hybridnine
08-09-2006, 08:09 PM
Fellow SP Members, I seek your help:
Here is my story -
I am working on a client's website that requires a course/class registration system. I searched on the web and found OsCommRes.com which is based on oscommerce but allows for event registration, which is perfect for what I am looking for. My client has 2checkout.com as payment processor but Oscommres did not have a 2checkout module readily available for download, so I contacted their sales/support. The company is run by Damien Hickey, one of the founders, and he contacts me by phone after some time. So I talk to him and I tell him that I need a 2checkout module because I want to use their software because of the event registration function which will be adapted for my class registration needs.
He then tells me that this can be done for $100USD and prepared in approx. 3-5 days. He goes on to tell me that the $100USD will also (a portion of it) will go to a local charity for the indigenous people in Australia. So I listen to him talk about what the charity is about, and so on. What I found unusual from this conversation? He was trying to convince me to pay the $100USD because its going towards the charity rather than what benefits/features/specs of the payment module that I was receiving. So I told him that I would think about it and let him know after. After another email sent asking them if it can be done earlier (which it couldn't) so anyways I went to pay the $100USD through their paypal donate button.
Finally, I receive the module, and he informs me that the 2checkout module will not work for the event registration but is ok for sales of physical goods.
:eek: >> :( >> :mad:
Now I am pissed ...
I pay them $100USD and telling that what I am using their software for and that I needed a payment module for it, next thing I know I get a module that doesn't work that way I need it to work.
The ironic thing is, the module doesn't work with the main purpose of their software - EVENT REGISTRATION!!!!
So I email them demanding either refund, or making it so that atleast it works. Instead they are saying that they are not consultants, can't foresee my needs, yadi yada. Instead they tell me to pay another $100 for another gateway that will work with selling event registrations.
RULES of customer service:
- Customer is always right - my philosophy is customer is sometimes right - but in this case I am pretty sure I am right, even if the customer is wrong as a good business man you need to make some sort of deal with the customer (for example, I will try to get another module for you at half the price, or better yet I will try to get it to work for an extra $20, or I apologize for forgetting that you mentioned you needed it for event registration and I did not warn you ahead of time that it wouldn't work with it)
After several emails, I now open a dispute with paypal, same conversation goes on there but paypal closes the dispute because its not a physical good... which is just greeeaaat.
Now I am stuck with a $100USD module which I have no use for. Another odd thing that struck me was that they were charging $100USD for a module that worked for product sales when I could have gone to Oscommerce.com and downloaded that with the module built in.. .duhh..FOR FREE
I hope you can see how ridiculous this is.
So now my last chance with paypal is gone, and its clear this company has no interest in refunding the money back, and now they have 1 very very very sour customer.
My plans now -
Ok so they ripped me off for $100USD but now its my turn (unless they read this and choose to give me the refund) :
I have a busy work schedule but my targets are set for revenge, this is the first time I have been scammed so blatantly and I have the energy to make sure they lose $100+ worth of sales and put a dent in their reputation.
For the next 30 days, I am going to every webmaster forum posting my story, posting my review of their terrible service, open a site warning people of this company - I might even consider hiring someone part time for awhile to continue my work by posting this on the internet. Its no longer about the $100 its about justice for ripping me off.
So for the readers out there - this is the longest I have posted in a forum EVER, this is because I am seriously pissed off.
Buyers - be aware of what you buy
Sellers - don't make the same mistake as this company did, for $100USD they are going to get a massive blow
Here is my story -
I am working on a client's website that requires a course/class registration system. I searched on the web and found OsCommRes.com which is based on oscommerce but allows for event registration, which is perfect for what I am looking for. My client has 2checkout.com as payment processor but Oscommres did not have a 2checkout module readily available for download, so I contacted their sales/support. The company is run by Damien Hickey, one of the founders, and he contacts me by phone after some time. So I talk to him and I tell him that I need a 2checkout module because I want to use their software because of the event registration function which will be adapted for my class registration needs.
He then tells me that this can be done for $100USD and prepared in approx. 3-5 days. He goes on to tell me that the $100USD will also (a portion of it) will go to a local charity for the indigenous people in Australia. So I listen to him talk about what the charity is about, and so on. What I found unusual from this conversation? He was trying to convince me to pay the $100USD because its going towards the charity rather than what benefits/features/specs of the payment module that I was receiving. So I told him that I would think about it and let him know after. After another email sent asking them if it can be done earlier (which it couldn't) so anyways I went to pay the $100USD through their paypal donate button.
Finally, I receive the module, and he informs me that the 2checkout module will not work for the event registration but is ok for sales of physical goods.
:eek: >> :( >> :mad:
Now I am pissed ...
I pay them $100USD and telling that what I am using their software for and that I needed a payment module for it, next thing I know I get a module that doesn't work that way I need it to work.
The ironic thing is, the module doesn't work with the main purpose of their software - EVENT REGISTRATION!!!!
So I email them demanding either refund, or making it so that atleast it works. Instead they are saying that they are not consultants, can't foresee my needs, yadi yada. Instead they tell me to pay another $100 for another gateway that will work with selling event registrations.
RULES of customer service:
- Customer is always right - my philosophy is customer is sometimes right - but in this case I am pretty sure I am right, even if the customer is wrong as a good business man you need to make some sort of deal with the customer (for example, I will try to get another module for you at half the price, or better yet I will try to get it to work for an extra $20, or I apologize for forgetting that you mentioned you needed it for event registration and I did not warn you ahead of time that it wouldn't work with it)
After several emails, I now open a dispute with paypal, same conversation goes on there but paypal closes the dispute because its not a physical good... which is just greeeaaat.
Now I am stuck with a $100USD module which I have no use for. Another odd thing that struck me was that they were charging $100USD for a module that worked for product sales when I could have gone to Oscommerce.com and downloaded that with the module built in.. .duhh..FOR FREE
I hope you can see how ridiculous this is.
So now my last chance with paypal is gone, and its clear this company has no interest in refunding the money back, and now they have 1 very very very sour customer.
My plans now -
Ok so they ripped me off for $100USD but now its my turn (unless they read this and choose to give me the refund) :
I have a busy work schedule but my targets are set for revenge, this is the first time I have been scammed so blatantly and I have the energy to make sure they lose $100+ worth of sales and put a dent in their reputation.
For the next 30 days, I am going to every webmaster forum posting my story, posting my review of their terrible service, open a site warning people of this company - I might even consider hiring someone part time for awhile to continue my work by posting this on the internet. Its no longer about the $100 its about justice for ripping me off.
So for the readers out there - this is the longest I have posted in a forum EVER, this is because I am seriously pissed off.
Buyers - be aware of what you buy
Sellers - don't make the same mistake as this company did, for $100USD they are going to get a massive blow