Terrible Service and Lost Cash

wirt

Hi everyone, I usually don't turn to the internet to vent frustration, but I'm at a loss as to what I need to do.

Situation: Last week Sunday (6-4-2014) I decide to pull the trigger on a Big Muff PI from SoundSelect.co.za via their online shop. This would be the shop available on their website, not BidOrBuy.co.za. The next day I get an email from one of the people working at soundselect, telling me that the last of the Big Muff's have been sold out over the weekend.

Log this as problem 1: website does not accurately reflect stock levels.

Anyway, no big deal. I suggest that I give them R100 more and get the improved model, the Big Muff PI with Tone Wicker. The person I am in contact with decides that's a good idea, even wants to give me a R100 discount with on the pedal to make up for the hassle thus far so I don't have to pay in any extra money on top of the R1,399 I already paid them. I accept and he promises to contact me before 5PM on that day. Which he doesn't.

Log problem no. 2: Never phoning or emailing when they say they will.

Common enough problem with brick and mortar stores, but when you're doing business online and I've already given you money, I expect to be treated as a valued client. I needed to phone Soundselect.co.za from this point on to get anything out of them. I'm told that there are no Big Muff's of any kind in stock and I'll be given a refund. I send them my banking details to facilitate such a procedure, in case they're required. This was 6 days ago on the 8th of April.

Log problem no. 3: I've given someone R1,399 for a product they cannot deliver, and I've still not received a refund.

So that's the whole story. I don't know what I can do from here on and I don't know when last I was this frustrated with a company. Do they not care or are they just that incompetent? Anyone have any ideas as to what I can do from here on? The only thing I can think of is to HelloPeter them, but judging from the complaints already lodged against them they don't care about that either. Ugh...

Incidentally, the only music shop that has ever called me back when they said they would was Oosthaven's in PTA North.

Anyway, I've since gotten my paws on a Way Huge Swollen Pickle, which does do the job terribly well, I must say ?

Keira-WitherKay

yes bad service seems to be the norm rather than the exception here in SA

anyway glad you got sorted eventually ....

Shibbibilybob

Keira WitherKay wrote: yes bad service seems to be the norm rather than the exception here in SA

anyway glad you got sorted eventually ....

did he?
The way I read it made it seem like he was still R1399 out of pocket?

AlanRatcliffe

How did you pay? You have recourse if it was by Visa or Mastercard.

Otherwise if it was cash or transfer, contact them one more time via email, inform them if the money is not returned within seven days you will refer the matter to a lawyer and all fees will be on their account. And do exactly that.

wirt

Shibbibilybob wrote:
Keira WitherKay wrote: yes bad service seems to be the norm rather than the exception here in SA

anyway glad you got sorted eventually ....
did he?
The way I read it made it seem like he was still R1399 out of pocket?

I'm still out of 1.4K. I got the Swollen Pickle from MusicMate, I probably should have stated that more clearly.

Alan Ratcliffe wrote: How did you pay? You have recourse if it was by Visa or Mastercard.

Otherwise if it was cash or transfer, contact them one more time via email, inform them if the money is not returned within seven days you will refer the matter to a lawyer and all fees will be on their account. And do exactly that.

I didn't even think of that, thanks Alan. I have a Mastercard, so I'll try contacting my bank first for a chargeback before I start throwing the L-word around.

V8

Eish Wirt, I'd be tempted to pop into the store and have a few choice words and call it stress relief ?

But it seems you are not alone in your soudselect experience : http://hellopeter.com/soundselect/compliments-and-complaints

Perhaps pop a entry on hellopeter, send 'em a ratty email give 'em a day or two to respond?

A chargeback IS a valid lawyerless option, there is a time limit so sooner is better - can be as little as 30 days depending on the type of transaction. Also might require a affidavit, depends on the bank.

Tear 'em new one!

wirt

So I got that refund, no further action required on my part. So no damage done, but I'm not sure if I'll deal with soundselect.co.za again.

RobbieZ

wirt wrote: So I got that refund, no further action required on my part. So no damage done, but I'm not sure if I'll deal with soundselect.co.za again.

Neither will I

briang-telkomsa-net

So don't be fooled by slick looking advertiements and e-mail "flyers" then?

AlanRatcliffe

briang wrote: So don't be fooled by slick looking advertiements and e-mail "flyers" then?

True of anything these days - anyone with modest computer skills can make a decent-looking website or ads that implies they are bigger and better than they really are.

IceCreamMan

always felt that sound select were above board and better than the rest ....but never dealt with em..WIRT, glad it was resolved

studmissile

Alan Ratcliffe wrote:
briang wrote: So don't be fooled by slick looking advertiements and e-mail "flyers" then?
True of anything these days - anyone with modest computer skills can make a decent-looking website or ads that implies they are bigger and better than they really are.

The shop is a house?
https://maps.google.co.za/maps?oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&channel=np&ie=UTF-8&layer=c&z=17&iwloc=A&sll=-26.157980,28.092250&cbp=13,7.1,0,0,0&cbll=-26.158268,28.092210&q=81+17th+Street+Orange+Grove,+JHB,+2192&ei=UJRPU6DhFuSI7Aap4YC4Dw&ved=0CCoQxB0wAA

Squonk

I have bought 2 items from soundselect and even their service was fast and efficient. Hopefully this was just one mistake?

Bob-Dubery

wirt wrote: Hi everyone, I usually don't turn to the internet to vent frustration, but I'm at a loss as to what I need to do.

Situation: Last week Sunday (6-4-2014) I decide to pull the trigger on a Big Muff PI from SoundSelect.co.za via their online shop. This would be the shop available on their website, not BidOrBuy.co.za. The next day I get an email from one of the people working at soundselect, telling me that the last of the Big Muff's have been sold out over the weekend.

Log this as problem 1: website does not accurately reflect stock levels.

I see more and more of this with eTailers. I think it happens because often they don't hold stock but rely on their suppliers. I've currently got it with an order from Kalahari (order delayed because one of their suppliers turned out to be out of stock of one of the items I've wanted) and I've even had it with Amazon.

Attila

I've been to their shop down town JHB diagonally across the road from the Carlton Center, they have bits and pieces for guitarists, a lot of crap really. Over all they cater more for the DJ and funnily enough wind instrument market.

doc-phil

The first time I bought from Sound Select I had similar hassles, I bought an item and was then told that they did not have stock, and that I would receive a credit. It was eventually sorted out (after about 3 weeks).

I have since made other purchases with them and have received superb service and delivery times.

Maybe there is one salesman in their ranks that isn't up to scratch. Soundselect, as a whole, I reckon is very good and I will continue buying from them.

wirt

Just to make my position clear on the matter:
My experiences with soundselect is just one datapoint amongst many. I'm not advocating that anyone stop using soundselect or avoid them in the future, I was relating my experience and asking for advice.

It's more than probable that my experience was just a fluke.