in the summer.

This is truth. Truth absolute. Though HMV and Future shop do stock a solid batch of Criterion blu-ray these days at what I can only call reasonable pricing.

I've seen Seven Samurai around town for $44

Yeah, but I got it for $24.99. Too much of a difference. Hell, I got Sanjuro/Yojimbo for $34.99. Even with shipping and customs it's still a huge deal. Too good to pass up. Charade would have been as sweet at $19.99.