| Posted: December-29-2008 at 6:05pm | IP Logged
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I have purchased items via cable shopping networks only three times in my life. The most recent one was a little over a month ago after I was "scanning" through the channels early one Sunday morning and happened upon a CSN sales pitch for a complete set of State Quarters (both P&D mint) in the special US Mint folder. The price at $99.95 wasn't a bargain price by any means, but it was an excellent way to get the complete set in one album and in BU grade.
I am a coin collector of sorts, and I do have all the annual State Quarter silver proof sets and clad proof sets.... but this album looked like a good item to have in the collection with all the quarters in one album.
The sales pitch said (and still to this day says), "only 2000 of these sets are available, and when they are gone, they are gone".
Well, I only saw about the last five minutes of the sales pitch, and when it ended I went to the ShopCSNTV web site and purchased the set, and also clicked on and purchased the special added offer for the 2009 Territories Continuity Program (which says that the buyer will receive the twelve 2009 Territorial Quarters in BU grade (6 each from Denver and Philadelphia Mints) for $14.95 plus S&H. I received an e-mail confirmation of my order ........and, I waited......
After two weeks had passed, I thought perhaps I'd best follow up. I clicked on the CS e-mail address in the order confirmation message (to which you are directed to submit inquiries), and sent a status inquiry...... and I waited..... After three days and no reply, I sent a follow-up inquiry, with my original inquiry copied and pasted into that second inquiry. After three more days I sent a third request. I then called (on 12/23) the 800 number listed in that original order confirmation, and got to talk with a live person. The CS lady looked up my order history and explained that their computer system had been upgraded on the Monday following my Sunday order..... and that orders had been "backlogged", but said that she could assure me that my order would be shipped very soon, if it hadn't already shipped. She further explained that she couldn't access the file at that time to determine if my order may have already shipped, and suggested that I call back after the Christmas holiday.
....... so, I waited until this afternoon.......
This time I again called the same 800 number listed in the original order confirmation e-mail and got a male CS rep. He was very nice...... and, he was of absolutely no help. He courteously looked up my order and gave me the status..... Turns out, per the CS guy, that I had ordered the WRONG Territorial Continuity Set to go with the album which I ordered...... and that was the reason for the holdup. I gave him by best and most eloquent, "Do Whut?"
He explained that I had ordered a much more expensive wood boxed and ICG Certified PR70 set, and that discrepancy was what was holding up my order.
I responded with another "Do whut?"
I explained that the confirmation which I was looking at as we spoke showed the Continuity Set at $14.95 plus S&H, and says it will be shipped when released by the US Mint.
The CS rep very courteously said, "Sir, we can quickly change your complete set to the nice wood boxed ICG Certified PR70 set for just $1,199 if you'd like so that it and the Territorial set which you ordered will match".
I asked, "Where is my simple Complete BU set in the US Mint Folder? That is what I want!"
"We don't have any in stock at present."
.......... This gave me an opportunity to use one of my all time favorite movie lines, which I paraphrased as I told this guy, "Well, what we seem to have here is a danged geographical oddity!"
He said, "Excuse me sir?"
"Well, as I understand it", I said, "your sales pitch says that you only had 2000 of those sets and when they are gone they are gone....... It's been a month. You are still running the TV infomercial and you still have the item for sale on the ShopCSNTV web site. Don't you find it a little odd that you are currently out of stock?"
He then said that he would be happy to cancel my order if I wished.
I said, "Please do."
By the way..... when I requested that he send me an e-mail confirmation of the order cancellation, he said that they do not use e-mail..... He also told me that I was mistaken on the e-mail confirmation, because they don't send any such thing. I told the guy that I had just been reading to him from that e-mail confirmation, and that was where I got the CS e-mail address and the 800 number to call him.
Now I have to contact AMEX and notify them that any charge(s) on my account by ShopCSNTV are not valid.
My advice.... if you happen to be scanning through the channels and happen to see an item on the CSN channel which looks interesting, move on to another channel as quickly as you can. HA HA
Edited by SpeedRacer2 on December-29-2008 at 7:15pm
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: The PICKIN' PARLOR
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