I have to confess that I do a significant amount of online shopping. It just is so easy to be able to compare products and prices on specific items and order them from the comfort of your home. No fuel costs, parking issues, and inclement weather never a problem either. The convenience of having the worlds' goods at your fingertips. Awesome.
However, there are good and bad shopping experiences I want to share with you. Kudos or roses to one specific site and onions to the other.
The beginning is that it is hot as Hades here and we needed a portable air conditioner. So I searched the Internet for a good price and fast shipping so we could receive something to cool at least the bedroom. My spouse and I both have cardiac issues so extreme heat is not a positive influence in our lives.
Amazon.com Everyone seems to know this site and they are absolutely awesome. Free shipping on most items over a certain threshold (free always if you subscribe to PRIME), free returns, great customer service, fast refunds on returns (Amazon will normally credit you account as soon as UPS picks up the return!) Generally quality merchandise, although you do need to be careful when choosing an item or seller where the product is not fulfilled directly by Amazon. Check their ratings and decide whether that choice is best for you. Feedback is important, just like shopping on eBay.
I ordered an air conditioner from Amazon on Saturday and it was delivered to my door in excellent condition on Monday, actually one business day later, and a day earlier than expected. And no extra shipping costs too. Product was in a sealed box, with all the required parts, no damage and was the right unit I ordered. And it operates just as intended. Success!
Jet.com Unfortunately, my high hopes for success with this company have been decimated to say the least. I ordered an air conditioner of one brand and size and was excited to see UPS pull up about 4 days later with..the wrong one! Not only was the capacity wrong, it was even the wrong brand so I sent it back with the UPS person. The return e-mail stated a refund would be issued within 7 to 10 days. What they actually mean is 7 to 10 business days after receiving the item back at the original shipping point! The item was received at their warehouse a week later and it took another week for them to issue a refund, which has yet to get to my credit card company.
Before realizing the error of my ways, I ordered a second air conditioner from Jet.com, this time opting for a different brand as the one I originally ordered was apparently not available. Again, this one arrived about 4 days later and the box was pretty beat up and looked to have been opened before; the UPS person said many look that way and it was relatively normal so I accepted delivery. Big mistake. Upon opening the box, it was clear the unit had previously been opened. The front of the appliance was dirty and the foam packaging was all broken. To further add insult to this deal, the critical parts to install the window portion of the unit were missing. Clearly this had been a return or some other product issue before I received it.
I spoke to a Michael at Jet.com and requested a return. He stated it would go back by FedEx, not UPS as it had come and he would put in a pickup for the next day. Unfortunately, FedEx does NOT provide a pickup label when they arrive to pickup the package, but UPS does. Michael failed to send me a label so the next day FedEx shows up and announces this 77 lb behemoth would not be picked up and they would have to come back another day after a label was affixed by me. Oh, crap, haul the damned box back inside again. Called Jet.com and a Natalie apologized and sent a label while scheduling another pickup. Drag the damned box outside again the next morning so FedEx can pick it up. Finally it is gone, but takes a week to reach the warehouse and probably at least another week or more for a refund.
Jet.com has some of the lowest prices on the Internet for many goods and does offer free shipping. But when they cannot fulfill an order correctly or send second rate merchandise, the old adage well applies..."The bitterness of a bad deal lingers long after the sweetness of a low price."
Jet.com never tells you where the item is coming from, just from a "Trusted Seller". Not so trusted by me for sure. Sadly, I will never order again as regardless of their hype, the only one with the top of their head popping off was me with a massive headache dealing with them.
It is "Caveat Emptor" or "Buyer Beware" when ordering online. If you think the deal is too good, it probably isn't.
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