If It's Too Good -- It's A Scam
A lousy way to run an ecommerce business
Full Disclosure: I went looking for the best price and got exactly what I was willing to pay for. This is a true story. I changed the names because the lawyers told me to.
Further Disclosure When the website claimed to sell a $700 camcorder for $339, I bit and went for it. Color me stupid; color the merchant a crook.
I needed another camcorder and so, being an integral part of the ecommerce community, I went shopping online. I found the unit I wanted by working through some very good review sites, such as Reviews.cnet.com/camcorders/, Camcorderinfo.com and Consumerreports.org.
Then I Googled the unit, in this case a Canon HG20 Hard Drive CamCorder. I knew the full list price and the going market price, but I thought maybe somebody was on the ropes and needed to sell some inventory.
The first site I visited had the camera for $369. There was hype about free goodies and packages that could add things like a tripod and lense covers and such.
What the site should have said about my potential purchase was, "We don't really have any of these in stock and we're not sure if we can get any from a distributor or manufacturer. But if we could, and you will trust us with your information and credit card number, and are willing to wait until our CEO gets out of jail, we may be able to beg someone to drop ship you one, providing the moon is not full, the Euro and the dollar remain somewhat balanced and our office manager isn't in court."
You think I'm kidding. I don't kid about court.
I ordered the camera from we-might-ship-you-something.com and got a sort of confirmation back. It said that I needed to affirm my credit card information and would I please call within a certain time frame and talk to James and if I didn't, the order would be delayed. I called James, who is also Juan, Caleb, Ora and Melchezedek, depending on which phone he is answering.
The phone call had little to do with security and more to do with James wanting to sell me accessories and service contracts. When I assured him I wanted the camera as a second unit and had everything else I needed, he told me the unit would ship in three to five days and hung up.
I could live with the timing--then. But when the money for the camera was still in my account six days later, I called and got Ora (James in falsetto) on the line and she (he) told me there was no way I would see my purchase anything thing short of October 15. It was back-ordered and I was last in a long line other idiots (my words) who fell for the SCAM.
I cancelled. In an all-to-practiced-fashion Ora gave me a cacellation confirmation number and a "have a nice day Mr Cox."
I upped the bet and went for someone who was even $200 higher. Same scenario, except that this time another multi-voiced grafter actually told me he had the camera and would ship it on confirmation of my information. We confirmed. Five days later, however, one of the cast admitted that they were waiting for it to be dropshipped and had no idea when that would happened. CANCEL.
I gave up and went up another $150, still less than my big box store on the corner wanted, and got the camera shipped, but not until I got to turn down some juicy accessory offers on that "confirmation" call.
You kow the crazy part, as I'm dealing with the third merchant, I had this nagging feeling I was talking to the same people, you know Juan, Caleb, Ora and Melchezedek.
Lessons From This For Other Merchants
Don't make online buyers make phone calls so you can try to upsell them. If you do, be honest about it. It is an insult to tell the customer you will delay his or her order unless they call to confirm information that doesn't need confirming and then you pitch them.
If you are drop shipping and don't have the product readily available, tell the customer in the confiormation email you should be sending. There is nothing wrong with drop shipping, but the customer should know specifics about if and when it will be shipped.
Oh, one more thing.
The outfit I bought from still jerked me around. I paid for overnight shipping. I ordered (and confirmed) on Thursday and hopefully I'll get the camera Monday.
